BizNews Radio

Foreigners often confuse “South African Speak” for rudeness or arrogance. A bit like the Dutch, people from the Southern Tip of Africa lack the diplomacy gene. They genuinely prefer straight and plain. Uncoded. Ever since the transition in 1994, however, much was left unsaid. For most, despite its record of idiotic economic policies, corruption and misgovernance, the ANC was given the benefit of the doubt. After the chaos of the past week, however, that generosity has disappeared and long suppressed anger uncorked. Because, in their hour of greatest need communities whose rates and taxes keep the national wheels rolling, were left to fend for themselves. Those they paid to protect them simply disappeared or stood idly by watching the methodical, fearless plundering. As a result many in the previously silent and mostly isolated majority have found each other – and their collective voice. Their ‘gatvol’ factor has scaled a new peak. This anonymously produced Open Letter to Cyril Ramaphosa captures the zeitgeist. It is circulating on social media to almost universal applause.

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PANDA (Pandemics – data and analysis) has been outspoken with regards to the policy-makers’ reaction to Covid-19, lockdowns and other approaches to the virus. Its viewpoints have ruffled feathers over the past year, with many in the establishment openly hostile towards the group of actuaries, accountants, economists and other professionals who participate in the global think tank. Nick Hudson, co-founder of PANDA, spoke at the inaugural BizNews Investment Conference in March 2021. Here’s his keynote address.

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It's been a year and a half since the Kisby SME Fund announced its intention to raise capital that would support high quality South African SMEs hammered by Covid - and in need of low cost loans. Its initial call to action attracted thousands of requests, with 350 companies having been short-listed. Getting the Kisby train rolling took time, but in this podcast co-founder Warren Wheatley tells BizNews.com's Alec Hogg that it has left the station with R250m available to lend. He is dreaming of Kisby growing into a R5bn fund - and expects hesitancy from financial institutions will disappear now that the selection process has started in earnest.

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News headlines:

*The introduction of the new Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) system in the coming months will have a significant impact on anyone who drives in South Africa, with the next phase of the scheme scheduled to start in January 2022.

*The UK government kept open the prospect of a Christmas lockdown as daily Covid-19 cases remained near record levels, driven by the fast-spreading Omicron variant.

*The World Economic Forum (WEF) has postponed its annual meeting that had been due to take place in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos in January until mid-2022, the organisers said on Monday.

Myriad problems in South Africa, including rolling blackouts, water shortages, a shaky health system and trains that no longer run can be attributed to corruption in the country. Since January 2012, Corruption Watch has fearlessly embarked on an ambitious project to mobilise the public to report experiences with corruption and hold leaders to account. Leading the charge is David Lewis, the executive director of Corruption Watch in South Africa. David is leaving the organisation at the end of December and he told BizNews he does see a silver lining in the dark cloud of corruption in the country but he emphasized the need to speed up prosecutions. Lewis believes brave whistle-blowers should be treated like celebrities.

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In mid-October, BizNews journalist Nadya Swart spoke to Ros Nealon-Cook, a psychologist & functional medicine coach based in the Blue Mountains – a region west of Sydney in Australia’s New South Wales. Ros, a (former) Registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia, a licensed Medicare provider, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, HeartMath Certified Health Professional and founder of Integrated Kids, is a profoundly qualified individual who has observed the situation on the ground in Australia. For months, there have been innumerable videos circulating the globe that depict the horrendous reality of Australians who are standing their ground against the draconian measures which their government has imposed upon them since the emergence of Covid-19. Of even greater concern are the restrictions and severe curtailment of freedoms to which the unvaccinated Australian population has been subjected. The absence of any media coverage of the dystopian society that has enveloped Australia, exacerbated by the deliberate cancellation and censorship of dissenting voices, has effectively rendered the country's citizens powerless. As an individual based in Australia, Ros has been uniquely positioned to provide credible information in respect of these realities. In addition, her professional background in psychology has enabled her to reliably observe the psychological impact of Covid-19, lockdowns and related measures on human beings and, in particular, infants and adolescents. After publicly speaking out against lockdowns and their resultant harms on mental health, Ros joined GAIHH (www.gaihh.org) – the Global Alliance of Integrated Hearts and Health. The non-profit organisation – consisting of a group of like-minded psychologists and mental health workers – was founded in 2021, in response to the emerging mental health crisis being faced in Australia and around the world as a result of the policies implemented to manage the Covid-19 pandemic.

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The valiant vulnerability demonstrated in this anonymous South African poem will undoubtedly speak to the affliction carried by countless South Africans. So often, those South Africans who have made the decision to depart our dear country will go on to vehemently report their decision to do so was unquestionably correct. Their message – usually extended with a laundry list of everything that they do not miss, everything that they no longer need to concern themselves with – is, while realistic, almost too overt. Notwithstanding the very real advantages they enjoy elsewhere, it is hard not to wonder whether they, perhaps, are so persistent in their advocacy of emigration because any deviation therefrom would be too painful. While the author of this poem is anonymous, the heartbreak felt by him or her over leaving South Africa is clearly identifiable.

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After four years of litigation, the former owners of Tekkie Town have reached a R1.2bn deal with Steinhoff, opening the way to a credible future for the massively defrauded business. Three weeks ago, before talks between the parties began, Steinhoff shares traded at 180c. Since news of the deal broke on Wednesday, the price has rocketed to 330c. Tens of thousands of retail investors and big creditors like billionaire Christo Wiese, had a vested interest in the outcome of discussions that removes the major threat to a hard-fought settlement deal. In this fascinating podcast, Tekkie Town's former CEO explains the why's, what's and when's in conversation with BizNews founder Alec Hogg.

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As 2021 comes to a close, many are heading off to their favourite holiday destinations for a much-needed break. Plettenberg Bay remains one of South Africa’s favourite vacation spots and, if you’re en route to the coastal town, there’s a project that is well worth checking out. Craig Young of Ingwe is developing an extraordinary project; a 100 hectare reserve with 30 homes and a huge expanse of natural space – gorgeous forests, off-the-grid living and national parks.

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Chief executive of Afrimat, Andries van Heerden, talks about the art of deal-making, as the mid-tier miner has recently acquired Glenover Phosphate. Afrimat’s management is known for being one of the best capital allocation teams in the JSE. The share has been a star performer on the local bourse for the better part of a decade. Afrimat has transformed itself from a building materials-focused business to a mid-tier miner, well diversified with exposure to many different commodities. Andries talks about the due diligence processes and ‘template’, which management follows when going about a deal and the reasons behind its repeated success.

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