BizNews Radio

South Africa’s disruptive life assurer BrightRock appears to be confirming the wisdom of a ‘two horses in the race’ approach by holding company Sanlam, which acquired 100% of the business in February after six years its the majority shareholder. In this interview, Brightrock CEO Schalk Malan talks about the former start-up’s performance in the corporate family and why Sanlam relationship has supported the founding team’s growth ambitions. The qualified actuary also shares hard facts about COVID-19's mortality impact on South Africans, putting to bed claims that the virus was little more than “a bad flu”. He spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

Adapting to a Changing Work Environment: Flexible Staffing Strategies for the Workforce and Companies

The landscape of employment is evolving beyond the conventional 9-5 jobs, offering different models of work that include flexible working arrangements and staffing. These arrangements allow employees to work remotely for certain periods, while flexible staffing involves filling job vacancies or addressing increased company activity with part-time, temporary, or independent workers. In an interview with Biznews, Anne Rutledge of Resourgenix discusses how changing expectations from both workers and companies are catalysing the shift towards flexible staffing. Rutledge identifies the primary factors influencing this trend for both workers and employers, including the impact of AI and technology on employment practices. She also points out which sectors have successfully implemented flexible staffing and discusses the varying degrees of its implementation across different countries. Rutledge provides best practices for organisations considering the adoption of flexible staffing in today’s workforce. South Africa, she says is losing skilled workers who are attracted to overseas destinations offering more flexible work options.

Former Scopa (Standing Committee on Public Accounts) chairperson and African People's Convention leader Themba Godi has lamented the lack of justice in the case of disgraced former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste and the lack of accountability for President Cyril Ramaphosa. These are some of the talking points in this interview with BizNews after his party decided to walk away from a “Super Pact” of minority parties after at least two months of talks. Meanwhile, Godi says he has “almost given up on the possibility of the police and the NPA taking any decisive action” in Jooste’s case. And he feels that the media seems to have “no interest” in holding Ramaphosa accountable - thus giving Parliament the impetus to also do its work. Godi recalls his testimony before the Zondo Commission and warns: “For as long as there is no political will to push for accountability, Parliament will not be effective.” - Chris Steyn

1995 World Cup winning Springbok Hannes Strydom was portrayed as a drug-dealing psychopath by an alleged criminal syndicate to cover up their theft of at least R50m from his pharmacy business. After discovering the loss, Strydom called in forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan who has uncovered a crude fraud masterminded by the GM of Strydom’s 350-staff-strong enterprise. Detailed documentation and witness statements reveal that the crooks stole prescription-only scheduled medicine to be on-sold by drug dealers at huge premiums. O’Sullivan’s investigations revealed that theft in a single codeine product line cost Strydom’s business R50m. When the former rugby star first confronted the alleged criminals, they reacted by selling their version of the story to television show Carte Blanche, painting the 6-foot-6 entrepreneur as the villain. In this interview, O’Sullivan shares how his investigations uncovered the conspiracy which he says not only clears Strydom but raises massive problems for the other parties.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) is becoming an “iron fist” for the African National Congress (ANC) in certain parts of South Africa. Crime fighter Ian Cameron of Action Society speaks to BizNews about the latest abuses of power and lack of accountability in SAPS. He describes how Police Minister Bheki Cele was escorted by six Flying Squad vehicles, three Public Order Policing (POP) vehicles and three mini buses from TRT to an ANC meeting on the Cape Flats. “…is the South African Police Service now a private security service for the ANC?” Cameron is fuming that eight “Blue Light Mafia” members who publicly assaulted civilians are back at work after their suspensions lapsed. He points out that the Presidential Protection Unit reports to Wally Rhoode who mainly reports directly to the President Cyril Ramaphosa. “So it's basically this little private security force that they've built on the side with police power that benefits a certain group of politicians.” Cameron also speaks about the submission Action Society made to Parliament today (Tuesday 25 October) on the new IPID bill that would give the Minister of Police “a complete monopoly on law enforcement in South Africa”. - Chris Steyn

South African governments have in the past supported the Palestinian people and their struggle for their own homeland, but have managed to balance that with cordial relations with Israel. There has however been a noticeable shift from this policy during the Presidency of Cyril Ramaphosa. President Ramaphosa remained silent on the Hamas attacks and only commented after Israel started a bombing campaign in Gaza. Added to this, was a call by his Minister for International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor to Hamas and her subsequent visit to Iran. Not only did the ruling party come out strongly in support of Pandor, the ANC organised a march near the Israeli embassy in Pretoria calling for the embassy to be closed down. ANC deputy-secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane also called for “an end to Zionism.” In an interview, former leader of the opposition and political commentator, Tony Leon described the response to the attacks as a low watermark for South Africa and warned that alignments pose risks. He said South Africa’s foreign policy does not matter in the Middle East, but it may incur costs in the West. Western governments, he said, are taking notes. He also commented on the increased support for opposition parties in South Africa saying that it is encouraging but they needed to keep on moving forward, like a shark. He warned against an ANC/EFF coalition saying the EFF would devour the ANC and it would be ruinous for South Africa.

After 15 years of running a Ponzi scheme, financial advisor Craig Warriner confessed, handed himself over, pleaded guilty to any and all charges and is seeking the safety of a single cell in prison. An old boy of the prestigious Johannesburg school St Stithians, Warriner, who appears to be the South African equivalent of Bernie Madoff, has lost billions of clients’ rand through a trust named after Berkshire Hathaway. David Shapiro unpacks the story, highlighting red flags that will help others avoid falling into the clutches of fraudsters like this. He spoke to Alec Hogg of BizNews.

Western Cape municipalities are getting electricity wheeling toolkits to help fast-track the implementation of third-party electricity wheeling. It will allow private sector entities to transport power over the grid to other businesses, organisations, or facilities. In this interview with BizNews, the Provincial Minister of Infrastructure, Tertius Simmers, speaks about the benefits of third-party electricity wheeling. Those include: mitigating the impact of load shedding; a reduction in the bulk purchase cost of electricity for consumers; reducing consumer and municipal reliance on ESKOM: providing better electricity price certainty to businesses and commercial electricity consumers; enabling businesses to use renewable energy and reduce threats of export market carbon border adjustment mechanisms, as well as meet their climate change mitigation commitments and/or negate carbon tax obligations; and providing an incentive for investment, with the associated economic development and job creation benefits. - Chris Steyn

With polls showing the ANC continuing to lose ground, the DA steady, and EFF gaining, we asked the country’s leading political scientist how he would advise the three parties. Long-time Oxford Don RW Johnson offers suggestions for the party leaders. Given the narrow gap between the two most significant groupings and well-entrenched trends, he shares what we already know and perspectives of how things may develop ahead of South Africa’s 2024 Election. He spoke to BizNews editor Alec Hogg.

Despite shifting dynamics in European immigration policies in response to global challenges, resistance to immigration, and upcoming elections, there are still plenty of opportunities for South Africans seeking to immigrate or explore alternative plans. In an interview with BizNews, Andrew Rissik, the Group International Director of Sable International, said that while options such as Ireland and Portugal's golden visas and tax incentives are narrowing, Greece has gained a surge in attention. At the same time, the United Kingdom remains a steadfast and promising destination for South Africans, even as the job market experiences a slowdown. Rissik offers valuable advice for South Africans considering a "Plan B" by emphasising the importance of thoughtful, well-researched decisions over impulsive ones driven by emotions or the stresses of their home country. He underscores that mistakes in this process can be financially costly. International options from securing a second citizenship to living, working, studying or investing abroad can be explored at the Global Citizenship and Emigration Expos Sable International is hosting in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Durban, and Cape Town in the coming month.

Contact Sable International at [email protected].