South Africa’s asset management industry enters 2026 under pressure, with talent, regulation and digital transformation reshaping the landscape. CEO Phryne Williams outlines the three leadership challenges firms must address now to build resilience, retain top performers and stay competitive in a fast-changing market.

As 2025 closes, global central banks face sharply diverging fortunes. While the US Federal Reserve battles conflicting data, market froth and liquidity strains, South Africa’s Reserve Bank enjoys a year of clarity, credibility and easing inflation, opening the door to further rate cuts.

Ascor Independent Wealth Managers, a boutique financial planning firm, has been awarded the prestigious FPI Professional Practice of the Year title by the Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI)

Momentum’s Science of Success festival reveals how financial distraction is eroding South Africans’ long-term goals. With rising costs and low use of professional advice, experts show how clarity, automation and protection can refocus planning, strengthen wealth-building, and turn daily decisions into lasting financial progress.

Experts across sectors welcomed the 2025 Medium-Term Budget’s focus on fiscal discipline, infrastructure reform, and private-sector collaboration. While improved debt stability and policy certainty inspire optimism, leaders stress the need for measurable youth employment outcomes and inclusive growth to sustain South Africa’s recovery.

In a thoughtful reflection on South Africa’s mid-term budget, Yugen Pillay, Partner and Head of Public Sector at BDO South Africa, highlights the encouraging signs of economic recovery while urging greater urgency in tackling crime and corruption to safeguard progress.