BizNews Investment Conference #3 - 11-13 August 2026

About the Event

Welcome to the third annual BizNews Investment Conference (BNIC#3). Recognised as South Africa’s premier investment conference accessible to all, we are bringing our highly engaged community of investors and business leaders back to the Champagne Sports Resort in the Drakensberg. The event includes an opening dinner, lunches, and refreshments, all served throughout. Accommodation is for the delegate's account, with a list of options to suit all budgets included with the booking confirmation.

The primary objective of BNIC#3 is to provide delegates with unique, unfiltered insights into how best to shape their personal investment portfolios to defend against loss and deliver significant upside without undue risk. The event is highly interactive with lots of time for networking and making new friends.

The event kicks off on Tuesday, 11th August at 6 pm with a mini-concert by the Drakensberg Boys Choir, followed by a nightcap conversation and then an informal networking dinner.

While the event will be hosted by BizNews editor Alec Hogg, an innovation for BNIC#3 is the active participation of BizNews's four investment gurus.

The BizNews Resident Investment Gurus

To ensure every presentation transitions to actionable portfolio mechanics, BNIC#3 features in-depth participation by our four resident market veterans. These experts serve as the delegates' proxies, specifically tasked with extracting high-signal financial value from our keynote lineup.

BNIC#3 Investment Gurus:

• Magnus Heystek * David Shapiro * Piet Viljoen * Peter Major

Their Strategic Role On-Site:

• The 20-Minute Panel Q&A (Live Interrogation): Immediately following each keynote speaker's 20-minute podium address, one of our four resident investment gurus will join Alec Hogg on stage to co-anchor a 20-minute conversational deep dive, challenging the speaker's assumptions and helping translate their strategic vision into tangible investment metrics.

• The Daily Synthesis (End-of-Day Wrap Panels): At the conclusion of each day's presentations, the gurus will convene for an unscripted, high-stakes panel discussion. They will synthesise the day's corporate intelligence, debate capital allocation strategies, and provide delegates with a unified, actionable summary of recommended investment steps before evening networking commences.

Event Schedule Snapshot

• Kickoff: The event begins with registration, a welcome dinner, and a nightcap chat on Tuesday, August 11th.
• Conclusion: Formalities will conclude at 2:00 PM on Thursday, August 13th.

The Format: Zero-Noise, High-Signal

To ensure the highest quality of engagement, you will hear from 12 business leaders, with each session meticulously structured into an hour-long deep dive:

• 20-Minute Podium Address: A direct, unfiltered presentation from the keynote speaker.
• 20-Minute Panel Q&A: A conversational deep-dive with Alec Hogg and a resident investment guru (David Shapiro, Piet Viljoen, Magnus Heystek, or Peter Major).
• 20-Minute Audience Q&A: Moderated questions from delegates submitted via a dedicated WhatsApp channel and filtered in real-time by the BizNews production team to prevent mic-hogging.

The programme

BNIC#3 Speakers & Topics

Below is the proposed thematic alignment for our 12 business leaders (we await confirmation from the last two keynote speakers). Their topics are specifically designed to resonate with an audience of rational, forward-thinking current and potential shareholders. Here are our presenters in first-name alphabetical order .....

Here are the BNIC#3 speakers and the investment gurus who will be helping Alec Hogg in their discussion. In alphabetical order…….

Andries van Heerden - CEO, Afrimat:

Building Industrial Resilience: Strategic diversification and consistent wealth creation in the resources sector.

(Peter Major)

Charles Savage - CEO, Purple Group:

Democratizing Wealth: Fintech growth and the rapid evolution of the retail investor landscape

(David Shapiro)

Dawie Roodt - Chief Economist, Efficient Group

The Macro Reality Check: Navigating South Africa's fiscal policy, inflation, and global headwinds.

(Magnus Heystek)

Dean Macpherson - Min of Public Works and Infrastructure

Public-Private Synergies: The regulatory roadmap and unlocking private sector infrastructure investment in South Africa.

(David Shapiro)

Hans Hawinkels - Ex-Naspers Asia; CEO Multichoice

Doing business with China: The man who put together the ultimate private equity play shares frameworks for successfully investing in and partnering with Chinese enterprises.

(Piet Viljoen)

Iraj Abedian - Entrepreneur, economist, expert on Iran

Geopolitical Contagion: Decoding Iran's strategic role in the Middle East conflict and its direct impact on global energy markets, supply chains, and investor portfolios.

(Piet Viljoen)

Johnny Copelyn - Executive chairman, HCI

Deep Value in Action: Capital allocation strategies and the unlocking massive potential of SA tourism and Oil & Gas reserves.

(David Shapiro)

Meryl Pick - Manager Old Mutual Gold Fund

The Ultimate Safe Haven: The case for gold - a fundamental outlook for precious metals in a volatile global economy.

(Peter Major)

Rob Hersov - Global Entrepreneur & Investor

Revisiting his landmark "Voetsek ANC" address. An unapologetic update on South Africa's political-economic landscape and where the smart money is moving next.

(Magnus Heystek)

Sean Summers - CEO, Pick'n Pay

The complexities - and the people side - of turning around a retail giant. Almost three years since re-taking the reins at the company he led to glory, the Pick'n Pay chief will share insights on one of the toughest jobs in SA.

(David Shapiro)

Simon Baloyi - CEO, Sasol

Sasol's Turnaround: Steering SA’s oil-from-coal giant through extreme oil market volatility and capitalising on the new global pragmatism toward carbon-rich energy assets.

(Piet Viljoen)

Stafford Masie - Technology Entrepreneur & AI Expert

The AI Revolution: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Everything and what this technological supercycle means for the future of capital.

(Magnus Heystek)

Warren Wheatley - CEO, African Bitcoin Corp

Digital Gold: Integrating Bitcoin into institutional and private high-net-worth portfolios.

(Peter Major)