Tag: Old Mutual

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.  

Stokvels are on the move: moving from villages to cities, from beneath mattresses into savings accounts and investment instruments. As they move and evolve, their potential for growth and their ability to create wealth increases.

It’s incredible how many people make resolutions about getting themselves in shape when a new year begins. Very few of us, it seems, think about the ‘financial hangover’ that we are dragging into a new year and how much getting personal finances back in shape could benefit our lives. 

As leaders meet to discuss the state of the world and the difficult road ahead at the World Economic Forum, a frank and honest discussion about the loss of educational opportunities in developing markets is long overdue.  

There has never been a more critical time than now for employers to celebrate worker’s month by providing their employees with structured wellbeing programmes with a particular focus on financial wellbeing that can ultimately affect the bottom line if not managed effectively.

About 7 million South Africans have funeral insurance; this is according to Finscope’s 2019 statistics. This figure underlines the importance we place on making sure our loved ones have a dignified send-off. The question to be asked is whether it is necessary to have both types of insurance policies to achieve long-term financial stability.