Tag: Old Mutual

While global geopolitical tensions may feel distant, their financial impact is hitting South Africans closer to home than many realise. From rising fuel prices to mounting inflationary pressure, experts warn consumers about what many now describe as the “unseen tax” on everyday living. In fact, geopolitics drives “unseen tax” in ways that quietly shape household expenses.

Most financial conversations start the same way: what is your income, how much can you save and what income will you need in retirement? These questions create a solid foundation for clients building wealth. However, for the truly wealthy, the conversation must evolve beyond income to the architecture of their balance sheet. That is where wealth architecture planning begins and where advisers can create lasting value.

The soon-to-be-enacted Conduct of Financial Institutions (COFI) Bill is the next step in South Africa’s outcomes-based, principles-led market conduct regulation. Once effective, the Act will consolidate conduct-related provisions from multiple financial services sector laws into a single framework.

As South Africans braced for a heavier tax burden, the 2025 Budget Speech delivered a mix of relief and reality. While tax increases were lower than feared, financial advisers will soon need to navigate a complex landscape of regulatory reforms.

The South African government has concluded its 2025 budget deliberations. It announced a Value Added Tax (VAT) increase of 0.5% from May 2025. It also announced a possible further 0.5% hike by April 2026. These increases are part of measures to address the growing budget deficit.

Small and Medium Enterprises are the cornerstone of the global economy. The 2024 United Nations General Assembly designated June 27 as "Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) Day" to raise awareness of their contributions toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - specifically SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure).

The rush to enrol at universities and colleges is just about over. But by December, about 60% of the students who enrolled this year will drop out. With the dropout rate will go the career dreams of many, hard-earned savings, and the realisation that student loans will now have to be repaid.

Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) confirm that women live considerably longer than men, on average. The general consensus is that the combination of men’s lifestyle choices and their reluctance to seek medical advice is a major contribution to their relatively high incidence of serious health issues at a young age.

A world in which women thrive is a better world. Although gender inequality remains rife globally, significant strides are being made on one of society’s most influential platforms: the boardrooms of big businesses. There is consensus that change in workplaces in Africa and around the world generally start at the top, at board level.

As the two countries implement reforms, the local situation is unlikely to spiral out of control as it did in France. In October 2010 there were massive strikes across France against pension reform. Activist Jean-Baptiste Reddé’s slogan “Ecoutez la colère du people" (Listen to the people’s rage) became world famous as the symbol that epitomised public sentiment.