Karen Harverson
Once exchange controls are lifted, the South African investment community’s interest in offshore opportunities will snowball, says Syfrets Group chief executive Christopher Beatty, speaking at a launch this week of new international investment products. However, he cautioned that investors need to react quickly to changes in the international economy and understand the risks involved. Head of Syfrets International Rob Nichol said investors should look at long-term themes in the market and structure their portfolios accordingly. The technology revolution was one of the global themes, said Nichol, adding that South Africa is a prime example of development in telecommunications. `South Africa uses more cellphones than anywhere else in the world.’ He cited emerging markets — one of which was Africa — as another global theme. `If the deregulation taking place in these markets can be combined with political stability, the growth potential is enormous.’ China with its potential consumer base of 800-million people could become a driving force behind countries in Africa.