Dear Readers

Welcome to the September issue of the Views newsletter.

The first article listed here has obviously hit a nerve amongst South Africans, as it generated over a thousand views in its first week after being published. In it, Mark Mayer provides readers with a list of twenty countries that offer citizenship through property investment (see Part 2 for countries 11-20). The post includes the rand value needed to invest, the length of time before citizenship is granted, and interesting facts about each nation. Let your imagination run wild with the possibilities!

How To Get A Passport Through A Property Investment (Part 1):

29 August 2017 | Mark Mayer A top 20 list of countries where a real estate investment may lead to citizenship and a second passport. Read more >

Then we get back to reality with an article by Sharenet analyst Joani van Wyk, who explores the trends surrounding South Africa’s rate cutting cycle. Her research looks at historical data beginning in October 1998 - the beginning of the cutting cycles - and reveals average returns according to sector indices. Investors could use the results in order for them to be better prepared to adjust their portfolios and gain the most from this current cycle.

Don’t Miss Out On The Rate Cutting Cycle:

31 August 2017 | Joani van Wyk There are interesting trends in the six months prior to and six months following the start of each cutting cycle. Read more >

As investors, it’s often good practice to clear our heads of the media noise that can seem so crucial, and get back to basics with what really contributes to investing success. Wim Prinsloo provides refreshment with a look at the wisdom of Frank Busetti, author of The Effective Investor, a must-read book on the South African investment landscape. Busetti explains that the three main contributors to stock market returns are dividend yield, earnings growth, and changes in the stock’s PE ratio - but the most important of these is earnings growth. Renew your understanding and use it to full advantage.

The Single Most Important Driver Of Share Prices:

15 August 2017 | Wim Prinsloo The endless flow of news can distract us from the key factors that actually determine stock market returns. Read more >

Wishing you good reading and a successful month on the markets,

Natalie Mayer

Editor

[email protected]

Mid-year population estimates by province (2017)

(Source: Stats SA)

In South Africa:

• Life expectancy at birth for 2017 is estimated at 61.2 years for males and 66.7 years for females.
• About 29.6% of the population is aged younger than 15 years, and approximately 8.1% (4,60 million) is 60 years or older.
• The estimated overall HIV prevalence rate is approximately 12.6% among the South African population.

(Source: Stats SA)

Q: Protect yourself, is it time to invest offshore?

A: The prospect of investing money outside of your country can be daunting, given the sheer size of the investment universe. In our opinion, offshore investing should be part of any long-term financial plan.

The key to offshore investing is to not only invest in a different country but also in different economies, markets, and currencies, thereby diversifying your investment portfolio. If you only invest locally, you deny yourself the opportunity to invest in those companies that have an international footprint and could generate substantial profits for investors across different economies and markets. By allocating a portion of your investments offshore, you could spread the risk, and enhance the possibility of generating better returns by diversifying.

Where do you invest?

The answer is simple. Stick with people and organisations you know and trust. Seek the advice of a locally- based, competent financial planner who has a sound track record of investing offshore.

The Sharenet team has been managing fund-of-funds for years and have built up a formidable track record. We manage the asset allocation of the fund and place the funds with the best managers in those asset classes. Visit www.sharenetinvestments.co.za for more information.

Contact our Investment team to guide you through the investment process: [email protected].

* Offshore investments are any investments housed in a country other than the investor's country of residence.