Issued by Sanlam Group Marketing and Communications Department.
During December 2024 many Namibians clamoured for the opportunity to travel, see new sights and roam the globe's tourist attractions. This does not come as a surprise as we looked to the future following two years marred with lockdowns, restrictive regulations and fatalities. No doubt, a much-needed breath of fresh air was welcomed.
Enter 2025 and the world is holding its collective breath as news of the outbreak of a new Covid like strand called Human metapneumovirus, or HMPV, in China is doing the rounds on social media and major news outlets. Almost déjà vu like the outbreak of Covid in Wuhan China five years ago.
At home, the much-awaited rainfall has caused devastation in areas where Namibians are housed in riverbeds and catchment areas. This was met with many good Samaritans extending a helping hand to those affected and a collective call for the City Council to construct proper drainage systems and housing for indigent Namibians in the City of Windhoek. Simultaneously though, farmers and producers welcomed this much-needed help from Above in the face of what was certainly a drought-like situation.
This begs the question - with so much uncertainty as it relates to global and local events, how does one plan for that which you cannot control?
Within the asset management space, we consistently declare our inability to predict the future. There is no crystal ball to determine how the markets will respond to any global crisis whether this is caused by climate or disease. However past experience does provide a notable tool to defray emotions and maintain confidence.
Sanlam Investments in particular navigates uncertainty by referring to decades old data and trends observed in terms of sentiment, trading cycles and deviations.
What sets Sanlam Investment apart is having the data and transforming that into knowledge to better our decision making.
One hundred and two years of information that has made us stable and able to cater for corporate clients like pension funds and medical aid schemes as well as Namibians looking to Live with Confidence because we offer products that deliver stable returns and consistency as well as products that deliver long-term returns over longer investment periods. This means Sanlam Investments can cater to all your investment needs, the choice is yours. So, what can be your financial focus:
* Decide what you are investing for, what do you want to achieve?
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If you're looking for an investment fund that can be used for emergencies such as unexpected life changes, retrenchments or emergency family crisis - then you'd be well-suited to consider our Enhanced Cash Fund or our Floating Rate Fund.
An investment fund geared to pay for your children's school or university in five to seven years then our All Namibian Fund and Balanced Fund should meet your needs.
Perhaps a retirement cash basket that can subsidize your retirement annuity and enhance your lifestyle in 7 to 10 years then our General Equity Fund offers you optimal returns over the longer period.
* Understand how much risk you're willing to take.
The rule of thumb with investments is this: Time is king. Investments do provide short term capital protection and this comes at a lower return. Higher returns are coupled with a longer investment period so as to leverage of market fluctuations and the compounding effect of dividends.
* Ensure you have a financial advisor to break down the aspects you're unsure of.
Sanlam Investments' financial advisors are your 360 financial compass - we take great care to ensure that their skills, knowledge and access to information makes for brilliant and customer centric advice.
Trust them and journey with them on your trip to Living with Confidence in an uncertain world.
