Digital currency could spark African financial revolution
Cryptocurrency, or simply put, digital currency that uses cryptography as security, and blockchain, the technology it runs on, provide opportunities to reach Sub Saharan Africa’s largely unbanked population – a number that stood at 326 million adults in 2011 according to the World Bank. The media is increasingly touting the technology as the key...
Some SA start-ups not that affected by junk status
Despite South Africa’s political and economic issues, local start-ups with innovative ideas are catching the attention of international investors who spot an opportunity to scale these businesses in overseas markets. A case in point is GetSmarter, a Cape Town based online education company founded in 2008. It was sold to NASDAQ-listed, 2U,...
Pension funds can play a pivotal role in African aspirations for 2063
African equities have recently faced strong headwinds, despite the positive fundamental growth prospects presented by the continent, writes RisCura Africa’s Business Development Executive, Gerald Gondo. If one considers the negative return profiles of a number of the African equity indices over the last two years, it would not be surprising...
The Road to Retirement
Your retirement journey starts now As at July 2017, RisCura compiled information on how much South Africans need to save, when they need to start saving, and how long they need to save to ensure they can maintain their standard of living. The following scenarios are based on this information and a retirement age of...
Lessons learnt – seven ways PE managers can ride the current tough wave
The current muted growth environment in Africa presents a unique opportunity for private equity (PE) managers to demonstrate their expertise and generate value-add without the momentum of a commodity upswing, or a booming Chinese, investment-driven growth trend. Tough economic times call for cost-cutting and, in the investment sector, bigger cuts are...
Investing in SA’s hedge fund market
With hedge funds slowly starting to make their way onto investment platforms, the general South African public can now invest in hedge funds — for the first time ever. Previously, only high net worth individuals and qualified investors were able to invest in hedge funds. However, the 2015 amendments to the Collective Investment Schemes Control...
Trustees said Moody’s would downgrade, Rand will depreciate
At the recent Batseta conference in Sun City, 61% of attendees at a RisCura presentation said, in answer to a spot survey, that Moody’s Investor Service would join Fitch and S&P in downgrading South Africa to ‘junk’ status. RisCura’s managing director, Malcolm Fair, was speaking at the Batseta – Council of Retirement Funds for South...
