It is an inescapable truth that offshore indices such as the S&P 500 trumped the JSE All Share index over the last decade, vindicating those who campaigned for a heavier offshore weighting.
“One of the main reasons for investing offshore is diversification, which should reduce risk,” says Sher. “Investing globally gives diversification across currencies, sectors and geographies. If you are too focused on South African assets, you are exposed to rand-related risks, as well as a limited pool of investible assets.”
“South Africa represents only 1% of the global market and only 0.2% of global unicorns [privately held startups valued over $1 billion]. When investing, you need exposure to a broad range of quality investments that are often not available in SA – such as technology, logistics, health care, and energy. You have limited options to invest in these sectors in SA.
“Often we get so fixated on trying to time the rand, we forget all about the price of the global investment we are buying,” says Sher. “It might still be a good time to invest offshore even when the currency is weak.”