The Next Level Podcast is where South Africa’s big political and economic questions are broken down with clarity and boldness.
Hosted by Xolani Mlangeni, each episode features thought-provoking discussions with leading voices in politics, economics, law, and society.
🎙️ Topics include:
Coalition governments
Economic recovery strategies
Capitalism vs Communism
State-owned enterprises
African political trends
Ideological debates that shape our future
Perfect for listeners who want to stay informed, think critically, and engage with the issues that matter.
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Why only 30% of businesses are inherited by heirs of founders?
In this episode of Next Level Podcast, host Xolani Mlangeni unpacks the reasons why wealthy families fail to preserve their fortunes over multiple generations.
Research shows that more than 70% of family businesses -- which make up more than 90% of the world’s enterprises -- do not survive beyond their founders.
Only 30% of family businesses globally are handed down successfully to the second generation and about 10% to 15% of family businesses are inherited by the third generation.
14 Jul 2026
Is franchising low-risk for entrepreneurs than start-ups?
In this episode of Next Level Podcast, host Xolani Mlangeni sat down with a special guest Thulani Cele, founder of Msoho Solutions and former chairperson of the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (FASA), to discuss franchising landscape in South Africa. Opinion is divided on whether franchising offers a lower-risk route to entrepreneurship for entrepreneurs compared with starting new businesses from scratch.
In many sectors of the economy, start-up businesses fail because they can’t compete directly with large, mature businesses with vertically integrated supply chains. However, about 89% of franchisees report breaking even within the first year, which is something that most independent start-ups fail to achieve.
12 May 2026
If South Africa wants to be excellent in manufacturing, it must emulate China
If South Africa wants to be brilliant in advanced manufacturing like China or Germany, it must produce artisans to energize its stagnant economy.
This means that there has to be serious cultural and mindset shift.
In other words, we must reform our education and training system to focus more on practical learning than theoretical learning.
This shift will take decades to bear fruit. The mindset shift can only start happening if South Africans change their perception that education from TVET colleges is inferior to that of universities.
5 May 2026
Can South Africa produce 30,000 artisans annually to boost its economy?
South Africa needs to produce 30,000 artisans annually to build its infrastructure -- from roads, railway tracks, ports, schools, hospitals, universities, and power stations.
But our country is producing only about half of the artisans that are required annually.
This shortage forces construction and manufacturing companies to import artisans from countries that have a surplus of these skills.
The government states that high unemployment and skills shortage facing the country could be addressed if at least 60% of school leavers or matriculants trained as artisans.
28 Apr 2026
Why companies from rich nations outsource their production to China?
China is so industrially advanced that it is recognised as the factory of the entire world.
Most companies from wealthy countries like Singapore, Hong Kong, U.S.A, Germany, Japan, and South Korea, have outsourced to China the manufacturing of their products from garments, home appliances to high-end smart phones and vehicles.
These countries have relocated their manufacturing processes to China to take advantage of its skilled workforce and efficient supply chains.
They are not in China to exploit cheap labour, as it has historically been suggested.
21 Apr 2026
South Africa needs artisans if it wants to be like China
If South Africa wants to be brilliant in advanced manufacturing like China or Germany, it must produce artisans to energise its stagnant economy.
In 2024, Tim Cook, CEO of smart phone maker Apple, praised China for its manufacturing prowess, which he said lied in its skilled workforce than low labour costs.
Cook said China possessed advanced tooling capabilities that are used to produce products, hence companies like Apple manufacture their iPhones, laptops, and tablets in China.
Cook also noted that China has abundance of vocational skills than in the United States -- Apple’s home market.
16 Mar 2026
The day Joburg advocates dismantled oppressive payment system
On the 23rd of October 2025, something earth-shattering happened in the Johannesburg legal circles.
Disgruntled advocates practicing law in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest and richest city, took down the hated 97-day payment rule, which was only in force in their bar.
Members of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates (JSA), also known as the Joburg Bar, unanimously voted for a resolution to amend the 97-day rule.
This effectively brought to an end a 10-year battle to abolish a rule that was blamed for impoverishing and bankrupting hundreds of advocates.
5 Mar 2026
South Africa’s finance minister unveils pro-growth budget
When Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stood before Parliament last week to table the national budget for the coming financial year - the mission was clear: the budget must be used as a tool to stimulate economic growth.
Since he became Finance Minister five years ago, Godongwana has been bragging each year about delivering pro-growth budgets.
But will his pro-growth budget fire up the economy OR will the economy continue to misfire as it has done in the last 16 years?
The answer to this question will hinge on the government’s skillful spending of the budget and the effective roll out of new infrastructure projects.
13 Feb 2026
South Africa’s State-Owned Companies Push Back Against Tenderpreneurs
Preferential procurement was designed to correct historical injustice—but critics say it has also empowered tenderpreneurs who threaten economic stability.
In this episode, we explore why state-owned companies and businesses are demanding procurement reform, and what this means for South Africa’s economic future.
Follow and rate the podcast for more in-depth political and economic analysis.
7 Aug 2025
Can South Africa’s Radical Left Unseat the Coalition Government?
Host: Xolani Mlangeni
Guest: Gabriel Crouse, Fellow at the South African Institute of Race Relations (IRR)
In this powerful debut episode of The Next Level Podcast, we ask a pressing question:
Can South Africa’s radical left forces disrupt or even topple the Government of National Unity (GNU)?
Political analyst and legal expert Gabriel Crouse joins host Xolani Mlangeni to unpack:
The defection of key EFF leaders to the MK Party
The possibility of a united left-wing front
The ideological battle between capitalism and socialism in South Africa
The role of the ANC, SACP, and COSATU in a shifting political landscape
Why state-owned companies keep failing
Whether SA should explore the Scandinavian “Third Way” model
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of South African politics and economics.
📍 Recorded at Selekane Asset Consulting, Bryanston
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