Category: News
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Hersov to Mantashe: Fix mining or forfeit SA’s future
Rob Hersov pulls no punches in this open letter to Minerals Minister Gwede Mantashe, framing South Africa’s mining collapse as a policy crime rather than a geological misfortune. Gold output down 86%. GDP contribution halved. 300,000 jobs gone. Exploration spending in freefall. And the Fraser Institute now ranks us below military junta-run states as a…
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Mayor first, party leader second: Geordin Hill-Lewis on why Cape Town beats a cabinet seat
Listen here Geordin Hill-Lewis says he has the best job in South African politics – and he’s not giving it up. The DA leader explains why he’s staying on as Cape Town mayor, tackles criticism of DA ministers, outlines bold plans to build a city detective branch, and shares his vision for expanding the party…
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Old School SA’s Stellenbosch brothers riding Bafana Bafana fever sweeping the country
Listen here Stef and Daneel Steinmann couldn’t buy the vintage Springbok jerseys they kept seeing around Stellenbosch in 2019, a Rugby World Cup year when green and gold were everywhere, so after roughly 100 emails they found a supplier and started their own brand, Old School SA. Six years on, Old School holds official partnerships…
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The hollowing out of Eskom: De Ruyter’s prophecy becomes reality
André de Ruyter warned this would happen. As Eskom CEO, he flagged the risk of a revenue death spiral — major customers fleeing to private power, leaving the utility stranded with ballooning municipal debt and no reliable income base. It’s no longer a warning. As MyBroadband reports, Namibia is building green hydrogen capacity at scale.…
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Beyond the metros: Where SA’s real political battle in November is brewing
Everyone’s watching Johannesburg, Cape Town and Tshwane — but the November local government elections will be decided in places like Pietermaritzburg and Polokwane too. Marius Roodt of The Common Sense drills into the numbers, and the divergence is striking. Msunduzi tells a story of ANC collapse — from 70% in 2014 to 18% in 2024…
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Hedge Fund thinking meets the beautiful game — Inside America’s World Cup ambition
An offhand text message among friends spirals into a high-stakes intervention in American soccer’s future. When frustration with the US men’s national team reaches a boiling point after a disastrous Copa America, hedge fund manager Scott Goodwin finds himself at the centre of an unusual power play – where billionaire wealth, personal passion, and national…
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Jim Chanos has a warning for SpaceX investors — and his track record demands attention
SpaceX hits the stock market today riding over $100 billion in retail orders and a wave of institutional FOMO — but veteran short seller Jim Chanos isn’t buying the narrative. Bloomberg Opinion’s Lionel Laurent draws a sharp parallel between SpaceX’s IPO and Michael Saylor’s Strategy Inc., the Bitcoin-buying vehicle that Chanos shorted and which has…
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The Economist: Passport shopping, tax havens and a whole industry built around billionaire flight
Amid rising geopolitical uncertainty, the world’s wealthiest individuals are quietly redrawing the map of where they live – and why. A fast-growing industry of advisers is emerging to guide them through a complex web of visas, investment schemes, and shifting government policies. From sun-soaked tax havens to tightening Western regimes, countries are competing fiercely to…
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Brian Benfield: The Fair Pay Bill will not create a single sustainable job
A seemingly well-intentioned proposal before Parliament has ignited a fierce debate about fairness, freedom and the future of South Africa’s economy. Proponents argue the Fair Pay Bill will promote transparency and equity in the workplace. Critics warn it represents yet another expansion of state control into private enterprise, carrying far-reaching consequences for employers, job seekers…
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Ivo Vegter: Stop fearing Artificial Intelligence. Start fearing its would-be masters
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the defining technology of our age, promising extraordinary gains in productivity, knowledge and innovation. Yet the greatest questions it raises may have little to do with machines themselves. In this thought-provoking analysis, the author cuts through both the utopian hype and apocalyptic fear surrounding AI, exploring its impact on truth,…
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Econ Bro: Special Economic Zones and how they expose the hypocrisy of the state
What if the world’s most celebrated economic success stories were actually evidence of a much bigger failure? Across the globe, governments create Special Economic Zones and Free Trade Zones where taxes are lower, regulations are lighter, and businesses are allowed to thrive. The results are often remarkable: investment pours in, jobs multiply, and prosperity follows.…
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Brig Fanie Bouwer: Madlanga Commission – Don’t pull the plug
South Africa’s appetite for truth is being tested by something as mundane as a budget shortfall. With R123 million of R147 million already spent, Minister Kubayi has gone cap-in-hand to Treasury – and some are quietly suggesting the Commission should simply be wound down. Brigadier Fanie Bouwer argues the opposite: the deeper the inquiry digs,…
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BN Daybreak – Fri 12 June 2026: Trump halts Iran strikes; SA’s overlooked gold fortune; PA surge; World Cup fees
Listen here In today’s BizNews Daybreak: Global markets rallied after President Trump halted planned military strikes against Iran. In South Africa, the Patriotic Alliance clinched a major by-election victory in Malmesbury, weakening established parties. Meanwhile, Alec Hogg unpacked South Africa’s overlooked multi-billion rand gold mining fortune. Finally, we highlight Adobe’s executive shakeup amid strong AI…
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Wayne Sussman – Gayton’s PA continues “weakening” the DA and the ANC (and all the mayoral dramas)
Listen here In the latest Electoral Road Show with Chris Steyn, Elections Analyst Wayne Sussman describes how Gayton MacKenzie’s Patriotic Alliance (PA) is continuing to march onwards and upwards “weakening” both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape. In the latest by-election, the PA won 53% of the…
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Everything you need to know ahead of Bafana Bafana’s World Cup opener against Mexico tonight
Sixteen years after Siphiwe Tshabalala’s thunderbolt lit up Soccer City, South Africa open the 2026 FIFA World Cup against the very same opponents — this time at Mexico City’s fabled Estadio Azteca. Here’s your complete guide to Bafana’s return to the world stage. BizNews Reporter 2010 déjà vu, 16 years to the day Some scriptwriter…
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Jim O’Neill on BizNews asking the question markets don’t want to answer
Marking the launch of BRICS+ Thinking, Jim O’Neill reflects on new research assessing the performance of BRICS economies against projections made when the BRIC concept was first introduced 25 years ago. The analysis shows that China and India significantly exceeded expectations, offsetting weaker outcomes in Brazil, Russia, and South Africa. O’Neill also highlights the continued…
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The Economist: Belfast riots expose the ugliest face of Britain’s hard-right surge
A shocking new portrait of British politics reveals a nation pushed toward the hard right after unrest in Belfast and a surge in extremist rhetoric. As political figures including Nigel Farage, Keir Starmer, J.D. Vance, Rupert Lowe and Kemi Badenoch clash over migration, deportation and even the spectre of violence, once-taboo ideas edge into mainstream…
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The real World Cup final: Nike’s Mbappé against Adidas’s Yamal
The battle for World Cup supremacy is unfolding far beyond the pitch. As Nike and Adidas wage a high-stakes marketing war, global celebrities, football superstars and social media influence are reshaping how sportswear brands capture attention and drive sales. From blockbuster advertising campaigns to strategic athlete endorsements, the competition highlights a new era where individual…
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Last call: Why SA’s discarded gold assets are now the world’s most compelling trade
At today’s record gold prices, a forgotten chapter of South Africa’s mining story is quietly reawakening. Once dismissed and written off, vast resources, dormant infrastructure, and hard-won geological knowledge are suddenly back in focus as economics shift dramatically. Investors who once looked elsewhere are beginning to reconsider what was abandoned at far lower prices. Beneath…
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Anthea Jeffery: Will the PIE Amendment Bill solve land invasions?
Across South Africa, a new legal battle is unfolding over land, housing, and the future of property rights. The proposed PIE Amendment Bill seeks to reshape the framework set by the Prevention of Illegal Eviction From and Unlawful Occupation of Land Act of 1998, amid claims it will restore balance to a worsening crisis of…