BizNews Radio

In today's BizNews Daybreak: A sobering first-hand account of a deepfake investment scam that cost a BizNews community member over R24 000. We also analyse the latest earnings from Google, Meta, and Amazon, where artificial intelligence is driving both massive revenue growth and a historic surge in infrastructure spending. Finally, we cover President Trump’s "Project Freedom" initiative to guide neutral ships through the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions in the Persian Gulf.

This interview tells the cautionary story of a South African victim who lost over R24,000 after being drawn into a sophisticated online trading scam run through a platform called FXSI. What began with a convincing video advert and seemingly professional “account managers” quickly turned into a high-pressure scheme, with the victim encouraged to make larger deposits and then pressured to pay more to recover losses. The interview highlights how manipulative and believable online investment scams can be, the emotional toll they take on victims, and the importance of verifying any platform before committing money.

In this episode of Boardroom Talk, BizNews editor Alec Hogg unpacks a blockbuster night for global tech investors, with Alphabet, Meta and Amazon all reporting quarterly results. Held in the BizNews Ricardo US dollar portfolio, the three tech titans reveal how artificial intelligence has shifted from promise to hard infrastructure — and hard spending. Hogg explains what booming cloud revenues, massive AI capex, inflated paper gains and resilient core businesses mean for South African investors with offshore exposure.

In today's BizNews Daybreak, we look at the "Magnificent Seven's" earnings, where Amazon’s cloud growth shines despite heavy AI spending. Anthropic weighs a massive valuation leap to $90 billion, while Fed Chair Jay Powell commits to his term amid a controversial building investigation.

Economist Iraj Abedian provides a harrowing look inside a sanctioned Iran, describing a nation facing public executions, food shortages, and a total "net blockade" designed to cut off all global connectivity for 90 million people.

Additionally, the UAE’s exit from OPEC signals a major shift in oil market influence, while experts highlight the accessibility of UK property mortgages for South African investors.

Economist Iraj Abedian delivers a stark, insider view of Iran’s deepening crisis - economic collapse, internal power struggles, and rising global tensions. As conflict reshapes alliances, he warns of unpredictable fallout and missed opportunities. With sharp insight, Abedian connects the dots to South Africa, urging urgent policy reset to navigate risk, seize investment potential, and stay grounded in national interest.