BizNews Radio

In today's edition of BizNews Daybreak, Alec Hogg brings you the freshest overnight news and exclusive, fiery highlights directly from the BizNews Conference in Hermanus.

In This Episode:

BNC Drama Unfolds: ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba pulled no punches on the BNC#8 stage, firing back at Rob Hersov and DA federal chair Helen Zille. He fiercely defended his record as Johannesburg's mayor, addresses the "EFF mayor" allegations, and calls out political corruption.

SA Fuel Price Shock: Brace your wallets—South Africans are facing devastating fuel price hikes next week. Next week, petrol is set to soar by an effective R6 per litre (but still R3 below where the global price is), while diesel is heading for a R10 a litre hike, with at least another R5 to come in May.

SpaceX's Record-Breaking IPO: Elon Musk's SpaceX is reportedly targeting a June public listing, aiming to raise $75 billion at a staggering $1.25 trillion valuation.

US-Iran Diplomacy: US President Donald Trump signals potential peace negotiations with Iran, mentioning a high-value "present" related to the Strait of Hormuz. We hear expert analysis from heavy-hitting diplomats like former US Ambassador to Poland, Daniel Fried, and Middle East expert Ray Takeyh.

Market Wrap: A quick look at the overnight market dips, with the Nasdaq dropping 184 points, the Dow down 84 points, and the S&P 500 down 24 points, but markets are doing much better in Asia, with the Nikkei up almost 3% this morning.

If US President Donald Trump ends the war at the 60-day mark when he loses the legal ability to continue without the approval from Congress, Iran will have been defanged only temporarily. That is the view expressed by US intelligence analyst, retired Colonel Chris Wyatt in his latest interview with Chris Steyn. “I think that at the end of this, we're probably going to see that Iran won't be a threat to global security and will be a much smaller threat and menace to its neighbours for three to five years. But if this regime doesn't go, they'll simply restart all over again. And that means that Trump will accomplish defanging them, but not destroying them. And once he's out of office, this will be someone else's problem.” Col Wyatt warns that unless the Iranian people rise up and institute their own government, the Iranian regime “will survive in some form” and “we don't know where that uranium is to my knowledge, and we've got to find it. That's a problem. So if this regime stays, they'll take that uranium, they'll pull it out of someplace. If they can, they'll start trying to enrich it again, and the threat will remain.”

Helen Zille warns Johannesburg’s infrastructure is nearing systemic collapse, with budgets skewed towards operating costs instead of maintenance. The market update then tracks a tough year for Hulamin, political pressure on Palantir in the US, a large Glencore share award for CEO Gary Nagle, and ASP Isotopes’ faster-than-expected progress at the former Renergen project. Chris Steyn speaks to nuclear veteran Dr Kelvin Kemm on South Africa’s nuclear capability and safeguards, before Colin Coleman warns the Iran-war oil shock could be “devastating” for many African economies.

In a brutally honest keynote, Melanie Veness takes listeners to the frontline of South Africa’s economic crisis - where broken municipalities, failing infrastructure and political interference are no longer abstract problems, but daily battles. From chambers stepping in to fix water leaks and fight tariff abuse in court, to the deeper crisis of exclusion and lost opportunity, Veness argues that corruption is not just theft - it is the destruction of hope itself. Yet amid the dysfunction, she offers something rare: a blueprint for rebuilding. Through business-led interventions, small enterprise growth and real economic inclusion, she shows how South Africa can still become the country it promised to be in 1994 - if those with influence choose to act, speak out and lead.

Speaking at BNC#8 in Hermanus, Herman Mashaba delivered a hard-hitting critique of South Africa’s collapsing governance, rising corruption, and eroding personal freedoms. From failing municipalities to unchecked crime, he argues the rule of law is under siege. Outlining bold reforms and his “Operation Fix Johannesburg,” Mashaba positions decisive leadership, accountability, and enforcement as the only path to restoring order, rebuilding cities, and unlocking economic growth.