Next Level Podcast

If South Africa wants to be brilliant in advanced manufacturing like China or Germany, it must produce artisans to energize its stagnant economy. This means that there has to be serious cultural and mindset shift.   In other words, we must reform our education and training system to focus more on practical learning than theoretical learning. This shift  will take decades to bear fruit. The mindset...

South Africa needs to produce 30,000 artisans annually to build its infrastructure -- from roads, railway tracks, ports, schools, hospitals, universities, and power stations.  But our country is producing only about half of the artisans that are required annually.  This shortage forces construction and manufacturing companies to import artisans from countries that have a surplus of these skills. T...

China is so industrially advanced that it is recognised as the factory of the entire world. Most companies from wealthy countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, U.S.A, Germany, Japan, and South Korea, have outsourced to China the manufacturing of their products from garments, home appliances to high-end smart phones and vehicles.  These countries have relocated their manufacturing processes to China t...

If South Africa wants to be brilliant in advanced manufacturing like China or Germany, it must produce artisans to energise its stagnant economy. In 2024, Tim Cook, CEO of smart phone maker Apple, praised China for its manufacturing prowess, which he said lied in its skilled workforce than low labour costs.   Cook said China possessed advanced tooling capabilities that are used to produce products...

On the 23rd of October 2025, something earth-shattering happened in the Johannesburg legal circles.   Disgruntled advocates practicing law in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest and richest city, took down the hated 97-day payment rule, which was only in force in their bar.    Members of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates (JSA), also known as the Joburg Bar, unanimously voted for a resolution...

When Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stood before Parliament last week to table the national budget for the coming financial year - the mission was clear: the budget must be used as a tool to stimulate economic growth. Since he became Finance Minister five years ago, Godongwana has been bragging each year about delivering pro-growth budgets. But will his pro-growth budget fire up the economy OR...

Preferential procurement was designed to correct historical injustice—but critics say it has also empowered tenderpreneurs who threaten economic stability. In this episode, we explore why state-owned companies and businesses are demanding procurement reform, and what this means for South Africa’s economic future. Follow and rate the podcast for more in-depth political and economic analysis.

Host: Xolani Mlangeni Guest: Gabriel Crouse, Fellow at the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR) In this powerful debut episode of The Next Level Podcast , we ask a pressing question: Can South Africa’s radical left forces disrupt or even topple the Government of National Unity (GNU)? Political analyst and legal expert Gabriel Crouse joins host Xolani Mlangeni to unpack: The defection of...