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Acclaimed businessman Mark Barnes and senior editor Tim Cohen discuss the biggest news items of the week.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    The great national service debate

    NOTE: We apologise for the poor audio quality in this edition. Should South Africans spend some time after graduation working for the government? Well-known businessman Mark Barnes thinks they should – in certain circumstances. Journalist Tim Cohen thinks they should not – in any circumstances. Also, is Patrice Motsepe a good candidate to be SA’s post-Ramaphosa president? Yes, no, maybe? This is your weekly nudge to: Listen Up! This show airs every Tuesday morning wherever you get your podcasts.

    23 min

  2. 2 FEB

    What’s so bad about anarchy?

    South Africa’s economy might be moving forward, but the public sector is sliding into a kind of casual anarchy. Almost every robot in the country is now regarded as a suggestion, not an instruction. Is this fixable? How bad is anarchy? Corporate financier Mark Barnes and journalist Tim Cohen ask the crucial question: What is so wrong with anarchy, actually? And what about launching a set of public referenda on crucial national questions? And the markets and more. This show airs every Tuesday morning wherever you get your podcasts.

    23 min

  3. 26 JAN

    SA’s golden opportunity

    The biggest question, when it comes to gold, is whether you say “all that glitters is not gold” or “all that glisters is not gold”. The formally accurate version from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice is “glisters”, but what the bard meant was “glitters”, so that works too. Actually, that’s not the biggest question. In this episode, Barnes and Cohen discuss the much thornier issue of whether gold’s massive increase over the past few years will last, now that it has hit the $5 000 mark. And other things, like AI, chess, and sports betting. This show airs every Tuesday morning wherever you get your podcasts.

    23 min

  4. 19 JAN

    It never rains but it pours

    Floods in the Kruger National Park but drought in the Karoo – weather problems abound. This week, the formidable duo that is Barnes and Cohen discusses the storms all over the world, including Greenland, which US President Donald Trump wants to, um, “buy”, but the Europeans are having nothing of it – so the USA will tariff them! 6-7 and ho hum. Locally, the prime rate debate is hotting up (but it’s ROA that counts), and markets are cooling down (as value metrics change). By all means, ListenUp! This show airs every Tuesday morning wherever you get your podcasts.

    22 min

  5. 12 JAN

    The year that started off with a bang

    It’s been quite a start to 2026, but what does it mean that the US has abducted the leader of a foreign power? What happens to international relations now and what has this got to do with the Peace of Westphalia? Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss how the international order has changed - and the local order has not.Also, is AI investment now in a bubble? Listen Up!

    19 min

  6. 15/12/2025

    Listen Up! end of year special: How was that for you?

    Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss the year 2025 - the ups, the downs, and the potholes. It was a bewildering year, which went faster than any previous year. Well … not really. But I felt like it did. In South Africa, things actually went a little bit better. In the rest of the world, things didn’t go as badly as many expected at the start. Will 2026 be different? The only way to find out is to Listen Up!

    23 min

  7. 08/12/2025

    Dubai. And the joys and dangers of ambition

    The joys and dangers of ambition. South Africans are drowning in debt, but is that due to poor investment decisions or a lack of investment opportunities? Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen discuss whether South Africa should build a very tall skyscraper, reaching for the sky. Like Dubai. Or not. How is it possible that someone can just decide to build a huge city, just go ahead and do it, earn the scorn of millions, yet succeed? Yet, SA can't maintain the tall buildings it already has. Also, the 30% pass mark debate.

    21 min

  8. 01/12/2025

    How hard do South Africans work?

    International comparisons suggest that South Africans work pretty hard - around 42.2 hours a week on average. That’s higher than Brazil and Mexico, and only a little less than China. It’s about double the total hours put in per week on average in Norway. Amazing. But is that the whole story?Not so much says Mark Barnes and Tim Cohen. It’s like golf - the winner is not the one who does the most work but the least. This … and other bits and pieces of the news this past week. ListenUp!

    21 min
See All (32)

Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Acclaimed businessman Mark Barnes and senior editor Tim Cohen discuss the biggest news items of the week.

Information

  • Creator
    News24
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © News24
  • Show Website
    Listen Up!

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