Breakfast with Martin Bester

Breakfast with Martin Bester spoke to South African author Deon Meyer about his new book, ‘Scorpio Rising’, and the story behind one of his earlier novels, ‘Fever’, which featured a devastating pandemic years before Covid-19 emerged. The conversation explored how real-life events, research and unexpected connections shape Meyer’s crime fiction. He said the resemblance between the coronavirus in ‘Fever’ and the virus behind Covid-19 was not the result of a prediction.

South Africans who cannot get credit from banks or need money quickly are increasingly borrowing from retailers, microlenders and online lenders, according to new research. The overall ratio of debt to annual net income is rising again and now stands at 126%. For people earning more than R50,000 a month, debt repayments take up 97% of their take-home pay. Their debt-to-income ratio is 300%, down from a peak of 340% in Q3 2024, but still the highest of any income group.

Word Unscrambler is a tool that allows users to find words from scrambled letters. Word-finding experts at Word Unscrambler revealed the 15 words South Africans struggle to pronounce the most. According to Word Unscrambler, South Africa’s three most searched mispronounced words in 2026 were Porsche, Shein and Worcestershire sauce. Together, they accounted for around 30% of the top searches.

In this week's Asking For A Friend, a listener sparked a debate about roundabout etiquette after asking whether drivers should indicate when they are going straight. The motorist says they regularly see drivers signal right as they approach a roundabout, only to continue straight through. That leaves other motorists unsure when it is safe to enter. “Since when do we indicate to go straight around a roundabout?” the listener asked. This prompted other listeners to share their burning questions about the things people do wrong on the road.

Canadian rapper Drake has reimagined Ella Langley’s record-breaking hit ‘Choosin’ Texas’ in his new song ‘Solar Eclipse’. ‘Solar Eclipse’ slows down Langley’s hit and gives it a hip-hop- and R&B-inspired sound. While some of the lyrics stayed the same, Drake and Don Toliver, who is featured on the new song, took some creative liberties with other lines.

What if the secret to protecting farmers’ crops was to interfere with insects’ love lives? That’s exactly what Insect Science, based in Tzaneen, Limpopo, is doing. Founded by Gerhard Booysen, the business uses chemical signals called pheromones, which insects use to communicate and find mates, to develop targeted pest management solutions.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Judge Navi Pillay joined Breakfast with Martin Bester to reflect on her lifelong fight for justice, the pressure on international law and why accountability, education and public action remain essential to protecting human rights. Judge Navi Pillay was “speechless” when she learned she had won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, she told Breakfast with Martin Bester in an exclusive radio interview. She reflected on international law and the work still to be done.

It was during the Paris Masters that the stars aligned and some of the world’s biggest sports stars met. Video footage that made the rounds on social media showed Alcaraz meeting some of the South African Springboks players. “Different sports, same champion mentality. Carlos Alcaraz meets the Springboks,” the Rolex Paris Masters wrote on its X account, alongside the video. The Springbok line-up included captain Siya Kolisi, Malcolm Marx, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Jasper Wiese and Pieter-Steph du Toit.

Anonymous asked Breakfast with Martin Bester and its listeners for help. She has met the perfect guy, but there is just one small problem: he wears plakkies wherever they go. The team and listeners weighed in.

In a hospital operating theatre, having the right medical instrument at the right time can make the difference between life and death. It’s a responsibility Ashley and Tania Mulligan take seriously. Their business, Kushesh Express, delivers essential medical supplies to hospitals across South Africa, guided by a simple but powerful promise: We save lives with every delivery. What started with two bakkies and a handful of customers has grown into a national logistics business employing more than 150 people, earning Kushesh Express a place among South Africa’s Future 50 businesses.

Breakfast with Martin Bester has a brand-new Secret Sound worth R50 000. Can you guess the sound?

Springbok Cheslin Kolbe tells Breakfast with Martin Bester how growing up in Kraaifontein, overcoming doubts and the support of Layla shaped his journey and inspired his new book, 'Sidestepping the Odds'.

Breakfast with Martin Bester gave away another R50 000 in the latest Secret Sound.

Sidney Hill was driving out of his Pinetown driveway for a quick trip to the shops with his children when he noticed a car behaving suspiciously. It moved closer, stopped and crept forward again. Then, as his family came under attack, Hill had to act fast to protect them. The attempted hijacking happened on 9 October. Dashcam footage of the incident later spread online. Hill, a single father who works in private security, described the ordeal when he spoke to Martin Bester, Philicity Reeken and Xola Nthsinga on Breakfast with Martin Bester.

Social media can expose children to serious harm, while posts, messages and even shares can carry legal consequences. Speaking to Breakfast with Martin Bester, digital law expert Emma Sadleir urged parents to understand the risks and make sure their children know they can ask for help.

Breakfast with Martin Bester caught up with two-time Rugby World Cup winner Kwagga Smith after he joined the Vodacom Bulls. He also explained how he got his name and spoke about his road to recovery after an injury.

If you've spent even a few minutes on the internet in 2026, you’ve probably come across the word “maxxing”. It has become so popular, in fact, that the term has earned Dictionary.com’s 2026 Word of the Year title. The term comes from "maximising" and describes taking something as far as possible.

An anonymous listener is asking for advice after becoming uncomfortable with one of her boyfriend’s friendships. She wrote to Breakfast with Martin Bester to share her concern. Speaking to the team on air, she explained that the friend would not let her and her boyfriend leave when they visited, and tended to drink too much.

Poppy’s Cresta, a restaurant in Randburg, Johannesburg, is calling out customers who allegedly left without paying their R3,000 bill. The restaurant called on the patrons to “do the right thing” and settle their outstanding bill. “If you are reading this, you know who you are. We are giving you the opportunity to do the right thing and settle your outstanding bill,” the restaurant said in a Facebook post.

After a three-month land restoration project grew into a 27-year journey, Deon van Eeden's Vula Environmental Services is helping rehabilitate South Africa's landscapes while creating jobs and building a thriving business.

Breakfast with Martin Bester caught up with Grammy Award-winning superstar Brian McKnight! They chatted about the timeless love songs that have moved generations, his incredible career and his love for South African fans. Brian also shared what we can expect when he joins All-4-One and SWV live at SunBet Arena, Time Square, on 30 and 31 October.

Anyone who regularly goes for manicures and gets their nails done will tell you about the confidence boost it gives them. But now there is actually evidence to suggest that getting your nails done is good for your mental health.

In this week’s Asking For A Friend on Breakfast with Martin Bester, Anonymous wrote to us to help her feel better. She said she and her partner often fight about small things and wanted to know what small things other couples fight about.

What if the mountains of ash produced by South Africa's coal-fired power stations could become a valuable ingredient in the buildings, roads and infrastructure we use every day? That's the opportunity Themba Nyembezi and Dirk Odendaal recognised when they founded Fly Ash Africa, a business transforming an industrial by-product into a commercially valuable material for cement manufacturers and mines. Themba came from a career in corporate investment, while Dirk brought decades of cement industry experience. Together, they saw potential in a material most people would simply regard as waste.

A good old South African braai remains one of the favourite ways for people to come together. For a typical household, it’s a good way to enjoy food and spend time together. However, the cost of a braai has also become a talking point among households. According to braai.co.za’s Braai Index, the average braai basket for 5 to 11 October costs about R713.37.

WhatsApp is introducing a long-awaited feature that will let users schedule messages to be sent at a chosen date and time. The tool is currently available to some Android beta testers, with a wider rollout expected in the coming weeks. The feature will work in both individual and group chats. Users will be able to schedule text messages, links, photos and videos, even if their phone is offline when the message is due to be sent. Scheduled messages will remain protected by WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption.

The man accused of terrorising motorists at an intersection in Fourways has been identified as Thabo and has reportedly been taken to a rehabilitation facility. Breakfast with Martin Bester spoke to Wright about the incident and the man who was allegedly terrorising women in the area. She has since shared an update, saying that Joburg mayoral candidate Curt van Heerden and his team had been searching for Thabo.

In this week’s Asking For A Friend, a listener wrote to Breakfast with Martin Bester to ask about braais. “It’s not my job to make the side dishes with the women at a braai. I want to kuier. Am I being unfair?” she asked.

Samantha Opperman and Coenie De Beer have helped build Neo Technologies into a business that has weathered 24 years of technological change. Their story offers a powerful lesson in adapting, growing and staying relevant. When Neo Technologies began 24 years ago, supplying printer cartridges to universities was a viable business. Today, the company provides technology solutions spanning security systems, networks, computers, software and ongoing support. Behind that evolution are Samantha Opperman and Coenie De Beer, two remarkable business builders who didn’t start the company but earned their way into owning it.

Tshwane residents and businesses affected by the extended power cuts following a fire at the Waltloo substation can submit formal claims to the City of Tshwane for assessment. The fire broke out on 29 September, leaving parts of Murrayfield, Silverton, Meyerspark, East Lynne and nearby areas without electricity for more than 12 days.

Karen Zoid has always been one of the best live performers in the country, with her seemingly effortless vocals captivating audiences. Zoid's musicality is almost unparalleled, but it's no surprise that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree with her son Ben Francis. The mother-son duo is the definition of "it runs in the family", so it was only a matter of time before they decided to work on a music production together.

With the recent historically high petrol price increase, most South Africans are definitely feeling the financial pinch of daily life. As fuel and food prices increase, many people are opting for only the daily essentials, but even these staples can come with a steep price. The South African recently compiled a list of regular grocery staples that are costing South Africans a lot. Product prices, of course, vary depending on the retailer, sales promotions and loyalty programmes. Looking at products at the higher end of the price scale, here are ten of the priciest staples South Africans buy regularly.

Martin Bester has been driving Mzansi to work and keeping us company, or in stitches, or in tears, every Monday to Friday from 06:00-09:00. The Breakfast family, or rather your morning family, takes an authentic approach to storytelling. Martin Bester's in-depth radio knowledge ensures that Breakfast with Martin Bester remains an annual award-winning show, but more importantly, he knows what his audience wants to hear. Martin Bester responds with beautifully crafted storytelling that genuinely builds anticipation and a community around that "What’s next?!" moment.

Following the viral story about how Roosevelt High School in Randburg’s matric dance was cut short due to incidents involving a parent threatening a staff member with a gun, attendees vomiting and the use of marijuana, Breakfast with Martin Bester discussed what feels like a decline in manners, discipline and respect for teachers.

South Africans are facing unprecedented fuel prices as of Wednesday, 7 October. Motorists who use petrol will have to fork out over R3 more for a litre of 93 or 95 octane petrol from Wednesday. The cost of diesel will also increase significantly, by R2.84 and R3.24 a litre.

Have you ever suspected that a colleague who does exactly the same work as you earns more? Well, Anonymous thinks we should all know what our colleagues earn.

What does it take to turn kelp growing in the cold Atlantic off the Cape coast into an agricultural product used by farmers around the world? For Afrikelp, the answer lies in everything it has built around that natural resource. Founded in 1971, Afrikelp produces a plant biostimulant that helps crops use water and nutrients more effectively and cope with environmental stresses such as heat and drought.

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber joined Breakfast with Martin Bester to answer South Africans’ questions after announcing that the department plans to stop producing green barcoded ID books by 31 March 2027. From voting to queues and smart ID eligibility, he explained what the transition means for South Africans and how technology is changing access to Home Affairs services.

It's matric farewell season, and it got Breakfast with Martin Bester wondering how much a matric farewell actually costs.

You can win R50 000 on Breakfast with Martin Bester’s Secret Sound! Can you guess the sound?

Khutso Mphela from Limpopo won an incredible R50 000 on Breakfast with Martin Bester after he correctly guessed the Secret Sound.

A South African woman has gone viral after her small act of kindness warmed the hearts of many social media users. Vinisha Singh took to Facebook to share a picture of a Checkers Sixty60 driver standing in the rain at her home after delivering her Checkers order. The man, dressed in his Checkers raincoat and trousers, was visibly wet from the rain. The picture also shows him holding a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of biscuits, which Singh gave him as a small gesture of kindness.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a set of immediate government measures aimed at strengthening the fight against gender-based violence and femicide, following the recent killings of 12 women in Ekurhuleni.

According to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Employment Survey for the second quarter of 2026, the average South African salary has increased by 4.1%. The average monthly earnings paid to employees increased from R29,402 in May 2025 to R30,611 in May 2026. BusinessTech also reports that average monthly earnings paid to employees increased by 2.6% quarter-on-quarter, from R29,825 in February 2026 to R30,611 in May 2026.

Founded by Vice Phiri and Andrew Mokoto, the Johannesburg-born business helps farmers, mines, security companies and other customers put drones to productive use. Customers can buy or hire drones, receive training, arrange finance and insurance, and access servicing, repairs and technical support. With more than 10,000 hours of drone flying behind it, the business has expanded beyond Johannesburg into the Western Cape and Zimbabwe.

In this week’s Asking For A Friend, a concerned mother wrote to Breakfast with Martin Bester. "My sister-in-law saw my son-in-law at a restaurant/pub with a blonde girl who is not my daughter. They were partying, drinking and having a good time," Anonymous wrote. "Then I was approached by a mutual female friend of my daughter, who told me that my son-in-law likes and reacts with heart and fire emojis to pictures of this friend on Instagram." "So, do I approach my son-in-law, or do I tell my daughter?"

Céline Dion kicked off Paris Fashion Week in style on Monday, 29 September, stepping onto the catwalk beneath the Eiffel Tower and singing ‘I’m Alive’ to a delighted crowd in a surprise performance. The Canadian superstar took to the runway at the end of L’Oréal’s annual show, emerging in a sleek black gown to rapturous applause at one of the fashion calendar’s most glamorous openings. Smiling with her hair loose, the singer performed her 2002 hit before being joined by a star-studded cast of L’Oréal ambassadors, including Viola Davis, Simone Ashley, Aja Naomi King and Eva Longoria. The Quebec-born star recently announced a much-publicised return to the stage with a 26-show run in the French capital. Sixteen shows are set for September and October, with a further 10 planned for May 2027. Paris Fashion Week, dedicated to women’s spring/summer collections, runs until 6 October. With Dior, Tom Ford, Schiaparelli and Givenchy still to unveil their latest creations, Dion could yet be spotted in the front row at…

Die aspirerende rugbykommentator, negejarige Keagan Croucamp, het op Breakfast with Martin Bester kom kuier en meer gedeel oor sy rugbydrome.

What happens when ‘Rick and Morty’ fans get to put their questions to the people behind their favourite characters? Martin Bester found out when he sat down with Ian Cardoni, Harry Belden and Spencer Grammer at Comic Con Africa in Johannesburg. Cardoni voices Rick Sanchez, Belden voices Morty Smith and Grammer voices Summer Smith. The three joined Breakfast with Martin Bester for a chat that moved from fan theories and unlikely destinations to what really happens inside a recording booth.

A Springbok player was caught butt naked when a camera inside the team’s changing room showed a little more than it was supposed to. The footage was filmed at Optus Stadium in Perth, Australia, where the Springboks lost 42-38 to the Wallabies. During the match, Australian sports channel Stan Sport showed the Springboks talking in their changing room. Unfortunately, during the team’s talks, the camera also captured something it wasn’t supposed to. Reserve players were changing into their kits when one player was caught with his naked butt on display for the whole world to see.