Should one opt for SA?

Schalk Louw gives an overview of the last decade and his take on whether the country is a good investment destination.

- Schalk Louw

We recently listened to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s fifth state of the nation address (SONA), which in general came across as cautiously optimistic. In my experience, however, the average South African is all but optimistic and in most cases, they just do not have enough conviction to invest their hard-earned capital in South Africa. When I ask them about it, the standard response is: “Look around you, Schalk, we keep moving backward every day”. This is usually followed by “SA is going nowhere”.

I also hear a lot about how the rand is going nowhere and that the JSE remains one of the worst investment destinations in the world. Well, those who know me, know that I live by the saying that if you can measure it, you can manage it. Emotions have no place when it comes to the management of investments. So, what has happened since 2017 when Ramaphosa found himself in the audience for the last time when SONA was presented, before delivering those speeches himself?

President of SA