It’s been over a year since the pandemic-induced stock market meltdown and since South Africa entered hard lockdown, and it is time to look back and examine what this period has taught us as an industry.

The GDP print for the fourth quarter of 2020 has come in better than expected, seeing markets respond positively in terms of rand strength and bond yields.

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni’s budget has been received very positively, as demonstrated by the reaction from markets.

Latest GDP figures have laid bare the grim reality of COVID-19’s economic effects, revealing an unprecedented 51% decline in economic activity in the second quarter of this year (quarter-on-quarter, seasonally adjusted and annualised).

The coronavirus outbreak has rapidly approached global pandemic levels, and given the knock-on effects of the virus on economic growth, the fireworks in markets were inevitable.

Poor GDP figures released today revealed that South Africa has entered a technical recession following two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth, heightening the country’s risk of suffering yet another credit downgrade in the second half of the year, says Citadel Chief Economist and Advisory Partner Maarten Ackerman.

Many South African investors were recently introduced to Nomura Holdings Inc.’s new iPhone index which will most likely herald a brand new catchy acronym such as Ii or I2 (but we’ll leave that to the creatives to decide).

While much has been made of the proposals contained in the first interim report of the Davis Tax Committee on estate duty, particularly those related to trusts, as well as in this year’s Budget Speech, these structures remain viable and useful instruments.

Last year was a mediocre one for South Africa: the JSE ALSI ended 2015 only 5.13% up over the 12 months and GDP growth was well south of 2% for the full year.

Leading national property development and asset management group, Atterbury, has secured the development of a new six-storey office building in Cape Town in its first commercial property development in the Western Cape in recent years. When complete the building is expected to be valued at around R225 million.