Wilko's Messages of Hope

  In this hard-hitting conversation, Rob Hersov and Frans Cronje unpack the real strategic equation facing South Africa. Beyond the headlines and doom narratives, we examine voter psychology, ANC decline, MK and EFF momentum, fixed investment rates, electricity myths, deindustrialisation, corruption, and whether real reform is actually possible. Is the economy stuck at “care and maintenance” growth? Can fixed investment rise to 25% and unlock 4–5% GDP growth? Is BEE reform finally negotiable? Are young professionals better off staying and seizing opportunity in a skills-short market? And what does South Africa’s foreign policy gamble mean for investment? This is not blind optimism. It’s a sober look at the political and economic math. If you're politically engaged, building a business, investing, or deciding whether to emigrate — this conversation matters.

Dawie Roodt breaks down what’s actually happening in the economy, and why South Africa is sitting on growth potential it refuses to unlock. He covers the global shift in growth driven by AI, the rise of stablecoins (including a new rand stablecoin), why inflation targeting matters for the rand, and why South Africa’s biggest brake on growth is still politics. IN THIS EPISODE: • Why economic growth is the single number that changes everything • The 200-year growth “exception” and why the next wave could be even bigger (AI) • Why manufactured goods keep getting cheaper — and why services get pricier • Money is evolving again: stablecoins vs central bank digital currencies • The rand stablecoin (“ZARU”) and why exchange controls could become irrelevant • World economy snapshot: US strong, India rising, China weaker than official numbers • Trump’s world: why AGOA matters and why SA can’t afford to pick fights • ANC ideology is 100 years old — and its policies still reflect that • Cadre de...

  People sometimes ask why I write. Why I post messages of hope. Why I keep going, week after week. The honest answer is simple: I do what I do because it makes me feel good. That may sound selfish at first. Shouldn’t we do things for others? Shouldn’t we be motivated by service, duty, or obligation? Yes ! But here is something we don’t talk about enough: Doing good feels good. Encouraging someone lifts the encourager. Sharing hope strengthens the one who shares it. Writing positive words plants those words in the reader’s mind. But also in the writer’s heart. When I sit down to write something uplifting, I feel better. My thinking becomes clearer. My mood shifts. My perspective improves. I am reminded of what really matters. In a world where so much noise pulls us downward, choosing to focus on what is good is not just helpful. It is healing. And here’s the interesting part: When you do something that makes you feel good (without harming anyone), that goodness spreads. A kind word...

  I am a member of a political party, and I donate to it as well. I do this deliberately, and for a simple reason. If I expect a political party to work for me, I must first be willing to belong to it and support it. This idea isn’t unique to politics. We accept it quite naturally in other parts of life. If you belong to a sports club, you pay membership fees. If you’re part of a community organisation, you contribute time, money, or both. These contributions keep the organisation alive, active, and able to serve its members. Without them, the club or organisation simply cannot function. A political party is no different. Political parties do not exist in a vacuum. They need offices, volunteers, administration, communication, and the ability to organise and campaign. All of this costs money and effort. When members contribute financially, they are not “buying influence”. They are sharing responsibility. Belonging also matters. Membership is not just a card or a name on a list. It i...

Chairperson of The DA Federal Executive and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille joined Gabriel Makin to talk about: Johannesburg, the Race for Mayor, the ideology of the DA, and the difference between the ANC and DA.

Electricity prices are rising far above inflation and South Africans are paying for a decade of bad planning, mega-project delays, and a broken electricity market. In this episode, electricity analyst Chris Yelland explains what’s driving tariffs, why energy-intensive jobs are collapsing, why rooftop solar is “winning,” and why Eskom’s own outlook flags a high risk of “unserved energy” in 2029/2030. IN THIS EPISODE: • Why electricity prices keep rising faster than inflation • Why SA lost its “cheap power” advantage (and what the real trick was) • Medupi & Kusile: debt, delays, and the price shock • Smelters asking for massive discounts and the subsidy problem • Eskom vs NERSA: who actually sets the price and how it works • Unbundling explained: generation, transmission, distribution and who’s resisting • Why rooftop solar + batteries are accelerating (and why incumbents hate it) • Gas, LNG, nuclear timelines what’s realistic before 2030 • The big warning: why 2029/2030 could be t...

One reason many people stay silent is that they believe they are “not qualified” to speak. We tell ourselves that our opinions don’t matter. Unless we have degrees, titles, or years of formal experience, So we hold back, even when we’ve learned something the hard way. But life doesn’t work like that.  Some of the most valuable advice does not come from "experts". It comes from ordinary people. Those who have lived, struggled, failed, tried again, and learned a few lessons along the way. Experience, not expertise, is often what makes advice useful. You don’t need to be a mechanic to warn someone that ignoring strange noises in their car is a bad idea. You don’t need to be a financial adviser to say that living beyond your means causes stress. And you don’t need to be a psychologist to say that kindness, patience, and listening can make a difference. What matters is honesty. Good advice is not about pretending to know everything. It’s about saying, “This is what I’ve learned,” ...

2026 has barely started and SA politics is already exploding. In this episode of the State of the Nation Podcast, Freedom Front Plus leader Dr Corné Mulder explains the viral “Pieter Groenewald for President” campaign (and why it’s not official). Also, the party’s surprising Centurion by-election surge. And what this means for the 2026 local government elections and the future of the GNU.

  Retirement - after working most of our adult lives, we now face the daunting prospect. No more managers to tell us what to do. No more clocking in or out. Our time is, at long last, our own. What are we going to do with it? Even though we may have saved enough for our later years, there's always something that crops up to rock the boat. Keeping busy is the most important. If not for the money, for our own health and peace of mind. Here are just a few tips, gathered from many sources, to help in your plans: Live within your means. Try to stick to a budget. Only buy what you need, when you need it. IF you need it at all. Buying just because it's on "special" is a waste of money. Buying anything in bulk eats cash flow. You may need that cash for something else very soon. An emergency. Don't buy what you cannot afford to. Never use credit to buy instant gratification stuff. In fact, never buy anything on credit. It will always bounce back to hurt you. More so in yo...

In this candid and hard-hitting interview, Alec Hogg speaks to Gerhard Papenfus, CEO of the National Employers’ Association of South Africa. About his open letter condemning Black Economic Empowerment. Papenfus argues that BEE has distorted markets, damaged entrepreneurship, and entrenched elitism rather than broad-based upliftment. He challenges prevailing political narratives, questions the sustainability of empowerment through ownership transfers. And calls for merit-based economic reform to restore growth, accountability, and genuine inclusion.