BN Daybreak Wed 18 Mar - Oil spikes on Iran's strikes; Mulder on coalitions; US missile defences falling fast

Loading player...
Welcome to BizNews Daybreak with Alec Hogg for Wednesday, March 18, 2026. In today’s episode, we dive into the shifting tectonic plates of global geopolitics, escalating tensions in the Middle East, and the hard realities of coalition governance in South Africa.

Today's Top Stories:

Middle East Tensions & Market Impact: Crude oil surges past $96 a barrel after Israel assassinates two senior Iranian security officials, including security chief Ali Larijani.

SA’s Political Future: Longest-serving MP Corné Mulder (FF+) delivers a hard truth about the ANC's inability to self-correct and explains why coalition governments are the unavoidable new reality for South Africa.

Global Security Warning: Tom Karako from CSIS warns that the US is rapidly depleting its missile defence interceptors, potentially leaving the Pacific and Taiwan vulnerable to Chinese expansionism.

Tech & Domestic Markets: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announces a renewed push to supply AI chips to China. Locally, the Rand strengthens to R16.66 against the Dollar, while Sasol shares jump 5% on the JSE.

US Hegemony: Rob Hersov offers a sobering reality check on global power dynamics, arguing that the US remains the ultimate centre of the geopolitical chessboard.
18 Mar 12AM English South Africa Investing · Business News

Other recent episodes

BN Daybreak - Tue 2 June 2026: Trump Agri Tariffs; Nvidia chips; SA grid success; FMD vaccines

In today's BizNews Daybreak: Internationally, President Trump cuts agricultural equipment tariffs, Apple introduces an iPhone bill-splitting feature, and Nvidia debuts a $5 trillion PC AI chip. Locally, Free State’s community grid takeover triumphs, KZN lags behind in foot-and-mouth vaccinations, and analysts unpack the impeachment pressures facing President Ramaphosa.
1 Jun 11PM 15 min

Rob Hersov: The small municipality that fixed itself — a blueprint to rescue South Africa

What happens when a community decides it’s had enough of municipal failure? In this compelling conversation, Rob Hersov explains how a small Free State municipality took matters into its own hands, restoring services, managing electricity distribution, collecting revenue, and driving local development. The result is a working model of public-private…
1 Jun 11AM 30 min

Andrew Morphew - Steenhuisen’s “stockpile of vaccines sitting” in State fridges

Livestock farmers across South Africa remain desperate for the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak to be contained. In his latest interview with Chris Steyn, Andrew Morphew, the spokesperson for FMD Response SA, says: “The Industry Coordinating Council says that 1,3 million doses have been distributed to the province (KZN), whereas…
1 Jun 3AM 11 min