One of these heavyweights runs Africa’s biggest telco. The other began with a bag of nuts

In this episode, MTN CEO Ralph Mupita joins Bruce to unpack a strong set of first-half results driven by Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, with R13.9 billion in dividends repatriated. Mupita addresses the R74 billion trademark lawsuit MTN dismisses as frivolous, the Iran investment it cannot exit because of US sanctions, and what it actually takes to operate profitably across 19 contested African markets. Antoine van Heerden of ButtaNutt tells the story of building a plant-based food empire from a student digs in Stellenbosch, from macadamia butter at weekend markets to 1 500 stores nationwide and a 54% investment from PSG Group. Helena Wasserman, editor of News24 Business, on Northam’s audacious move to put itself on the market, an insider trading probe into trades ahead of the Curro delisting, and OR Tambo’s deepening crisis as air traffic controllers are poached abroad, and a Sasol refinery shutdown threatens jet fuel supply. And David Shapiro of Otto 1890, in his 53rd year in markets, on why Nvidia’s blowout results should silence the sceptics, the two-speed US economy, and why the rand may surprise everyone. This podcast is sponsored by Capitec.To catch every episode, click the follow and subscribe buttons on News24’s Spotify, Apple, and YouTube podcast channels, or catch up on past episodes here. Editions drop on Thursdays at 17:00.