Harry Botha

If someone came to you tomorrow with R100m to invest in just one company, which would it be?

PSG. The company has established an exceptional team to find and grow businesses such as

Capitec, Curro and Konsult.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Speed reading. There is so much information out there to consume.

What was your first job?

I worked as a ski technician at the Ritz-carlton Hotel in Beaver Creek, Colorado, as a holiday job while at university. My first full-time job after university was as an analyst at Eighty20.

If you found a lottery ticket tomorrow that had won $100m, what would you do with it?

Start my own hedge fund.

How much was your first pay cheque and what did you do with it?

R13,000. Most of expenses. it went to covering household

On what occasion do you lie?

To keep other people’s secrets. As a sell-side broker you occasionally end up with significant nonpublic or inside information.

What’s the best investment you’ve made?

I bought property in Cape Town in 2014. I’ve had a few good calls with shares, but also some bad ones. I realised some good returns on Steinhoff (and PSG) between 2013 and 2015 — and managed to stay out recently.

Do you own bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency, and why?

No. I think bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are a purely speculative instrument in current market conditions.

What’s the worst investment you’ve made?

Though I could not actually invest my own money in this, I had an outperform rating on African Bank just before it was placed under curatorship.

Apple or Samsung (or Nokia)?

Apple. I think Apple’s reliability and easy of use trumps Samsung phones’ hardware and software features.

What travel experience is on your bucket list?

Central America. Volcanos, jungles, beaches and unique cultures — all pretty exciting stuff.

If you could turn back time, what would you change in your life?

I’d start saving and investing earlier.