BizNews Radio

South Africans are being told everything is fine. Magnus Heystek says it’s a dangerous illusion. In a wide-ranging conversation with Alec Hogg, the veteran investment strategist warns that falling GDP per capita, rising taxes, weak property returns and flawed retirement structures are steadily hollowing out the middle class. From Regulation 28 and retirement annuities to Cape Town’s housing bubble, offshore investing and why optimism may be masking long-term decline, Heystek lays out the uncomfortable maths many would rather ignore. This is not fearmongering, he argues, but survival planning for a country at a financial crossroads.

Former ATP doubles star John‑Laffnie de Jager, who turned a birth injury that damaged a nerve in his leg into what he calls his “greatest gift,” recently guided Team World to victory in the inaugural World Tennis Continental Cup in Shenzhen, China. In an interview with BizNews, the South African who grew up on a farm in Ermelo reflects on the resilience he built overcoming his disability, his partnerships with legends like Martina Navratilova, and organising the Match in Africa between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in Cape Town, which drew a world‑record 51,954 spectators. And he’s far from done. De Jager is now partnering with Stellenbosch University to build a state‑of‑the‑art tennis facility to nurture emerging talent across Africa and revive the South African Open. He has also launched a new leadership venture, Beyond the Baseline, translating tennis‑honed grit, resilience, and mental conditioning into powerful tools for business leaders, teams, and high performers.

In today’s Editor's Desk, Alec Hogg explores the controversy surrounding Elon Musk’s Starlink being "banned" in South Africa and the rare insights of "The Big Short" legend Michael Burry. We also dive into a scathing Economist critique of Donald Trump’s recent moves in Venezuela and the massive potential merger between Rio Tinto and Glencore that is shaking the global mining industry.

In this edition of BizNews Daybreak for Friday, 9 January 2026, Alec Hogg breaks down the market-moving stories you need to win the day. A massive deal is back on the table as Rio Tinto and Glencore revisit a potential mega-merger. We also feature insights from "The Big Short" legend Michael Burry, who joins author Michael Lewis to warn of an overheated stock market and share a bearish take on high-flyer Palantir. Closer to home, David Shapiro explains why South African companies are stuck in "survival mode" and argues that fixing basic infrastructure matters more than new government white papers.

From Brian Joffe to Raymond Ackerman, South Africa once produced business giants who shaped the economy. David Shapiro argues they have been replaced by spreadsheet managers, over-regulation and compliance paralysis, and explains what that loss means for growth, risk-taking and the country’s future.