The Editor's Desk - Thur 15 Jan 2026: Two red flags - flow-driven markets and SA’s foot-and-mouth vaccine mess

From dairy farms to feedlots, South Africa’s agricultural economy is under siege. Athol Trollip outlines how foot-and-mouth disease has crushed production, frozen incomes and exposed deep failures inside the Department of Agriculture. A conversation every business leader and taxpayer should hear.

In this morning's briefing, Alec Hogg unpacks a volatile geopolitical landscape where conflicting reports emerge from Iran—Donald Trump claims de-escalation while internal memos suggest mass casualties. We speak to Iranian-born and bred entrepreneur and former UCT Economics Prof Iraj Abedian, who delivers a scathing critique of the South African government's…

In this BizNews Briefing, Dr. Iraj Abedian reveals leaked reports of 12,000 deaths in Iran, questioning the South African government’s silence. The Hudson Institute's Josh Meservey analyses Pretoria’s alignment with American adversaries. Plus, David Shapiro discusses the "survival mode" of South African business, and Peter Major explains why equities historically…

Iran is burning and the world is hesitating. Economist Iraj Abedian delivers a raw, emotional account of a nation held hostage by its own regime, why South Africa’s silence is so troubling, and why Donald Trump may now be the only wild card left as thousands are killed behind an…

From copper overtaking gold to PGMs roaring back, Peter Major unpacks the forces driving mining’s global outperformance. Plus, why US money is hunting critical minerals, what investors should avoid, and why South Africa risks missing a once-in-a-generation opportunity.