RC 260824702Stephen Grootes
Monday, 24 August 2026
The episode examined pressure on South African manufacturing, the importance of Zimbabwe to agricultural exports, AI’s hype and consequences, and the digital revolutions that reshaped business.
- 18:22
Automotive component manufacturers say 15 businesses have closed and about 7,500 jobs were lost in three years, with local content falling below 38.5% in 2025.
- 18:54
South Africa exports roughly US$1.2 billion in agricultural products to Zimbabwe annually, making it a major standalone market requiring stronger regional value chains and policy stability.
- 18:14
Ampact’s revenue rose 1.1% to R5.9 billion, while debt fell R350 million; the company closed its Springs BM6 paper machine after global overcapacity made production uneconomical.
- 19:17
The AI book review warned that commercial incentives exaggerate artificial intelligence’s capabilities, while technology investment is already displacing human labour and creating real short-term social costs.
- 19:57
Arthur Goldstock identified the internet, smartphones, cloud computing and ChatGPT as four transformative digital revolutions, tracing his technology career from early internet research to Worldwide Works.