BizNews Radio

When President Cyril Ramaphosa made his last State of the National Address (SONA), the outraged reaction of Ayanda Allie of Build One South Africa (BOSA) went viral. Now a Gauteng MPL, BizNews got her reaction to his first opening address to Parliament under the new Government of National Unity (GNU). She says: “…this time around, we are of the view that the President has become a little bit more sober-minded, perhaps a little bit of humble pie helping him to assess the situation in the country better…” However, she warns: “…we need to make sure that, as Build One South Africa, we remain vigilant, and make sure that this is not just going to be a walk-in-the-park exercise of everybody just getting positions and getting paychecks and looking after their own bottom line and neglecting the citizenry. So our job becomes even more crucial as we're outside of the GPU, making sure that we hold various executives to account.”

In this interview with BizNews, veteran Democratic Alliance (DA) politician Jack Bloom takes viewers through the Gauteng premierships of Tokyo Sexwale, Mathole Motshekga, Mbhazima Shilowa, Paul Mashatile, Nomvula Mokonyane, David Makhura and Panyaza Lesufi. “Each ANC premier can only get worse. They might start off speaking about radical changes and spirit of renewal, and they're gonna do big things, but the mechanisms to do it get worse and worse because when you've got cadre deployment, cronyism, corruption - I call them the three Cs -over many, many years, your civil service is just completely neutered. You haven't got the instrument to do what needs to be done.” Bloom - who says the ANC is now trapped in a cage of its own making - shares the reasons why with only 35% of the votes, the ANC still controls 98% of the budget - and why it didn't want to share power with the DA. “The same old gang is in control…”However, the DA - which has 22 seats to the ANC’s 28 - has a game plan… “come budget time, they may have to do some serious negotiations or lose the budgets or lose their votes of confidence. Then we have to come to a more sustainable arrangement in the interests of this province.”

In an interview with BizNews, David Shapiro, a renowned market analyst from Sasfin Securities, shared insights on the potential resurgence of resource stocks amid global economic shifts. He highlighted optimism around platinum investments and discussed the evolving dynamics in luxury brands like Hermes and Ferrari. Shapiro also delved into the bond market's attractiveness amidst declining yields and speculated on the future of tech giants like Nvidia in investment portfolios. His perspectives provide a comprehensive view on current market trends and investment strategies amid uncertain global conditions.

In this interview with BizNews, Roy Jankielsohn, the Democratic Alliance (DA) leader in the Free State, gives an update on political developments in the province. He expresses the hope that with the arrest - and impending extradition from the US - of Ace Magashule’s former PA, that there will be convictions for corruption. He also details the findings of a Public Protector's report into the R6-million funeral for an MEC, in which a cap on State funerals is recommended. Another cause for optimism is the way national political developments have impacted the province’s politics where, for the first time since 1994, opposition parties have received chairpersonships of committees within the Free State Legislature. However, a huge concern remains cross-border crime, including human trafficking , drug smuggling, cattle rustling, and vehicle smuggling. But Jankielsohn has faith that the appointment of crime fighter Ian Cameron as Chair of the Portfolio Committee on Police in Parliament, will lead to improvements in law enforcement.

The United States House of Representatives has voted for a full review of US-SA relations, but  retired Colonel Chris Wyatt, the former Director of African Studies at the US Army War College, says he does not believe the US will remove South Africa from AGOA because it is really just a “soft power foreign policy tool to win us good favour, give us access to places”. However, he says that South Africa should be “warned” that its conduct is detrimental to US national security interests. “South Africa has been getting a free pass for several years,” he says, listing the reasons why South Africa does not even qualify for AGOA . “And you know what? The ANC is welcome to do what they want, but this is a gift. They've gotten this far with their lifelong commitment to the PLO, to Hamas, to Hezbollah, to Iran, to Russia, to Communist China.” Colonel Wyatt - who observed the recent elections in South Africa - says he doesn't see the African National Congress “changing” - and doesn’t think there is anybody in any of the parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) “that can actually influence” the party to change its foreign policies.

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Retired Colonel Chris Wyatt, the former Director of African Studies at the U.S. Army War College, has called for heads to roll following the failed assassination attempt on former US President and Presidential hopeful Donald Trump. “The Secret Service has failed in epic proportions…if not for windage, if not for the president turning his head at a certain moment, we’d be having a very different conversation today. It would be the murder and assassination of Donald John Trump. Fortunately, he survived. And what they've done is, they've guaranteed an electoral victory for Donald Trump in November. There's no way he doesn't win this race now.”

In this interview with BizNews, Neil de Beer, President of the United Independent Movement (UIM), speaks about the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump and the iconic photo of him pumping his fist with blood streaming down his face and the US flag fluttering behind him. “…this scenario, I can tell you now, is going to play off like an unbelievable movement of seismic proportionality, think, in the Trump favour.” Back in SA, he describes the leaked affidavit on corruption in VBS Bank as “a nuclear explosion” that could impact the futures of Economic Freedom Fighters Commander-in-Chief Julius Malema and his deputy Floyd Shivambu. He also reveals the plans of former President Jacob Zuma’s MK, saying: “And their next strike is to go for every municipality in this country in about 18 months when we start building up the 2026 municipal elections. Meanwhile, De Beer says their is a problem brewing in the Cabinet lekgotla because “if you look at the people sitting in that room, this is a festivity of people, not all of them, but people that have criminal intent, that have got an absolute diverse of ideology, and that are covering up.”

In a riveting interview, Sygnia Limited CEO Magda Wierzycka discusses her controversial views on ESG investing, emphasising the need for genuine impact investing. She highlights the importance of tackling global issues like food security, renewable energy, and healthcare innovation, particularly through ventures emerging from Oxford University. She discusses SA's new government of national unity and calls for DA chair Helen Zille to leave politics. Wierzycka also critiques the AI hype, calling for realistic expectations and innovations in chip technology. The conversation delves into challenges faced by South African innovators due to funding reluctance and explores promising investment themes, including cancer and obesity drugs. Hosted by Nielsen Network CEO Bronwyn Nielsen, this interview offers deep insights into responsible and impactful investment strategies.

SA Online tool StudyStart holds students hands on their education journey towards jobs

South Africa faces a significant skills mismatch. The graduate unemployment rate continues to rise, reaching 11.8% in the first quarter of this year, according to Statistics South Africa—an increase of 2.3 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2023. Despite this, there is a shortage of skills in some professions. Thisthe issues that entrepreneurs Jason Adriaan and broadcaster Shahan Ramkisson want to tackle with their new education-focused platform called StudyStart. In an interview with BizNews, Adriaan explained that their online tool is designed to help students plan their educational and career paths. StudyStart offers a web-based application, optimised for accessibility on mobile devices. Jason emphasises the need for vocational training options alongside traditional university routes, noting the importance of various skill sets in the job market. He also highlights the challenges startups face in South Africa, including tax burdens and slow procurement processes with large corporations. Their goal is to effectively bridge the skills gap and reduce unemployment in the country.

Iconic crime fighter and MP Ian Cameron - who was elected unopposed as Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police in Parliament - tells BizNews viewers how the committee will function to ensure accountability, and lists his priorities as chairperson. Cameron - who had a very hostile relationship with former Police Minister Bheki Cele - also hails the new Minister, Senzo Mchunu, as somebody that listens. He has words of hope for under-resourced police officers, as well as crime victims whose cases have been taking too long to investigate.

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Join us for BizNews’ first investment-focused conference on Thursday, 12 September, in Hermanus, featuring top experts like Frans Cronje, Piet Viljoen, and more. Get insights on electricity and exploiting SA’s gas bounty from new and familiar faces. Register here.