Afternoon Drive with John Maytham

John Maytham speaks to Ash Valenzuela-Heeger about her journey, her signature style, and what this Michelin recognition means for her future in the industry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham interviews Professor Mark Swilling, a Professor at the Centre for Sustainability Transitions at Stellenbosch University, about the global implications of Trumpism and its impact on South Africa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

News24 Editor-in-Chief Adriaan Basson joins John Maytham to stress that President Cyril Ramaphosa must take a pragmatic and strategic approach when leading a delegation to Washington DC to repair relations with the Trump administration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham speaks to Dean Ferreira, Managing Director of NCC Group, following a listener query about posters placed in Newlands Forest detailing grievances from NCC wildfire firefighters. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham speaks with Andy Davies, Chairperson of Friends of Table Mountain (FoTM), about the ongoing crime concerns in Table Mountain National Park (TMNP). While incidents have decreased from a record-high 96 muggings in 2023 to 60 in 2024, Davies emphasizes that this number remains unacceptably high for a national park and key tourist destination. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prof. Allan Davids, Senior Lecturer in the School of Economics and Director of the Financial Innovation Hub, joins John Maytham. With expertise in financial markets and urban economics, he breaks down the factors driving up costs and explores practical ways the city can become more accessible to residents and newcomers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach, DA Spokesperson on Justice and Constitutional Development, joins John Maytham to explain the motivation for the DA’s PAIA application to access the Simelane Report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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John Maytham is joined by Mia Malan, founder, and editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa, South Africa’s leading health journalism centre. She’s been closely following the latest developments of Trump’s ban on aid for SA and will help us make sense of what’s at stake. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham speaks with Lisa Vetten, Research Associate at the Southern Centre for Inequality Studies at Wits University, about Judge Avinash Govindjee’s call for domestic violence warnings on alcohol bottles. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham speaks with Kuseni Dlamini, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in SA, about the South African Chamber of Commerce in the USA’s (SACCUSA) concerns regarding U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on South Africa. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham is joined by Paseka Letsatsi, the Head of Communications at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), to address the urgent issue of the approaching deadline for switching to the Postbank Black Card, set for February 28, 2025. Letsatsi warns that failure to make the switch could lead to significant disruptions in grant payments for beneficiaries and outlines the procedure for obtaining the new card to ensure a smooth transition. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham welcomes Terry Fortune, the visionary behind The Golden Oldies, to discuss this special Valentine’s weekend celebration at Kirstenbosch. The event brings together South African music legends over the age of 60, offering a night of nostalgia, timeless hits, and a reminder of the country’s rich musical heritage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham speaks to Shanicka Snyders, a UCT SRC member, who has been directly involved in assisting affected students. She shares insight into the realities on the ground, the SRC’s ongoing engagements with university management, and what students need in order to move forward. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham welcomes Wonderful Mkhutche, a Malawian political scientist and governance scholar, to discuss Malawi’s decision to withdraw its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen to John Maytham's weekly book reviews and share his passion for all things literary. From fiction to non-fiction, John reads and reviews a range of books that would sit well on your reading list. FICTION The Broken River by Chris Hammer NON-FICTION Roberts Sunbirds and Sugarbirds of Southern Africa Gail Darroll, Dr. Mark Brown, Ingrid Weiersbye, Guy Upfold Tree Encounters: Portraits and Stories from South Africa Ruth Parker and Brita Lomba See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham is joined by Professor Ross Clayton, an education economist and researcher – to discuss why boys are underperforming in school systems across the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham speaks with Lauren Salt, an Executive at ENS in the Employment practice, about workplace discrimination against individuals with tattoos See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our Burning Planet is the Daily Maverick section devoted to expert environmental opinion and analysis. We partner up each Friday on the Afternoon Drive to discuss a burning issue. Journalist Julia Evans joins John Maytham discuss the paradox of using lethal shark control measures—such as nets and drumlines—inside Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in KwaZulu-Natal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Maytham speaks with Don Ross, co-author of The Gambling Animal alongside Glenn Harrison, about humanity’s unique relationship with risk. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.