Eskom has given ferrochrome smelters a three-month stay of execution, but Peter Major warns that the real battle is only beginning. In this explosive MiningWeb Weekly, Major breaks down why SA industry is collapsing under electricity costs, what China is doing right, and why government must choose competitiveness over ideology if it wants mining, PGMs and beneficiation to survive. He also sounds a serious alarm on the gold price bubble — and explains why platinum still makes more long-term sense for investors.

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.

In the latest edition of the Electoral Road Show with Chris Steyn, Elections Analyst Wayne Sussman dissects the results of last night’s by-elections. The African National Congress (ANC) was hit by a significant loss of voter support in its traditional stronghold of Ekurhuleni, the home of the looted Tembisa Hospital and the focus of damning allegations of corruption and even murder involving the EMPD following which Witness D was assassinated. The party suffered a “stunning drop” from 69% to 37% in the Etwatwa Minnie Mandela ward. “All these negative stories about Ekurhuleni…have now hurt the ANC Ekurhuleni by-election and are likely to hurt them all in other Gauteng by-elections,” Sussman warns. The party also felt the wrath of voters in Villiersdorp in the Theewaterskloof municipality where it won only 33% of the vote, down from 49%. Sussman comments on allegations of vote-buying at the recent ANC Jo’burg conference, as well as a radical motion at its National General Council (NGC) to clamp down on the distribution of money and gifts during leadership contests. Sussman previews next week’s last round of by-elections for 2025.

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.

Value investor Piet Viljoen breaks down Mr Price’s German gamble, Spar’s costly EU exit, Famous Brands’ offshore stumble, and why HCI’s buybacks make far more sense than chasing “expensive fairy tales” abroad. From Eskom’s industrial rescue talks to Transnet’s slow turnaround and the ANC’s political bluster, Viljoen gives Alec Hogg a brutally honest roadmap for where South Africans should – and shouldn’t – put their money.

Security expert Rory Steyn reacts to Australia’s groundbreaking move to ban under-16s from social media, explains why tech firms must be held responsible, and argues that protecting teenagers now is as essential as seatbelts once were for road safety.

Eskom Distribution boss Agnes Mlambo joins Alec Hogg to explain the emergency power deal with Glencore, Samancor and Merafe that halted mass retrenchments, the brutal economics behind smelter shutdowns, the tense negotiations with Nersa, and why this high-stakes rescue could become a new template for keeping heavy industry alive in South Africa.

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.

Eskom’s talks with Glencore point to a new path for SA industry — but ideology still threatens growth. I unpack what it means for your money.