BizNews Radio

Patriotic Alliance MP Juliet Basson explains what really happened during the controversial parliamentary oversight visit to Normandien Farms in Newcastle. She describes a chaotic and hostile scene, distancing herself from aggressive actions taken by others on the committee. Basson says she supported the farm, questioned the shutdown over dust masks, and called for an investigation into the incident.

South Africans are facing an impending and massive R8-a-litre fuel price shock when prices are adjusted next month. This spike is a direct consequence of the prolonged war in Iran, which has driven the Rand cost of oil up by 40%, jumping from R954 to R1,328 a barrel.

The higher oil price - now above $80 a barrel from below $60 a week ago - is significantly impacting global inflation expectations, triggering nervous trading on Wall Street overnight.

Also in Today's Daybreak: Global and local markets are under pressure, with the JSE down 0.75%, mainly due to a 2.5% fall in resource stocks. The Rand opened at R16.60 against the US dollar. Gold and Bitcoin remain steady at $5,150 and $71,250, respectively.

SA's Geopolitical Tightrope: ANC Top Seven member Nomvula Mokonyane visited the Iranian Embassy in Pretoria to sign a condolence book for the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Professor Edward Minnie discusses how this brings South Africa's delicate position on the war into sharp focus.

Iranian Succession & Trump: Donald Trump is insisting on being involved in the selection of the new Iranian leader and strongly opposes a "North Korean style" succession by the Ayatollah's son. However, the FT's Tehran correspondent reveals that Mojtaba Khamenei has already emerged as the leading candidate in highly confidential initial voting.

Investment Strategy Insights: Piet Viljoen discusses his worldwide flexible 'Cockroach' fund. He shares his protective strategy of holding a high exposure to previously inexpensive energy assets to guard against unpredictable global events. He also unpacks Warren Buffett's approach to geopolitics and explains his allocation to cryptocurrency.

Tonight’s BizNews Briefing opens with Piet Viljoen’s case for South African assets, despite what he calls political irrationality, arguing that resilient business people, strategic minerals and geography still matter. We then move to a market update led by Firstrand’s strong interim numbers, Implats’ mixed reaction, Treasury losing budget-office DDG Edgar Sishi, and STADIO’s upbeat growth signal. Peter Major follows with the view that Iran cannot shift global minerals markets and that South Africa has gained little from the relationship, before Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon says markets are still trying to work out the Iran endgame.

With war talk rattling markets, investor Piet Viljoen explains why forecasts are pointless and diversification is everything. From Bitcoin as a modern “hard asset” to why South African shares remain deeply undervalued, Viljoen shares how he prepares portfolios for chaos rather than predictions.

In today’s Editor's Desk, Alec Hogg highlights a new investigation by James Myburgh that deconstructs the historical "myth" regarding the ANC’s relationship with the Iranian regime. This is followed by a deep-dive discussion from the Financial Times featuring Gideon Rachman and Emile Hokayem, who examine the escalating "battle of endurance" in the Middle East. They explore the strategic implications of the recent US combat operations in Iran, the resilience of the Iranian regime, and the growing anxiety among Gulf states and Western allies as the region faces the prospect of protracted instability.