Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Investing in Africa

To accompany the series of compositions commissioned from Athol Moult for our 2o10 Annual Report, Imara asked James Retief, editor of JSE Magazine, to explore Africa’s investment heritage and potential in words. This is his account.

Selected extracts:

"Now the darling of the global investment community, Africa’s long and rich trade and investment history has provided an excellent foundation for its position as a world-class manufacturer and consumer and investment destination."

... ...
"The best investment opportunities are found where perception differs from reality and Africa often fits that bill perfectly."

... ...
"Responsible investing is a significant theme in the world today with the focus firmly on the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit."

... ...
"Having for a long time been considered the delinquent continent, Africa has transformed itself into one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, featuring robust and resilient economies, a stable banking sector, strong markets, liberalising policies and undiscovered, high-quality and fast-growing companies."

... ...
"With economic growth figures of between 5% and 8%, returns on investment frequently surpassing those of developed economies and the income levels of the one billion-strong population ever rising (thanks largely to globalisation and the unabated demand for goods from countries such as China), the investment potential is huge. Investors can choose from banks, mining, retail, manufacturing and mobile phone companies, all with good prospects, healthy balance sheets and respectable price earnings ratios."
"Africa is now a global competitor and a premium investment destination. Now is Africa’s time."
Real the full piece here.