Tag: exchange rate

The fluctuations of the South African currency (the rand) in the period leading up to the recent national and provincial elections, and during the negotiations by political parties to form a Government of National Unity (GNU), have resulted in many wild and drunken speculations - especially on social media.

Advanced Import Payments (AIP) are a crucial strategy for businesses seeking to enhance efficiency in their cross-border operations. In South Africa, where recent regulations have re-shaped the landscape, understanding, and leveraging AIP can yield significant advantages for international trade, integrating South Africa further into the global economy.

While many factors indicated the possibility of a rate hike, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB)’s decision to hold their key lending rate provides some relief after a challenging year.

When it comes to forex in a South African context, how can South African businesses and High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWI) ensure that they are receiving the best service possible and secure the best rates?

The South African Rand (ZAR) is experiencing another tumultuous period. Following a robust rally last Tuesday, the Rand’s fortunes have taken a hit, with its earlier gains yielding to a more cautious market sentiment. Factors contributing to this turbulence include geo-political concerns in the Middle East, particularly Israel’s preparation for a potential offensive in Gaza, which has raised fears of energy supply disruptions and global economic repercussions.

In February 2022, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana amended the maximum offshore investment limit for Regulation 28 retirement funds from 30% of assets to 45%. But data shows that most funds haven’t maximised their exposure to the new limit, begging the question: why?

Some of South Africa’s foremost investment thinkers have long advised that people living in the country hold as much of their wealth offshore as possible. Understandably so too. Over the past decade or so, the S&P 500 has outperformed the JSE All-Share Index by a significant margin.

MultiChoice Group (MCG), Africa’s leading entertainment company, returned its Rest of Africa business to profitability and further expanded its consumer services ecosystem during the year ended 31 March 2023 (FY23).

For banks, disruption has become business as usual. Besides the ever-changing customer expectations, banks are under pressure to defend their market share against increased competition and the digitisation of the financial services landscape by neo-banks and FinTechs.

The notion of a polycrisis – various systemic crisis occurring simultaneously and interacting with one another – has been around for a while but has gained renewed traction for obvious reasons.