Assets & Investments

An Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is an investment fund, traded on stock exchanges, which are an attractive proposition due to their low costs. Terms such as passive investing, low cost investing or indexation investing are terms often used to describe this strategy. The purpose of incorporating ETFs or passive portfolios into one’s investment strategy is to manage costs over the long term.

The Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, used the opportunity in the National Budget Speech to address the concerns raised by many South African citizens, corporates and international ratings agencies.

The close of the tax year is drawing near, meaning those wanting to make use of the tax-free savings account allowance have their last opportunity on February 28 to put money away in the current tax year.

Retirement is often painted as a harbinger of doom, with naysayers sounding endless warnings that you will likely need to cut out all of life’s pleasures if you’re to survive your retirement years.

If you are formally employed you might have been required to join your companies contracted retirement scheme, and they would have asked you to nominate a beneficiary for the proceeds in case you die before retirement. However, if you chose a beneficiary that is not your dependant then the chances are that the retirement fund trustees won’t honour your wishes!

S12J refers to a section of The Income Tax Act. This section allows an investor to deduct the full cost of their investment into an approved s12J company against their taxable income. This benefit is available to individuals, companies and trusts and can be utilised against normal income as well as Capital Gains tax.

In fact, this aversion to the loss of money is so significant it has become the subject of a substantial number of studies. The 'pain' that is felt when people lose money is stronger than the 'joy' of a gain. And it is even more pronounced when a person has worked hard to build their capital base, often through diligent behaviour and determination, over many years – possibly even a lifetime.

The new City of Johannesburg Land Use Scheme, 2018 was published by The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality (Council) on 2 January 2019 and comes into operation on 1 February 2019.

There are now more than 100 registered Section 12J (S12J) companies in South Africa and it is estimated that the market has raised more than R3.6 billion in investments. S12J was instituted in 2009 with a 12 year sunset clause set to end in June 2021. 

The unbundling and listing of MultiChoice will result in Naspers shareholders holding a direct interest in the video entertainment business. Naspers expects to unbundle and list its MultiChoice business on the JSE by the end of February if all goes according to plan. In a pre-listing statement, the global internet and media business said shares in the video entertainment business would start trading on the JSE on 27 February.