Bruce Whitfield’s Business Week

Tiger Brands roars back. Plus: The South African spirit born from a dad joke

Bruce chats with Tiger Brands CEO Tjaart Kruger about a robust set of interim results: operating income up 26.1% and R9.2 billion returned to shareholders since 2024. But with geopolitical uncertainty expected to bite harder in the second half, the question is whether the momentum holds. Adrian Kinsey-Quick tells the story of Bangbroek Aperitif, a vodka-based spirit infused with Karoo Agave Syrup, cinnamon and a chilli kick, born as a tribute to a fearless dad and now making its mark on South Africa’s crowded spirits market. Helena Wasserman unpacks the US government’s proposed new tariffs on South African imports, a health ministry crackdown on Dis-Chem, and Canal+’s quiet JSE debut, replacing Mr Price on the Top 40. And Graeme Korner makes sense of markets – where AI is driving extraordinary flows into chips and memory while draining liquidity elsewhere, and what the SpaceX IPO means for the broader market. This podcast is sponsored by Capitec. To catch every episode, click the follow and subscribe buttons on News24's Spotify, Apple, and YouTube podcast channels. Editions drop on Thursdays at 17:00.

The AI hospital is here. Plus: SA’s pothole crisis meets its match

In this episode, Bruce chats with Netcare CEO Richard Friedland about how AI and digitisation are transforming healthcare. With savings now exceeding implementation costs, smartwatches are monitoring patients in real time, and algorithms detect sepsis long before symptoms appear. As Friedland puts it, the clinical AI revolution is already here. News24 Business editor Helena Wasserman unpacks new legislation on pay gap disclosure, Absa group CEO Kenny Fihla’s extraordinary talent raid on Standard Bank, and Pepkor’s bold move into banking with its new PlusB offering. Jaraad Hassim, founder of PatchPal, has a deceptively simple fix for South Africa’s pothole crisis: biodegradable mesh bags of cold-mix asphalt that can be dropped in, overlapped, and driven over. It works; municipalities are testing it. Now, the last remaining hurdle to clear is the law. Lastly, Jean Pierre Verster of Protea Capital Management compares Life Healthcare and Netcare, unpacks Pepkor’s banking ambitions, and weighs in on Pick n Pay. This podcast is sponsored by Capitec. To catch every episode, click the follow and subscribe buttons on News24's Spotify, Apple, and YouTube podcast channels. Editions drop on Thursdays at 17:00.

WeBuyCars backs itself as Chinese brands shake the showroom. Plus: Southern Sun’s best year yet

This week on the podcast, Bruce chats with WeBuyCars CEO Faan van der Walt about how Chinese and Indian vehicles are reshaping South Africa's used-car market, accelerating depreciation for legacy brands, and forcing a new equilibrium in the industry. Despite the headwinds, WeBuyCars is backing itself hard, expanding aggressively, targeting 20% market share, and doing it all without debt. Then, Southern Sun’s Marcel von Aulock unpacks a standout year for the hotel group, but with the G20 tailwind fading and global uncertainty mounting, can the momentum last? Plus, Rand Swiss portfolio manager Gary Booysen offers market insights, and News24 Business editor Helena Wasserman examines the stories shaping the economy. Lastly, well-known human potential expert Nikki Bush joins Bruce to explore the number one way to improve your leadership. This podcast is sponsored by Capitec.To catch every episode, click the follow and subscribe buttons on News24's Spotify, Apple, and YouTube podcast channels. Editions drop on Thursdays at 17:00.

Boxer’s debut JSE bout. PLUS: Thandana’s garage births 60 jobs

In this episode, Bruce chats with Boxer Superstores CEO Marek Masojada about the discount giant's first full-year results since listing on the JSE, with headline earnings up 13.2% to R1.6 billion, and how Boxer keeps growing amid deflation, rising fuel costs and looming food inflation. Helena Wasserman, editor of News24 Business, reports live from NAMPO 2026 in Bothaville, where producer profitability and food security are at the forefront. Peter Armitage, CEO of Anchor Capital, unpacks the global market picture: where value still exists, what the US-China relationship means for investors, and what the JSE has to offer right now. Carla Ashton shares the story of Thandana, the proudly South African lifestyle brand she built from a four-person garage operation in 2010 to a 60-strong team. Lastly, well-known human potential expert Nikki Bush joins Bruce to tackle the Founder's Trap: what happens when you are scaling up but simply cannot let go, and what it costs you and your business when you don’t. This podcast is sponsored by Capitec. To catch every episode, click the follow and subscribe buttons on News24's Spotify, Apple, and YouTube podcast channels. Editions drop on Thursdays at 17:00.

Your long-term oil price prediction. Plus: Donkey Long Tong rises

In this episode, Bruce explores the global fallout from the Iran conflict – and why the risks extend far beyond oil prices. Omnia Group CEO Seelan Gobalsamy explains how disruptions to fertiliser supply chains could place renewed pressure on food prices, farmers and the broader economy, even if a peace deal is reached. Helena Wasserman, editor of News24 Business, unpacks China's tariff removal on thousands of South African exports, Pick n Pay's labour shakeup, and what a potential US-Iran agreement could mean for the rand and local markets. Portfolio manager Meryl Pick shares why elevated oil prices may persist longer than markets expect, while Nic Eve, CEO of Donkey Long Tong, tells the story of how a joke around a braai became one of South Africa's most recognisable outdoor brands. This podcast is sponsored by Capitec. To catch every episode, click the follow and subscribe buttons on News24's Spotify, Apple, and YouTube podcast channels. Editions drop on Thursdays at 17:00.