Business Bagel

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s fight over who gets to defend themselves is heating up, with a new firearms bill that critics say targets lawful citizens more than the state’s own missing guns. Solidarity’s giant political banner sparked a showdown after the City pulled it down within hours, and Pepkor and Shoprite are now muscling into banking as retailers turn tills into financial front do...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s foot-and-mouth outbreak hasn’t made headlines in weeks, but the latest data shows it’s quietly spread wider than at any point in recent memory - and it’s pushing meat prices higher. Shoprite’s new hiring model is reshaping the economies of entire neighbourhoods, while MTN’s home market continues to lag even as the rest of Africa powers ahead. In sport, the Bok...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s president heads into G20 week under pressure from every direction - from resignation rumours inside the ANC to a wave of protests using the summit as a global stage. Treasury’s medium-term update paints a steadier financial picture, but MPs aren’t convinced. Cell C’s long-awaited JSE return signals a rare corporate comeback, and the JSE itself is riding one of its...

In Today's Show:   South Africa edges closer to escaping junk status with its first major credit upgrade in nearly two decades. The G20, meanwhile, will be arriving in Joburg with a thinning top table as three global heavyweights skip the summit - raising real questions about what can still be achieved. Denel’s decade-long collapse deepens with fresh criminal referrals and an international law...

In Today's Show:   Argentina’s president has pulled out of next week’s G20 summit, just days after Washington announced a full diplomatic boycott - a rare move that may be reshaping the guest list. Dion George’s removal as Environment Minister has sparked competing narratives, from cabinet discipline to conservation backlash, while Vodacom’s new Starlink partnership promises high-speed coverag...

In Today's Show:   For years, South Africa’s been Zimbabwe’s financial lifeline - but that link has just been broken. Stats SA’s latest job figures may look rosier, but new definitions are doing some heavy lifting behind that drop in unemployment. And two former Springboks are trading scrums for stocks as their security empire prepares to list on the JSE. Plus, high up in the Karoo, a giant te...

In Today's Show:   Johannesburg’s racing to look spotless ahead of the G20 - but the world’s eyes aren’t easy to please. As the government polishes pavements, activists are lighting landmarks purple and billboards orange to make sure South Africa’s flaws stay visible. In business, Shoprite’s solid results rattled investors who’ve grown allergic to anything short of spectacular. And in the wild...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s stance on immigration has split down the middle - one side preaching ubuntu, the other pushing deportations and tighter border laws. Parliament’s grilling the police after R3 billion in irregular spending, and the JSE’s being dragged to the Competition Tribunal for allegedly freezing out its smaller rival A2X. In business, emigrants face new red tape to move m...

In Today's Show:   Washington’s seat will be empty at the G20 as Trump pulls the US out entirely, leaving South Africa’s big diplomatic moment in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Back home, two men have been fined for election-related fake videos - a warning shot as deepfakes loom over next year’s local polls. Discovery Bank’s been handed a R3 million fine for compliance slip-ups, whil...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s police minister admits killing off the Scorpions was a mistake, as government scrambles to rebuild a crime-fighting unit with real bite. Vodacom finally ends its 18-year “Please Call Me” saga with a confidential settlement that could run into the billions. And the Presidency’s new tech team unveils a working digital driver’s licence - built in just three month...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s 2026 elections are shaping up to be the most crowded in history, with hundreds of new parties fighting for a place on the ballot. The Road Accident Fund’s creative accounting has left victims waiting while billions vanish on paper, and Nedbank’s emotional ad has been pulled for copying Allan Gray’s signature style. And in the wildcard, the story of a creature...

In Today's Show:   Shoprite’s throwing down the gauntlet with its new ChicRite counters, taking South Africa’s fried-chicken wars straight into the grocery aisle. FlySafair faces more turbulence as a cabin-crew lockout adds to an already bumpy year, while a long-awaited credit-rating lift could be South Africa’s first step out of junk status. In other news: GNU leaders regroup at the Cradle, i...

In Today's Show:   Thabo Mbeki says South Africa’s been electing its presidents the wrong way - and that the entire system may need rethinking. Government, meanwhile, is tightening the screws on municipalities: metros will now have to earn additional funding by proving performance. And as the school year looms, education inflation keeps racing ahead of household incomes, pushing quality learni...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s “rand-fixing” scandal is back in court, with judges now deciding whether the country can hold global banks accountable for allegedly rigging its currency. Prasa’s trains, once left to rust, are finally showing signs of life - ridership’s soaring, lines are reopening, and even the audits are clean. Meanwhile, a Northern Cape court ruling could make it legal to...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s brain drain is evolving - not just through emigration, but through remote work as local talent cashes global paychecks. Meanwhile, the gambling boom has turned into a national dilemma, with R1.5 trillion in bets last year prompting calls to rein in advertising. In business, two major reports point to a vast but unrealised industrial and export opportunity - bu...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s betting big on a cleaner future - but can it actually afford the R3.7 trillion climate plan behind its new UN pledge? WeBuyCars shares skid 15% as profits rise but investor patience wears thin, and Parliament’s new Marriage Bill sparks a national clash between faith, culture, and equality. In sport, the latest tax windfall gives Minister Godongwana room to bre...

In Today's Show:   Europe’s €12 billion investment push in South Africa isn’t about charity - it’s about strategy, and a quiet bid for mineral security. Pick n Pay’s turnaround is gaining traction, even as investors brace for a long road back to profit. Meanwhile, Chinese carmakers are flooding South African roads - and now, Chery’s weighing whether to start building here too. In other news: S...

In Today's Show:   Hackers are targeting South Africans more than ever - from inboxes to entire government networks. The state’s betting big on speed too, with a revived plan for a 300km/h train between Joburg and Durban, while private colleges prepare for a major identity shift in the tertiary space. In other news, teacher resignations, Eskom’s funding doubts, and Joburg’s newest mini-city. P...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s plan to fix its voting system has hit a wall — with two rival reports now leaving Parliament divided over how the country should choose its leaders. Home Affairs is making headlines for the right reasons this time, rolling out passport delivery straight to your door for South Africans abroad. The Financial Action Task Force has finally cleared South Africa fro...

In Today's Show:   Jacob Zuma’s been dealt another legal blow as the High Court orders him to repay nearly R30 million in taxpayer money that funded his corruption defence. The battle over the National Health Insurance is intensifying, with Sakeliga accusing government of trying to sidestep the courts - and Treasury quietly moving to phase out medical-aid tax credits. In business, Wimpy’s pare...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s ruling party is facing a financial reckoning after a judge froze the ANC’s bank accounts over an R85 million debt - forcing a rare moment of accountability. Coca-Cola’s R60 billion takeover of its African bottling arm could reshape the continent’s drinks market, while Eskom finally cuts red tape for homeowners trying to go solar. In other news: hotels keep the...

In Today's Show:   The DA has unveiled a bill that could rewrite empowerment itself - swapping race for poverty as the test of transformation. Police have finally cut ties with the state’s glitchy IT agency after years of digital decay, while the JSE lands a rare heavyweight listing from Dubai’s Optasia. In other news, a few ghost workers might be getting benched for good, and in the wildcard,...

In Today's Show:   South Africa’s betting big on the future of power - a R2.2 trillion energy plan built on gas, nuclear, and a little hope that this time the lights might actually stay on. Sanlam, meanwhile, is blurring the line between finance and healthcare, turning your financial advisor into something closer to a life manager. And as the Class of 2025 sits for their final exams, provinces...

In Today's Show:   President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted under oath that parts of South Africa’s new Expropriation Act are unworkable - a major twist in the country’s most contentious land law. Cape Town, meanwhile, is weighing a congestion charge that could make rush-hour driving a paid privilege. And as Australia prepares to ban under-16s from social media, South African experts are draftin...

In Today's Show:   Jacob Zuma’s R29 million legal bill is finally catching up to him - and his pension could be on the line, South Africa’s gambling boom that’s turned hope into a bet, and why gold is soaring as the world panics. Plus, we dive into Namibia’s mysterious Lake Otjikoto, a real-life portal to the past. More From Us: ⁠⁠Spotify Apple Podcast ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok