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Welcome to BizNews Radio where we interview top thought leaders and business people from South Africa and across the globe.
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Investigative journalists Pauli van Wyk and Micah Reddy join Alec Hogg to unpack their explosive new book Malema, Money, Power, Patronage. From VBS to dodgy metros and shell companies, the authors reveal how Julius Malema and Floyd Shivambu built a patronage empire — and why South Africa’s broken justice system has failed to hold them accountable. Already in its second print before official launch, the book has been called a “must-read” and a blueprint for prosecutors who may one day bring the EFF leadership to book
Betway SA20 commissioner Graeme Smith tells BizNews how the latest auction broke records with Brevis and Markram fetching millions, while more than R22m was spent on under-23 talent. With sold-out stadiums, global broadcast deals, and 700 schools now in the pipeline, Smith says SA20 is more than a tournament — it’s the engine driving cricket’s revival in South Africa
At BNIC#2 in Hermanus, RECM founder Piet Viljoen delivered a candid Q&A covering everything from South Africa’s political risks to global investing lessons. While acknowledging the country’s troubling politics, he insisted South Africa is not Zimbabwe, citing strong civil society as a protective force. Viljoen warned against local companies’ “stupid” offshore acquisitions, praised entrepreneurs like Jannie Mouton, and argued energy is the best way to play the AI boom. A long-term Bitcoin accumulator, he stressed the need for patience, scepticism, and resilience in investing — principles he drew from Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger.
This BizNews production is brought to you by Brenthurst Wealth. Building wealth and protecting legacies since 2004. Invest Better with Brenthurst: https://www.bwm.co.za/.
From the wilds of Idaho, mining analyst Peter Major joins Alec Hogg to unpack the week’s big mining stories. With Botswana and Angola eyeing stakes in De Beers, Anglo American suddenly has options it never expected. Glencore is pulling back from the Congo as cobalt prices tumble, while silver edges back into the spotlight — even if South Africa has little of it to mine. Plus, Peter explains why Orion and Core Potash could be the quiet winners for patient investors.
Alec Hogg's daily update which is embedded in the BizNews Premium newsletter - covering the day's news you need to know.
At BNIC#2 in Hermanus, Brenthurst Wealth founder Magnus Heystek rejected the “Dr Doom” label, describing himself as “realistically honest” about South Africa’s economic trajectory. He warned that trillions have been wiped out through municipal collapse in the country’s northern regions, even as the Western Cape attracts wealth through governance and lifestyle appeal. Heystek argued that only a radical policy reset — restoring property rights and pro-business confidence — could bring offshore wealth back. On investment strategy, he pointed to agriculture, tourism, Cape property, gold, and Japan as promising areas, while stressing the importance of knowledge, long-term discipline, and not succumbing to market doomsayers.
This BizNews production is brought to you by Brenthurst Wealth. Building wealth and protecting legacies since 2004. Invest Better with Brenthurst: https://www.bwm.co.za/.
At BNIC#2 in Hermanus, legendary value investor Piet Viljoen shared his “Cockroach Portfolio” philosophy—a strategy built not on forecasts, but on survival. Viljoen argued that true wisdom in investing begins with admitting “we don’t know anything” about the future. Risk metrics, he warned, are “cargo cult science,” extrapolating the past without predictive power. Instead, his approach rests on three certainties: stay invested to benefit from compounding, diversify meaningfully (even into assets that cause discomfort), and reduce volatility to preserve returns. His Cockroach Portfolio balances cash, bonds, equities, and hard assets in equal parts, creating resilience against any economic environment. For Viljoen, success in wealth-building—like rugby championships—comes from strong defence, not flashy plays.
This BizNews production is brought to you by Brenthurst Wealth. Building wealth and protecting legacies since 2004. Invest Better with Brenthurst: https://www.bwm.co.za/.
If the Democratic Alliance (DA) icon Helen Zille is elected Mayor of Jo’burg, she will have to overcome huge obstacles to achieve the turn-around promised. In this interivew with BizNews, independent commentator Jonathan Katzenellenbogen says if the DA gets the projected 35% in the local elections, it would have to form a coalition with probably the African National Congress (ANC) that is projected to get 23%. If Zille then starts cutting staff "dramatically", the ANC could turn to the “fellow comrade parties” like the Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) and MKP. “And the ANC can very easily form a Doomsday Coalition with them…” Katzenellenbogen warns that it's going to be “a very hard push” for Zille because of the ANC's “vested interests...the City of Johannesburg is a Patronage Machine". However, should Zille overcome these obstacles and the necessary massive budget is sourced, it would still take about 10 years to restore the City of Gold to its former glory. And if Zille fails to get elected, “big business will have to come in…and confront the council, confront the Mayor, confront the ANC and the Cabinet and say basically this can't continue, it's gone too far. We have got to come and play a role, we'll set up this body and we'll basically run the city. We will make sure that these departments run well….”
In today’s BizNews Briefing, Helen Zille’s mayoral bid stirs debate as coalition politics shift. Remgro CEO Jannie Durand shares survival strategies while warning against expropriation without compensation. Magnus Heystek explains offshore investing’s success, Trump at the UN assembly, Apple eyes Intel, Barloworld struggles, and Sun International wins approval for a new Somerset West casino.
Remgro CEO Jannie Durand tells BizNews why the group’s five-year strategy is finally paying off, with earnings and dividends up more than 30% and a special payout for shareholders. From taking Distell private with Heineken, to navigating Vodacom’s massive deal, to sitting on a cash pile while SA Inc struggles, Durand explains how Remgro is positioning for long-term growth - and why property rights and pro-growth policies remain critical for South Africa’s future
Many South Africans have stories of driving into a cow or hitting a kudu driving at night in rural areas causing extensive damages to vehicles and it can turn into personal tragedy. Motivated by personal loss, a young South African, Memphis Kaotsane started working on a solution to make animals visible at night. He invented Moonshine reflective spray that can make animals visible up to 200 metres away. In an interview with Biznews, Kaotsane said he is now ready to scale to wildlife and cyclists and his vision is to export first to Africa and then further afield. With a homegrown solutions with global potential, Kaotsane is keen to shine a light towards better road safety.
At BNIC#2 in Hermanus, Brenthurst Wealth founder and director Magnus Heystek opened the conference with a provocative keynote titled "You've Never Had It So Good." Tracing South Africa's journey from strict exchange controls and clunky trading systems to today's global investment opportunities, Heystek argued that offshore investing has not only built wealth but also granted South Africans the freedom to stay rooted at home while securing their financial futures. He highlighted the massive outperformance of global portfolios versus local funds, the empowerment of technology-driven investing, and the importance of estate planning as wealth moves abroad.
This BizNews production is brought to you by Brenthurst Wealth. Building wealth and protecting legacies since 2004. Invest Better with Brenthurst: https://www.bwm.co.za/.
Once a telecom underdog, CELL C is making a bold comeback - and Blue Label Telecoms is powering the revival. With a debt-free future, niche market dominance, and an IPO on the horizon, investors are watching closely. Sharenet portfolio manager Dylan Bradfield unpacks why this could be one of South Africa's most compelling turnaround stories.
At BNIC#2 in Hermanus, entrepreneur and outspoken activist Rob Hersov delivered a wide-ranging Q&A that touched on the potential of Patrice Motsepe as South Africa's president, the paralysis of Cyril Ramaphosa, and why Cape independence is improbable but federalisation viable. Hersov praised Motsepe’s integrity and business acumen, blasted the ANC’s culture of mutual compromise, and called for stronger protection of whistleblowers. He also offered bold perspectives on Trump’s record, America’s ties to the Western Cape, the transformative role of AI, and the need for coalitions to shift South Africa in the right direction.
This BizNews production is brought to you by Brenthurst Wealth. Building wealth and protecting legacies since 2004. Invest Better with Brenthurst: https://www.bwm.co.za/.
In today's BizNews Breifing: highlights from three keynote speakers at BNIC#2. Prince Mashele says South Africans need to unite across racial boundaries to rescue the country; Hersov declares the nation "uninvestable" under the rule of the ANC; and Dawie Roodt says the digital economy is shifting power away from the state - including in South Africa. Meanwhile, Cell C’s dramatic turnaround puts a JSE relisting on the cards, Donald Trump’s attack on Tylenol wipes billions off a pharma giant, and Nvidia pours $100bn into ChatGPT’s parent company, raising the stakes in the AI arms race.
Alec Hogg's new daily update which is embedded in the BizNews Premium newsletter - covering the day's news you need to know.
At BNIC#2 in Hermanus, Ranmore Fund Management's Sean Peche delivered a sobering warning on global markets, arguing that the US is in "injury time" as passive funds distort valuations and private equity exits stall. He cautioned that while AI is real, history shows revolutionary technologies rarely translate into long-term shareholder wins. Peche pointed to Bitcoin hype, stretched US mega-cap valuations, and the dangers of performance fees, while outlining Ranmore's disciplined approach: focus on value, diversify globally, reduce client fees as the fund scales, and stay humble. His message — don't get swept up in stories, pick the losers, and always be able to sleep at night.
This BizNews production is brought to you by Brenthurst Wealth. Building wealth and protecting legacies since 2004. Invest Better with Brenthurst: https://www.bwm.co.za/.
Stanlib chief economist Kevin Lings tells BizNews why Johannesburg’s collapse is stifling growth, how Helen Zille’s mayoral run could change the city’s fortunes, and why South Africans are raiding retirement savings to splurge on clothes and shoes. With inflation steady at 3% but long-term savings under threat, Lings warns the two-pot system is becoming embedded in the economy - a short-term sugar rush with dangerous long-term costs
South African entrepreneur and outspoken capitalist activist Rob Hersov brought BizNews Investment Conference #2 in Hermanus to a fiery close with his trademark no-holds-barred critique of the ANC. Declaring that South Africa is “uninvestable under ANC rule”, Hersov warned that continued investment amounts to gambling with the future. He traced the country’s economic decline since 2008, citing failed governance, deindustrialisation, and a debt spiral. Yet, Hersov also outlined where he sees opportunity — gold, Bitcoin, AI ventures, tourism, and Western Cape property. Mixing hard economics with sharp rhetoric, he vowed to keep up pressure on the ANC “until the barbarians leave the gate,” while also calling for South Africa’s business and political elites to once again forge a path forward, as they did in the 1980s.
This BizNews production is brought to you by Brenthurst Wealth. Building wealth and protecting legacies since 2004. Invest Better with Brenthurst: https://www.bwm.co.za/.
Sakeliga has become involved in a previously low-profile seven-year legal battle over a 34-hectare farm worth an estimated R60m, which was expropriated for nil compensation by the ANC/EFF controlled Ekurhulen Metro. Here’s Sakeliga’s CEO Piet le Roux who says the case has massive political, economic and social implications.
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Libertarian scares me. Liz Truss and Kwarsi Karteng call themselves 'libertarians'. Look how they are trying to destroy the UK economy!!