Bruce Whitfield’s Business Week

SPAR’s comeback story. Plus: High oil prices linger longer

In this episode, Bruce puts SPAR CEO Reeza Isaacs in the hot seat. Isaacs, the retailer’s third CEO in three years, takes questions on why profits have more than halved, what’s gone wrong with the independent retail model, and how to roll out a turnaround plan that is more than just talk. We also get a glimpse into Handwritten, YuppieChef co-founder Andrew Smith’s new book on building one of South Africa’s most beloved online retailers from the ground up. Old Mutual’s Meryl Pick makes sense of a surprisingly well-behaved oil price, a dovish new Fed chair, and MTN’s long-awaited continental comeback. Lastly, News24 Business editor Helena Wasserman explores the mining sector’s anger over a new industrialisation policy, SA’s better-than-expected GDP number, and a court ruling that could quietly take the shine off crypto in South Africa. 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.

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.