Podcasts about biznews

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features a terrorist attack on Sydney's storied Bondi Beach, where 16 Jewish celebrants of Hannukkah were killed; Hopes for Ukraine peace after Zelensky's marathon session with American negotiators will be followed by another one today; Chile elects a Trump/Milei lookalike; why Wall Street hammered Oracle - and more.

South Africans abroad who lost their citizenship after acquiring another nationality can now breathe a sigh of relief. Following a landmark Constitutional Court ruling, the Department of Home Affairs has launched an online portal to help restore citizenship rights. In an interview with BizNews, Mary Paccard, the DA's global project manager, says that despite some early technical glitches the system is working well. She notes, however, that serious challenges remain at South Africa's embassies and consular services overseas, with the most pressing complaints being unanswered phones, slow responses to queries, and the very limited hours available to collect passports and other identity documents.

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features the latest from the US, where market participants are generally divided into two camps; everybody, though, loves the new obesity drug from Eli Lilly, and in SA we take a closer look at the firmer Rand, Mr Price's wipeout and gold's "bubble". Also, our partners at the FT give their assessment on what the Fed rate cut actually means.

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features the latest from the US, where the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the third successive FOMC meeting, buoying the stock market - but that won't help the mood of Oracle and Uber shareholders, both stocks falling overnight. Locally, it's all gloom in the Mr Price boardroom after the market smashed the share price on the news of the retailer's R10bn European acquisition. More on Eskom's new template for dealing with industry and the Aussie social media ban for under 16s.

Retail giant Mr Price tanks 13% after its surprise Germany deal. Eskom's showdown with Glencore, Merafe and smelters raises fresh questions despite government cheerleading. The Bank for International Settlements warns gold may be entering bubble territory, and Allan Gray shakes up the market with new global ETFs on the JSE. Alec Hogg unpacks it all with Piet Viljoen and Peter Major, including why markets don't buy the hype.

I unpack Mr Price's R10bn German gamble, misaligned executive incentives, and why OUTsurance and Famous Brands stay on his watchlist – not yet in the BizNews portfolio.

Fund manager Kokkie Kooymans warns of looming global market risks as Mr Price places a bold R9.6bn offshore bet, Eskom's last-minute deal with Glencore saves 15,000 smelter jobs, Grindrod surges as a Transnet alternative, HCI buys back R650m of its shares, Uzbekistan's SOE playbook raises eyebrows, and thousands of SA expats regain citizenship through the new online portal.

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features an early morning crossing to Rory Steyn in Brisbane who has big social media news; the freshest overnight developments from our partners at Bloomberg - SpaceX share sale; Fed rate cut - and locally a reprieve for thousands of workers (and ferrochrome smelters) as Eskom and Merafe reach a deal plus another foreign adventure for Famous Brands and the end of a disastrous one for Spar.

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features the odds on Paramount's fresh $108bn hostile bid for Warner Brothers beating Netflix's board-supported $82bn offer; Nvidia securing a Trump deal on selling new chips to China; traders nervous about tomorrow's rate cut won't happen; and on the local front, we feature the latest info from Absa, Spar, Amazon SA and more.

BizNews editor Alec Hogg speaks to Terry Boardman, Famous Brands' head of QSR, about the group's strategic leap into Malaysia with Steers and Debonairs, why the right local partner matters, lessons learned from past international setbacks, and what Famous Brands' sales data reveals about green shoots — and ongoing pressure — in the South African consumer economy.

Eskom's deal with Glencore halts ferrochrome retrenchments, Famous Brands targets Malaysia growth, Spar swallows a R4.8bn European exit, Thungela beats coal guidance, MultiChoice completes its JSE delisting, and the BIS raises fresh bubble warnings over gold and US stocks.

In his latest interview with BizNews, Safe Citizen Founder Jonathan Deal tells Chris Steyn that the assassination of Madlanga Commission Witness D is “a perfect illustration of where on the one hand the government has completely and utterly lost control of the security environment in which South Africans must live and work and raise their children every day, while on the other hand, they are obtusely pushing an outdated ideology.” Slamming the African National Congress (ANC) over proposed changes to firearm ownership legislation, he quotes a colleague writing that “the State has become predatory with the left hand feeding on its own citizens, while the right is seeking to disarm those same citizens.” Giving an update on the Nedlac consultation on the Firearms Control Amendment Bill, Deal shares this feedback from a member of the gunowners fraternity that attended the latest engagement : “Government walked in, expecting compliance. They left, understanding resistance. The takeaway is blunt. They are not ready for this fight. We are.”

Amazon SA boss Robert Koen says online retail has “knocked it out the park,” Absa confirms economic green shoots as bad debts ease, MTN Zakhele collapses toward zero, Spar posts a R4.8bn loss, G20 gains scrutiny from Michael Louis, and Ray Dalio warns global debt is driving investors back to gold.

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features the latest in the Netflix takeover for Warner Brothers Discovery (Trump isn't a fan); European kickback to the US on Ukraine; SpaceX's stellar valuation and on the local front, a BEE leverage warning via the disaster called MTN Zakhele Futhi.

Former Springbok lock Flip van der Merwe has taken the lessons of high‑performance rugby into the boardroom, now working as a strategy consultant for business leaders. Living in Biarritz, France, he is also a co‑founder of the Lekker Network, which connects South Africans wherever they are. In an interview with BizNews, van der Merwe said many South Africans abroad share “a hunger to make South Africa work” and you don't need to be an Elon Musk or Johann Rupert to make a difference. He draws on personal experiences from elite teams to guide leaders, citing role models such as Simon Sinek and Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, whom he calls ahead of his time. Van der Merwe believes the Springboks are not only building a world‑class team but shaping great people off the field. And when it comes to rugby talent, he says, the Springboks we see winning matches today are only the tip of the iceberg, with even more talent emerging from Craven Week and the under‑21s.

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features the latest from US stock markets including how investors loved a strategy change from Meta; Vodacom's massively positive mega deal; FirstRand CEO Mary Vilakazi explains that data she's seeing shows SA's economy is finally moving ahead again - and much more.

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features a strong attack on "ANC-led South Africa" from the US Secretary of State; Wall Street's overnight performance; John Steenhuisen's response to RW Johnson; Walmart's aggressive entry into South Africa and more.......

The Trump administration's $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas that came into effect in September has raised fears that it has shut the door on South African students who dream of following the path from American university sports scholarships to post-graduation jobs. However, Tyler Hollingsworth from Sable International says that, according to the latest clarifications from US authorities, students who complete their degrees in the US and transition from a student visa to an H-1B are exempt from the new levy. In this interview with BizNews, Hollingsworth says 2025 has been the agency's busiest year yet for placing South African sporting talent. He also tackles the perception that only provincial or Springbok-level players qualify for scholarships and urges students to plan as early as Grade 9 or 10 if they want the best shot at the top universities. And with the Springboks' dominance in rugby, he says European universities are now actively trying to lure young talent with free education – and possibly a future cap for their own national sides.

Seize the day with the freshest news you can use to help you conquer another active business day - from the team at BizNews and our global partners. This episode features Wall Street's overnight performance, a Trump slump (and determination to rid the Fed of Powell), FirstRand's fight, David Shapiro's wisdom and more…..

In this episode of the BizNews Daybreak show, BizNews and its global partners bring you up to date with all the news that you need to know this morning - ensuring you are positioned to seize the business day.

In his latest interview with BizNews, Jabulani Khumalo, the real founder of MKP, tells Chris Steyn that there could be more to the alleged human trafficking of South Africans to Russia. “This one for me is a coup. These people were sent to be trained so that when they come back, they can have a coup against our government.” Khumalo is speaking out following the resignation of former President Jacob Zuma's daughter, Duduzile, following claims that she was the mastermind behind the “trafficking” of 17 South Africans. However, Khumalo says: "...it will never happen that Duduzile will do anything without…her father giving her instructions or coaching her what to do…" He warns: "They think they are the government themselves. They failed us as MK to get the two-third majority to govern the country. Now they want to govern in a very wrong way. We need to stop this woman…If the government doesn't stop them, then the petition must be done and people must start rioting against her." Giving an update on his legal battles to reclaim the party from Zuma, Khumalo says “…we are still waiting for a (new) court date…. The unfortunate part is that I am getting some threats now that January I won't see because of this case.” Meanwhile, Khumalo expresses concern that party funds are allegedly being used for personal spending by Zuma and his daughter. "Today MK is making millions and they're taking those millions for themselves....MK always has no money because when the money comes in, they just take it as if it's their tuck shop. "

South Africa lags far behind the world's leading recycling nations, with plastic littering our rivers and oceans. In the heart of the Western Cape Winelands, however, Lizl Naudé is quietly changing the narrative. Her Paarl-based company, Lilly Loompa, collects discarded milk bottles, wine bottles and street plastic and transforms them into stylish platters, lap desks, trophies and gifts that people genuinely want in their homes.Naudé recently hopped on the Berlin metro to personally deliver one of her best-selling MyAfrica lap desks to a delighted customer in Germany. In an exclusive BizNews interview, she reveals how she rose from rock-bottom – after years of financial hardship and more than 44 house moves in 23 years of marriage to build a trailblazing upcycling business that has earned her a place among the winners of the prestigious Irish Tech Challenge.

After living overseas for 25 years, Sebastian O'Keefe returned home with the dream of creating a world‑class agave spirit, using plants introduced in colonial times that are now used as cattle feed. O'Keefe told Biznews in an interview that he and his partner criss‑crossed the country testing plants and discovered rare ‘Red Agave' thriving in a dry, salty, high‑altitude place in the Klein Karoo near Ladismith. Harvested by hand, gently steamed in dairy tanks and fermented with wild yeast, the first batch of Inzalo Agave Spirits will roll off the line in the next two weeks. Deliberately not called tequila or mezcal (those names are protected), Inzalo is being positioned as the founding member of an entirely new, proudly South African category of agave spirit. He said as they started working with the spirit their ambitions grew to not only create the greatest agave spirit outside of Mexico but to create a new class of agave spirits, something that is completely unique to South Africa. And it will include two varieties, Batch One, a white spirit, and Barrel One, an aged version to be sipped slowly to cater for local tastes.

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

Rangers are fighting an uphill battle against rhino poaching in South Africa's Kruger National Park. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, poaching is expected to spike, as it did in 2024. Despite dehorning programmes and stronger arrests, convictions, and prosecutions, 35 rhinos were lost in the first weeks of 2025 alone. The pursuit by transnational syndicates remains relentless. To strengthen its response, SANParks has partnered with the Tracker Academy to retrain field rangers in advanced man‑tracking and bushcraft skills. Manager Alex van den Heever told BizNews the initiative is groundbreaking. The focus, he explained, is not on chasing poachers but on tracking the rhinos themselves and proactively protecting them before syndicates strike. It's an approach that has been used before, but the Tracker Academy aims to embed it permanently in Kruger, a park whose rhino population has been decimated by poaching from 12,000 a decade ago to just 2,000 today.

More jaw-dropping details are emerging of the links between underworld boss “Cat” Matlala and law enforcement officers. In her latest interview with BizNews, Juanita Du Preez of Action Society tells Chris Steyn that she felt sure he looked so grim in court the past week because “he thought he knows who the person is that wants to be the next ANC President and then the country's President. And that's why he played his cards in that way. And now that hope has crashed. So he doesn't have that protection.” Du Preez also comments on the police revelations today that a close associate of suspended Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya has 29 cases against him - and that a SAPS employee had accessed the Criminal Records system to make adjustments to his records. “I am so happy that the connection he had…who fiddled with his record, wasn't smart enough to change it on the back end as well, because that is where the information is now coming from. It's still on there. So you can delete it in the front, but it stays in the back. Now we can pinpoint, this person was the one pressing the button.” As for the excuses NPA Chief Shamila Batohi came up with before the Ad Hoc Committee for not yet bringing the Guptas to justice, Du Preez charges: “These are the people who stole South Africa to the brink of poverty and created a culture for other people to follow in their footsteps. And it's not urgent for you.”

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

In his latest interview with BizNews, Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police and the Democratic Alliance's Police Spokesperson, talks to Chris Steyn about the Madlanga Commission and Parliament Ad Hoc Committee hearings and some of the key players, including former Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and suspended Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya. As for tenderpreneurs like Cat Matlala and Hangwani Maumela, Cameron states: “The only way for organised crimes and these types of persons or entities to flourish is when the State is involved at a very senior level… It worries me that some people implicated are still in their positions or mentioned or continuing to work.” Cameron also details the horror findings on his recent oversight visit to Nelson Mandela Bay where the Flying Squad only has one vehicle, a single cab bakkie with over 300,000 kilometers. As for irregular expenditure of over R650 million in SAPS in the past financial year, Cameron says it “points to a much more deeply rooted corruption-and-fraud network that has been built in supply chain management and procurement”. He charges that “all of these things” add up to a picture of “leadership collapse- and urges: “…if we don't replace a large number of the so-called leaders, nothing can change on the ground”.

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

In his latest interview with BizNews, KZN Public Works and Infrastructure MEC Martin Meyer gives Chris Steyn an update on major developments in his department. He confirms talks with KZN Provincial Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on a strategy to reclaim 300 hijacked houses and properties that have become havens for KZN's notorious hitmen. He also describes how the department has dealt with a contractor who had caused a five-year-delay on a 20-month hospital project. Meyer recalls how when he first took on the Construction Mafia, his security had to be increased. “On two separate occasions, bullets were found as a warning, once in my vehicle and another time at the front door of my office. But since then, things have quieted down. Those were intimidation tactics. I think they learned quite quickly that this laatie is not being intimidated and I'm not going anywhere and I'm not gonna stop because we have to fight for what is right…it's now almost nine months that none of our sites have been disrupted by armed guards.”

BizNews founder Alec Hogg unpacks the Medium-Term Budget's surprisingly upbeat message. With the Government of National Unity presenting a unified front, Treasury reported a R20 billion revenue overrun, a narrowing deficit, and no need for a VAT increase. SARS' new AI-driven systems are delivering results, Eskom's reliability is improving, and even Transnet is showing early signs of recovery — proof that South Africa's finances may finally be turning the corner.

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

In the under-resourced communities of the Western Cape, places where poverty, overcrowding, and limited access to safe outdoor spaces are daily realities—children don't always get the chance to enjoy the beauty and nature that this part of the world has to offer. The Bridges Outdoor Education Programme aims to change that. Through fully funded camps at the Bridges Retreat Centre in Franschhoek, the programme takes Grade 5–7 pupils from 15 partner schools out of their daily environment and into nature, where they grow through team-building and problem-solving. Catherine Janse van Rensburg, the fundraising manager at Bridges, told BizNews that the camps are equipping children with critical team-building and communication skills, and that they are also shifting classroom dynamics. “Teachers report that the so-called troublemakers at school,” she says, “are often the gems at camp.” The programme also creates space for pupils from more affluent schools and employees from local companies to volunteer. It bridges not just communities but perspectives.

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

Millions of private gun owners are living in fear that they will be disarmed and left defenceless by legislation in the making. In this interview with BizNews, Jonathan Deal, the founder of Safe Citizen, tells Chris Steyn that the proposed legislation would be “unenforceable” - and warns that it “would invite public disobedience on a large scale”. Deal says the proposed amendments amount to “saying self-defense is not a valid reason to possess a firearm”. Commenting on the possible agenda behind the amendments, Deal charges: “They want to have every single private person, including the security industry, hobbled and disarmed as much as possible so that they can basically do what they like. We all know in history that a disarmed populace is at the complete and utter mercy of the government.” He further warns that “they will turn millions of currently law-abiding South Africans into criminals….There are millions of South Africans who are more scared of being murdered by criminals than they are scared of what the police will do to them - even if the police have the will and the resources to enforce such a ridiculous notion.”

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

South Africa's next generation of investors has outpaced the broader market in this year's JSE Investment Challenge, delivering returns that eclipsed the All-Share Index's 23% gain during the competition period. The top-performing team in the schools' income portfolio category was “Cheslin Kolbe 1st Try” from Hoërskool Birchleigh in Kempton Park. Behind their success and that of three other winning teams stands Giba Mahlangu, a maths teacher with a knack for turning classrooms into incubators of financial savvy. In an interview with BizNews, Mahlangu shared his investment philosophy, his methods for sparking student interest in the stock exchange, and his deeper mission: nurturing entrepreneurs from a young age. “We have a serious problem with unemployment,” he said. “That's why I expose my learners to the stock market. I believe entrepreneurship is the only sustainable solution to South Africa's unemployment crisis.” His biggest challenge? The enthusiasm of his students. “They're so keen,” he said, “they sign up for everything.”

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

South Africa's long-awaited Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) system takes effect on 1 December 2025 in 69 municipalities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, with smaller regions to follow in April. Barry Berman, CEO of traffic fine platform Fines SA, says he expects the current fine settlement rate, currently as low as 20%, to rise to over 90% with the introduction of the new demerit points system. In an interview with BizNews, Berman warned that unpaid fines could become a logistical nightmare for companies with vehicles, affecting not just the driver or fleet manager but the business itself. Under AARTO, traffic fines for company vehicles will now be linked directly to a business's Registration Number (BRN), rather than an individual. This means unpaid fines could block the company's BRN on the Electronic National Administration Traffic Information System (eNaTIS), halting vehicle licence disc renewals, new registrations, and suspending driver licences. Berman urged businesses to sign up with Fines SA to track and settle outstanding fines in time and cautioned motorists to be wary of clone sites and fraudulent apps.

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

41 South African men and women were among about 1,000 human trafficking victims who made a dramatic escape in Southeast Asia the past week. In this interview with BizNews, Emma van der Walt, the Founder of Brave to Love, the Counter Trafficking NGO that is working to bring them home, tells Chris Steyn how they were lured to Thailand with false job promises, forcibly transported across the border into Myanmar, and held inside the KK Park scamming compound where they were trained to conduct online romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams. “…And then people start investing and once they're investing they lose all their money because it's fake cryptocurrency sites and…it is definitely, I believe a weapon of war that is targeting specific groups for financial war…” Van der Walt says some of the victims were badly assaulted, while some were even raped. Following their escape, one group of South Africans was also held hostage by corrupt military officials - and three other victims are in prison for overstaying the visas. “They are victims of trafficking, but these mafia groups work with the military in Myanmar and have actually given them over to the corrupt officials.”

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

A rural school in Mpumalanga, Mpumelelo Secondary, has repeatedly performed in the JSE Investment Challenge, a national competition where young people engage in simulated trading using virtual portfolios valued at R1 million. The challenge runs from March to September and attracts more than 66,000 participants from 859 schools and universities. Behind Mpumelelo's success is Sizwe Mtsweni, a teacher at the school who teaches business studies and tourism. In an interview with BizNews, Mtsweni spoke about his investment strategies and how he mentors his students. He explained that beyond the usual challenge of balancing academics and the competition, many of his learners live far from school and don't have devices, and even if they do, they often don't have data. As for the mindset he tries to instil. Mtsweni, who returned to teach at his alma mater, says he's not interested in wearing expensive brands, he's more interested in owning one.

A first-of-its-kind operation targeting terrorism financing has led to 83 arrests across six African countries and the identification of 160 persons of interest. In this interview with BizNews, Willem Els of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) shares details of the two-month Operation Catalyst, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, during which authorities screened more than 15,000 persons of interest and entities, uncovering around USD 260 million potentially linked to terrorism-related activities. “ it was a very, really big event…it made a huge impact on Africa”. Els explains why tackling terrorist financing is particularly complex for law enforcement, as it often cuts across diverse criminal activities, including fraud, kidnapping for ransom, illicit trade, online scams, Ponzi schemes and the misuse of virtual assets. Els also recalls how he and the late President Nelson Mandela were on the Blue Train - along with scores of foreign dignitaries and premiers and heads of state - when their train was targeted by local terrorists. “…just think what would have happened…”

Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.

In this conversation with Chris Steyn, BizNews Founder and Editor Alec Hogg addresses rumours on social media and in Parliament that forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan has undue influence over BizNews - as well speculation that he might be funding the news outlet. He also sets out the reasons for BizNews accepting a banner advertisement from the controversial billionaire Zunaid Moti. Describing how BizNews strives to retain independence in the media landscape and avoid bias in coverage, Hogg says: "We don't take sides. We don't play favourites..we serve our community, we serve the BizNews tribe, we do not serve any other interests. And that's because we are driven by a higher purpose."

In his latest interview with BizNews, veteran Crime Activist Yusuf Abramjee gives his take on testimony of staggering corruption and deep rot being led at two high profile enquiries. “What we are seeing playing out, both at the Madlanga Commission and at the Ad Hoc Committee, is something that we as South Africans, each and every South African, should be very, very scared about…The kingpins are making money. They are bribing their way right to the top. They are manipulating the criminal justice system.” Abramjee calls it a “sad indictment” that it shows the government and the authorities “cannot get to grips with lawlessness” in the country. “And I think we as ordinary South Africans, each and every one of us… should be worried and we should be very, very worried.” Abramjee comments on the testimony of former Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, the role of whistleblowing Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the moves by “operator” Brown Mogotsi, and the bail granted to alleged Murder Mastermind KT Molefe. “I hope the minute the findings are made, the President will act with speed.”