BizNews Radio

In today's BizNews Daybreak, tensions reach a breaking point as the US Navy seizes an Iranian vessel, threatening a fragile ceasefire set to expire Tuesday. While global markets remain resilient with the S&P 500 hitting record highs, the UAE is seeking a financial backstop to prevent economic contagion. Plus, Solidarity’s Dirk Hermann discusses the "perfect storm" facing South Africa’s BEE policy, and architect Wandile Mthiyane argues that decentralized strategies are the key to solving the nation's 2.5 million home backlog.

South Africa’s housing backlog exceeds 2.5 million units, with more than 4,000 informal settlements straining municipalities for serviced land. KwaMashu-born architect Wandile Mthiyane, who grew up in a mud-brick shack, is developing Ubuntu Home – an AI platform designed to provide people with land, services and AI tools so they can design and build their own homes. In a Biznews interview, Mthiyane recalls his aunt receiving a Mandela-era housing list number but recently dying still in the same shack. He says the crisis needs decentralised solutions, not more top-down contractors. The Obama fellow and future Harvard student launched the Walk for Home to raise R3 million to develop and scale the platform. He reports receiving many offers of accommodation, financial assistance, and support within days. – Linda van Tilburg

South Africa doesn't hear enough from politicians who do the unglamorous work of fixing the state. Jan de Villiers is one of them. The DA MP and chair of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration just drove through a landmark law that tightens the firewall between party politics and the civil service. You can't fix unemployment, crime, or service delivery with a compromised bureaucracy.

From Elon Musk’s Pretoria beginnings to global dominance, this conversation dives into power, policy, and South Africa’s economic crossroads. Solidarity’s Dirk Hermann unpacks the growing backlash against BEE, arguing it stifles jobs, fuels elite enrichment, and deters investment. With pressure mounting from markets, citizens, and international players, is reform inevitable? A sharp, thought-provoking look at race, economics, and the battle over South Africa’s future direction.

This Bloomberg Originals documentary explores the explosive rise of prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket — and the legal, ethical and political backlash that’s followed. As these platforms go mainstream, questions are growing over insider trading, sports betting, and whether turning almost any real-world event into a wager comes at a cost.