Pension Funds urged to invest locally
Botswana pension funds are expected to convene in Kasane on a country specific forum on Investments and Management set for March 21 to 22. The Botswana Pension Funds Investment and Management Forum themed, ‘Putting the spotlight on alternative investment for Pension Funds: Discovering key asset classes,’ is scheduled to take place at the Cresta Mowana Hotel. MNCapital Group CEO, Mike Ndinisa is of the view that in post global economic crisis environment, developing economies like Botswana need to establish alternative investment strategies that will foster development and leverage the localisation of Pension Funds Investments towards local opportunities.
He adds that careful analysis is required to identify ways of funding most lucrative industries and one of the top financial muscles is the pension fund industry as it contributes or has the potential to contribute immensely on national prosperity. “Retirement funds in Botswana have a total asset base of P69.9 billion, of which about 70 percent are invested offshore, leaving only 30 percent invested locally.
This Forum is set to help the industry at large identifying opportunities locally and significantly increase the proportion of pension fund assets invested locally,” Ndinisa said. MNCapital Group is a leading international investment advisory and institutional business development firm that first hosted a pension funds investment and management forum in Phakalane Golf Estates in 2015. The Forum is expected to host over 150 delegates from various Pension Funds in Botswana, among attendees will also be leading financial institutions, government representatives, local and international investment experts.
The open dialogue will centre on how pension funds, their fund managers and the general investment management industry in Botswana should focus on long-term strategic collaborations to advance economic growth in the country. Pro Mkwanazi, Chief Operating Officer of MNCapital Group said the forum has been designed with a deliberate inclination towards the formulation of pragmatic solutions, challenges and the alignment of investment structures, regulation and best practices with current global expectations and competitiveness.
“We are really excited at the prospect of this forum, bearing in mind that we will have professionals from not only Botswana but from other African countries as well. Principal at Sustainable Investment Consulting (USA), a supporting partner to the Botswana Pension Funds Forum 2018, Graham Sinclair said growing investment in Africa’s economic development along an inclusive and green path depends upon the long-term investment of institutional investors in Africa because sustainable investment depends on Africa’s own pension funds investing in Africa’s future. “Long-term investment depends upon factoring all economic, environmental, social and corporate governance factors into investment decisions,” Sinclair said.
