Women’s Month: Advancing Equality Through Gender Lens Investing
With August being Women’s Month, it gives us a good opportunity to explore new trends within investment management, in particular, Gender Lens Investing (GLI). The 27four Private Markets division has published insightful papers on the mechanics of GLI and how investing with a gender lens presents opportunities that seek to improve the lives of women […]
Property Investing: Direct Real Estate vs REITs
Impact of interest rates on the property sector: With the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) reducing the repo rate yesterday, 31 July 2025, the movement of interest rates stands out as a critical factor that may influence property investments by retail investors. As the repo rate is reduced (the rate at which the SARB lends […]
Transformation Fund
Monthly financial markets outlook | August 2025
Global equities were resilient in July, supported by fading trade risks. In the week ending July 23, global equity funds recorded net inflows of US$8.71bn, rebounding from US$4.4bn in outflows the previous week, as optimism around U.S. trade breakthroughs and better than expected data boosted risk appetite. This de escalatory tone, together with solid U.S. […]
Retirement Savings in South Africa: Why Starting Early Matters
In South Africa, where the average life expectancy continues to rise and state pensions (like the SASSA grant) are not sufficient to maintain one’s lifestyle post-retirement, retirement planning is not optional – it’s essential. Yet, most South Africans start too late or contribute too little. This leads to financial insecurity at a time when income […]
βeta Solutions Quarterly Style Analysis – Q2 June 2025
Q2 2025 saw a mixed bag of results in terms of SA styles. There was a notable performance divergence between the weighting methodologies applied in estimating style returns, namely market capitalization and factor weighting. Assuming market cap. weighting, momentum and rand tracker shares stood out as the best performers. The biggest drivers of momentum were […]
Investors’ Cognitive Biases to Market Volatility
Being a successful long-term investor requires an understanding that as human beings, we are often driven by cognitive investment biases, which, if not kept in check, can lead to poor investment outcomes. It is therefore important to be aware of these biases so that we can make better investment decisions. Before we look at these […]
Quota or Catalyst? Interrogating the 2025 Employment Equity Regulations Through a DEI Lens
This paper analyses the Employment Equity (EE) Regulations of April 2025, assessing their potential to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in South African workplaces. It argues that while the regulations represent a progressive shift towards substantive equality, implementation challenges and systemic barriers persist. Key themes explored include wage inequality, skills development spending, flexibility in […]
Monthly financial markets outlook | July 2025
Developed market assets ended the second quarter of 2025 strongly, buoyed by robust corporate earnings, easing monetary conditions, and a moderation in geopolitical risks toward the end of the period. The quarter began on a tense note following the announcement of U.S. “liberation tariffs” and the outbreak of a 12-day war between Iran and Israel, […]