August 2022
10Aug

These 7 African countries have recorded highest pension fund asset growth

A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has shown that global pension fund assets grew by over 10% to $38.5 trillion in 2021. The report focused specifically on pension fund assets in 68 countries or reporting jurisdictions, consisting of 38 OECD countries and 30 non-OECD countries in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The report said in parts: "Overall, pension fund assets amounted to USD 38.5 trillion in a total of 68 reporting jurisdictions at end-2021. Most...

August 10, 2022
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03Aug

Africa’s Largest Asset Manager PIC Leads Pension Funds Investing in Continent’s Infrastructure via AFC

In a significant milestone for African pension capital being deployed for domestic infrastructure and industrial development, the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), Africa’s largest asset manager, with over US$150 billion in assets under management, plans an inaugural investment in the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider. Read also Kenya. Risk-averse pension schemes bag higher returns PIC has given formal notification to make a US$100 million equity investment in the AFC. The approved investment from the South African pension...

August 3, 2022
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July 2022
19Jul

Africa Pension Supervisors Sign Agreement With FSD Africa

The forum brought together pension supervisors from different African countries to deliver a harmonized approach for interventions and reforms in the pensions sector across the continent. The theme of the conference was “Resilience and sustainability of the pension sector amid the crisis- The case of covid 19 pandemic”. Pension supervisors in Africa, relevant stakeholders, experts and partners in the pension industry shared experiences, discussed opportunities, challenges faced by the pension industry and new developments in the industry. The challenges include lower investment...

July 19, 2022
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15Jul

Rising life expectancy in Africa triggers urgent need for pension penetration

Governor John Rwangombwa of the Central Bank has said that the improved life expectancy in Africa is a positive factor on its own but it rings an urgent call to increase pension penetration on the continent. He was speaking during the 3rd Africa Pension Supervisor Forum that started on Thursday July 14. Started in 2019, the forum offers a platform where pension regulators share ideas, information, and reform issues that are challenging the sector across Africa. Discussions include performance of the pension...

July 15, 2022
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04Jul

Africa insurers urged to focus more on climate change

Africa’s insurance industry has been challenged to play a proactive role in addressing the climate change agenda. Speaking at the Africa Insurance Organization Annual Conference, General Assembly in Nairobi, director School of Pension and Retirement Studies Edward Odundo, underscored the need for climate change provisions in Environmental, Social and Governance, ESG, risk assessment. "The risks posed by the rising global temperatures cut across all sectors including the insurance industry,"Odundo said. He added that the increasing frequency and intensity of disasters relating to...

July 4, 2022
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June 2022
03Jun

Pension funds lead the way on ESG in Africa

Discussion on attracting much-needed investment into Africa has generally focused on non-African sources: foreign firms, multilateral financial institutions and non-African institutional investors. Yet far greater attention is now being paid to investment funds based within the continent itself. As African pension and social security funds grow in size, they have the potential to support more African companies and projects. They can ensure that they maximise the benefits of this investment by building environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles into their...

June 3, 2022
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April 2022
07Apr

Strategic partnerships and ICT solutions in extending social security coverage in Africa

By ISSA Through strategic partnerships and modern information and communications (ICT) solutions, member institutions of the International Social Security Association (ISSA) are strengthening the scope, extent, and adequacy of social security coverage. Across Africa, the quasi totality of countries has social security schemes and/or programmes theoretically covering most of the population. The policy discourse on extending social security coverage during the last decades culminates in the enactment of new legislation to expand the scope of coverage and reforms on existing schemes...

April 7, 2022
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January 2022
19Jan

The elephant in the room: Bringing sustainable investment to Africa

By Fiona Stewart The coronavirus pandemic has renewed interest in sustainable investing strategies that allow investors to both protect the financial value of their assets and contribute to solutions to global problems such as climate change. These investments have become increasingly mainstream, and now account for more than $39 trillion in the five major global markets, a 34 percent increase over two years, according to the latest trends reported by the Global Sustainable Investment Alliance. Read also Ghana. Lack of Pension...

January 19, 2022
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October 2021
27Oct

Liberia ex-warlord Taylor sues for pensions, benefits

Former Liberian warlord-turned-president Charles Taylor, jailed for five decades for war crimes, has filed a lawsuit against his country's government over its "refusal" to pay his pension and retirement benefits, according to a court statement. Taylor sparked a 13-year civil war in Liberia when he led a rebellion in 1989 to oust President Samuel Doe, which spiralled into one of Africa's bloodiest conflicts. He is currently serving a 50-year sentence in a British prison after being convicted in 2012 by a...

October 27, 2021
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08Oct

The South African Retirement Reality Report 2020

By 10X Investment Even before Covid-19 and the associated lockdown, many South Africans, including many thousands of pensioners, were in crisis. The global pandemic has magnified many vulnerabilities in our society. It is in this context that 10X Investments launches the third annual report on retirement readiness in South Africa. The inaugural Retirement Reality Report, published in 2018, set out to interrogate the developing retirement crisis and its underlying causes based on the results of our Retirement Reality survey. The report...

October 8, 2021
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