The National Pulse

There’s been a lot of conversations around the revitalization of the Joburg CBD in the lead up to the springboks’ game that took place over the weekend. The cosmetic changes that were implemented by the government for this game had a lot of people feeling optimistic about what the city could look like if it was rejuvenated. 2 days ago, independent urban development consultant, Jodi Allemeier tweet...

  The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Minister, Gayton McKenzie, will be launching the 2024 national Heritage Month programme on Thursday this week at the Freedom Park Heritage Site & Museum in Pretoria. This year’s national Heritage month is launched under the theme, “Celebrating the lives of our heroes and heroines who laid down their lives for our freedom”. The theme puts a spotlight...

    We look at the constant and increasing risk of cybercrime in the context of travel planning. This as our guest warns that cybercriminals can easily intercept data or deploy phishing schemes to steal your credentials. To help travellers protect their personal information, ESET has published a detailed guide on recognising and avoiding phishing scams outlining essential strategies to prevent phi...

Following this past weekend’s Sunday World report about some senior staff members at the state-owned media development and diversity agency (MDDA), reportedly not being happy with the recent appointment of the agency’s new CEO Shoeshoe Qhu. We hear from the agency’s board chairperson, firstly about the role of the CEO in an organisation like the MDDA and what goes through their recruitment process...

Lesotho is going ahead with its new regulations that will see the introduction of limited restrictions on foreign ownership of small businesses in the country. According to Basotho authorities these new regulations which were introduced three years ago will improve the investment climate in the country. For further elucidation on this, we are now joined by….. GUEST (Lesotho): Rapelang Radebe, SABC...

Good news for South Africa’s economy as the country’s GDP increased by 0.4% in the second quarter of this year. According to Stats SA, the biggest contributor to higher GDP was the finance, real estate and business services industry, as they all increased by 1.3%, contributing 0.3 of a percentage point to the GDP growth. To help us make sense of the latest figures is….   GUEST: Dr Lumkile Mondi, S...

As a way of honouring and celebrating excellence, the University of Cape Town (UCT) will confer an honorary doctorate on Dr Debbie Bradshaw, a globally recognised biostatistician and epidemiologist who is regarded as South Africa’s foremost expert in the field.   GUEST: Dr Debbie Bradshaw, B iostatistician and Epidemiologist

This past weekend we heard the unexpected news about the death of former SAfm presenter, Thabiso Sikwane. We decided to pay tribute to her by talking to people who knew her or worked with her in one capacity or another.   GUEST: David O’Sullivan, broadcaster and friend

NEHAWU held a press conference 2 hours ago to address what the organization calls ‘fake news’. Sunday papers reported that NEHAWU KZN was looking at dropping ANC in the province in favour of MK Party.   GUEST: Mbhazima Shilowa, former General Secretary of Cosatu  

Bayanda Walaza. Johannes Morepe. Naledi Makgatha. These are names of young South African athletes that have taken the Athletics world by storm in Lima. All 3 athletes have one thing in common: they all came through the Hoerskool Vorentoe Sports program. So, what makes this sport program produce such amazing athletes? Oupa Maruping is the Head of Sport at Hoerskool Vorentoe and he joins me on the l...

Post Women’s Month. We remind you about some of the most important conversations that took place last month, all in celebration of women in South Africa.   GUEST: Nozipho Tshabalala, CEO of the  Conversation Strategists  

President Cyril Ramaphosa is in China on a state visit aimed at cementing South Africa’s relations with the Asian superpower. In their first engagement this morning, ahead of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit later this week, Ramaphosa told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that when South Africa hosts the G20 Summit next year, it would bring worldwide attention to the challenges fac...

Massive anger is brewing in Israel against the Benjamin Netanyahu government after six hostages were found dead in Gaza. We understand that protesters are accusing the government and Netanyahu personally of failing to save the remaining hostages. For more analysis on this, we are joined by….   GUEST: Thembisa Fakude, Senior Research Fellow at the Africa-Asia Dialogues  

Some reports are suggesting that NEHAWU in KwaZulu-Natal intends to dump the ANC in favour of former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party. However, the union’s mother body has rejected these claims, saying they are taken aback by the fake news. Also the provincial leadership says those who are said to be part of leading this campaign are not known to the union. For more clarity on this, we are joined b...

Today we chat to former Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor and I can safely say that she really needs no introduction after having served this country with due diligence since the dawn of democracy in 1994. GUEST: Dr Naledi Pandor, former Minister of DIRCO, Science & Technology, and Education  

    The new Flower Hall Examination and Test Centre, on the Wits University’s West Campus, has been shortlisted in the Creative Reuse category for the World Architecture Festival, which will be held in Singapore from November 6 to 8. The building was shortlisted for its transformation from its original design as part of the Rand Easter Show showgrounds to an examination centre with more than 1 000...

Earlier today, the Joburg CBD Revitalisation programme was launched by the Premier of Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi in the CBD. This programme is meant to last for the whole weekend and during the launch, the Premier stressed the fact that this is not just about the Springbok game happening at Ellis Park stadium this weekend…   GUEST: Jacob Mamabolo, MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affai...

Earlier today, Rhodes University management joined students in a march to municipal offices in the area after prolonged water outage hit the University. Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Prof Sizwe Mabizela was also part of the march he said they are marching to assert their constitutional rights. Their humanity and dignity have been trampled with this prolonged water outage. Rhodes University Sp...

Following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s apology in Parliament yesterday on the promise he made in April 2019 of building one million houses in Alexandra. The EFF says his apology confirms that his tenure has been characterised by lies, false promises and electioneering using the struggles of ordinary people. For more on this we are joined by…. GUEST: Sinawo Tambo, EFF MP

Today, the Defence Ministers of the European Union are convening for an informal meeting in Brussels. We understand that the ministers will discuss the EU’s military support to Ukraine, the military crisis management and defence readiness of the EU and defence financing. This meeting largely extends the Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting that took place yesterday. Just how vital are these back to b...

In conversation with Nomzamo Mbatha – after she recently received an international award as Best African Actress at the 2024 Septimius Awards held in Amsterdam for her role in Shaka iLembe.   GUEST: Nomzamo Mbatha, South African Actress

Yesterday we spoke to Jacqui Uys, spokesperson of the Joint caucus leader in the City of Tshwane about a pending motion of no confidence in Mayor, Cilliers Brink. A few hours ago, Mayor Brink tweeted: “I’ve just learnt that @Action4SA’s Tshwane caucus leader has told media outside Tshwane House that the party is leaving the Tshwane Multi-Party Coalition. I haven’t received any notice to this effec...

Earlier on, we spoke to Colleen Makhubele who announced today that she has joined the MK Party. This was another shock move in South African politics as the former South African Rainbow Alliance leader bowed out of the party she formed after her ousting from COPE. Political Analyst from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Zakhele Ndlovu joins me on the line to talk about this move…   GUEST: Zakhele N...

The Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Museum will engage SAFM listeners on how the Museum is preserving, promoting and protecting the Legacy of Nelson Mandela. GUEST: Dr Vuyani Booi, Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Museum

Back in September 2023, The South African Rugby Union warned that it will take legal action against companies that ambush its intellectual property rights after securing a court order restraining Eskort from continuing a marketing campaign using the Springboks brand and IP. How valuable, you may ask, is the Springbok brand? Mike Sharman, Chief Creative Officer of Retroviral will help us answer tha...