To unravel, as much as we can, a chaotic world at the moment, merchant banker Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen draw on the services of Special Guest Iraj Abedian, economist and thinker extraordinaire for this episode of ListenUP! The consequences of the widening war in the Middle East are hard to predict, but one thing is very clear: we are surrounded by the tyranny of mediocrity, locally and internationally. And in South Africa’s case, AI is clearly not helping much - although it might just be helping itself! Why, you ask? ListenUP!

Look just a little under the surface, and big changes are starting to take place in South Africa. From the introduction of the private sector into Transnet into the competitive dynamics of the contest for Johannesburg, the times they are a’changing - at last. Merchant banker Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen discussed these and other changes with Special Guest! the leader of RizeMzanzi and chair of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts Songezo Zibi. Also, are you in favour or against Starlink - let us know.

The DA has just chosen a new leader and leadership team, and the personable Geordin Hill-Lewis is now the Federal leader of the DA, who has set the party the target of becoming the country’s largest party. Merchant banker Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen discuss this question, only somewhat cynically, with special guest Ryan Coetzee. Coetzee is a political advisor long associated with the DA who has been a consultant to a wide range of organisations, including being special adviser to then UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Also, political developments around the world.