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In this rare role reversal hosted by Morning Shot, BizNews founder Alec Hogg opens up about the wild beginnings of Moneyweb and BizNews, the evolution of digital journalism, and his take on South Africa's future. Original content by Morning Shot, republished with permission.

Iranian-born and bred polymath Dr Iraj Abedian shares unique insights into the existential battle in the Middle East - and South Africa's place in it. The entrepreneur, academic and leading economist spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In his latest Sunday Show with BizNews, Neil De Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM), describes how SA is becoming another Colombia with the assasination of underworld kingpin André Naude. As for the R700-m National Dialogue, he lambasts President Cyril Ramaphosa for appointing “a pre-tactical team for the build-up to the ANC elections so that they can look good, so that the National Dialogue can in actual fact be this little poodle paraded by the president, run by the vice president with all these cohorts and selected people”. He discussed the “thunderbolt” defection of Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Liam Jacobs to the Patriotic Alliance (PA); the fall of Floyd Shivambu at former President Jacob Zuma's MKP where he had incurred the wrath of Duduzile; the way African National Congress (ANC) SG Fikile Mbalula - who has Presidential ambitions of his own - has poured scorn on those Patrice Motsepi-for-President rumours; the embattled Shamila Batohi's defence for the NPA's spectacular failures; International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola's condemnation of Israel's attack on Iran - and how SA might have contributed to Iran's enriched uranium stock. Meanwhile, De Beer calls for an urgent Referendum to ask for the removal of the current government and a snap new election “because I think this country, if it had an opportunity to say that we would like to have an urgent emergency intervention of a new election, I'll tell you that 90% of this country would say yes.”

South Africa's youth unemployment crisis leaves many young people struggling to secure jobs due to limited experience. D-Lab is tackling this challenge by immersing unemployed youth in a virtual business simulator, equipping them with essential digital and workplace skills. In an interview with Biznews, D-Lab co-founders Alison Jacobson and Ayanda Orrai revealed their 85% job placement rate. One of their candidates, who had spent 11 years unsuccessfully searching for work while trying to run his own business, now holds a senior position in the tech industry. D-Lab specifically seeks out participants with ‘shining eyes' - those who display enthusiasm, potential, and a determination to reshape their futures.

Jabulani Khumalo, the real founder of MKP, headed by former President Jacob Zuma, is forging ahead with his legal battle to reclaim the party for its original leaders who had made huge sacrifices to get MKP off the ground and voted for by millions. In his latest interview with BizNews, Khumalo outlines the case that goes to court next week. “These crazy people have been continuously trying to continue with forgery, forging our documents to be removed (as directors) from the NPC (MK non-profit organisation)…we've been opening cases, but it never ended. Because of that, we decided that no, no, no, let's go to court and get a proper order from the court.” Khumalo says MKP needs to be led by people “who still think straight…not just because you have charisma and then you're saying you want to take over and run the people like you're running your own stokvel or running your tuck shop”. Meanwhile, Khumalo - who had warned that Floyd Shivambu was making a big mistake when he defected from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to MKP - says he feels “real pity” for him following his redeployment “because he had all the powers in the EFF to take EFF forward, but he decided to come into a stokvel that a certain family has made it to be a stokvel of theirs”.

In a year of by-election results since the national election, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) is showing strong growth. In this interview with BizNews, their performance is highlighted by Elections Analyst Wayne Sussman who says “they are setting themselves up without a shadow of a doubt as the one party which is stronger today compared to where they were in 2024” and could have the opportunity of having “many, many more mayors across the length and breath of this country after the next local government election”. Meanwhile, in urban by-elections, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has strong support. But it is a mixed bag in KwaZulu-Natal, where in some instances uMkhonto we Sizwe (MKP) does well, in some instances the African National Congress (ANC) is showing recovery, and in some instances the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) is being disappointing…Sussman also dissects the results of last night's two by-elections in both of which the ANC increased its vote share, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) saw its support fell from 30% to 11% in one ward, and essentially halved in the other. “And so this is the first time since the 2024 elections beyond KwaZulu-Natal where we see the EFF support starting to collapse.”

The possibility of Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille as the next Mayor of Johannesburg has the country talking. In this interview with BizNews, Zille says although she has not yet made up her mind, she is “tending in the direction of doing so”. If she were to become Mayor, she says, her “only objective will be to restore service delivery and functionality” to Joburg. “And then Joburg will fly. It's got everything going for it. It's got every potential going for it. And that's what it must get right. We've got to get Joburg. We've got to get eThekwini. We've got to get Tshwane…the metros in Gauteng are the next major frontier and South Africa will stand or fall by what we do with the metros in Gauteng.” As for how African National Congress (ANC) Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi might feel about the prospect of her as mayor, Zille says: “…he will pull out all the stops to stop me, no doubt about that. So will Herman Mashaba (ActionSA Leader). He's played the race card already.” Meanwhile, Zille stresses that she and her family are committed to staying in South Africa. “And for South Africa to work, Joburg's got to work. It's very simple. We can't have just the Western Cape working. We've got to have the whole of South Africa working. And that's why we put up really good candidates to be mayoral candidates in all the cities, all the cities where we've got a chance.”

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has drawn up a 10-point plan to deal with farm attacks. In this interview with BizNews, Ian Cameron, the DA spokesperson on Police, says the plan will be submitted to the Minister of Police “and there's a lot of engagement ahead of us regarding rural safety”. The plan includes the establishment of a specialised Rural Safety Unit within SAPS; the strengthening of rural crime intelligence; fixing the criminal justice system with prosecution-led investigations; treating farm murders as targeted, premeditated crimes; declaring farm attacks and stock theft as priority crimes; institutionalising partnerships with local stakeholders; equipping SAPS with forensic tools and skilled investigators; rebuilding trust between police and rural communities; supporting emerging farmers; and opposing Expropriation Without Compensation. “I think what's really positive is the fact that Parliament officially recognises that we've got a problem in rural safety and we shouldn't get distracted by definitions of just what kind or just who specifically always is influenced. The point is, farm attacks have been recognised. Farm murders are recognised. We have a crisis, we need to address it and it's got a significant influence on sustainability in the country.”

In his latest Sunday Show with BizNews, Neil de Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM), likens the “unraveling” of South Africa's economy to “economic genocide”. He says the country'S BEE and related laws do not constitute a “package of investment”, but a “hand grenade….that will explode economically”. For that he blames the “twats” in Government. “They are absolutely twats. They are clueless….they have no competency.” De Beer laments the long legal delays in holding to account powerful politicians like former president Jacob Zuma and former Free State premier Ace Magashule - and the strategies being used in such cases. Meanwhile, he examines Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's plan to fix the police. He also delves into Floyd Shivambu's redeployment as SG in former President Jacob Zuma's MKP amid mounting international pressure on Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) CIC Julius Malema. De Beer further comments on the legal challenge to the R941 billion NHI Act. And, he gives his take on the break-up (or prank break-up) between US President Donald Trump and SA-born billionaire Elon Musk.

For decades, Adrian Gardiner has led the charge in rewilding farm land in the Eastern Cape, but he's still chasing bigger ambitions. His vision is to transform the province into a wildlife jewel, stretching from Plettenberg Bay to the Karoo. In this interview with BizNews about the newly released book The Man Who Changed a Landscape: The Adrian Gardiner Story by Dean Allen, Gardiner recounts his journey and the challenges he faced in realising his vision. It began with a 2,500-acre farm near Port Elizabeth, where he overcame deep scepticism to establish Shamwari, a malaria-free Big Five reserve. Shamwari became a blueprint for 16 similar reserves across the Eastern Cape. Inspired by figures like David Attenborough, the 82-year-old Gardiner's optimism remains unwavering. Gardiner's ambition that he shares with other private and public reserve owners includes the creation of an Eastern Cape National Park even larger than the Kruger National Park. He is also determined to help see the end of captive lion breeding, highlighting the staggering reality that 8,000 lions remain in captivity for their bones and canned hunting. Wildlife, Gardiner says is South Africa's biggest asset, but the most rewarding part of his journey has been the lives he has managed to change. – Linda van Tilburg

Morningstar's latest performance data puts Sean Peche's Ranmore Fund in the top one percentile for virtually every performance period in the last five years. In this interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg, the ace money manager shares insights from a lunchtime meeting last week with the investing guru who inspires him. The result is a treat for beginners and professionals alike.

The British government has significantly tightened visa and settlement rules in a white paper published in May. The reforms have shortened the list of occupations eligible for sponsorship, ended exemptions for social workers, raised salary thresholds, and imposed stricter regulations on businesses seeking to expand into the United Kingdom. However, according to Saskia Johnston from immigration specialists Sable International, opportunities remain for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to establish operations in the UK. One such route is the UK Expansion Worker visa, designed specifically for foreign companies aiming to set up a brand or subsidiary in the UK. In an interview with BizNews, Johnston noted that the pivot favours established businesses and makes it considerably more difficult for smaller entities. With the goal posts constantly shifting, and the list of eligible occupation shrinking, she said there are still viable pathways for skilled workers to the UK and South Africa's fire engineers are in high demand.

Corruption. Black Economic Empowerment. And that R100-billion Transformation Fund…These are topics being debated hotly on a daily basis in South Africa. In his latest interview with BizNews, Toby Chance, the Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Trade, Industry and Competition, speaks about corruption at the Lotteries Commission were whistleblowers were “really severely damaged…and in many instances their lives have been ruined and their finances have been completely devastated” in the wake of allegations that up to R2-billion of corrupt grants were issued between around about 2011 and 2022. Chance gives an update on the controversy surrounding the appointment of a new licence operator and says: “It would be very surprising to me if there wasn't further litigation coming up around the corner…So they (Ithuba Holdings) really had four bites of the cherry, which I think many of the contesting bidders will find to be unconstitutional and unlawful.” Meanwhile, he also addresses the charge that the DA is “anti-transformation”, and shares the highlights of the party's submission on the R100-billion Transformation Fund. He also outlines the DA's alternative plan to BEE.

In his latest interview with BizNews, US intelligence analyst, retired Colonel Chris Wyatt charges that the farm murder last week of a close friend's stepfather has been categorised as a house robbery instread of a farm attack. “This is why crime statistics in South Africa are not trustworthy…They cover this up.” Giving an update on the two groups of refugees in America, he said the outing of many people from the first group - that in fact included a Coloured family - had resulted in death threats against their family members, and their property being jeopardised back in South Africa. Colonel Wyatt expresses outrage at Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean McPherson of the Democratic Alliance (DA) “who cackled like a hyena when Ramaphosa told the joke about the lights being dimmed and mocking President Trump”. He has this warning: “I think that the ruling Government of National Unity (GNU) thinks there's no consequences for their actions. And I think they're going to be sadly disappointed very soon.” Colonel Wyatt also gives his take on the relationship between Trump and South African-born billionaire Elon Musk following his departure from the White House.

Ace corruption buster Paul O'Sullivan has taken a deep dive into the high-profile scrap involving JSE-listed mining group Mantengu - and reaches conclusions that are at odds with messages from the embattled company's CEO Mike Miller. O'Sullivan explained his findings to BizNews editor Alec Hogg, including allegations that high-profile businessman Zunaid Moti is behind alleged share price manipulation.

In his latest hard-hitting Sunday Show with BizNews, Neil De Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM) , slams the way the African Congress (ANC) is operating without a national mandate in the Government of National Unity (GNU). “This government doesn't have a quorum. There's not a singular party in this country that received the right to establish itself on a 50 plus one quorum. So in my opinion, they are not a legitimate government,” he says. De Beer also lambasts the other parties in the GNU for their lack of effectiveness. “It's just a fact that the DA (Democratic Alliance) and the Freedom Front and the rest of the people in the GNU are not keeping them (the ANC) and him (the President) accountable and therefore we as the citizens are sitting in a canoe going up the stream and hearing the thunder of the water.” With a second group of Afrikaner “refugees” arriving in America, De Beer expressed outrage at President Cyril Ramaphosa's defense of the Kill the Boer song and says the matter should be pursued all the way to the International Criminal Court of Justice. (ICJ) As for the President doubling down on BEE policies, De Beer describes the stark contrast between Black Economic Empowerment and Afrikaner empowerment that built economically solid companies that bolstered the economy of this country to turn it into an economic giant. He also has harsh words for Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe as tensions are rising over proposed amendments to SA's mining legislation. Furthermore, he expresses grave concern over the registration move of an apparently fundamentalist political party, the Islamic State of Africa.

In this week's BizNews Rugby Show, former Springboks Juan de Jongh and Rudy Paige join insider Rory Steyn and co-host Patrick Kidd for a lively, wide-ranging conversation on the upcoming URC quarterfinals and their remarkable rugby journeys - from small-town beginnings to the world stage. They unpack the strengths and struggles of the Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Leinster, offering sharp predictions and inside perspective on players, matchups, and playoff pressure. The duo also pay heartfelt tribute to the late Cornal Hendricks, a teammate and friend remembered with deep affection.

South Africa's fynbos stole the show at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, earning three prestigious awards with an unprecedented display of 25,000 stems of cut flowers. Leading the team in London was Leon Kluge, a renowned botanist and landscape designer with global accolades. Kluge told BizNews that the team - including Tristan Woudberg - faced logistical challenges, from coordinating harvests across 30 farms to transporting delicate blooms via Dubai to London. He said that having overcome funding uncertainty in previous years, South Africa's future at Chelsea looks far more secure, thanks to backing from the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve. The display will now return to South Africa to Stanford - the heart of the fynbos cut-flower industry - so everyone who helped bring it to life, as well as the local community, can enjoy it. What was particularly special this year, according to Kluge, was an unexpected set of visitors: London's foxes. They came to drink from a river that he and his team recreated in an amber hue, coloured with rooibos tea to reflect Cape rivers, leaving their footprints in the sand.

As public consequences of the ANC's destructive economic policies ratchet higher, Cyril Ramaphosa and his lackeys follow its bat-eared playbook - double down. The President's economically incoherent ramblings in Parliament this week are mirrored in his party's Mineral Resources Bill proposal that reinforces the idiocy which has driven the country into the bottom run of global mining destinations. The DA's long-time specialist, Mineral and Petroleum Resources spokesman James Lorimer unpacks the ANC's latest derangement with BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

South Africa needs a new generation of leaders - maybe a non-politician to run the country. That is the view of Professor William Gumede of the School of Governance at Wits University. “I think…that maybe we need less of the hard people…a lot of our leaders, our political leaders, many of our black political leaders particularly, these are hard individuals, ruthless individuals, self-interested individuals, people who…don't care about inciting violence and dividing the country, blaming other communities. They will walk over the bodies of black and white South Africans to be in power,” he says. In this wide-ranging interview with BizNews, Professor Gumede dissects the Trump-Ramaphosa meeting in Washington; the performance of the Government of National Unity (GNU), as well as the Democratic Alliance (DA), Patriotic Alliance (PA), and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) - and their future prospects. He also outlines the possible strategy of former President Jacob Zuma with his MKP. He delves into the Expropriation Without Compensation (EWC) controversy, and suggests alternatives to current Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) practices. Meanwhile, Professor Gumede is working from the outside to “try to get all of these opposition parties with a constitutional base…to cooperate…to sort of nudge people and politicians to begin to realign our politics to a much more reason-based, common sense-based centre”. He says the country needs “at least a bridging period, a five-year period in South Africa's history for the country to calm down, for the country to be much more pragmatic, and for us to be more inclusive and to get the populists to the sidelines, the people who think that only one colour can run the country or only one political faction and one ideology can run the country.”

One of South Africa's top economists, Efficient Group's Dawie Roodt, tears into what he believes is the sheer economic idiocy expressed by South African president Cyril Ramaphosa in Parliament yesterday. He says the billionaire ANC leader's redoubling of an approach which has boosted his own bank account but made South Africa the world's worst performing economy with the highest unemployment will accelerate the slide. Roodt spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

Trump Administration insider Joel Pollak shares how the US side reviewed last week's Oval Office smackdown - and it doesn't bode well for SA's immediate future on trade or international relations. Pollak, once tipped as a likely US Ambassador to SA, provides perspective on the Ramaphosa camp's clumsy spinning of a “successful” meeting - revealing the unvarnished truth with BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

The business rescue of Daybreak - a poultry farm bought by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) in 2015 for R1.2 billion rand - is not the only horror story involving the irresponsible use of the Government Employee Pension Fund (GEPF). In this interview with BizNews, Zirk Gous, the spokesperson for the Association for Monitoring and Advocacy of Government Pensions (AMAGP), says: “…we need to act on 33 billion rands which are squandered in irresponsible political high-risk investments. And that is an urgent thing.” He says the “core problem” is that both the Government Employee Pension Fund and the Public Investment Corporation are “under total political control…so the people which should be called to account for the pain and the suffering of the Daybreak employees (are the) Minister of Finance, (the) Board of Trustees of the GEPF, the Board of Trustees of the Public Investment Corporation.” Meanwhile, says Gous, they are investigsations options to prevent further bad investments. “…the key to that will be we will have to amend the legislation, the Government Employee Pension Law. We will have to amend the Public Investment Corporation Act to remove the political control.”

Fresh from celebrating his 45 million-viewed documentary on the Afrikaner's struggles, Afriforum's Ernst van Zyl shares his insights on last week's Oval Office smackdown. He spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In his latest interview with BizNews, Ian Cameron, the Chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, busts myths and misconceptions about farm attacks. He speaks about the role that illegal foreigners sometimes play in these attacks and gives a breakdown of which nationalities rank in which provinces. He also shares research done of the motives and modus operandi of farm attackers gleaned from interviews with dozens of convicted felons. “So it's simply not as simple as saying that it's one group versus another because it's more complex than that.” Cameron also dissects the latest quarterly crime statistics that show a 10% decrease in murder. He further gives an insight into the current priorities of the Portfolio Committee on Police, one being the return to work of certain cops after disciplinary processes. “Now we've discovered one in the Eastern Cape that, in his disciplinary, admitted to committing an armed robbery. He admitted that he committed an armed robbery and his sanction in the disciplinary was two months of unpaid suspension and he's back at work. It cannot be that that is the type of people, that those are the kinds of people that we allow back in the police.”

Hekpoort residents are in an epic battle to get the Mogale City Council to stop an influx of tens of thousands of apparently unemployed vagrants in the area. In this interview with BizNews, attorney Christopher Bean describes the drama surrounding the council's building of 208 low-cost houses in an area where there was an invasion in 2019, and around which between 150 000 and 200,000 people are living in squatter camps without facilities. To add to the crisis, local residents have said that if outsiders get those houses, they're going to burn them down. “…it's no longer a question of providing housing for local people. It's now using this whole area to relocate thousands of people from the Krugersdorp area to another place where there's no jobs, where there's no accommodation, so they have to build shacks. There's no water, there's no sewage, there's no schools, there's no nothing.” Meanwhile, crime has spiralled with one holiday resort being hit with 12 armed robberies in 12 months. “There are about three security companies operating in this area and everybody who is on the farms is armed…”. Bean says they are hoping for a roundtable solution that will become a settlement agreement that “I know will apply in so many other cases all over the whole country….when there is this type of quote, invasion, semi-invasion, no invasion has taken place yet…have some set of rules as to who comes there, what happens when they get here, what are the facilities that we're providing, what opportunities to make a human kind of organisation rather than a squatter camp”.

Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder is breathing fire in this interview where he laments the “catastrophe” inflicted on South Africans in the Oval Office this week. Mulder says Trump asked the right questions to which the SA delegation has no answers because of wilful ignorance or outright denial. Attempts to deflect Trump's criticism, he says, portrayed a picture of South Africa being a criminal-infested economic wasteland. Mulder spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In this episode of the BizNews Rugby Show, Springbok icon Nick Mallett joins Rory Steyn to relive iconic rugby moments, from a Mandela-hosted lunch celebrating 17 straight Bok wins to brilliant tries dreamt up by Henry Honiball and Rassie Erasmus. Mallett also shares unmatched insight into this weekend's European finals, backing Bath's power game and Bordeaux's backline magic to light up Cardiff. With passionate praise for rising stars like Fin Smith and Louis Bielle-Biarrey, it's a rugby lover's dream conversation with a man who's seen - and done - it all.

Although last night's tense White House engagement between Trump and Ramaphosa has the chattering classes in a frenzy, it matters far less than what happened subsequently. In his assessment of the 44 minutes of South Africa's global attention, the chief executive of the country's leading think tank concludes while it has the potential to be another step on the national path to recovery, the ANC may be structurally incapable of reversing its own implosion - and thus SA's destructive slide. The IRR's John Endres spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

The breakdown of governance and operational performance at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) amid allegations of corruption and maladministration is laid bare in this BizNews interview with Toby Chance, the Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Trade, Industry and Competition. Describing the role whistleblowers have played in exposing the rot, he says: "I was appointed to my position in July after the formation of the Government of National Unity and very soon after that I started to receive emails from whistleblowers…” However, “they were victimised, they were bullied, and many of them have taken leave…it actually took until February and multitudinous letters from me and questions in Parliament…for the Minister to actually finally take action, which he did in February by appointing TSU International to conduct an independent investigation. And we're now waiting to see the outcome of that investigation.” Meanwhile, Chance is confident that Minister Parks Tau will do “the right thing” once he has received the investigation report. “He doesn't really have any choice. Otherwise, the SABS will collapse...It's not collapsed yet, but it's close to it.” Chance adds that Minister Tau “did inherit a hornet's nest of problems when he came into the job, not just at the SABS, but in many of the other entities in the DTIC's family. And I do think that he wants to clear the decks…”

As Trump's tariffs continue to disrupt global markets and the AI revolution reshapes the investment landscape, market leadership is shifting - and there are surprises emerging among them. One of them is the language app Duolingo, which has quietly outperformed some of the biggest names in tech with a 58.1% return, even pipping Palantir Technologies at 55.1%. In an interview with BizNews, Sean Ashton of Omba Investments delves beneath the surface of index and sector returns and reveals Duolingo's value lies in its strength in leveraging AI within its business model to accelerate content creation, with new offerings potentially including chess, mathematics, and even music. However, both Duolingo and Palantir remain highly valued, with Palantir described by Ashton as 'probably the poster child for extreme valuations in today's market.' Among the other standout performers, cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike has posted an impressive 37.3% YTD return. And where do the Magnificent Seven stand? With Alphabet, NVIDIA, Microsoft, and other dominant tech players, Ashton argues that despite passing on the baton, “if you delve below the surface of indices and even sector returns, it is far from over in tech land. As for Tesla, Ashton points out that the Cybertruck hasn't hit its stride, auto margins have collapsed, and Musk's entanglement in US government affairs has triggered a backlash. But Musk should not be written off. "He's come back from worse many times before.

African National Congress (ANC) policies are out of step with the majority - between 65 and 79% - of its remaining self-identified supporters. That is the finding of recent polling by the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR). In this interview with BizNews, Hermann Pretorius who wrote the report says: “…the most hard-hitting finding is that on all of these policies investigated in this report, from merit-based appointments, procurement spending, the Expropriation Act, government focus on jobs and choice-based empowerment programs, the ANC is currently at odds with its own voters by at least a two-thirds majority of its own base.” He warns that unless the ANC acts “rapidly” to bring the party back in touch with its own supporters, it might fall “even lower than the 29.7%, which we are polling them at at the moment”. Pretorius outlines what former President Jacob Zuma's MKP - that supports property rights and merit-based appointments - would have to do to “take another few chunks out of ANC support by going where the ANC supporters actually want the ANC to go”. Meanwhile, he warns that the Democratic Alliance (DA) should not to allow opposing messages to come from the DA in government and the DA in the political party. “I sat next to Minister (Dean) MacPherson on the panel at NAMPO when he took this rather bizarre position of defending the Expropriation Act and undermining his own party's position, trotting out ANC talking point after ANC talking point. It was quite astonishing to hear a minister either lie about a piece of legislation he's responsible for or not understanding it.”

Capitalist activist Rob Hersov was on the same Washington-bound plane as some of the SA delegation heading for tomorrow's Oval Office meeting. In this riveting interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg he shares what insiders tell him about the hot reception American leadership is preparing for Cyril Ramaphosa.

All eyes will be on the meeting between presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Donald Trump in Washington on Wednesday. In this interview with BizNews, US intelligence analyst retired Colonel Chris Wyatt slams the composition of Ramaphosa's team. He says neither Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen nor International Relations Minister Ronnie Lamola is “that credible” in the United States' eyes. “I think both of those are bad decisions that are going to backfire. I don't think that the US government is going to be hoodwinked by … either one of those people.” While Wyatt deems Trade and Industry Minister Parks Tau, “probably not a bad idea”, he questions the inclusion of Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni by asking: “You want to send a minister who failed in every previous portfolio. I really don't think that that's the A team. Ramaphosa is taking his B team at best, possibly even a few C or D team members to it.” Meanwhile, he says Ramaphosa “had better have a very good plan….I have termed (it) the single most important meeting in the political life of Cyril Ramaphosa. I think it's more significant than his role in CODESA, more significant than his role when he won the party presidency in December 2017 at the ANC Congress. I think this could make or break South Africa, depending on what happens on Wednesday.”

The African National Congress (ANC) had a strong by-election night last night. In this interview with BizNews, Election Analyst Wayne Sussman says it was “either their second best night or you could say equal their best night since 2024.” In Soweto, they had “resolute” support - despite uMkhonto weSizwe's MKP) Floyd Shivambo and Julius Malema of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) campaigning there. The ANC also had “solid” support in the uMgungundlovu district, (the second most populous district in KwaZulu-Natal) where, in 2024, MKP won 50% of the vote. And the ANC withstood an onslaught from the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and the Namakwa Civic Movement to clock up another win in the Northern Cape, where - since the 2024 election - it has won four wards off opposition parties. Sussman identifies Premier Zamani Saul as a possible future party leader. “If I…was the ANC, I would look strongly, not just at him for a leader at the next National Elective Congress, but also someone who's clearly doing something right…” As for the Democratic Alliance (DA) holding on to a ward Stellenbosch, he notes the 7% voter turn-out and points out that “they have some work to do”. Sussman also shares his take on the most competitive races in the next round of by-elections on May 28.

Millions of South Africans were plunged into peak-hour darkness again last night. In this interview with BizNews, Kevin Mileham, the Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Electricity and Energy, says that ESKOM's fleet is running at 28% unplanned outages - and that “this last week, they've burned 210 million rands worth of diesel to keep the lights on.” As for sabotage, Mileham says: “I think that we've come a long way in that respect, that there's less, to use that word, sabotage than there was before… and I think that certainly the department and ESKOM are taking steps in that regard to weed those people out and take the necessary action against them. It's not happening as quickly as I would like, but there are steps being taken.” ESKOM is also battling the financial impact of corruption . “I think one of the challenges that we've got is, and again, I'm going to emphasise State Capture as being part of the problem, that we had a massively corrupt entity where things ran years over time, cost more than double what they were budgeted for. And as a result, ESKOM's balance sheet took a huge hammering.” Meanwhile, Mileham expresses concerns around the National Transmission Company which he says “needs to be really fully independent…it needs to be out of ESKOM's control and more independent minded so that there's a level playing field between ESKOM and the private sector generators.” He notes that ESKOM still behaves in a “very monopolistic fashion; that they aren't willing to play fairly and competitively with other role players”.

Joburg's rowdy mining camp excesses appear to have returned in the drama surrounding the alleged manipulation of Mantengu shares, whose CEO accused socialite Zunaid Moti and his company insider of manipulating the stock to near destruction. Mantengu's CEO Mike Miller shares the sordid story with BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

The man who narrowly lost out on becoming the US's ambassador to South Africa provides a taste of the excitement he would have generated in this feisty interview. Joel Pollak offers an alternative view to the SA government criticism of the first 49 Afrikaner refugees who arrived in Washington yesterday. He also provides insight into how the Trump Administration views the issue in this discussion with BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In his latest Sunday Show, Neil De Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM) gives BizNews viewers his take on Deputy President Paul Mashatile's pledge to protect the R100 billion Transformation Fund from corruption, the acquittal of his VIP Protection Officers of assault in an internal police disciplinary hearing - despite video evidence; POPCRU's call for Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Ian Cameron to be removed as the Chairperson of the Police Portfolio Committee because he called these bodyguards “thugs”. De Beer casts a Vote of No Confidence in President Cyril Ramaphosa following his launch of the second phase of Operation Vulindlela. “He cannot deliver… if you…look at the past 10 years where this man has basically had the reign of this country, it's a disaster.” De Beer laments the “mass economic emigration” of South Africans, not just Afrikaners poised to leave for America in the coming days. Meanwhile, he vows to stay in South Africa - with a call to remove the African National Congress (ANC), “this treacherous government, and the people that continue to slaughter the carcass of such a good country” by beating them at the ballot box. “…we can't go on like this; it's not possible”.

Senekal, a small town in South Africa's Free State, became the centre of racial tensions in 2020 following the murder of farm manager Brendin Horner. In response, local leaders formed the Senekal/Mtwabeng Community Forum to encourage dialogue and reconciliation. Among those drawn to the town's transformation was filmmaker Frans Cronje, brother of former cricketer Hansie Cronje. Leaving Cape Town, Cronje joined efforts to help a team of volunteers to rejuvenate Senekal and he decided to establish a film in the Eastern Free State. In an interview with BizNews, Cronje detailed how the teams started repairing the dilapidated infrastructure in Senekal including the local swimming pool and 5,000 potholes. While the initiative has received widespread support, he said there were ongoing challenges in bridging political divides. Cronje has big plans to establish Senekal as a filming destination. His latest project—a gladiator film set in fifth-century Rome—marks the first step in his broader vision to turn the town into a production hub for Christian-themed films.

In this week's BizNews Rugby Show, SuperSport Schools commentator and "rugby encyclopedia" Niels Momberg returns to talk all things rugby with insider Rory Steyn and co-host Patrick Kidd. With Round 17 of the United Rugby Championship kicking off today, the trio dissects the playoff permutations, offers fearless predictions (including a few upsets!), and debates the psychology behind Leinster's recent failures. Momberg goes deep on SA's schoolboy rugby scene, spotlighting prodigies like Paarl Gim's Markus Muller and Grey College's Ethan "Tank" Adams, while also previewing two massive clashes: Paul Roos vs Paarl Gimnasium and Grey College vs Paarl Boys' High. From URC playoff drama to rising stars and flawed scheduling at SA Schools level, this episode is packed with insight, banter, and bold calls you won't want to miss.

Litigation has become the go-to weapon to fight unconstitutional laws, lack of service delivery, abuse of power. In this interview with BizNews, constitutional law expert Professor Koos Malan says: “…we have such large scale malfunctioning of the executive, such large scale malfunctioning of the administration, covering each and every aspect of South African society and also having an effect on each and every possible right, specifically constitutional rights, that one can conceive of, that people are actually forced to go to the courts in order to try to seek help.” However, he warns that a court order amounts to “something like a wish” because “the moment you deal with this systemic problem, the courts are actually not in position to give any remedies, to give any real help, any real proper interference that could steer the executive, steer the relevant organ of state, whatever, in a positive direction simply because of the fact that the state has to such an extent crumbled, to use that strong word, that eventually the court's order won't mean anything.” Instead, Professor Malan hails the private sector for “superbly standing in for the failure of the State - also within the justice system”. Professor Malan further describes how the judiciary is “always somehow in step with the dominant elite” - and says: “…let's say for a moment, the African National Congress becomes weaker and the Democratic Alliance becomes stronger. Then the political landscape changes and the changed landscape implies that the Constitutional Court has more leeway, more liberty, not to take into account those risks that might be involved…”

The accelerating drift of Joburg, whose implosion from a “world class African city” to widespread dysfunction is overseen by an ANC-led coalition, is well documented. After hitting roadblocks, the Democratic Alliance's approach of demanding dissolution of the council to trigger a re-run of the 2021 election was this week replaced by one with greater odds of success. DA Caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku explains the new strategy to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

“Robust” talks have been held between top Afrikaner leaders - including Kallie Kriel, Flip Buys and Dirk Hermann, and African National Congress (ANC) NEC members. In this interview with BizNews, Dr. Theuns Eloff of the Afrikaner Leadership Network describes how the meeting was set up and facilitated the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). Although there is an agreement between the parties not to comment on the contents of the discussions until there is concrete progress to report, Dr Eloff described the talks thus: “…it was difficult, and it is clear that there are misunderstandings, misperceptions on both sides. And we basically said, despite that, we may not like each other, but...we owe the country this to go forward and look for solutions.” He says the fact that “the Trump Sword is hanging over the country and also over the ANC …brings a bit of urgency…” Meanwhile, today and tomorrow, the three parties will nominate four people each to serve on a smaller task team to iron out some of the issues in the process - and report back in two weeks. “Obviously, we as the African Leadership Network also do it for the Afrikaner community and other minorities, but we also do it for the country because if we don't get this thing with the Americans right, as a country we're in trouble.”

One of the brightest stars in South Africa's political firmament, 38-year-old Geordin Hill-Lewis opens up here on how his current responsibility - the City of Cape Town - is surprising everyone on the upside. The executive mayor celebrated a huge win this week after getting ratings agencies to differentiate between his city and its South African peers: something the former shadow Minister of Finance has pursued for years because of the massive impact lower borrowing costs bring. In this interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg he also addresses Frans Cronje's warning about embracing possible political Trojan Horses (CT's ANC and EFF leaders recently crossed to the DA); and shares why he'd do whatever necessary to earn Cape Town a ‘free pass' from Washington.

In today's BizNews Briefing, host Alec Hogg shares highlights from powerful interviews with Cape Town executive mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis and California-based Anthony Ginsberg of GinsGlobal; and we hear from BizNews partners Bloomberg and the Financial Times about what is possible if Pretoria gets into step with global changes - a mining boom for rejuvenated Argentina; a successful White House meeting for Canada's new PM; and confirmation that trade talks between the US and China start this week in Switzerland.

California-based Saffer Anthony Ginsberg, who has been in the US for a quarter century, met with political movers and shakers in Washington to understand what Pretoria must do to avoid the massive job losses that would accompany a proposed 30% Trump Tariff to be implemented in two months. The successful financial services entrepreneur explains it starts with appreciating the radical mindset change in Washington: Capitol Hill is now all about structurally transforming the US's economic path. To do this it has adopted a commercial-first mindset and a determination to reverse China's soft wins which is has enjoyed for decades. He says countries which appreciate deal-making is the US's new diplomacy, have sent A-Teams to Washington, eschewing politicians for business-heavy, highly educated and globally-sussed patriots. He points to the example of Tanzania's Ambassador, former WEF Africa head Elsie Kanza, as one of those “running rings around” her counterparts and wracking up big gains for her country. Ginsberg spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

Just as the Democratic Alliance (DA) was making good gains in the long-turbulent township of Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, its Mayco member for Community Services and PR Councillor Xolile Kalipa was gunned down. In this interview with BizNews, Koos Steyn, the DA's West Region Chairperson, says although he does not wish to speculate, from what people had said, “it really looked like it was some kind of a hit”. The killing has unleashed an atmosphere of fear amongst other DA councillors who “…at this stage...are really not actively staying in Kayamandi because they're scared to…” Steyn hailed the slain Kalipa as somebody who “was fighting for the DA in many, many ways…we were really starting to move in gaining support in Kayamandi as the Democratic Alliance. And it's really the work of people like Kalipa.” Steyn adds: "...the only way you can really stop it when something like this happens is to get to the truth of it. Why it happened, who is behind it, and get those people out of the streets”.

The State's failure to both prosecute Apartheid-era crimes and effectively pursue Zondo Commission State Capture accused, is back in the spotlight. For decades, allegations have persisted that the National Party (NP) and the African National Congress (ANC) cut a secret deal to avoid prosecutions on both sides following testimony at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). In this interview with BizNews, Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach of the Democratic Alliance (DA) describes President Cyril Ramaphosa's belated decision to establish a Commission of Inquiry as a “desperate measure to avoid all of this dirty laundry being trawled through the public eye”. As for the “showcase” trial of former Vlakplaas commander, Colonel Eugene de Kock, she says: “..one always felt that he was kind of the scapegoat, because we all know that while he was busy doing those things that were so absolutely appalling, he was being lavishly praised by his superiors in the police and awarded medals for, amongst other things, bravery...And those people calling the shots have never been held to account which is both unsatisfying and deeply unfair.” Breytenbach is equally incensed about the failure to “see even one” notable State Capture prosecution. As for claims of “political interference” there as well, she says: “The last time interference was mentioned was with the access to the database of the State Capture issue; there was..a peripheral reference to interference. But…when we (Parliament's Portfolio Committee) asked about it, we were told, well, we prefer to keep it in-house because we don't want to make a fuss. Well, that's just not my approach to things, I'm afraid.”

From overcoming immense personal challenges to becoming a global autism advocate, Dr. Emile Gouws' resilience and ‘vatbyt' is remarkable. Diagnosed at three and largely nonverbal until 15, Gouws with the help of his mother and a determined team defied expectations to earn a PhD and is now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of South Africa. He also secured a role in the Commonwealth Disabled People's Forum and helped shape South Africa's response to the UN on disability rights. Gouws told Biznews in an interview that he also found a sense of belonging in the Special Knead Café in Sandton that also has a Facebook and Instagram page for awareness and support, which recently organised a march for neurodivergent voices on South Africa's disability bill to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Now, he's calling for a Ministry of Disability and the adoption of the Sunflower Lanyard at clinics, airports and supermarkets to support those with hidden disabilities.