With less than a week until Americans head to the polls, the outcome of the presidential race remains highly uncertain. Adding to this uncertainty, this election cycle has featured several unusual developments. Chief Investment Officer at Old Mutual Wealth Private Clients, Andrew Dittberner gives his perspective on the upcoming US Elections.

Izak Odendaal, Old Mutual Wealth Investment Strategist, examines Germany and China’s economic struggles, highlighting Germany’s manufacturing dependence and China’s high investment yet low consumption. Both economies face challenges that impact global markets and create investment uncertainties.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to investing. At best, the savvy investor knows the importance of investing in shares, as this is the single asset class that delivers inflation-beating returns over the long term.

Africa’s venture capital (VC) ecosystem faced significant challenges in 2023 due to political instability, slow economic growth, and reduced funding access. However, local VCs demonstrated resilience through collaboration, leading to successful exits.

Despite early concerns about the decline of traditional office work during the Covid-19 pandemic, Standard Bank reports resilience in Africa’s real estate sector. The office, retail, and industrial markets have seen strong recovery, supported by flexible hybrid work models and growing demand for industrial space.

Citadel’s Chief Economist predicts the medium-term budget speech on 30 October will bring some welcome good news about economic growth thanks to improved political and energy stability - but he warns that over-spending on the public sector wage bill remains the elephant in the room for the local economy.