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Podcast

Stand Up! Business

113 episodesLatest May 27, 2025
Recorded in South AfricaAbout South AfricaEnglishBusinessNewsBusiness News
Investment banker Mark Barnes and Business Maverick editor Tim Cohen unwrap the news. A new edition of StandUp!Business midweek, every week.

Episodes

  1. Donald Trump and the problem of having a BEE in your bonnet

    The world and its distant relatives have had their say about the theatrical meeting between South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump. Is there anything…

    E11220:52
  2. The inconvenience of knowing the whole truth

    For philosophers, the truth is indivisible. But sometimes, there are those among us who think that the truth should not be divided, as such, but … why use it all? Particularly when…

    E11119:06
  3. SA winning international team events, losing local common purpose.

    What a day. The first Afrikaner “refugees” leave for the USA. On the same day, SA topped the tables in the World Athletics Relays in Guangzhou, China, winning two and coming third…

    E11019:00
  4. Feasting at the Buffett

    When hunger strikes, the fiscally responsible glutton knows what to do: scout around until you find a hotel with a buffet and pile your plate like it’s a game of edible Jenga. Esse…

    E10921:43
  5. Is freedom just another word for nothing left to lose?

    Most arguments in favour of freedom are positive: the correlation between freedom and human development goals is, generally speaking, pretty strong. But actually, the most powerful…

    E10820:32
  6. The popes legacy and the future of the budget

    Pope Francis, not for nothing the namesake of St Francis of Assisi, died on Easter weekend, a wonderful coda to a remarkable career. Francis was a compassionate reformer who tried…

    E10719:42
  7. Tariffs have two "f"s

    The stock markets around the world are in a funk following the decision by US President Donald Trump to impose "reciprocal tariffs" on more or less all the US's trading partners -…

    E10619:47
  8. My f** Marelize!

    A while ago now, a Twitter post called “My f** Marelize!” went viral. The pathos, the humor, and the undercurrent of frustration were all captured in an 18-second video of a mother…

    E10520:57
  9. The nappy law of politicians and the futility of tariff wars

    Government is always looking for money to take rather than money to make, says entrepreneur Mark Barnes in this discussion over the news of the week with Daily Maverick editor at l…

    E10420:56
  10. What is the (diplomatic) state of brand SA?

    In this episode entrepreneur Mark Barnes and Daily Maverick editor at large Tim Cohen discuss branding - and that's not the kind you do to the cow. How important are brands (very),…

    E10320:29
  11. SA sources of capital are (expletive deleted)

    Let's get some things straight. There are only three (expletive deleted) sources of capital; debt, tax, and foreign investment. Well, actually there are more, but as entrepreneur M…

    E10222:14
  12. We are 100 podcasts old, but let's have a budget for the youth

    SA’s Government of National Unity is trying to get its budget passed for the second time this week, but there is something missing in the mix: growth. Entrepreneur Mark Barnes and…

    E10120:45
  13. The new world (dis)order: is that an iceberg we see?

    Like much of the world, entrepreneur Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen were mesmerised by the Oval Office showdown between US president Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volo…

    E10019:53
  14. What’s brewing in that VAT?

    What was that phrase, “Vat hom!”? Well, I think we can all agree that suggesting a two percentage point increase in VAT, was really going for it. The budget and the proposed VAT i…

    E9920:11
  15. Everybody’s war and nobody's budget.

    It's budget week, which means it's a period of festivity and celebration as we all look forward to higher taxes. Not necessarily. We will see on Wednesday. In the meantime, entrepr…

    E9819:49
  16. Legalise artisanal mining, leave for the USA, and stealing without a conscience

    When you turn your friends into your enemies, don’t all your enemies suddenly become friends - with each other? There is an intrinsic design flaw when it comes to alienating your f…

    E9721:07
  17. Exciting Deep Seek, middling mining, boring repairs and maintenance

    There are few things more fun than buying a new car, and few things more boring than taking it in for regular and expensive services. But the utility of making regular repairs can…

    E9618:34
  18. Is there enough common ground in GNU in the year of the snake?

    Slightly inevitably, the GNU is going through a bout of indigestion. How serious is it? Should we be buying gold, selling the rand and stocking up on loo paper? Entrepreneur Mark B…

    E9519:08
  19. Playing the Trump card - again. And the matric results ... degrees of success.

    There is no escape. This week's news is going to be dominated by the inauguration of The Donald. Entrepreneur Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen discuss how the world will change…

    E9320:33
  20. The morality of yachts and the ANC's January 8th statement

    What is the difference between being adaptable and actually adapting? Entrepreneur Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen discuss this and other important Darwinian questions, includ…

    E9219:02
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