Classic Business

Jennifer Anderson, Head of Investment Platform Product & Communication at INN8

Hillie Meyer, CEO

Mia Kruger, director

Research & Fund Management

Kruger International Asset & Wealth Management

Last year government unveiled 50 strategic infrastructure projects (Sips) and 12 special projects involving a total investment of R360 billion, as the first tranche of a massive infrastructure expenditure programme to drive the post Covid-19 economic recovery effort. These initial Sip projects are expected to create an estimated 275 700 jobs in six sectors: water and sanitation, energy, transport, digital infrastructure, agriculture and agro-processing, and human settlements.

The fact remains that SA is one of the most unequal countries in the world and requires significant investment in infrastructure for all her people to enjoy the basic dignity of running water, electricity, tarred roads, health care and education…

A major questionmark remains over how these projects will be funded?

In April 2020 we had calls from the private equity industry to increase prudential limits on asset allocation imposed by Regulation 28 of The Pension Funds Act and to split the asset class from hedge funds.

The conversation became poisoned by the spectre of prescribed assets, which were used by the apartheid regime to terrible effect…Done the right way, and it could present a pathway to prosperity out of South Africa’s Covid induced economic depression.

An interesting phenomenon is playing itself in markets this year.

As a trader the “Thundering Herd” is something you never want to stand in the way of.

But it’s very clear that balance of power has shifted from the advisor to the individual that has been empowered and to a certain extent weaponised by the ease of access to data.

These individuals are done with the omnipotence of Wall Street, feel the game is rigged against “main street”, are pushing back against the establishment and have mobilized as a really disruptive force in financial markets globally with a few high-profile casualties left in their wake.

As a general rule, they don’t trade on fundamentals and don’t care about traditional valuation techniques. They buy stuff they think is going up and sell stuff they think is going down. Simple as that..

It’s the rise of the retail trader and one of the largest brokers to be at the centre of the recent game stop story is IG, a global firm based in London that specializes in online derivatives trading, which has appointed Ndabezinhle Mkhize as an independent chairman of IG Markets South Africa.

Mkhize is the Chief Investment Officer at Eskom Pension and Provident Fund. Also an independent non-executive director of JSE-listed Fairvest Property Fund, where he serves as chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee. He is also chairman of the Asset Owners Forum South Africa.

Michael Avery spoke to Ndabe and Kevin Algeo, IG Group's CEO of APAC and Africa, about the rise of the retail trader.

Michael Sassoon, CEO

Although schools across the country have reopened for the 2021 academic year, some parents have made the difficult decision to keep their children at home for the foreseeable future due to concerns around COVID-19.

In response, a growing number of both public and private schools now offer the option of online learning. So how do the costs of virtual schooling compare to that of traditional, in-person learning?

Michael Avery sat down with Kerry Fynn, CEO of independent advisory firm AlphaWealth, who has crunched he numbers.

Irnest Kaplan, Founder of Kaplan Equity Analysts

With the sun setting on s12J investors are wondering what happens next. It also shines a light on those in the industry who raised funds without deployment as well as seeing investment schemes that perhaps aren’t attractive enough to stand on their own two feet without the sweetener of the tax incentive.

Michael Avery spoke to Dino Zuccollo, chairman of 12J Association of South Africa.

Wayne McCurrie, portfolio manager, FNB Wealth and Investments

Martin Harris, premium client manager at IG SA