BizNews Radio

In today’s BizNews Briefing, host Alec Hogg shares highlights from an in-depth look into SA’s investing democratiser Easy Equities with its CEO, Purple Group’s Charles Savage. Plus FNB’s Chantal Marx on the big retail stocks; and Trump appointee RFK Junior has the leaders of Big Pharma in a spin.

From a bold startup to a billion-rand giant, Easy Equities celebrates a decade of democratizing investing. With over a million active clients and R60 billion in assets, Charles Savage, CEO of Purple Group, reflects on triumphs, challenges, and the vision to reshape wealth creation.

US Congressman Thomas Massie took time out to speak to BizNews during a brief visit to South Africa. He describes billionaire Elon Musk as his favourite South African. “I do believe that he changed the course of history by buying Twitter, which is now renamed X, and allowing conservatives to have a voice that could go around the mainstream media in the United States.” Massie gives an update on his “rocky relationship” with President-elect Donald Trump and shares details of their recent chats. Furthermore, he discusses the Foreign Relations Committee’s negative view of South Africa. And he outlines the key objectives of the Trump Administration, warning, however: “I think he's got six months to show the American public that he's going to act on the mandate that he's received.” Meanwhile, in South Africa, Massie is talking to some of leading local thought leaders - and "trying to spread and exchange views on liberty and particularly libertarianism”.

Chantal Marx - Head of Investment and research at FNB Wealth - discusses investment trends, highlighting the oversubscribed Boxer IPO, We Buy Cars’ strong growth, and cautious optimism around crypto. She advises trimming U.S. tech exposure while exploring value in diversified miners and small to mid-cap stocks. With December’s slowdown, she urges seizing overlooked opportunities in quieter markets.

Netcare CEO Dr. Richard Friedland reflects on the group's strong financial performance despite a tough economic year, paying R1.6 billion in shareholder returns. He discusses collaboration with government on the contentious NHI Act, emphasizing that its current form is unsustainable. Friedland shares optimism about healthcare's recovery, self-medication trends, and the next phase of Netcare's data-driven strategy, while ensuring a smooth leadership transition.

U.S. markets surged as President-elect Trump named hedge fund manager Scott Besant for Treasury Secretary, with the Dow hitting record highs and Bitcoin nearing $100,000. Locally, gold stocks tumbled, dragging the JSE Top 40 down 1%, while Netcare posted resilient results despite market backlash. Catch CEO insights from VALR, Netcare, and more on BizNews TV tonight.

parkrun, which started as a small, informal 5K run with just 13 participants in Bushy Park, London, in 2004, has grown into a global phenomenon with over 10 million runners and 2600 parkruns. Its founder, South African born, Paul Sinton-Hewitt grew up in Potchefstroom. From only 26 runners and 3 volunteers at the first run, parkrun has flourished, particularly in South Africa, where more than a million of its members are based. Bruce Fordyce, the legendary South African ultra-marathon runner, is one of the key figures behind parkrun’s success. In an interview with BizNews, Fordyce shared that he plans to participate in his 549th parkrun this weekend, despite having recently undergone knee replacement surgery. parkrun started he says that South Africans are drawn to the 5-kilometer parkrun due to its safety, the majority of runners are women. Fordyce says participants enjoy adding new runs to their totals, which he describes as “stamp collecting on steroids,” as they try to add more destinations to their list.

As Bitcoin nears $100,000, the crypto market faces both excitement and skepticism. VALR CEO Farzam Ehsani shares insights into Bitcoin's trajectory, its potential to outpace traditional assets, and the implications of global regulatory shifts.

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The seventh BizNews Conference, BNC#7, is to be held in Hermanus from March 11 to 13, 2025. The 2025 BizNews Conference is designed to provide an excellent opportunity for members of the BizNews community to interact directly with the keynote speakers, old (and new) friends from previous BNC events – and to interact with members of the BizNews team. Register for BNC#7 here.

Economist Kevin Lings discusses the market impact of Trump’s policies, South Africa's conservative monetary approach despite low inflation, and the resilience of global markets amid geopolitical tensions. He advocates for bolder interest rate cuts in South Africa to foster growth and capitalize on rare moments of positive economic sentiment.

In this latest Sunday Show with Neil De Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM) identifies former President Jacob Zuma as the politician who holds the most aces in the “dirty tricks department” of hidden scandals involving other politicians. “…he always uses the security conclave and the intelligence scenario. And that's why he's always one ahead…I don't think there's people that can counter MK at this moment on that deep dark level.” Analysing the appointment of Floyd Shivambu as the MKP’s Secretary General, De Beer says: “He's going to solidify them. But at the same time, make no mistake, he's also going to kill EFF.” De Beer dissects the possible motive behind Deputy President Paul Mashatile’s stance that the Government of National Unity (GNU) would survive a Democratic Alliance (DA) exit. He also lists the politicians in the African National Congress (ANC) Top 7 whom he believes are indictable and impeachable. And he describes how the flaunting of laws have created two current national crises.