BizNews Radio

In his keynote at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Donald Trump touted what he called a rapid US economic turnaround, defended tariffs and an energy expansion, and weighed in on NATO, Ukraine and Greenland.

In the latest edition of the Electoral Roadshow with Analyst Wayne Sussman and Chris Steyn, last night’s by-election results are dissected for important political party trends in this Local Government Election year. It was a big night for the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and its leader Gayton McKenzie as his party were able to win not just one, but two seats off the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape, with PA support growing from 1% to 60% in the one ward. “…the DA will be worried that they lost these two seats. They should be greatly worried. The PA…just continues to grow.” The DA also had a bad night in Tshwane where the Freedom Front came very close to beating the DA and causing “another major political shock…” The FF+’s support grew from 16% to 44% in the contested ward. Sussman also comments on the probable reason for the Pan-Africanist Congress’ (PAC’s) withdrawal from its working arrangement with the African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng. Lastly, he previews the most important upcoming by-elections.

Today I’m digging into why Pretoria is finally ditching the ideological "Kool-Aid" to put our own energy security and jobs first. From the Davos backstory to the survival of our steel industry, it's time we played by the new world order: putting South Africa’s national interest before anything else.

Trump Takes Over Davos: In a wide-ranging address at the World Economic Forum, US President Donald Trump dominated the agenda. He doubled down on his interest in purchasing Greenland, although not using force to acquire it, cheered the markets (proposing a "Golden Dome" missile shield for it), attacked the "green scam," and touted US economic growth as the solution to the country’s $36 trillion debt.

Police Capture & The "Can of Worms": Following yesterday’s parliamentary drama, Juanita du Preez of Action Society discusses the Madlanga Commission. She weighs in on whether these new revelations of police corruption are just a "circus" or if they will finally deter the syndicates embedded within law enforcement.

Long-neglected mining sector is carrying the JSE (and the Rand): Veteran analyst Peter Major reveals that the mining sector now accounts for a massive 38% of the JSE All Share Index—a multi-decade high. He argues the sector is single-handedly pulling the SA economy forward and generating record tax revenues, despite government inefficiency.

Market Movers:

Teledyne Technologies surged 10% overnight after beating Q4 earnings estimates, driven by strong defence and aerospace sales.

Orion Minerals jumped another 10% (now 33 cents/share), with Peter Major noting that, despite copper price volatility, the counter offers significant value.

The Rand: Strengthening to R16.27/$, reflecting a 12% gain over the last year.

In today's BizNews Briefing, Mark Carney's Davos message to “middle powers”: the old rules-based order is fracturing, and countries like South Africa need strategic autonomy without retreating into fortresses. Locally, a reported letter linked to former President Jacob Zuma raises fresh questions about South Africans recruited for “training” in Russia and ending up near the Ukraine front line. We also hear Iraj Abedian’s warning on Iran’s unrest — and Magnus Heystek’s contrarian take: Cape Town looks bubbly, Johannesburg offers value.