South Africa’s increased offshore allowance simplifies moving capital abroad, but structuring remains critical. Offshore trusts offer estate planning, asset protection, and legacy benefits, though they require careful compliance and long-term strategy. Professional advice is essential to align global investments with financial goals.

Despite growing concerns, current data suggests AI has not significantly displaced jobs or driven the global hiring slowdown. Instead, weaker labour markets reflect broader economic factors, with limited evidence of productivity gains or widespread automation, making expectations of AI-led disinflation and rate cuts premature.

Morningstar research shows market volatility narrows investor focus, prompting short-term thinking and reactive decisions. Financial advisers play a critical role in restoring perspective, using behavioural coaching and structured communication to keep clients aligned with long-term goals and investment discipline during uncertain periods.

Oil prices remain elevated as the Iran war disrupts global supply, threatening South Africa with sharply higher fuel costs, rising inflation and slower growth. The crisis underscores the urgency of strengthening domestic resilience, boosting investment, and accelerating structural economic reforms.

Thato Kola, ESG Analyst at Matrix Fund Managers, highlights key policy and institutional reforms shaping South Africa’s investment landscape, including the strengthening of carbon tax policy, proposed municipal coalition governance reforms, leadership succession at SARS, and evolving plans around Eskom’s unbundling and energy market structure.

Sim Tshabalala, CEO of Standard Bank Group, highlighted the bank’s strong 2025 performance, with headline earnings of R49.2 billion and ROE of 19.3%. Growth was driven by solid balance sheet expansion, strong fee and trading income, improved credit quality, and continued momentum across Africa.