Ronald King, Head of Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs at PSG Financial Services, warns that expanding access to retirement funds may provide short-term relief but risks undermining long-term savings discipline, potentially worsening South Africa’s retirement crisis by reducing future retirement capital and encouraging harmful withdrawal behaviours.
Allianz Trade has appointed Luke Morawitz as Country Manager for South Africa, effective 1 February 2026, while he retains his role as Head of Credit. A 14-year veteran of the business, Morawitz succeeds into the leadership role reporting to Luca Burrafato, Head of MMEA.
The Allianz Risk Barometer 2026 highlights cyber incidents as the top global risk for a fifth year, with AI surging to second place amid rapid adoption, while geopolitical tensions, regulation, and business interruption continue reshaping the global risk landscape.
As festive foot traffic surges, slip-and-fall risks rise, highlighting recent case law on liability in malls. A key judgment confirms that cleaning contractors aren’t liable for hazards they aren’t contracted to monitor, placing primary responsibility on mall owners and managing agents.
AI’s explosive growth is reshaping the physical world, sparking a massive global data center construction wave. Discover the forces driving this expansion, the risks and rising costs involved, and whether the boom can be sustained in the years ahead.
Ronald King, Head of Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs at PSG Financial Services, warns that expanding access to retirement funds may provide short-term relief but risks undermining long-term savings discipline, potentially worsening South Africa’s retirement crisis by reducing future retirement capital and encouraging harmful withdrawal behaviours.
Kabelo Makeke, Head of Personal and Private Banking at Standard Bank South Africa, rejected allegations of misconduct relating to a historic vehicle finance case, stating they are false and baseless. He reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to ethical practices, transparency, and defending its reputation against misinformation.
Escalating US-Iran tensions are driving higher fuel costs, worsening financial strain for South Africans. Rising stress is impacting employee productivity and retention, highlighting the need for workplace financial wellness programmes to improve financial literacy, resilience, and overall workforce performance.
Teaching children financial discipline is essential for long-term success. By instilling habits like saving, delayed gratification, and understanding money early, parents can build strong financial “defence,” empowering the next generation to manage, grow, and protect their wealth confidently.
Yusuf Wadee, Head of Exchange-Traded Products at Satrix, says the firm’s strong showing at the 2026 SALTA awards reflects growing investor reliance on ETFs as transparent, cost-effective building blocks for long-term portfolios, supporting Satrix’s mission to make investing more accessible to South Africans.
Arthur Kamp, Chief Economist at Sanlam Investments, says rising oil prices threaten South Africa’s disinflation outlook by pushing inflation expectations higher. While rates may stay on hold short term, sustained inflation pressures could force the SARB to delay cuts or even hike rates.
At the 2026 SAVCA Conference, industry leaders debated private capital allocation, with some advocating a flexible, generalist approach for diversification and agility, while others stressed the need for segmented allocations to ensure transparency, accountability, and alignment with differing risk-return profiles.
Mark Phillips, Head of Portfolio Management and Analytics at PPS Investments, says rising geopolitical tensions and higher commodity prices are increasing inflation risks and complicating monetary policy. Despite this, the SARB held rates at 6.75%, with future decisions dependent on inflation trends and currency stability.
South Africa’s widening life insurance protection gap highlights the importance of acting early. Securing cover while healthy, understanding policy terms, and disclosing all information can help avoid costly mistakes and ensure meaningful financial protection when it’s needed most.
While Easter road safety has improved, risks remain during busy travel periods. Santam urges homeowners to secure their properties by testing alarms, arranging check-ins, and reviewing insurance, ensuring peace of mind and protection against common threats like housebreaking over long weekends.
Old Mutual Insure has appointed Tandiwe Cimela as Executive: Elite, effective April 2026. With extensive industry experience, she succeeds retiring co-founder Tarina Vlok, whose leadership helped establish Elite as a trusted high-net-worth insurance offering.
If your insurance could speak, it would ask whether your cover still matches your life. From updated assets and addresses to accurate risk details, regular reviews are essential to avoid underinsurance and ensure your policy truly protects you when it matters most.
iTOO Special Risks and Munich Re launch aiSure, Africa’s AI performance insurance, covering losses from non-malicious AI errors. The solution enables businesses and developers to adopt autonomous AI confidently by mitigating risk, guaranteeing model performance, and supporting innovation across industries.
Tavaziva Madzinga, CEO of Santam Group, highlighted the insurer’s strong 2025 performance, driven by disciplined underwriting, double-digit premium growth and progress on the FutureFit 2030 strategy. Santam strengthened its market leadership while expanding internationally and investing in capabilities and partnerships.
S&P Global Ratings upgraded Africa Re’s long-term issuer and financial strength ratings to Full “A” with Stable Outlook, recognising its strong performance, robust underwriting, risk management, and pan-African footprint, marking a historic milestone for the African-led reinsurance company.
The insurance industry is rapidly evolving as AI, rising risks and globalisation reshape operations. Insurers are leveraging technology and international partnerships to improve efficiency, enhance risk assessment, and deliver more proactive, client-focused solutions in an increasingly complex environment.
Jordaan Burger, Managing Director for Sage Africa and Middle East, says the rollout of Sage AI will help businesses reduce administrative burdens, strengthen compliance and improve productivity. The human-first AI tools aim to support SMB growth by automating accounting, payroll and finance tasks while maintaining trust, security and user control.
John Mc Loughlin, CEO of J2, warns that shadow AI is becoming a major cyber risk, explaining how unseen AI tools, bots and non-human identities expose organisations to faster, more dangerous attacks.
Sean Neethling examines whether surging AI investment signals a market bubble, concluding conditions are not extreme. Using valuation, sentiment and capital-supply signals, he urges investors to prioritise diversification and caution, avoiding overvalued AI and crypto segments while targeting resilient global opportunities.
Personalisation is evolving but remains underutilised. Andrew Solomon, Client Strategy Director at Achievement Awards Group, explores its challenges—data complexity, AI integration, and resource constraints. Despite these hurdles, businesses can start small, refine strategies, and gradually enhance customer engagement through tailored experiences.
Complaints are an inevitable aspect of running a business. Handling these customer grievances effectively is crucial, not only for maintaining a good relationship with the complaining customer but also for safeguarding your business’s reputation - especially in an era where social media can amplify an individual’s voice
Janeesha Ragubeer, Area Manager at Business Partners Limited, foresees a promising season ahead for South African small businesses, offering her insights on three actionable strategies to help them flourish this spring.
