High-powered investment summit speakers set to engage in lively debate

FORMER finance minister Nhlanhla Nene and economist Mike Schüssler are two of the high-profile speakers who will take part in what promises to be a lively panel discussion on Radical Economic Transformation at the first Raging Bull Investment Summit in Cape Town on Wednesday, January 31.

Nene’s abrupt axing in December 2015 sent the rand and investment markets into a tailspin. Nene currently chairs the supervisory board of investment company Arise and is the resident adviser to Thebe Investment Corporation and a non-executive director at Allan Gray.

Schüssler, the owner of economic consultancy Economists.co.za, is South Africa’s most widely quoted economist. He is one of only three economists to have won the Economist of the Year competition more than once.

The Investment Summit is a platform where thought leaders will engage in a strategic dialogue about pressing issues facing the investment industry in South Africa. The event is open to members of the public.

The Investment Summit will be held before the gala dinner of the annual Raging Bull Awards, which honours the unit trust funds and management companies that have delivered outstanding returns for investors.

The summit will comprise a keynote speaker and twopanel discussions in the morning, a light lunch and a panel discussion in the afternoon.

The keynote speaker will be Dr Daniel Matjila, the chief executive of the Public Investment Corporation, the largest investment manager in Africa, with nearly R2 trillion in assets under management.

The topics of the panel discussions that will take place in the morning are:

1. Investing in Brics: challenges and benefits. Should South African investment portfolios have greater exposure to our fellow emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China? How is economic co-operation among these countries benefiting South African investors? The panellists include:

* Siboniso Nxumalo, the joint head of the Old Mutual Global Emerging Markets Boutique. Nxumalo, who joined Old Mutual in 2005, has worked in the investment industry for over a decade.

* Dr Iqbal Survé, the chairperson of Independent Media and the founder and executive chairperson of the Sekunjalo Group. Survé, who serves on a number of multilateral organisations and global institutions, is the chairperson of the South African chapter of the Brics Business Council.

2. The effects of current and future regulation on the investment industry. This panel discussion will centre on how regulation is transforming the industry and presenting challenges for asset managers. The panellists include:

* Leanne Jackson, the market conduct strategy adviser at the Financial Services Board (FSB). Jackson is helping the FSB to develop new regulatory strategies and frameworks for its transition to a dedicated market conduct regulator in terms of the “Twin Peaks” regulatory model.

* Sibongiseni Mbatha, the president of the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals. He also serves on the national council of the Black Business Council and on the Financial Sector Charter Council. Mbatha has been the senior business support manager at the Industrial Development Corporation since 2007.

The third panel discussion, on Radical Economic Transformation, will take place after lunch. The panel will discuss what this concept means to different players in the economy and what interpretation will best take South Africa forward and grow the economy to the benefit of all its citizens.

Apart from Nene and Schüssler, the panel will include Xolani Qubeka, the founder and chief executive of the Small Business Development Institute. Qubeka, who has held senior positions in the corporate sector for more than 25 years, is the executive chairperson of manufacturing company Malvilox.

To book for the Investment Summit, visit www.ragingbullawards.co.za or e-mail ragingbull@inl.co.za, or phone Daena D’Oliveira on 082 879 8989.