The Editor's Desk - Tue 6 Jan 2026: Is South Africa on the "wrong side of history"? Davos, Iran, and ancient secrets

From the powder keg in Iran to Donald Trump’s grand return to Davos, Alec Hogg breaks down why South Africa’s recent military and political alliances could leave us increasingly isolated on the global stage. Plus, a fascinating look at a 9,500-year-old archaeological discovery in Malawi that rewrites the history of our continent..PS. You can book tickets for the post BNC#8 golf day sponsored by Shyft, by clicking here..Don't miss out on future episodes of The Editor's Desk. Subscribe to BizNews Premium and get the podcast delivered to your inbox daily..Listen here.Read the full transcript of The Editor's Desk podcast below.This is the Editor’s Desk: exclusive analysis for BizNews Premium members. Today is Tuesday, 6th January 2026. I’m glad to have you with me.We might only be two working days into our new year at BizNews—we seem to get back into the office before most in the media industry—but we’ve got some pretty hot stuff for you. You can head over to the website to read them today. To give you some insight into three of those stories:Iran and the global stageThere is a piece from The Economist talking about Iran. You may recall that while most of us were on leave, the South African government involved its navy—such as it is—in military exercises with the Chinese, Russian, and Iranian navies. Apart from the fairly embarrassing turnout on our part, the fact that Iran is being drawn that close from a military perspective means we should be paying closer attention.It wasn't that long ago that Donald Trump, through the US Air Force, launched a direct attack on Iran. Netanyahu has also been threatening for some days now that as Iran rebuilds its ballistic missile capabilities, Israel is ready to strike again. A war between Iran and the United States has been widely predicted, and we in South Africa appear to be allies—perhaps a little like how the Turks felt in the First World War with the Germans, or how the Austrians felt during the Second World War when they were part of the Nazi machine. We might end up on the wrong side of history here.The Economist is reporting today on the unrest occurring in Iran. It started on the 28th of December, preceding the strike in Venezuela, and began much like the Arab Spring—not with politics, but economics. Electronics vendors who sell phones and computers went on strike because a 40% inflation rate and a similar decline in the currency since June last year have made it impossible to do business. By the time they import goods, they are outpriced and cannot pass those increases on to consumers.Merchants in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar—the temperature gauge of public opinion—joined them, kicking off nationwide protests that forced the Iranian regime to shut down schools and offices in 21 of the country's 31 provinces. It is a reminder that in 2022, a young woman was arrested and died in police custody for not covering her hair. While the regime has since stopped enforcing the wearing of hijabs, it remains illegal. With chronic energy and water shortages and rolling blackouts—worse than the Eskom story we faced 235 days ago—Tehran is a powder keg.The Trump factor and DavosWhat makes this dangerous is the combination of Netanyahu and Donald Trump. Trump is clearly "feeling his oats" after recent events in Venezuela. He has warned that if Iran shoots peaceful demonstrators, America will come to their aid.I would also point you to this morning’s BizNews Daybreak, where we featured a clip from historian Niall Ferguson. He reminded us that in November last year, a "Trump Corollary" was issued regarding US national security laws, essentially stating that America was legally able to enforce the Monroe Doctrine. Ferguson noted that if you had listened then, you would have known that what happened in Venezuela was just around the corner.This leads me to a second story that is quite personal. I’ve attended 19 editions of the World Economic Forum in Davos. This year, however, I wasn't just dropped as a participant; I was dropped from the media schedule entirely. It seems I’ve been "cancelled" by the new movers at the WEF who have different priorities.I’m a bit grumpy today because Donald Trump is returning to Davos for the first time in six years. US corporations are starting to "pony up" serious money for the Davos hub; millions of dollars are being invested to give the Americans a strong presence. Interestingly, the two names mentioned by the Financial Times are Microsoft and McKinsey. Microsoft, once run by one of our top business leaders, Thabo Nyati, is well-regarded; McKinsey, however, is not liked in South Africa due to its involvement with the Guptas in pillaging our national treasury.We will have a strong South African delegation led by Cyril Ramaphosa. The last time Trump attended, he was the main event. It will be interesting to see how the ANC-led government reacts to the Americans. Perhaps Davos will see a breaking of the ice, because right now, relations are not good.Reflections on Venezuela and ZimbabweI’ve written a piece on BizNews this morning picking up statements from DIRCO, the MK Party, and the EFF regarding Venezuela. Their reactions are predictable, but they remind us that many politicians in our parliament are outraged by what happened there.I wish one could remind their supporters that Venezuela is now producing only one-third of the oil it produced before they nationalised those assets. Donald Trump has taken the current Chavista leader into custody after 13 years in power. While there are many legal arguments, we should remember that 18 years ago, Chavez nationalised $60 billion worth of assets. Venezuela went from being the richest nation in South America to one of the poorest, with 7 million people leaving.It is very similar to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe was the breadbasket of Africa until an ideologically driven party turned it into a criminal enterprise. There is a perception that when oil is drilled, only the companies benefit. That isn't the case; the nation benefits through royalties and taxes. A nation should invite international investment and technology to exploit resources and use that cash flow to give its people a better life. That often gets lost when viewed through a socialist lens.Archaeological discovery in MalawiFinally, a wonderful story from The Conversation via three academics from Yale, New York University, and the University of Oklahoma. Archaeologists in Malawi have discovered a funeral pyre/crematorium that is nine and a half thousand years old—by far the oldest on the African continent. It shows, as we continually say, that this is where it all began. This is where civilisation and the earliest developments of mankind occurred: right here in Africa.I’m going to leave it there for today. Keep an eye on your Premium newsletter for links to our freshest content. Thanks for trusting us with your time.I’m Alec Hogg. Until tomorrow, cheerio.

The Editor's Desk - Tue 6 Jan 2026: Is South Africa on the "wrong side of history"? Davos, Iran, and ancient secrets

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