Top 5 Stories of The Day - 12/12/2025

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

Frans Cronje Suggests the US Could Sanction South Africa

After Marco Rubio's letter saying that Poland is going to be invited to the G20 instead of South Africa, Frans Cronje suggests that amid rising tensions between the US and SA the Trump Administration's next step could be to sanction South African individuals and entities.

Frans Cronje On The ANC's Future

In this clip from Makin Sense episode 15, Dr Frans Cronje discusses what the potential futures of Cyril Ramaphosa and John Steenhuisen. The conversation focuses on the dynamics within the ANC and the DA and explores whether either leader is going to survive going into the New Year and the looming Local Government Elections.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 10/12/2025

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

Dr James Mybugh explains the data, history and facts of Farm Murders

In this clip from Makin Sense episode 15, Dr James Myburgh explains the data, history and facts of Farm Murders. He goes in to the history of the attacks that emerged in the 80s, the rapid increase in the farm murder rate in the early 90s, the political response of the 200s and what the position is today.

The DA's growth in the polls: real or fleeting?

In this clip from Talking Sense, Gareth Van Onselen, CEO of Victory Research, explains whether the growth that the DA has seen in polling reflects a real change in the underlying voter dynamics in South Africa or if it is a quirk in the polling data outside of an election year.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 09/12/2025

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

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 05/12/2025

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

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 04/12/2025

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

James Myburgh on The ANC's Strategic Shift Under Trump Pressure

In this clip from Makin Sense, Dr James Myburgh dives into the complex tactics of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC), exploring its dual approach of radical and moderate strategies. The discussion examines the ANC's unwavering commitment to the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) and the balance of forces that influence its political decisions. Myburgh also explores the generational dynamics within the party and the external pressures—especially from the Trump administration—that shape its policy stance. Makin Sense is The Common Sense's flagship podcast, where Gabriel Makin engages with key political analysts and leaders to decode critical issues and trends shaping South Africa and the world.

Simon Lincoln Reader Gives An Honest UK Budget Speech

In this clip from Makin Sense, Simon Lincoln Reader delivers his take on what an honest UK budget speech would have been. Simon is an entrepreneur that has started businesses in South Africa and The United Kingdom and he also moonlights as The Common Sense's United Kingdom correspondent. He joins a panel of South Africans that live scattered across the world to explore South African and global news stories. Makin Sense is the flagship podcast of The Common Sense, a new South African media organisation that offers independent analysis on South African and global news stories. Our foundational value is respect for the time our subscribers invest in reading, listening to, and watching our content. We stress the bridge issues that unite people and not the wedge issues that are used to divide and celebrate all the things that are good about South Africa and the world because it is in so many respects a wonderful time to be alive

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 02/12/2025

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

Dr Frans Cronje discusses the change in perception of the DA, EFF and MK

Frans Cronje and the panel discuss how voter perceptions of the DA have chnages, the extent of common ground on values between South Africa's voters, and the future prospects of the EFF and MK.

Deputy Finance Minister Ashor Sarupen explains South African government spending

In this clip from an episode of Talking Sense, South Africa’s Deputy Finance Minister, Ashor Sarupen, sits down with The Common Sense’s executive producer, Gabriel Makin to discuss how government spending works.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 28/11/2025

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

Dr Frans Cronje discusses the change in perception of the DA, EFF and MK

In this clip from Makin Sense, Dr Frans Cronje explains how the shift in the hierarchy of needs of voters has led to a shift in the perception of the DA. The discussion then moves onto the future of the EFF and MK parties in which Gabriel Makin explains why they are likely to remain irrelevant.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 27/11/2025

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

Dr Frans Cronje discusses the ANC at 37% and the DA at 32%

In this clip from Makin Sense Dr Frans Cronje, Gabriel Makin and Dr James Myburgh discuss the SRF/The Common Sense's new poll results and the implications going into next year's elections.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 20/11/2025

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

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 19/11/2025

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

The Chief Rabbi's Message to the G20

In this clip from Talking Sense, Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein explains why he thinks that the G20 needs to make Jihadism in Africa a priority issue. He also excoriates the Christian and African leaders who allow this silent epidemic to continue.

Dr Frans Cronje on The Fired DA Minister Dion George

In this clip from Makin Sense, Dr Frans Cronje discusses what he thinks of the firing of the environment, forestry and fisheries minister.

Dr Frans Cronje Says the US is Missing an Opportunity on South Africa

In this clip from Makin Sense, Dr Frans Cronje explains that the Trump administration is getting its read on the nature of South African society wrong, and that it could appeal to a far broader multi-racial Christian conservative majority.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 17/11/2025

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

Frans Cronje unpacks South Africa's mini-budget

In this clip from the Makin Sense podcast, Dr Frans Cronje unpacks the most important points from South Africa's mini-budget.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 14/11/2025

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

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 13/11/2025

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

Frans Cronje on the GAIn plan

The new Growth Acceleration and Inclusion (GAIn) strategy should give South Africa sceptics reason to think again.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 12/11/2025

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

Top 5 New Stories of The Day - 11/11/2025

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

James Myburgh Explains The 'Afrikaner Letter' Spy Operation

In this clip from Makin Sense episode 11 Dr James Myburgh explains how a letter signed by a group of Afrikaner leaders was originally authored by a South African spy in order to shift the blame away from the South African government.

Frans Cronje Says Whether Cyril Ramaphosa is Going to Resign Early Next Year

In this clip from Makin Sense, The Common Sense's Flagship Podcast, Frans Cronje discusses whether he thinks that Ramaphosa is going to resign next year.

Top 5 Stories of The Day - 10/11/2025

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

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.