Finance & Equity

When a financial institution moves Jira, Confluence, or Jira Service Management into the cloud, part of the operational burden shifts to the provider. Atlassian runs the platform and maintains the underlying infrastructure. Meanwhile, the customer gains the service capabilities that come with software as a service (SaaS). However, moving to the cloud does not eliminate the institution’s responsibility to manage technology risks and meet regulatory requirements.

For many young South Africans, a financial windfall, whether through an inheritance, a family gift, or prize winnings, can fast-track major financial goals and responsibilities. However, without a clear plan, a sudden windfall can easily become a missed opportunity to build long-lasting wealth.

The latest regulatory action against a major financial institution resulted in a R28 million administrative penalty. The penalty followed shortcomings under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA). It is a timely reminder that compliance cannot become a once-off exercise.

You’re lying on the couch after a long day, scrolling through Instagram. Someone is drinking cocktails in Bali. Someone else is unboxing a new handbag. A 25-year-old is smugly explaining the “five things she did to become financially free”. Another reel tells you that your savings “should” reach a certain number by 40. That number makes your stomach drop. You put your phone down and feel vaguely as though you’re failing at life.

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and National Treasury published the draft Crypto Asset Manual for Cross-Border Activities for public comment on 3 August 2026. This marks a watershed moment for South Africa’s crypto asset holders and South African Authorised Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs). For the first time, cross-border crypto transactions will face a comprehensive regulatory framework with the force of law.

South Africa completed its Financial Action Task Force (FATF) action plan and left the grey list in October 2025. The more telling test now is whether the systems built under pressure remain effective when no deadline forces the issue. For businesses, that makes compliance less of a regulatory exercise. Instead, it forms part of the infrastructure required to grow with confidence.

National Wills Week may have ended on 18 September 2026, but the questions it raises remain relevant long after the campaign. A will is one of those tasks that many people intend to get around to “one day”. Yet, when that day comes, clear instructions can make an enormous difference to those left behind. You do not have to be wealthy, retired or a homeowner to need a will. You also do not necessarily need an attorney to draft one.

South Africa’s next wave of credit growth will come from a generation that is digitally fluent, economically active, and increasingly reliant on credit to navigate rising living costs. Yet, this generation remains largely invisible to traditional credit systems. According to TransUnion, only 28% of South African Gen Z consumers over the age of 18 are credit active. This highlights the challenge lenders face when assessing first-time borrowers.

Compliance has traditionally been associated with paperwork, manual checks and the challenge of proving that the right processes were followed. However, regulatory scrutiny continues to increase. Accountable institutions also face greater expectations around customer due diligence. This raises a more practical question: how can compliance become easier to manage, evidence, and maintain?

For millions of women, managing money means more than paying the bills. It means doing the invisible work of keeping a household on track. Often, they do this at the expense of their own financial future. You’re halfway through the workday when you remember the school fees are due. While doing a quick grocery run on the way home, you do rapid mental sums. You need to make sure the food budget will last until payday if you treat the family to take-out tonight.