Tag: liquidity

For many South African farmers, a farm is more than an asset – it is a family legacy, a business and often the entirety of their net worth. However, when it comes to estate planning, one critical factor is often overlooked: liquidity. Without adequate liquid assets, heirs may encounter financial strain and operational challenges. In some cases, they may even be forced to sell the family farm to meet estate commitments.

Africa presents a compelling – albeit complex – investment landscape. While challenges such as political instability, currency volatility, and limited liquidity persist, significant opportunities counterbalance them. These growth options stem from powerful demographic shifts, digital transformation, and burgeoning intra-continental trade.

Private markets are less liquid than public markets. Locking up funds for a significant period is unfamiliar to many private investors. Regulators worldwide are concerned about risks associated with private assets during market stress. A key regulatory focus is on liquidity mismatches in open-ended funds investing in illiquid assets. These mismatches occur when funds allow excessive flexibility on redemptions.

Despite unprecedented external headwinds, MultiChoice achieved positive operational outcomes. Most notably, currency depreciation reduced trading profit by ZAR7 billion. This impact was felt over the last 18 months. However, through active interventions, MultiChoice navigated these challenges effectively. These efforts spanned the six months ending 30 September 2024 (1H FY25).

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is the largest bourse in Africa. Its market cap of approximately ZAR20 trillion also means that it sits in the top 20 of the world’s largest stock exchanges. Despite that size and heft, it is under significant pressure. In addition to increased competition from newer exchanges such as the Cape Town Stock Exchange and A2X Markets, it has a serious delisting problem.

When discussing the value of the financial profession, financial advisers are often compared to medical doctors and are sometimes even called ‘financial doctors’. The reason behind this is that financial advisers look after the financial challenges of clients in much the same way that doctors look after the health issues of patients. This is not a perfect analogy, but there are certainly some comparisons to be drawn.

The last five years have seen an improvement in the audit profession when it comes to audit failures. Is this evidence that the entire financial ecosystem finally understands the importance of taking responsibility for the audit process or is it because of the increase in legislative mandate and high scrutiny that is currently imposed on the audit profession?

We are pleased to announce that the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has approved our amendments to the listings requirements dealing with market segmentation which come into effective on 23 September 2024.

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) recently announced the completion of the observation period for the South African Rand Overnight Index Average (ZARONIA). This development marks a pivotal shift in South Africa’s financial landscape, transitioning from the Johannesburg Interbank Average Rate (JIBAR) to ZARONIA as the primary reference rate.

When we think about estate planning, we think of a plan outlining a tax-efficient way to deal with our assets when we pass away. Instead of viewing this as a ‘death plan’, try to think of it as a ‘life plan’ – a strategy created during your lifetime to ensure that your wishes are fulfilled, and that your loved ones benefit as intended after you pass away.