Invest in South Africa: what you need to know about the best emerging market
12:44, 11 November 2019
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If you are looking for emerging markets stocks to add to your portfolio, then South Africa should be on top of your list. This African country is among the best in the continent and provides excellent investment opportunities to international investors.
South Africa’s advanced economy and strategic location at the tip of the continent makes it a gateway for investors looking to venture into Africa. It is also ranked among the world's largest emerging economies, which include China, India, Brazil and Russia.
Invest in South Africa
South Africa boasts of a wealth of natural resources such as gold, iron, ore, coal, platinum, uranium, chromium, and manganese nickel. It is no wonder that this economy has attracted the majority of the world's biggest exploration companies, mostly in the oil and gas sector. Read on for more reasons to invest in South Africa.
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South Africa economic forecast
Is it a good time to invest in south africa? While the South African economy has experienced a slowdown in recent years, analysts predict that it will rebound in the next five years. The World Bank has recently cut the country’s growth forecast for 2019 to 2021 due to weak investor sentiment and looming policy uncertainty.
However, the South Africa emerging market has shown resilience in the last three months, defying analyst predictions and showing stable growth. Data from Stats SA shows that the economy has grown by 3.1% in the last two months. This is an indication that there is a possibility of the future economy going against the gloomy forecast.
Investment opportunities in South Africa
Foreign direct investment in African countries is expected to explode as China leads the way in funding infrastructure.
Why invest in South Africa? Being the economic powerhouse of the content, South Africa is likely to attract the most investment. In 2018 alone, FDI into South Africa grew by 446% to 7.1 billion. Data from CEIC shows that FDI into the country increased by $1.8 billion in Jun 2019, compared with an increase of $837 million in the previous year.
The robust growth of the FDI is a clear sign of the positive sentiments held by foreign investors about this economy. However, even as capital flows in, the future of the South African stock market is still experiencing a slowdown mostly due to global economic issues.
South African rand (ZAR) performance
How invest in South Africa? The South African Rand has also shown stability over the years hence making the economy more attractive to investors. When compared to the USD and the EUR, the Rand has been holding itself well even as the global uncertainty resulting from the Brexit and US trade wars with China escalates.
On Tuesday, October 31, the USD/ZAR currency pair increased 0,86% to 15.1216 from 14.9920 in the previous trading session. In terms of historical price action, South African Rand reached the record high of 17.83 in January 2016. The USD/ZAR record low of 2.71 happened in July 1992.
South Africa economic outlook
South Africa has the most developed stock market in Africa. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is the oldest and the largest stock exchange in Africa.
JSE is ranked as the 19th largest bourse in the world by market capitalisation. The stock exchange lists both local and international companies.
JSE has been on a rollercoaster for the last few years but has shown promising growth in the best part of 2019. Data from Trading Economics shows an 8.35% growth on JALSH-All-Share since the beginning of 2019. For the record, the JALSH-All Share is an index that is the barometer for the performance of the South African stock market. The companies included in the JALSH-ALL Share index make up the top 99% of the market cap of all companies listed in JSE.
How to invest in shares in South Africa
Although the economic decline is associated with the ongoing global uncertainty and the sluggish South African economy, this is a great time to shop around for undervalued stocks.
Short term investors should trade the South African stock market cautiously, given that it is expected to slow down until 2021. However, the future of the South African economy looks bright meaning that value investors have an opportunity to buy low and hold.
According to South African economy overview, the mining sector is the most lucrative and has the best future outlook. This means that investors are likely to get the best return on their money out of mining stocks. Top stocks in this sector include the African Rainbow Minerals Ltd, Assore Ltd, and Kumba Iron Ore Ltd. You can also explore other promising stocks such as Mediclinic (MDC).
Mediclinic (MDC) is an international hospital group, headquartered in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The company operates across the UAE, South Africa, Namibia and Switzerland. MDC shares are listed and traded on the London Stock Exchange and forms a part of the FTSE 100 market index.
According to the Walletinvestor, Mediclinic stocks can be regarded as an acceptable long-term investment. According to the latest forecast, the MDC will experience a long-term growth and will reach the price of $65.973 by the end of October 2024.
In the end
The South African market is an attractive destination for traders all over the world. One of the largest emerging economies, South Africa is one of the most sought after investment options for those looking to enter alternative stock markets.
