Top 5 Stories Of The Day - 07/11/2025

In this clip of Morning Sense, Reine Opperman takes us through today’s top five stories.

Who is Zohran Mamdani

In this clip from Makin Sense, Richard Tren, a regular panellist on the show explains who Zoran Mamdani is. Mamdani won the New York mayoral election yesterday and Richard tells you what the implications of this could be.

The Common Sense's First Exclusive! Top 5 Stories of The Day - 06/11/2025

Dr Frans Cronje Discusses the Devastating Impact of the South African Betting Industry

Dr Frans Cronje and the panel discuss the impact of the betting industry on South Africa and how it is increasing the amount of desperation in the country

Dr Frans Cronje Explains What South Africa's Energy Policy Should be Focused on

Dr Frans Cronje, explains how the primary goal for South Africa's energy policy should be to deliver reliable and affordable energy to the country.

Explaining The Poisonous Leadership That Has Destroyed The ANC

In this clip from Talking Sense, Max Boqwana, CEO of the Thabo Mbeki Foundation explains how the ANC leadership moved from being focused primarily on the pursuit of the party's values to more insular and selfish ends. He explains how actors infiltrated the party to turn it into, as he notes 'an unthinking ANC'

Dr Frans Cronje Explains the Government's New Energy Plan

In this clip from the Common Sense's flagship podcast, Makin Sense, Frans Cronje explains why the latest Integrated Resource Plan, announced by the government last week, repeats all the same mistakes that caused South Africa's electricity crisis in the first place.

Explaining Botswana's Diamond Dilemma

In this clip from Makin Sense, the panel discusses the implications of lab grown diamonds on the diamond industry and Botswana.

Dr Frans Cronje explains the DA's new empowerment policy

Dr Frans Cronje discusses the new DA empowerment policy which seeks to replace race with poverty in determining disadvantage.

NHI ignores the ASPIRATIONS of most South Africans

Dr Frans Cronje explains how private healthcare is an aspiration in South Africa and that the NHI appears to punish people rather than reward them.

Dr Frans Cronje explains why South Africa was not involved in the Israel/Gaza peace process

Why the South Africans were not at the Israel/Gaza peace process and what that peace could look like.

Moeletsi Mbeki discusses a difference between the ANC and NP

Moeletsi Mbeki discusses why the ANC has not been as incentivized to invest in infrastructure as were the old National Party.

Dr Frans Cronje explains the relationship between state failure and private entry

Dr Frans Cronje explains how in South Africa, state failure in service delivery leads to macro-level private entry to mitigate the effects of the failure.

Dr James Myburgh explains the background of the Mkhwanazi case

In this clip from Makin Sense episode 5, Dr James Myburgh explains the background to the Mkhwanazi case and the Madlanga commission.

Dr Frans Cronje explains some advice he gave to the ANC!

Dr Frans Cronje explains what advice he gave to the ANC with regards to the GNU.

Ramaphosa thinks that South Africa can learn from Zimbabwe?!?

Phumlani Majozi explains how when Ramaphosa had visited Zimbabwe he praised the land reform efforts of Zanu PF.

Why is this new Gaza deal different?

Benji Shulman explains the difference between the new Trump gaza deal and previous attempts at peace.

Helen Zille's Message to the Race Baiters: Bring it on.

Helen Zille explains how she is excited for the fight that will come with her campaign to be Johannesburg mayor.

Helen Zille explains how to fix Johannesburg.

In this clip from Talking Sense episode 5, Helen Zille explains how to fix Johannesburg.

Dr Frans Cronje explains why the ANC cannot reform

Dr Frans Cronje explains what the structural impediments to the ANC reforming are.

Labour Market Reforms

Frans Cronje explains how the GNU government has the space with public opinion on their side to move on necessary economic reforms.

What the mainstream fails to appreciate about South Africa

Dr Frans Cronje explains how mainstream analysis on South Africa does not account for the successes of the country.

The Common Sense's Response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk

Senior editor, Warwick Grey delivers a brief statement on the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

How the Woke Right Gets The World Wrong

In this clip from Makin Sense episode 3 - Richard Tren explains what the Woke Right seems to miss about the world.

Why did the Deputy Prime Minister of the UK resign?

Simon Lincoln-Reader explains why the Deputy Prime Minister of the UK, Angela Rayner resigned.

Dr Frans Cronje explains that the GNU enjoys strong public support

Dr Frans Cronje discusses how the GNU deal enjoys wide support from the public in South Africa

Dr Frans Cronje explains why the ANC lost the 2024 election

Dr Frans Cronje, explains the driving factors that led to the ANC's poor performance in the 2024 national election in South Africa.

Muzi Kuzwayo: What makes South Africa so special?

Founder of South Africa's Promise, Muzi Kuzwayo explains what is so special about the South African spirit.

Mmusi Maimane explains the good and the bad of the ANC

Mmusi Maimane, explains some of the positive achievements of the ANC and how it has gone wrong.

Frans Cronje explains what happened to South African debt levels after 1994

Editor of The Common Sense, Dr Frans Cronje, explains how South Africa's first democratic governments were able to sharply reduce debt levels after 1994.

What South Africans think about expropriation without compensation

Executive producer, Gabriel Makin explains what SRF polling shows about the strong opposition to the expropriation act.

Frans Cronje explains the SECRET to understanding South Africa's economy

Editor of The Common Sense, Dr Frans Cronje, explains the relationship between consumer and business confidence, fixed investment and economic growth and how that can be used as a bellwether to understand South Africa's economy

Bheki Mahlobo explains how government borrows money

Economics editor, Bheki Mahlobo, explains how governments borrow money and what the implications of government borrowing are for ordinary South Africans.

Bheki Mahlobo explains electrification in South Africa

Economics editor, Bheki Mahlobo, explains the progress that has been made in South Africa in rolling out electricity infrastructure.

Frans Cronje explains that the DA may overtake the ANC by 2029

Editor, Dr Frans Cronje, explains that there is the possibility that by the 2029 election the DA may have a higher vote share than the ANC

Frans Cronje Private Clients - State Retreat and Private Entry

Common Sense editor, Dr Frans Cronje and economics editor, Bheki Mahlobo, discuss how when the South African state retreats private actors enter in to fill the gaps that are left.

Frans Cronje Private Clients - South Africa's electricity position

Editor of the Common Sense, Dr Frans Cronje, does a deep dive into the data surrounding South Africa's electricity production and the outlook for energy into the future.

Frans Cronje presents The Common Sense

Our editor provides an introduction to The Common Sense, telling you what you can expect from this new media initiative.

What South Africans think - cheap vs green energy

Gabriel Makin explains what the polling data on energy policy shows about what the South African public would prefer for the country's energy policies.

What South Africans think - Education policy

Gabriel Makin explains what the polling on education policy preferences for South Africans demonstrates.

Frans Cronje explains how the DA can overtake the ANC

Dr Frans Cronje explains a potential scenario for South Africa's 2029 election in which the DA may be able to overtake the ANC.

Dr Frans Cronje Explains how South Africa Solves its Debt and Deficit Problems

Dr Frans Cronje discusses how South Africa's fiscal position is stronger than people are aware and that we would be able to reverse the position in very little time at all.