SMWX

Charles Molapisi joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, endurance, business, and the future of South Africa. As MTN Group's Chief Technology and Information Officer, Molapisi explains how elite cycling shaped his approach to leadership, capital allocation, resilience, and decision-making. He shares remarkable lessons from completing one of the toughest amateur cycling events in the world before applying those insights to running large organisations and building high-performance teams. The discussion then turns to South Africa's future. Molapisi argues that while the country possesses extraordinary natural advantages and untapped potential, education remains the single biggest obstacle to long-term prosperity. He reflects on governance, opportunity, leadership, and why he believes South Africa can become one of the greatest countries in the world if it gets the fundamentals right.

In this episode, we start shifting attention to the upcoming 2026 Local Government Election. We unpack what the recent polls suggest about the situation in Joburg and other metros. Will the ANC hold on, or are the polls accurate to sugggest that they are in for a horrid election?

IDAC Head of Investigations and Operations Mr Matthew Sesoko appeared before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry today. He was grilled on his potential complicity to wrongdoing that previous IDAC witnesses have implicated former boss Adv Andrea Johnson. In addition, Sesoko's kidnapping ordeal was also covered. In this episode, we unpack today's testimony.

Suspended Deputy Chief of Police at EMPD, Julius Mkhwanazi has been arrested for the fourth time! This time, in connection with the murder and cover-up of businessman Emmanuel Mbense in 2022. Mkhwanazi is arrested alongside 4 other suspects. We unpack this breaking news story and continue to unpack what happened at the Madlanga Commission today with Ms Ramsamy continuing her testimony in the IDAC stream. Lastly, Parliament's impeachment committee has resolved on one name to recommend as Evidence Leader for the impeachment inquiry. We unpack it all on SMWX!

Vafa Naraghi joins Dr Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh for a wide-ranging conversation on identity, comedy, race, politics and what it truly means to be South African. From his hit show Becoming South African to his journey from engineering into comedy, Vafa explains why great comedy is far more than entertainment—it is a powerful tool for challenging assumptions, creating empathy and bringing people together. The conversation explores South Africa's complex identity, xenophobia, the Madlanga Commission, education, history, social cohesion and the role of artists in shaping public discourse. Vafa also reflects on optimism, the country's future, and why he believes humour can help unlock difficult conversations that politics often cannot.