Wilko's Messages of Hope

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.

The Leader of the DA and Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen joined Gabriel Makin to discuss his tenure as leader of the party, the GNU, the disagreements with the ANC, his potential reelection campaign and much more.

  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.

South Africa is tired of noise. So we went straight to the engine room. A blunt, no-soft-questions conversation with COSATU’s Matthew Parks. In this episode of the Truth Report, Rob Hersov sits down with COSATU parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks for a fearless, wide-ranging interview on the real mechanics behind jobs, policy, corruption. And why SA’s economic recovery keeps stalling. We dig into the mining “cadastral” bottleneck, the truth about BEE beyond the headlines, minimum wage vs living wage, and why politicians keep rewarding failure. This is political commentary without the theatre: facts, pressure, and uncomfortable honesty.

Behind the political theatre, the US economy is surging. Anthony Ginsberg warns that South Africa’s foreign and trade policy lag reality.

The ANC is weaker than it’s been in decades — and yet the DA is still finding ways to trip over its own feet. In a world moving toward transactional power politics (and a possible Trump-driven reset), South Africa’s opposition can’t afford amateur hour. This episode is a blunt look at the DA’s strategic problem: discipline, message clarity, coalition math's, and credibility — and why 2026/2029 are on the line. In this episode we cover: -Why the DA has the best opening in years — and how it risks wasting it -The DA’s biggest failure mode: internal fights, mixed messaging, and self-inflicted scandals -Why the opposition must look like a government-in-waiting, not a protest movement -The coalition reality: what it takes to win metros in 2026 and build momentum for 2029 -How global shifts (Trump-era transactional politics) punish weak states — and why SA needs a credible alternative -Why “moral positioning” doesn’t win elections — service delivery + growth + safety does -The voter pr...

When local government fails, daily life becomes harder. Roads crumble. Water runs dry. Refuse piles up. Streetlights stay broken. These are not national problems debated in Parliament far away. They are local problems, decided by councils elected where we live. That is why local elections matter. And that is why every South African citizen must vote in them. Local Government Affects Your Everyday Life Local councils control the services we depend on every day: Water and sanitation Electricity distribution Roads and transport Refuse removal Town planning and housing Community safety and by-laws If your municipality is failing, it shows up in your home, your street, and your neighbourhood. Voting is the most direct way citizens can influence the decisions made by those in power. Not Voting Is Also a Choice — With Consequences Many people say, “Voting doesn’t change anything.” But not voting guarantees one thing: you hand your power to others . Low voter turnout benefits organised politi...