BizNews Radio
Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.
BPH: Zim prophet's R1.4m Pretoria nightclub bill; OUTA digs into SA's Driver's Licence debacle; Shapiro; Rand
In this episode of the BizNews Power Hour, latest addition to our team, well known broadcaster Michael Appel, looks into the story of a Zimbabwean "prophet" who splurged R1.4m on a boozy celebration at a Pretoria nightclub on Saturday night (no, it wasn't ANC-related); OUTA's Wayne Duvenage shares the back…
SA's Driver's Licence debacle - OUTA's Duvenage explains what's behind the chaos
After complaints from many OUTA members, Wayne Duvenage's organisation took a close look at the reasons for the delay in the issuing of an estimated half a million driver's licences. The investigation exposed a money-making racket at a government department whose officials are more interested in raking in cash than…
Michael Appel joins BizNews - and a two year assignment at Zondo now bearing fruit
For much of the Zondo Commission's three year public hearings, experienced journalist Michael Appel watched from inside the arena, reporting daily for news channel eNCA. Now part of Team BizNews, in this podcast Appel gives us an overview of the 800+ page first volume of Zondo's conclusions. This is an…
Best of 2021: Life after Jooste, Christo Wiese opens up.
Once one of the richest men in South Africa, Christo Wiese lost a large chunk of his fortune following the corporate fraud at Steinhoff. The company was a hugely popular stock with investors, with thousands (including Wiese) losing out. Wiese joined the BizNews Power Hour for a special 30 minute…
Best of 2021: 'Vaccine deaths are being hidden, suppressed and falsely recorded' - Dr Herman Edeling
In August, Dr Herman Edeling wrote an open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa and the Minister of Health in which he addressed the health and economic crises that we are facing as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a neurosurgeon specialising in medico-legal practice, Dr Edeling is particularly qualified…
Best of 2021: ‘We want to build the Lanseria Airport of Cape Town’, says Rob Hersov
His outspoken views on the South African government and what needs to change made him a fan favourite with the BizNews community. Rob Hersov – who has worked with Rupert Murdoch and Johann Rupert – joined the BizNews Power Hour to discuss his exciting African Gold SPAC. According to Bloomberg,…
Best of 2021: The Alec Hogg Show - Brutally honest Rob Hersov on Ruperts, coming home; unseating ANC
Welcome to Episode Nine of The Alec Hogg Show, a long form audio biography where we look behind the headlines at the lives of interesting South Africans. Our guest in this episode is Rob Hersov. Wealthy, educated, and just turned 60, Hersov is on a mission to help fix South…
Best of 2021: Piet Viljoen – ‘Investing in SA residential property doesn’t make sense.’
BizNews' Jackie Cameron had a fantastic interview with Counterpoint value fund manager Piet Viljoen, in which they went back to basics. With many of us paying – perhaps – too much attention to Mr Market’s movements, it is refreshing to get Viljoen’s perspective on everything from the fundamentals of value…
Rational Perspective: Author Brian Pottinger explains why Covid-19 now "in expiry phase - following a predictable path"
During his career in journalism Brian Pottinger scaled all SA peaks, ending up as the editor-in-chief of the Sunday Times when it dominated the sector, subsequently taking over the publisher's role. Since retiring, Pottinger has written a raft of books, including last year's highly prescient offering on the coronavirus pandemic…
SA politics' Man of the Year - Herman Mashaba looks ahead to 2024 and an ANC-free South Africa
In spite of being written off by pundits, pollsters and most publications - and having its logo removed from voting forms - Herman Mashaba's Action SA still emerged as the big winner in SA's 2021 Local Elections. The party's strong showing only a year after being formed did not surprise…
Best of 2021: Natural immunity vs Covid-19 vaccine-induced immunity – Marc Girardot of PANDA
Covid-19 brought about an age of misinformation like never before. With this, the responsibility of journalists to provide informed, well-researched and objective news to the public has never been of more paramount importance. This article by Marc Girardot, a member of PANDA, is loaded with hyperlinks – each of which…
Best of 2021: Insightful, fearless, uplifting – Gift of the Givers founder Dr Imtiaz Sooliman on SA’s looting locusts
It is often during times of great adversity, that we witness the extraordinary strength of the human spirit. Dr Imtiaz Sooliman founded the Gift of the Givers Foundation in 1992 and has spent the last 29 years dedicating himself to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. BizNews founder Alec Hogg…
Best of 2021: Enough already. The brutally honest Open Letter to Ramaphosa that’s buzzing on social media
Foreigners often confuse “South African Speak” for rudeness or arrogance. A bit like the Dutch, people from the Southern Tip of Africa lack the diplomacy gene. They genuinely prefer straight and plain. Uncoded. Ever since the transition in 1994, however, much was left unsaid. For most, despite its record of…
Best of 2021: The UGLY truth about the Covid-19 lockdowns – Nick Hudson, co-founder of PANDA
PANDA (Pandemics – data and analysis) has been outspoken with regards to the policy-makers’ reaction to Covid-19, lockdowns and other approaches to the virus. Its viewpoints have ruffled feathers over the past year, with many in the establishment openly hostile towards the group of actuaries, accountants, economists and other professionals…
Kisby SME fund has initial R250m in "lifesaver" loans - seeking entrepreneurs with dreams of AltVest, CTSE listings
It's been a year and a half since the Kisby SME Fund announced its intention to raise capital that would support high quality South African SMEs hammered by Covid - and in need of low cost loans. Its initial call to action attracted thousands of requests, with 350 companies having…
There’s a silver lining in the dark cloud of corruption – reflections on nine years at Corruption Watch – David Lewis
Myriad problems in South Africa, including rolling blackouts, water shortages, a shaky health system and trains that no longer run can be attributed to corruption in the country. Since January 2012, Corruption Watch has fearlessly embarked on an ambitious project to mobilise the public to report experiences with corruption and…
Psychologist Ros Nealon-Cook on a dystopian Australia, psychological impact of Covid, lockdowns and related restrictions
In mid-October, BizNews journalist Nadya Swart spoke to Ros Nealon-Cook, a psychologist & functional medicine coach based in the Blue Mountains – a region west of Sydney in Australia’s New South Wales. Ros, a (former) Registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia, a licensed Medicare provider, Functional Medicine Certified…
An African ‘kicked out of Africa’: a departed Saffa’s heartbreak
The valiant vulnerability demonstrated in this anonymous South African poem will undoubtedly speak to the affliction carried by countless South Africans. So often, those South Africans who have made the decision to depart our dear country will go on to vehemently report their decision to do so was unquestionably correct…
Tekkie Town's Bernard Mostert: Explaining settlement that delighted Steinhoff shareholders (and doubled the share price)
After four years of litigation, the former owners of Tekkie Town have reached a R1.2bn deal with Steinhoff, opening the way to a credible future for the massively defrauded business. Three weeks ago, before talks between the parties began, Steinhoff shares traded at 180c. Since news of the deal broke…
Ingwe: secure, off-the-grid estate living meets Plett’s natural beauty – Craig Young of INEX Developments
As 2021 comes to a close, many are heading off to their favourite holiday destinations for a much-needed break. Plettenberg Bay remains one of South Africa’s favourite vacation spots and, if you’re en route to the coastal town, there’s a project that is well worth checking out. Craig Young of…