Tag: 2008 Global Financial Crisis

The world is facing one of its gravest crises in recent memory as it stares down COVID-19 and the wealth management industry has a key role to play by steadying the investment ship and navigating investors’ safely through this storm.

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide surpassed one million last week. This number probably still understates the true spread of the coronavirus given the lack of testing in many places, and the fact that some infected persons don’t show symptoms.

Recent weeks have seen the local market hit by a triple whammy. Both local and global markets have crashed as the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic begins to be felt resulting in a market sell-off; a rapid decline in oil prices has created a global supply shock. In addition to that, ratings agency Moody’s downgraded South Africa’s credit rating to junk or sub-investment grade.

Local investors should stay invested to reap strong future returns. An early decisive response to the COVID-19 threat should contain the spread of the virus in South Africa, but the economic repercussions in the short term will be costly. Local measures to contain the virus will add to an already weak economy and negative global impact.

The global economy has been hit by five shocks as the coronavirus spread rapidly. This could not have been predicted, though with hindsight the market was initially much too complacent. The situation is so uncertain now that a strategy based on trying to predict the future is bound to get it wrong.