The Alexander Forbes Manager Watch™ Survey of Retirement Fund Investment Managers showcases the performance of institutional fund managers in South Africa, the largest and best asset managers, as well as their BB-BEE ratings. The survey, which was first published in 1994, includes 20 surveys: eight balanced, eleven specialist and one multi-manager. There was an increase of 8.4% among asset managers and 2.6% of new strategies who participated in the surveys in 2020 compared to the previous year. In 2020, 77 asset managers participated and 485 participating strategies. 1. Assets under Management survey highlights The Old Mutual Investment Group (OMIG) is
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Monthly Archives Mar 2021
EMBRACING ALTERNATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO WITHSTAND SHOCKS AND CHANGES TO YOUR INVESTMENTS
Traditional investments like shares, bonds and cash need help. Riccardo Fontanella, head of technical marketing at Alexander Forbes Investments, says that investors are increasingly looking to alternative investments for absorbing shocks from their investment portfolios. Meet Mr Market In his book, The Intelligent Investor, Benjamin Graham describes the financial market as a grumpy, moody and often depressed person. One day he is happy with markets on the rise, the next day he is depressed and causing markets to fall through the floor. The problem is that one never knows in what mood he will be. For many years, blending shares,
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WILD COAST SUN SPRUCES UP TRAUMA & CARE CENTRE
Wild Coast Sun, Sun International’s only beachfront resort, formed a partnership to assist victims of violent crimes get the care they need in a friendly environment. Thanks to the partnership, the local trauma and care centre has received a makeover that means it is a more inviting area in which to be counselled. The Mzamba Trauma and Care Centre is a social responsibility project initiated and funded by Sun International, Wild Coast Sun, Capital Outsourcing Group, Founder’s Golf and Wild Coast Sun Mbizana Development Trust. The Trauma and Care Centre is situated at the Mzamba Police Station opposite the Wild
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NEW EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF FOR MEROPA CASINO
Love is one of the most important ingredients in Earl Larkin, the newly appointed Executive Sous Chef at Meropa Casino and Entertainment World’s dishes. After matriculating, the young Pietermaritzburg Larkin was on a career day outing at the Durban University of Technology when he was shown the hotel school campus. “It was a tough decision (deciding what to study) but I’ve never looked back.” Today he holds a National Diploma in Catering Management. By re-joining Sun International, the chef comes full circle – he started his career in 1993 at the Wild Coast Sun. “We operated the Bengal Brasserie under
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A MESSAGE TO SOUTH AFRICANS ON MY 90TH BIRTHDAY Raymond Ackerman
To be turning 90 seems unreal. It’s a very long time, and if I think back on the many ups and downs, the difficulties we’ve been through as a nation, it’s quite amazing to be writing this at all. The past year has been brutal. So many families have been bereaved, so many breadwinners have lost their jobs, and so many businesses have gone under. At times, the situation has seemed hopeless. Yet we are still standing, and the way in which people have got on with life in the most trying circumstances, and cared for one
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SunBet joins forces with WPPR
SunBet, the online betting arm of Sun International, has joined the Western Province Professional Rugby (WPPR) family as sponsors of the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province teams. SunBet, which offers a secure online platform through which bettors can bet on the outcome of games, will be an associate sponsor for both teams until the end of 2023. The sponsorship makes SunBet the official sports betting partner of the teams, while the SunBet logo will feature on the shorts of the matchday kit of both the DHL Stormers and DHL Western Province going forward. WPPR is proud to welcome a
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Global systemic risks
In response to the global pandemic and a rapidly changing macro-economic environment, policymakers have been summoned to help stabilise markets. They have struggled to manage the economy, society and environment in a way that affords balance. “The real experience feels as if we are living in extremes,” says Premal Ranchod, Head of ESG at Alexander Forbes Investments. Ranchod lists global systemic risks: Climate change Water security Geopolitical stability Technological evolution Demographic shifts Low and negative real long-term interest rates “These may well have been with us before the pandemic, but are accelerating with pace. In response to the states
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EFFECTIVE DECISION-MAKING TOOLS FOR TRUSTEES
2020 was a great example of living in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) world. At times like this it is important for trustees to strike a balance between doing the right thing and doing the thing right. “Trustees are now facing increasing pressure to make good judgements and quick decisions that work even harder and better in the best interests of their members,” says Nimisha Bhawan, head of investment advisory at Alexander Forbes. ”To maximise the effectiveness of a decision-making process that helps build a resilient investment strategy, trustees will need to balance a number of long-term objectives,
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Every day is World Water Day for Sun International’s casino in Durban
Never before has the UN’s International World Water Day been so pertinent. With South Africa and many regions of the world caught in the grip of drought, businesses have had to grapple with the reality of severe water-scarcity. One company that anticipated a water scarce future is Sun International’s Durban-based Sibaya Casino, which first introduced operational changes to water conservation in 2014. Since then efforts have been ramped up with interventions focused on a combination of water storage and recovery, and constantly reviewing the efficacy of water consumption across the casino, the hotel and the lodge. Explaining Sibaya’s
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Mercer Identifies Four Talent Trends that South African Companies should Adopt for Business Growth and Change Post Covid
Given the events of 2020, South African companies and organisations will be investing in reinventing sustainability, defining future workforce needs and/or restructuring, and energising the employee experience Companies and organisations will place a premium on flexibility in business and work models to remain in business and thrive South African companies are acknowledging that the post Covid-19 period requires new thinking on talent and skills retention, embracing technology, incorporating sustainability in business models, and investing more in employee well-being, benefits and engagement. This is according to four trends emerging from the South African edition of Mercer’s Global Talent Trends 2020-2021
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