BizNews Rational Radio

Rational Radio

Rational Radio is the weekly business news show hosted by BizNews editor Alec Hogg. It runs for around an hour and features leading commentators from the investment and financial world, including regular guest David Shapiro.
Weekly English South Africa Business News · Investing
421 Episodes
180 – 200

The Editor’s Desk: The economy is tanking, what now?

This week was all about the economy. The shock GDP figures brought home the grim reality of what we’re up against in the fight to rebuild. But Alec Hogg believes that South Africans should not give up hope, no matter how difficult things may seem. The problems that the country…
9 Jun 2019 16 min

Russell Loubser, who led 2012 board walkout: "Here's how to fix SAA"

Seven years ago, former JSE president Russell Loubser quit his national service as a director of South African Airways, leading half the board in a very public walkout. He cited the incompetence of a Public Enterprises department then run by since disgraced Zuptoid Malusi Gigaba. On Rational Radio this week,…
7 Jun 2019 9 min

Bernard Swanepoel: Set small businesses free and the result will shock SA

Mining entrepreneur Bernard Swanepoel has transformed from CEO of one of the world's biggest gold miners into a champion for small business. In this interview on Rational Radio, the chairman of the Small Business Institute (former the AHI) talks straight about where the SA economic recovery will come from. He…
7 Jun 2019 10 min

Roelof Botha: here's why SA's interest rates should be at least 2% lower

In this insightful Rational Radio interview, heavyweight economist Roelof Botha unpacks why South African interest rates are 200 basis point too high. The economist to the Optimum Group, whose son is the managing partner of Silicon Valley's top venture capital investor, explains why he believes something went seriously wrong at…
7 Jun 2019 10 min

David Shapiro on the big winners from Southern Cape gas strike

On Rational Radio Live, market veteran David Shapiro reports back on his "homework" from last week - what stocks should investors be loading up on now in anticipation of benefitting from the gas bonanza that could flow from Total's billion barrel strike off the Southern Cape Coast. He also applies…
6 Jun 2019 9 min

AlphaCode's Maseko: Wanted - next generation of financial services giants

The AlphaCode Incubator is hunting for disruptive financial services startups with the intention of giving them a couple million rand hand-up. An application process which began on May 15 closes in just over a week. AlphaCode's head of ecosystem development Andile Maseko was a guest on this week's Rational Radio…
6 Jun 2019 9 min

SA Govt seeks help finding solution to "biggest threat to economy"

South Africa’s mining and energy minister Gwede Mantashe provided plenty of food for thought at this morning’s Junior Mining Indaba in Johannesburg. Including his call for an end to the “insane and silly” debate into the future of Eskom, coal, renewables and the nation’s energy security. Given that Mantashe arrived…
4 Jun 2019 5 min

Gwede guides miners towards SA's unexploited mineral riches

Confirmation of how South Africa’s government has turned business friendly came this morning at the Junior Mining Indaba in Johannesburg. Less than a week after his reappointment and fresh from a three day cabinet Lekgotla, mining and energy minister Gwede Mantashe provided some quite astonishing and very specific guidance guidance…
4 Jun 2019 6 min

Mantashe confirms business friendly face of new Ramaphosa Era

Ahead of South Africa’s May 8th general election, president Cyril Ramaphosa put a lot of emphasis on following a business-friendly agenda that would get the country working again. And to do so quickly. True to his word, over the weekend Ramaphosa called together his cabinet for the first Lekgotla of…
4 Jun 2019 13 min

The Editor’s Desk: The new Cabinet and the future of the DA

Ramaphosa has named his Cabinet and we now have some insight into what the president is thinking and where he is heading. In this week’s episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss the Cabinet appointments and reflect on what they may mean for the country. They also ask some serious…
1 Jun 2019 20 min

David Shapiro goes shopping - shares unexposed stocks he likes

On Rational Radio Live tonight, after lambasting some of the fallen favourites, market veteran David Shapiro shared some of his own investment ideas. The man who professes to read all the daily financial data from reporting companies, came up with some interesting names that are worth investigating. Naturally.   
30 May 2019 12 min

Derek Sumption goes live - "Investing's not all or nothing, Magnus"

Judging by the number of times the articles have been accessed and the buzz on our social media channels, the BIznews community has been enthralled by Brantam founder Derek Sumption's attack on Magnus Heystek. On Rational Radio Live, Sumption laid out his case - specifically that relative to SA, global…
30 May 2019 9 min

Ramaphosa's biographer Anthony Butler scopes the new cabinet

On Rational Radio Live this evening, Prof Anthony Butler, author of the best selling biography of South Africa's president, shares his perspectives on what motivated Cyril Ramaphosa's cabinet choices. Global investors liked what they heard - giving the rand a push from a worst point of almost R14.90 against the…
30 May 2019 8 min

Ramaphosa announces his cabinet - balanced with continuity

Here's the full Cyril Ramaphosa cabinet announced on 29 May 2019: The Deputy President is David Mabuza.The Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development is Thoko Didiza.The Deputy Ministers are Sdumo Dlamini and Mcebisi Skwatsha.The Minister of Basic Education is Angie Motshekga.The Deputy Minister is Dr Regina Mhaule.The Minister…
29 May 2019 16 min

Naspers CEO: Amsterdam listing date set, impact on SA shareholders

Naspers has taken another big step towards the listing of its international internet assets onto the Euronext stock exchange in Amsterdam. The shares jumped 4% on the news that by mid July shareholders will be able to trade these assets in a new as yet unnamed business. CEO Bob van…
29 May 2019 11 min

Simon Lincoln Reader: UK's Raab v Boris - SA's noxious choices for Ramaphosa

Here's Simon Lincoln Reader's regular assessment of the political scene in the UK (where he lives) and SA (where he comes from). The dominant themes are Theresa May's unlamented departure; the two heavy hitters who lead the succession race; and some unenviable cabinet choices for the man putting together the…
28 May 2019 11 min

The Editor’s Desk: Here’s what Alec Hogg has to say to SA bears

The bear case for South Africa has been right for nearly ten years. Those who bet on SA Inc when Jacob Zuma took the presidency would be feeling the bite with nothing much to show for the last decade. But, as investment labels constantly warn us, past performance does not…
26 May 2019 14 min

Magnus Heystek: Need proof of SA's New Dawn before I'll believe

Independent financial advisor Magnus Heystek was featured as the first interview on last night's Rational Radio Live show - chatting with Alec Hogg about his hard-hitting blog published on Biznews today. It's a fun discussion between two old friends with a serious undertone - Hogg explains why he is a…
24 May 2019 11 min
180 – 200