BizNews Radio

In today's edition of BizNews Daybreak, Alec Hogg unpacks a whirlwind of global and local developments, from escalating geopolitical tensions to startling political revelations. Here are the key takeaways from the broadcast:

Market Movements: Sasol shares surged 11% to R142. Meanwhile, profit-taking led to declines for companies such as Telkom, Sibanye, and MTN. On the global stage, Amazon officially dethroned Walmart as the world's largest company by revenue.

Geopolitics & Global News: US military forces are stationed in the Middle East as President Trump weighs a limited military strike on Iran. In the UK, the one-time royal formerly known as Prince Andrew was arrested in connection with his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

F1 in South Africa: Former FIA Senate member Anton Roux warns that strained political relationships with Washington, not the Kyalami track itself, are blocking Formula 1's return to South Africa. He also cautioned that Rwanda is actively competing to host the Grand Prix.

Wall Street Culture: A lawsuit by 21-year-old former Centerview banker Catherine Shiber, who was fired after presenting a medical note requesting 8-9 hours of sleep per night, is sparking a major debate over investment banking's gruelling 100-hour work weeks.

Apartheid-Era Justice: Retired Judge Chris Nicholson dropped a bombshell regarding the reopened inquest into the 1985 Cradock Four murders. He claims an "unholy pact" was formed between the senior leadership of the ANC and the old National Party to protect apartheid-era criminals from prosecution.

Mining Tribute: The episode features tributes by Peter Major to Clem Sunter and the late Jan Nelson, the visionary creator of the top-performing gold company Pan African.

Two mining giants pass. Gold stocks surge. Copper becomes the new AI trade. Peter Major unpacks Pan-African’s breakout, Jubilee’s Zambian bet, Kumba’s iron ore warning - and why Zambia and the DRC are pulling ahead while South Africa stalls.

Tonight’s BizNews Briefing tracks a busy market day across mining, money and technology: Peter Major names his preferred gold counters while warning copper could still be a crowded trade; Gold Fields leads a bumper SENS round-up with a $1.7bn shareholder return; Mitchell Fieldgate explains how Section 12B solar deductions work; and Bloomberg reports on humanoid robots going viral at China’s Spring Festival Gala.

The inquest into the Apartheid-era killings of the Cradock Four reopens next month. In this interview with Chris Steyn, retired judge Chris Nicholson, who wrote Permanent Removal: Who killed the Cradock Four, speaks about the sinister reasons why State Security Council members ordered the killings have escaped justice. “I think the senior leadership of the ANC, as with the senior leadership of the Nats, came together and had an unholy pact in terms of which they said, we'll let the rats and mice be prosecuted, but we'll steer clear. So part of that unholy pact - and there are letters to that effect - shows that they were to be left alone. The hierarchy, the senior members of the ANC and the senior members of the Nat government were not to be touched.” Nicholson now remains hopeful, albeit sceptical, that the findings of the reopened inquest and outcomes of the current Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) Case Inquiry would bring the necessary justice. “…the sad thing to me is that it'll be another commission that will make findings with recommendations. And then will the politicians carry out the recommendations? That always seems to be the problem.”

In today’s Editor's Desk update, Alec Hogg dives into the political whispers suggesting Patrice Motsepe may be the "rabbit in the hat" the ANC needs for the 2029 elections. We examine how recent changes to his role at African Rainbow Minerals align with these political ambitions and what a Motsepe presidency might look like for South Africa.