The dragon's new terms

What began as a geopolitical conflict is rapidly becoming something much larger. Oil is only one part of the story.

Natural gas, fertilisers, chemicals, shipping routes, aluminium, aviation fuel and global supply chains are all now being affected by the fallout from the Iran war.

In the latest episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Investec’s Osa Mazwai and Campbell Parry about why this is increasingly being described as an “everything shock.”

Could this crisis ultimately accelerate the global shift toward electrification, renewables and new energy systems? Read more.

Markets are moving fast but are investors moving with intent?

In the latest episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, we go beyond market headlines to unpack what investors are actually doing in a volatile, news-driven environment.

From trading the news cycle to navigating currency swings and concentrated markets, Investec’s Tinus Rautenbach and Bongani Nhleko share real insights from the Clarity platform, revealing where capital is flowing, how behaviour is shifting, and the risks investors may not see.

Listen now to understand the gap between perception and portfolio reality and what it means for your investment decisions. Read more. 

South Africa’s reform momentum is becoming more visible but so are the constraints that could stall it. After years of decline, there are real signs of stabilisation in energy and freight logistics, but the hard part is just beginning.

In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, we cut through the noise to assess what’s actually working, where the system is still failing, and what it will take to unlock investment at scale. 

Host Jeremy Maggs is joined by Rudi Dicks, Head of the Project Management Office in the Presidency, Martin Meyer, Head of Energy and Infrastructure Finance and Ayan Ghosh, Head of Cross-Asset Investment Strategy at Investec.  Read more

Interest rate cuts were meant to define 2026. Now, markets are bracing for hikes. In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Investec’s Chief Economists Annabel Bishop and Phil Shaw examine how the energy shock is forcing central banks to reconsider their path. From London to Pretoria, policymakers face a familiar dilemma: tighten into slowing growth, or risk letting inflation take hold. Guest host Neo Ralefeta explores the implications for global growth and what it means for South Africa, from currency volatility to fuel supply risks and consumer costs.
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Markets are sending a surprisingly calm signal in the face of escalating conflict in the Middle East. Oil prices are rising, supply chains are under pressure, and recession risks are quietly ticking higher, yet equities remain relatively steady. In the this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs is joined by Investec experts in SA and the UK - Callum Macpherson, Phil Shaw and Chris Holdsworth - to unpack what’s really at play. The conversation explores what could happen if the conflict continues, what key indicators markets are watching and what risks to the global economy are already emerging.

Private equity is shifting gears. As rates turn and investor confidence improves, funds are deploying again, and South Africa is firmly back on the radar. But this isn’t a return to excess, it’s a shift toward smarter leverage, disciplined execution and sharper capital structuring. In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Rishanth Pillay, Head of Sponsor Leveraged Finance at Investec Corporate & Investment Banking, about what’s driving the renewed momentum – and what could derail it.

South Africa’s 2026 Budget arrives at a pivotal moment.

Debt is hovering near 78% of GDP. Growth is forecast at just 1.5%. Debt-servicing costs absorb around 5% of GDP. And yet, bond yields have fallen, sentiment has improved and S&P maintains a positive outlook.

Is this genuine fiscal stabilisation or simply a window of opportunity?

In the latest episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs sits down with Investec’s Chief Economist Annabel Bishop and Treasury Economist Tertia Jacobs to unpack:

• Whether debt has truly peaked
• How meaningful the commodity revenue windfall is
• The risk of further “stealth” tax pressure on households
• Municipal reform and infrastructure momentum
• What it would take to secure a credit-rating upgrade

Water scarcity is no longer a future risk. It is already reshaping how businesses operate, invest and grow in South Africa.

With water demand in Gauteng at record levels and ageing infrastructure under strain, water has become a material constraint on business continuity, supply chains and long-term competitiveness. For many companies, water security is now as critical as energy security.

In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, recorded after an Investec and Proparco water-resilience event, Jeremy Maggs is joined by Dr Sean Phillips, Director-General of the Department of Water and Sanitation; Helen Hulett, water-security advisor; and Melanie Humphries, Head of Sustainable Solutions at Investec. 

Together, they discuss how water risk is moving from the margins of ESG into core business strategy, and what practical resilience looks like for South African companies navigating a water-stressed economy.In the final episode of our Davos Debrief podcast series, Investec Group Chief Executive Fani Titi argues that the defining advantage in today’s global economy is adaptability - the ability of countries and companies to operate amid volatility without waiting for certainty. Read more.

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos offered fewer illusions, and more realism. The rules-based order is no longer assumed. Geopolitics is now embedded in balance sheets. Scale matters. Delivery matters more.

In the final episode of our Davos Debrief podcast series, Investec Group Chief Executive Fani Titi argues that the defining advantage in today’s global economy is adaptability - the ability of countries and companies to operate amid volatility without waiting for certainty. 

AI has moved beyond experimentation. It now sits at the centre of decision-making. At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, the conversation is clear - how can leaders use AI to drive growth, manage risk and reshape work.

In episode 2 of our Davos Debrief series, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Lyndon Subroyen, Investec’s Global Head of Digital & Technology, on why AI is a platform shift, not a passing trend, and what that means for strategy, talent and long-term competitiveness.

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting is here and markets are paying attention. As leaders gather in Davos, the conversations will likely shape risk premiums, capital allocation and investor confidence in the months ahead. 

In episode one of our special Davos Debrief podcast series, host Jeremy Maggs is joined by Chris Holdsworth, Chief Investment Strategist at Investec, to cut through the noise and focus on what really matters for investors. Read more.

The year-end episode of the No Ordinary Wednesday podcast confronts a familiar contradiction: markets that looked buoyant, and an economy that often didn’t. In conversation with our Chief Investment Strategist Chris Holdsworth, we dissect the year’s dissonance and the lessons it leaves behind - above all, that in a noisy world, valuation discipline and diversification remain the investor’s most dependable anchors. Read more.

Medicine is moving into a world where software spots patterns before humans sense symptoms, and breakthrough therapies can move markets faster than earnings reports. Longevity is rising, costs are climbing, and global healthcare systems are left to wonder whether innovation will save them or bankrupt them first.

In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks with Dr Jimmy Muchechetere from Investec Investment Management UK to unravel the forces rewiring global healthcare, from the boom-and-bust frenzy around weight-loss drugs to AI promising to predict illness long before it strikes. Read more

South Africa’s economic story is balancing between risk and resolve, discipline and delivery. As the country prepares for its first Mid-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) under a coalition government, National Treasury faces a difficult equation: stabilise debt, restore credibility and still find space for growth. In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs is joined by Investec’s Annabel Bishop, Tertia Jacobs, and Osa Mazwai to unpack the policy choices shaping the 2025 mini budget. Read more

Deepfakes that fool the eye. Voices that sound real. Attacks that never sleep. As artificial intelligence reshapes both offence and defence, cyber risk has gone mainstream. In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks with Investec cybersecurity experts Nomalizo Hlazo and Tash van der Heever about the new era of digital resilience where trust, adaptability and awareness are your strongest defences. Read more.

In this special IMF edition of No Ordinary Wednesday, Cumesh Moodliar, CEO of Investec South Africa, and Ruth Leas, CEO of Investec UK, unpack the signals from this year’s meetings in Washington – from the “three Ts” shaping investor sentiment (Trump, technology and tariffs) to the cautious optimism surrounding South Africa’s reform momentum. Read more.

In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks with Zane Bezuidenhout and David Smith, Global Equity Research Analysts at Investec Investment Management in the UK. Fresh from the Deutsche Bank Tech Conference in California, they examine what’s substance and what’s speculation in the current tech cycle – and why artificial intelligence, still in its very early innings, could redefine how we think about growth and value. Read more.

The US market is trading ~40% above fair value. What could cause those lofty valuations to deflate? This week on No Ordinary Wednesday, Chris Holdsworth, Chief Investment Strategist at Investec Wealth & Investment International, unpacks the key findings of Investec’s latest Global Investment View, highlighting risks for global investors and where opportunities lie outside the US, including: Europe is loosening fiscal policy to support growth, China is rolling out stimulus, with commodities rallying in response and in South Africa equities remain cheap with commodities and improving SOEs providing tailwinds. Read more. 

South Africa’s logistics system may be strained, but it is not without promise. In the latest episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, host Jeremy Maggs chats to Vernon Sinden, Head of Logistics at Investec for Business, about how innovation, private partnerships and smarter supply chains can unlock growth and boost competitiveness. Read more.

The six resource stocks among South Africa’s “Magnificent 10” are shining on the back of gold and platinum strength, but can the rally withstand US inflation, China’s demand shifts, and local logistics woes? Host Jeremy Maggs asks Osa Mazwai, investment strategist at Investec Wealth & Investment International, and Campbell Parry, commodities and natural resources analyst at Investec Investment Management, in this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday. Read more

Inflation is at 3%. The Reserve Bank wants to lock it there. Interest rates are edging down. But the bigger picture is far from settled:

• Growth is stuck below 1%
• US tariffs threaten trade and jobs
• The rand’s strength rests on fragile global sentiment
• Consumers are squeezed and government finances remain stretched

In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Investec Chief Economist Annabel Bishop about the shifting sands of macroeconomic policy, and what it means for business, households, and markets. Read more. 

What do the colours of a popular toothpaste tell us about how we think about wealth? In the latest episode of the No Ordinary Wednesday podcast, Alexandra Nortier and Marc Romberg, joint heads of Wealth Management at Investec Wealth & Investment International, join Jeremy Maggs to explore how the nature of wealth is changing. Read more.

From AI-optimised shelf space to influencer-fuelled fast fashion, global consumer trends are in flux. Global Consumer Analyst at Investec UK, Eddy Hargreaves, joins No Ordinary Wednesday to explore retail innovation, brand strategy, and why selling to today’s cautious, connected shopper is trickier than ever.

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South Africa has spent more than a decade in economic drift – growing slower than its emerging market peers, losing investor confidence, and missing out on vital tax revenue. So, how do we get back on track? In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs is joined by Cumesh Moodliar, CEO of Investec South Africa, and Osagyefo Mazwai, Investment Strategist at Investec Wealth & Investment International, to unpack the hard truths, and outline a roadmap to recovery and long-term prosperity.

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At the midpoint of 2025, the global economy stands at a precarious intersection of cooling inflation on one side, rising geopolitical tensions on the other. In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks with Investec Chief Economists Annabel Bishop (South Africa) and Phil Shaw (UK) about the shocks and signals shaping markets from the Strait of Hormuz and the US tariff clock to South Africa’s subdued growth and greylisting outlook.

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South Africa needs to produce 10 times more engineers to compete globally. But, in 2023, only 3% of matric students achieved a distinction in mathematics, and over 77% got less than 50%. These figures highlight a growing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills gap, a challenge we must address to fuel economic growth and tackle the ongoing youth unemployment crisis. In this special Youth Month edition of No Ordinary Wednesday, Jeremy Maggs speaks to Prof. Kobus Maree, a leading educational psychologist and Setlogane Manchidi, Investec’s Head of Corporate Social Investment, on the catalytic power of maths and science for economic growth and employability.

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Twenty years on, the managers of the Investec UCITS World Axis Core Fund reflect on what two decades of global investing have taught them and what investors should expect next. From shifting geopolitics to enduring investment truths, this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday with Investec Investment Management’s Head of Multi-Manager Investments Ryan Friedman and Fund Manager Bronwen Trower, explores the art of staying the course in aa world that rarely does.

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From a global pandemic to fractured supply chains, energy shocks, inflation spirals, rate hikes, AI disruption, war, and geopolitical realignment - the last four years have been anything but dull. As we celebrate the 100th episode of the No Ordinary Wednesday podcast, we pause the relentless churn of the news cycle to reflect on the macro themes that have defined our world since this show first aired in May 2021. In this episode, we’ve gathered a veritable global panel of Investec leaders from Johannesburg, London, Mumbai, and Dubai to share their insights on what has shaped their regions and the critical forces they will be monitoring in the coming years. 

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Post the tariff turmoil, investors are reconsidering their exposure to the US market. In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Annelise Peers, Chief Investment Officer at Investec Switzerland, and Richard Cardo, Portfolio Manager and Head of Single Manager Investments at Investec, who oversees the Investec Global Leaders Fund, delve into the macroeconomic and market dynamics reshaping global asset allocation. 

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Where are investors seeking refuge amid uncertainty? And will the recent rebound in global stocks last? In this episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Investec Wealth and Investment International's Chief Investment Strategist Chris Holdsworth, and investment strategist Osa Mazwai explore the ongoing impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. 

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In this special edition of Investec’s No Ordinary Wednesday podcast, we delve into the recent market turmoil following President Donald Trump's controversial tariff announcements, which led to a staggering $5 trillion loss in the S&P 500 in just two days. Investec Wealth & Investment International’s Chief Investment Strategist, Chris Holdsworth, and Investment Strategist, Osagyefo Mazwai discuss implications for the global and local economies, investment portfolios and the future of markets. 

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South Africa’s economic revival hinges on mobilising private capital for infrastructure. With fiscal pressures mounting, public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer a crucial path to sustainable growth. Lourens van Rensburg, head of Corporate and Institutional Banking at Investec, and Martin Meyer, head of Energy & Infrastructure Finance, dissect key insights from Investec’s SA Economic Reform Conference. What will it take to unlock investment—and why is time running out? 

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Recession risks, inflation pressures, and trade tensions - how is the global economy shaping up in 2025? Investec’s Chief Economists, Phil Shaw (UK) and Annabel Bishop (SA), take stock of the latest trends in No Ordinary Wednesday. From global growth forecasts to the economic outlook for Europe and South Africa, they break down what lies ahead.

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Tariffs may not have as much of an impact on China which has rewired its supply chains to reduce its dependence on the US, says Campbell Parry, global resources analyst at Investec Wealth and Investment International. Speaking on the latest episode of No Ordinary Wednesday, Parry discusses prospects for the Chinese economy and the country’s investment case. 

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Big tech stocks have stabilised after the DeepSeek shock in January, but will they continue to dominate the market this year, or is the next disruption around the corner? Tinus Rautenbach, head of Investec’s new trading and investing platform, Clarity, shares his views on the latest episode of the No Ordinary Wednesday podcast.

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With a challenging economic landscape, fluctuating currency, global trade tensions, and ongoing energy struggles what can South Africans, businesses and investors expect from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2025 Budget Speech? Investec experts Chief Economist Annabel Bishop, Treasury Economist Tertia Jacobs and Chief Investment Strategist Chris Holdsworth share their predictions for Budget 2025.

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Will the world continue down the path of fragmentation, or will it unite to tackle the pressing challenges that threaten our collective future? In the last episode of our Davos special edition, CEOs of Investec SA and UK, Cumesh Moodliar and Ruth Leas, share with us their key learnings from the event and how these discussions are influencing the future of business and governance.

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In the second episode of our Davos special edition, Investec guests Nick Riley, head of Investment Banking, and Dhiren Mansingh, head of Business Transactional Banking, discuss a significant shift in global trade from multi-lateralism to multi-bilateralism. This evolution places less emphasis on regional agreements and more on establishing direct bilateral relationships between countries. Our experts delve into how this transition impacts trade dynamics and how countries and companies can extract growth in an ever-changing environment.

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Join us for the first episode of a special three-part series recorded during the World Economic Forum Annual Meetings in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland (20-24 January). In this episode, Investec CEO Cumesh Moodliar engages in a thought-provoking conversation with host Jeremy Maggs, exploring his hopes and expectations for the event. Discover the key topics that will capture the attention of global business leaders as they gather to discuss the pressing challenges and opportunities facing our world today.

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