After quantifying how the ANC’s BEE policies are nothing more than a way to legally funnel at least R150bn a year into politically connected elites, the Institute for Race Relations is building allies across traditional political aisles. The IRR’s Makone Maja says the MK Party and the EFF have formally stated their opposition to status quo and receptive to replacing BEE with something that actually uplifts SA’s poor - like the country’s leading think tank’s alternative which it calls Economic Empowerment for the Disadvantaged (EED). Maja explained to BizNews editor Alec Hogg how this initiative could kill the destructive status quo.

In today’s BizNews Briefing, Bronwyn Nielsen unpacks Donald Trump’s dramatic tariff moves - pausing some, hiking others, and sending markets soaring. The NASDAQ and S&P 500 post their biggest daily gains in decades. Then, we dive into SA-US relations with sharp insights from voices across the spectrum: Fikile Mbalula, Helen Zille, Moeletsi Mbeki, and more. Is it time for South Africa to reset its approach to Washington?

The first shots have been fired in Donald Trump’s trade war as hefty duties on American imports apply from today. In this episode of the BizNews Briefing we ask what the country needs to do to avoid becoming roadkill and tap into expert opinion on what it means for South Africans - those who make goods; import them; work for international traders; and investors on the JSE. Featuring powerful insights from Washington-based Joshua Meservey; local lawyer Matthew Pool and investment gurus Piet Viljoen and Sean Peche.

Solid records of consistent outperformance in difficult times add credibility to insights on the current turmoil shared here by Re:CM founder Piet Viljoen and Sean Peche, his counterpart at Ranmore. Both delivered star turns at the BNC#7 conference in Hermanus a month ago. In this interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg, they provide dollops of common sense to guide fretting stock market investors.

The opening salvo was fired today in what promises to be a long and destructive Trade War between Donald Trump’s USA and the rest of the world. South African motor vehicles are subjected to a 25% across the board tariff, while agricultural and most other products sold into the US will from today attract 30% customs duty. Matthew Pool who is legal firm Webber Wentzel’s partner for international trade explains that with few exceptions, this is very bad news for South African exporters and unlikely to be reversed anytime soon. He provides context in this interview with BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

In a high-energy update with Alec Hogg, Purple Group CEO Charles Savage shares the inside track on EasyEquities’ record-breaking momentum—highlighting a 25% revenue surge, booming customer growth, and strategic expansion across crypto, ETFs, mortgages, and more. With over 1 million active users and operating leverage delivering 70c profit on every R1 of revenue, Savage says the South African success story is just the beginning: "We've built a world-class business—now we’re thinking globally." Fractional investing, customer trust, and smart use of AI are at the core of a fintech juggernaut that’s reshaping retail investing for the long haul.

In this interview, the Africa specialist at one of Washington’s leading think-tanks assesses a 15-page anti-SA Bill being promoted to the US Congress by Representative Ronny Jackson, a permanent member of both the House’s Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Committees. Joshua Meservey, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute explains how the Bill works, its implications and what the SA Government would need to do to get it off the table. He spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

Political analyst Moeletsi Mbeki strips off SA’s hypocrisy band aide to explain how the nation needs to understand its one-way relationship with the USA (in SA’s favour) would always need to rebalance - so instead of moaning about Trump, the onus is on Pretoria to design something that works for both countries. Mbeki also shares insights on what was actually a respectful approach by Big Business to keeping the GNU together; and explains how BEE attacks SA’s most important need - fostering entrepreneurship among the demographic majority.

This episode of the BizNews Briefing focuses on the big news of the moment for South Africans - fragility of the GNU and the imminent enforcement of Trump Tariffs. There’s context and advice from Moeletsi Mbeki, Helen Zille, The Economist and the FT.

In this episode of the BizNews Briefing, the ANC insists it won’t bow to business pressure, asserting that its decisions are driven by public interests not corporate influence. Tensions escalate within the Government of National Unity as the DA challenges the proposed VAT increase in court, accusing the ANC of reckless fiscal management. Internationally, US-South Africa relations face renewed strain with a proposed US bill targeting ANC officials for sanctions.