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.

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.

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.

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.

Charl de Villiers, Head of Equities at Ashburton Investments, reflects on the third anniversary of managing the Ashburton Equity Fund, highlighting the team's success in delivering positive alpha, strong peer performance, and their focus on South African listed equities.

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.