See the sessions from the agenda at the Morningstar Investment Conference SA 2025.
Your hosts for this year’s MIC South Africa, Tal Nieburg and Roné Swanepoel, will open up proceedings with a glimpse of what’s to come for the day, and their views on the year so far.
As the world adjusts to shifting political landscapes, volatile trade dynamics, and evolving monetary policies, the global economy stands at a critical crossroads. Investors and advisers alike are grappling with heightened uncertainty, making it more important than ever to separate signal from noise. The inimitable Kevin Lings will first explore global trends—including inflation, interest rates, commodity prices, and geopolitical risks—before diving in on key developments in South Africa and other emerging markets. From structural challenges to growth opportunities, he’ll examine how these economies are faring in a world of increasing complexity and interconnectedness.
Having the bandwidth to look ahead beyond the immediate everyday distractions of market volatility and general negative sentiment, can be hugely challenging, particularly when you consider that the further out you look, the more uncertain things become. So, what of the future and is there a way to bring some clarity to that long-term view? In this session, Guy Lundy will demystify the future by addressing key topics such as: the fundamental shift in the world order; what is contributing to that paradigm shift, as well as the opportunities it presents. What will changes in patterns of employment mean for future generations, and of course, AI: beyond the noise, what will the real-life implications be on the global and local economy, on education and healthcare, and how can it be harnessed to sustain economic growth. The future can be daunting, but Guy will attempt to highlight cause for hope for where we are headed.
The 2025 agenda is available for download in PDF format. Would you like to download it?
The increasing convergence between public and private markets has created a broader investment universe for meeting investors’ goals. While private markets potentially offer improved diversification benefits, transparency and liquidity are more constrained than in public markets. Navigating this converging public-private ecosystem requires high-quality data and analytics capabilities, that enable investors to conduct detailed due diligence and reliably benchmark performance. In financial markets with increased turbulence, what role do private assets play? How do the trends across the investment landscape in the US and other developed markets compare with South Africa and other emerging markets? How does the quality of private market data improve the robustness of client portfolios in meeting specific investment goals? Our panel of experts will tackle these questions and more.
Despite the breakneck clip of technological advances in finance, clients increasingly value personalised, human-centric services like goals-based planning and behavioural coaching from their advisers. In this session, Danielle will first explore what makes these services so essential to clients and then discuss how advisers can win back precious time with generative AI to deliver more of what truly matters. Advisers will walk away with an enhanced understanding of what clients are looking for in an adviser and how AI can be used as a tool to help them deliver these things without alienating clients.
Financial advisers today must balance serving clients’ evolving needs with mastering powerful new tools. Genuine concerns, from deciphering complex AI terminology to safeguarding the adviser–client relationship, lie at the heart of any meaningful conversation on innovation. In this session, Johan Steyn will address the issues advisers care about most, demonstrate how to embed AI within a robust business strategy, and provide practical steps to harness technology responsibly for immediate gains.
With emerging markets outperforming developed markets for much of 2025, attractive valuations, robust growth potential, and a shift in global momentum have many forecasting a renewed EM resurgence. But emerging markets are far from homogenous. Which economies are likely to lead in this cycle, and which may fall short? How does South Africa's equity market compare to its EM peers? And could political instability, economic uncertainty, or currency volatility derail the outlook? This session will explore the drivers behind the EM rally, identify regions with sustainable growth potential, and assess the risks and opportunities that lie ahead for investors.
We are barely part way through the first year of Trump’s second term in the White House, and it seems that the perpetual ‘noise’ surrounding his foreign policies, particularly his approach to import tariffs, shows no sign of abating. It has indeed been a rocky start to the year for investors, with no let-up in sight. This panel brings together experts from across the globe to deconstruct the impact to markets in Europe, the US and Asia, along with South Africa. They will cut through that noise to discuss just what is in store for investors, and how you as advisers can help your clients overcome their panic and stay the course, despite the headlines.
Life is the greatest adventure, and those who embrace it with courage, resilience, and an insatiable hunger for growth are the ones who thrive. Through the lens of extraordinary expeditions, from the frozen expanse of the South Pole to the unforgiving isolation of the Atlantic Ocean, Peter will share the lessons that define the “Explorer Mindset”.
