and currents offshore
The Mail & Guardian asked six financial institutions three questions about offshore investing. 1 Why should South Africans make offshore investments through local companies rather than going straight to the foreign investment manager? 2 What should the South African offshore investor be looking for when deciding who to invest with? 3 How should investors judge performance and what factors should be considered when deciding whether to sell?
Andrew Bradley, managing director, Brait Management
Investing offshore offers a daunting array of investment choices. When looking at investments, you are faced with two alternatives:
l you invest through a locally domiciled company with international funds; or
l you invest with a foreign company, who on the whole is not represented locally.
The benefits of investing through a South African company centre largely around issues of accessibility. Firstly, a local company would have a client services division, where one-to-one contact with you is possible.
Secondly, a local management company should understand the South African tax legislation and advise you on which portion of your portfolio would be subject to income tax. It is unlikely that a foreign company would understand the intricacies of this tax structure. This same argument applies to South Afri- can legislation governing foreign allowances.
Thirdly, an investor utilising a South African company would have access to pricing in the local media on a daily basis. Foreign companies’ prices would probably have to be accessed via the Internet or telephone. In addition, the price you see in the local media is already converted back to rands.
Lastly, a local company would offer ongoing opinion on market conditions and this too would be reported in the local press. Thus investors would have a feel for how their company was thinking at any particular time.
For security and peace of mind, all local companies are regulated by the Financial Services Board and the Association of Unit Trusts. These companies have to follow strict rules and guidelines.
An international investment is extremely complex. It is rare that one organisation has all the expertise to manage investments around the world, taking cognisance of all the inherent subtleties.
Various fund managers, however, have proven expertise in specific areas. These areas are unfortunately not always the pre-eminent places to invest in at all times. A variety of managers with expertise in differing areas is therefore desirable. A combination of these fund managers with complementary styles and skills is ideal.
In designing the Brait International Growth Fund of Funds, this ideal solution has been sought. IPAC Asset Managers has been appointed to select and blend the most appropriate range of fund managers in a portfolio for South African investors.
Brait Management company encourages its intermediaries and clients to look to the long term. Once an investment objective has been defined, investors and advisors should stick to the game plan.
Switching between unit trusts in an attempt to chase top-performers ends up costing investors dearly. No asset manager can correctly time their entry and exit into markets.
Remaining disciplined is equally important. Discipline requires that we do not react to our emotions. Emotions make us do the wrong things most of the time.
The key emotions in investments are fear and greed. Greed forces us to buy investments when there is mass euphoria about excellent performances. Fear forces us to sell investments when they are performing poorly. There is the fear that the investments we have will fall even further, so we sell.
Louis Stassen, chief investment officer, Coronation Asset Management
The main advantage to a South African investor is the geographical location of the investment company. Local companies are well-known and easily accessible to investors and their financial advisers, and have extensive local resources to handle information requests.
The products are transparent and the performance is easily assessed. Any changes which could affect future performance of an investment house are well publicised.
Local companies comply with South African legislation and are monitored by local financial bodies, offering more protection to investors.
By comparison, foreign companies have little direct representation in South Africa and thus access to information, such as performance figures, is more difficult. Given the volatility of investment markets, any delays in disclosure could be costly.
There are thousands of investment companies registered worldwide. Very few have entered the South African market.
It is very difficult for a South African investor to assess the reputation and market standing of a foreign company, or the products it markets in South Africa. South African companies, on the other hand, are well known and understood by investors.
Local companies focus on South African investors in terms of product design. In order to become internationally competitive, South African companies are allocating significant resources to structuring and managing international funds which are competitive with anything that a foreign company can offer.
An investor should take into account the reputation of the investment company, the stability and depth of its team and the performance record of all its products.
It is useful to look at the size of assets a company manages and at how it copes with growth. Resources allocated to managing international products indicate their importance to the investment house.
It is important to evaluate the risk and return profile of the investment vehicle, as well as its geographical and sector allocation. The manner of managing the fund impacts on the former – an index-linked fund should have a lower risk profile than an actively managed one.
The final assessment factor, given South African foreign exchange restrictions, is the percentage of the fund that is actually invested in internationally.
Performance must be compared to a suitable benchmark. For instance, a global equity fund should be judged relative to the Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) world index, but a diversified United States equity fund should be compared with the Standard & Poor 500 index.
It is inappropriate to directly compare funds with different mandates. Thus it is critical to understand the investment mandate of a fund prior to investing.
Performance should be evaluated on a medium- to long-term basis, and should be broken down into returns due to the assets performing well and to the depreciation of the rand.
In addition to performance, it is important to monitor the investment company itself for any significant changes which could jeopardise its future returns.
Kobus van Rooyen, marketing manager, Guardbank
There are several reasons to invest through a local company. One is service. Put R500 000 (the overseas investment limit) with a local fund manager and you’ll get his favourable attention all right. Put 50 000 with a London-based firm and they hardly notice.
It’s just not a sizeable portfolio in their terms and you’re a long way off in South Africa. Why should they treat you as somebody special?
Other reasons may be summarised as:
l liquidity – locally your money will be available to you within days. Overseas it may take longer;
l cost savings – in general, our costs are lower;
l no forex limits – you can diversify as much of your wealth as you wish. You are putting rands into a local fund whose underlying investments are in overseas assets;
l fewer tax hassles – there are no additional tax implications to worry about;
l more responsiveness – because your access to portfolio managers is that much closer.
The proven track record of the international fund manager is important, along with its reputation for ethical dealings and reliability. The standing of the local company is just as important.
Offshore diversification is a form of risk containment. So select a good, solid South African company that has solid relationships with international players of proven stature.
Diversifying by giving your savings to firms you hardly know with overseas partners no one’s heard of hardly reduces your risk.
The focus should be on the long term, not on quick returns. The key reason for offshore investment should be to obtain a hedge against the rand.
Essentially, this is a defensive strategy, reducing risk by spreading investments into other markets.
With this in mind, the investor should look at funds offering a country spread. A spread in terms of both stock selection and into various countries balances some timing risks.
If all your overseas portfolio is sunk into a single market and this is over-valued, a simple correction costs you dearly.
Treat this as a strategic asset allocation. Don’t buy on impulse. Don’t sell on impulse.
Jeremy Gardiner, head of Investec Guinness Flight’s unit trust division
The first reason South Africans should make offshore investments locally is that it is easier to do the homework. It can be quite daunting finding the right investment house overseas to trust with your money.
Further, since South African companies are regulated locally and have local reputations to uphold, comfort can be derived from their accountability to you.
Additionally, local companies are aware of the needs of local investors. For example, a locally based asset manager is unlikely to steer an investor towards emerging country investments since South Africans are already highly exposed to this sort of risk. Indeed, one of the major reasons for investing offshore is to diversify, steering away from emerging market risk.
South Africans can also take comfort knowing that queries they might have about their holdings can be obtained by making a local phone call.
Finally, unless an individual has a significant offshore portfolio, his or her investment translated into dollars or pounds is most likely quite modest.
Small investments across the waters do not enjoy the sort of attention and service the same size local investment would ensure.
South Africans should evaluate an investment company’s performance, service and accountability.
One must also look for an investment house with in-house offshore capability. Without international investing skills, your money will be out-sourced to an overseas affiliate. These third parties will not necessarily understand the South African investors’ needs.
In addition, in-house global investment capabilities give the investor a single point of contact, direct accountability by that company’s fund managers and the security of knowing exactly who is managing his or her money.
The benefits of a truly global asset manager, such as Investec Guinness Flight with 39 offshore funds, is that the global focus and interaction of fund managers sharpens investment capabilities on all continents.
Performance should be judged against peer funds in similar fund classes and against the stated benchmark of the fund.
Investors should look for consistency of a particular fund’s performance as well as the performance of the investment house as a whole, bearing in mind macroeconomic reasons for some fluctuations.
In general, South African investors should consider offshore investment as an exercise in preserving rather than creating wealth.
Because it can be an expensive proposition, sell or change funds only if a fund’s mandate changes to something you do not want, or when it is the wrong time for a particular sector.
Switching is expensive and research shows that investors who switch regularly lose out in the long run.
Jeremy Bolton, senior portfolio manager, Old Mutual Asset Management
While local companies cannot necessarily guarantee a better return than their foreign-registered competitors, investing locally is a great deal simpler. There is no requirement to obtain tax clearance and no minimum or maximum limits.
Because the investment is effected locally, there is no delay in implementing the decision, which can be important these days with the high volatility that we have experienced. Regular debit orders, interfund switches or withdrawals are easily achieved.
The investment is also very transparent with daily prices being quoted and regular performance surveys easily obtainable. Investors also have the comfort of knowing the institution that they are dealing with.
There is an increasingly wide range of locally registered international funds available. This choice is expected to increase as awareness of the benefits of international diversification grows.
The company that one chooses to invest offshore with should have a proven track record of delivering superior performance within the requirements of its investment mandate.
Given the increasingly large range of offshore funds being reported on it is critical to compare funds with similar mandates and benchmarks.
We at Old Mutual Asset Management also believe that it is important to have a good understanding of the philosophy and style of the investment manager being selected.
An example of this would be whether one is looking for aggressive fund management with a high risk tolerance, or whether conservatism is more important. Generally speaking this is easier to obtain from locally registered companies.
Performance should always be judged in the context of the fund’s specific mandate.
There is obviously little point in comparing an international equity fund with an international bond fund. Similarly one cannot compare a fund investing only in developed markets with one concentrating in emerging markets.
However, a number of funds do have common benchmarks such as the MSCI world index and comparisons between these funds would be appropriate.
As with all investments, the measurement period should be at least 12 months and preferably longer.
The decision to sell is often more difficult than the decision to buy.
Assuming that the investor wishes to remain invested in a similar offshore fund, then switching should only be done if the fund has shown consistent under-performance of either its benchmark or a comparable peer group.
Doug Verley, managing director, Standard Bank Unit Trusts
For many South Africans offshore investment opportunities have been limited and may appear confusing and remote.
Local fund managers can offer investors access to global asset management expertise and the ability to place funds in a range of professionally managed investments to match personal financial goals.
In addition, local companies can offer investors personal and confidential service without the hassle of telephoning or faxing internationally.
For example, our offshore department is able to obtain a client’s tax clearance certificate on their behalf from the Receiver of Revenue.
However, clients are able to contact either Fidelity (Standard Bank and international management group Fidelity Investments formed a strategic alliance in 1996) or Standard Bank Jersey directly should they wish to do so.
In deciding who to invest through, investors should consider:
l track record and reputation of the company. It must be remembered that there are numerous offshore companies all offering investment products.
l it is far better to choose a company with a sound track record and reputation than one offering fantastic short-term results with no guarantees.
l size – in terms of assets under management. This is an indicator of the confidence the public has in the company.
l global representation – does the company have offices throughout the world, with research analysts and portfolio managers situated in the area with a direct focus, rather than someone operating from the head office? Are there local administration offices?
l investment philosophy – what is it that the company is aiming to achieve and how do they go about managing the funds? Is this done, for example, actively or passively?
The above is just some of the information a client should try and obtain before deciding on which offshore company to choose.
As with local unit trust funds, it can be very easy to base one’s choice purely on performance. This very often leads to disappointments in the long term when fantastic short-term returns are not maintained.
As with any unit trust investment, it must be remembered that it is a medium- to long- term investment, meaning anywhere between three to five years and longer.
Moving in and out of the market (market timing) has never been easy and can lead to disastrous returns for a client.
When wanting to sell, the client must consider a number of factors. For example, if he/she has a specific goal, how long has he/she been in the fund, what has been happening internationally and, more specifically, in the region he/she has invested, and has the fund achieved its stated investment objective.
If investors are unhappy or feel that their objectives for investing have changed or there is opportunity elsewhere, they should consider selling.
Both South African regulatory bodies are on the Internet, the Financial Services Board at and the Association of Unit Trusts at