I write this article in January 2024, the new year has arrived and we look forward to a year filled with major events, both in South Africa and abroad. National elections are scheduled to be held this year, which will inevitably have an impact on pensions and...
Q1 2024
Stirring the pot: Local retirement funds need local providers to implement new two-pot system
The recent announcement that Parliament’s standing committee on finance has declined to extend the implementation date of the two-pot retirement system to 2025 has been met with consternation by many in the industry. With reactions ranging from condemnation of the new...
Overhauling SA’s retirement system – shrewd or misguided?
The average person spends around 90 000 hours of their life working. That’s just over 10 years or 3 750 days or, in other words, a third of their lifetime. For many South Africans, retirement is far out of reach. Of the 5.2 million South Africans aged 60 and...
The future world of work: insights and trends to help chart your course
Not too long ago, most people were forced to work remotely from home. Even in 2022, a vast majority of organisations worldwide had introduced a remote working policy or were considering implementing one as a long term strategy. Fast forward to 2023. The need for...
Improving your TECH by “eating your own dog food”
Improving technology solutions by adopting the perspective of the user, or "eating your own dog food," is a powerful strategy for businesses aiming to enhance their technology platforms offered to board members, fund members, employers and other stakeholders. This...
Runway in view
Fifteen years ago, in January 2009, US Airways Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger landed an Airbus A320 in the Hudson River in New York City. It was an iconic moment in the history of aviation. The forced landing was necessary after both engines were knocked out by...
Key trends that will lead to a mixed investment environment in 2024 and what this means for trustees
As South Africa prepares to celebrate three decades of democracy amid a potential election upset and shifting global political landscape, Alexforbes believes that there are windows of opportunity that fund managers can take advantage of to find value for their...
Rising noise levels in markets test investors – in a volatile year, staying invested will matter as events could turn quickly
Markets had a strong run in the final weeks of 2023 as investors rushed to price in a monetary policy pivot - in the form of anticipated rate cuts - from central banks. That has left valuations looking stretched across asset classes. But it is already clear that 2024...
Sustainability of investments and assets in the context of retirement funds
Investors have an important role to play in creating a better South Africa. Investing with sustainability as fundamental consideration is key in shaping a future in which we want to retire. There is an increasing awareness that how these investments are directed can...
Top ten macroeconomic trends in 2024
Investors, envisioning a route away from a deeper or more prolonged recession, are nevertheless still likely to grapple with a moderation in global economic activity in 2024, driven by the ongoing repercussions of tight monetary policies, constrained government...