BizNews South Africa

Listen hereHalf of South Africa's police stations don't answer their own phones. There's a DNA backlog running past 300,000 cases, sitting behind rapists who are still walking free. And SAPS spends R102-billion a year on salaries for a leadership structure of 722 generals and brigadiers. Ian Cameron, chair of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, lays out exactly where SAPS is broken, names the generals he says accountability keeps missing, and sets out five foundations he believes could t

A new audit of South Africa's listed gold producers argues that the 'sunset' of the country's deep mines is a spreadsheet artefact, not a geological fact. Reserve lives are booked at conservative gold prices and shrink accordingly, while companies able to leave, notably AngloGold Ashanti, are doing so at the top of the cycle, rewarded with valuations far above those that stayed. South African gold ounces trade at roughly half the price of comparable Western assets, and exploration spending has f

Listen hereAuthor Rian Malan fires off a pointed open letter to Helen Zille on the anti-migrant marches sweeping South Africa, while a former DA leader breaks ranks on his own party just months before the 2026 municipal elections.Also today: oil jumps as Iran moves on the Strait of Hormuz, Tesla rallies on a Full Self-Driving rollout, and a whistleblower pushes for criminal accountability over corporate silencing.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed

Listen here: Edited transcript of the interviewChris Steyn (00:01.196)Welcome to the NdB Sunday Show with Chris Steyn and Lauren Evanthia, the founder of the Organic Humanity Movement. Morning, Lauren. Lauren (00:11.815)Morning Chris. I'm looking forward to discussing what's on the agenda for today. Another exciting week in South Africa. And you know, just a lot of these stories that we're talking about today really relate to the past two weeks, I'd say, that we've discussed. And I really hope w

This article was first published by The Common SenseWith South Africa's AGOA eligibility increasingly precarious, business lobby group Sakeliga has put a creative proposal to US trade authorities: move beyond the blunt all-or-nothing framework and allow individual firms and subnational governments — think Western Cape — to access US markets by committing to non-racial hiring and property rights protections. Free Market Foundation CEO David Ansara calls it a principled offramp for businesses

Race remains one of the most controversial concepts in modern society, often caught between outdated prejudices and claims that it has no scientific basis at all. In this thought-provoking essay, the author challenges both extremes, arguing that the debate has become clouded by politics, ideology and misunderstanding. Drawing on developments in genetics, evolutionary biology and medical research, the piece explores whether race can still serve as a useful scientific classification—and where its

President Cyril Ramaphosa has moved to halt a parliamentary inquiry that could determine whether he is fit to remain in office, escalating the long-running fallout from the controversial Phala Phala farm scandal. While the president insists the findings that triggered the process were flawed and legally unsound, lawmakers appear determined to press ahead. The latest court battle sets the stage for a high-stakes clash between the executive, the judiciary and Parliament, with political consequence

Cape Town is booming. Cranes dominate the skyline, global investors are pouring in, and South Africa’s oldest city is increasingly eclipsing Johannesburg as the country’s economic powerhouse. From Amazon’s new African headquarters to a thriving tech ecosystem and surging property market, confidence in the Mother City appears stronger than ever. But beneath the success story lies a more complicated reality. Deep inequality, persistent spatial divides and questions about who truly benefits from th

South Africa launched its genocide case against Israel at the ICJ in late 2023 with all the moral urgency of a government that believed history was watching. Now it has requested an 18-month extension just to file its written submission. Political scientist Kenneth Moeng Mokgatlhe unpacks the contradiction — and it is a damaging one. The case has already cost taxpayers R130 million, none of the 22 Arab states bordering the conflict saw fit to lead such a challenge, and relations with Washington

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 mining destination. Hersov's core argument cuts deep: the global green energy transition runs on copper, lithium, cobalt and manganese — minerals

Listen hereStef 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 and licences with the Springboks, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs, Manchester City and the NBA, and operates branded stores across the country. With Bafana Bafana

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. Botswana is aggressively pursuing renewables. Lesotho just signed a R102 billion hydropower deal with a US developer. Domestically, demand has dropped by the equ

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 — with MKP now dominant and the party headed for single digits. Polokwane is a different picture entirely: the ANC's majority looks intact, the EFF remains strong, and

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 ambition collide. As coaching legends are courted and private donors step in where federations fall short, a controversial hiring reshapes the

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 since shed 70% of its value. Both companies, Laurent argues, have mastered the same trick: turning charismatic leadership and loyal fanbases into ca

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 attract - or retain - millionaires. But behind the glossy promises of residency and citizenship lie surprising reversals, hid

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 and economic growth. As the country grapples with unemployment, weak investment and mounting economic press

Listen hereAmazon has officially disrupted the local market by launching its full Prime offering in South Africa. Globally, SpaceX plans a historic $75 billion IPO, Broadcom's AI chip revenue forecasts disappoint, and a fragile Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is renewed. Additionally, experts call for urgent action against South Africa’s rampant illegal number plate trade, while UK political leaders clash heavily in Parliament.Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to

Listen hereWhat happens when a community decides it’s had enough of municipal failure? In this compelling conversation, Rob Hersov explains how a small Free State municipality took matters into its own hands, restoring services, managing electricity distribution, collecting revenue, and driving local development. The result is a working model of public-private cooperation that could transform struggling municipalities across South Africa. From grassroots leadership to political change, this is a

Listen hereIn today's BizNews Daybreak, we cover mixed signals regarding a US-Iran deal, defensive airstrikes in Bandar Abbas, and escalating Israeli operations against Hezbollah. In corporate news, Snowflake’s stock surges 35% on an AWS partnership, while Fed Governor Lisa Cook warns of potential interest rate hikes. Locally, political commentator Solly Moeng breaks down the impeachment pressure facing President Ramaphosa, and SAAI CEO Francois Rossouw discusses potential massive damages claims