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The rocketing rand

29 January 2018

Amid much fanfare, the rand broke through to R12 to the US dollar for the first time since May 2015. At first glance it appears to be a continuation of the “Ramaphosa rally” as investors price in improved prospects for economic reform, policy certainty and corruption fighting. However, as is mostly the case, the global backdrop is crucial. After all, the rand has strengthened 4% against the US dollar this year, but is flat against the euro and weaker against the pound. In other words, this is a weak dollar story, though the new positive sentiment towards South Africa certainly helps. Other emerging markets have also seen their currencies rally against the dollar.

SA education impact fund proves to have real impact on matric performance

29 January 2018

The 75.1% pass rate achieved by the matric class of 2017 shows an improvement on the 2016 pass rate of 72.5%. Far exceeding this national average, however, was the 92% average pass rate achieved by 10 of the schools invested in by the Schools and Education Investment Impact Fund of South Africa (Schools Fund). The average bachelor pass rate of the Schools Fund was 42.8%, also exceeding the national average of 28.7%.

Invest in student accommodation and hospitality asset businesses and reduce your tax

25 January 2018

For the first time, South Africans are now able to invest in high quality hospitality and student accommodation businesses whilst reducing their tax liability in the process.

2017 – A year of vindication for risk assets

25 January 2018

There is a powerful proverbial saying which goes as follows, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone”. Rattled by the difficult 2016 experienced by a large number of investors, both locally and globally, the retail investment market experienced a large rotation from risk assets (equity and property) into cash. The political uncertainty and economic weakness experienced on a global and local front over the period 2015 - 2016 was enough to induce many investors to ‘reject’ their initial investment strategies (many with large exposures to equities) for the safety of cash as they entered 2017.

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The strongest deterrent against FSP compliance missteps is or should be:

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