Contact

Popular searches

Brian Kantor, Chair of the Investec Wealth & Investment Research Institute

Experience leads to investment wisdom

Investment knowledge comes from immersing yourself in the space, says Investec Wealth & Investment's Prof Brian Kantor in the sixth and final episode of the Inside the Out of the Ordinary film series.

Read full video transcript

Wisdom Episode VI: Prof Brian Kantor

Wisdom comes with knowledge, it’s not just sucked out of the sky, it’s the result of deep emotion in the subject matter. You could be bright but not necessarily wise, but to be wise I think one needs the knowledge that comes with experience and the testing ground that a life of work gives you.

 

Well, I grew up in the business environment. So, I was an economist who wanted to understand how business worked from really day one.

 

I started off as a junior lecturer at the University of Cape Town and then moved through the ranks from lecturer to senior lecturer in the early 70s and then in 1981 I was appointed a professor and I was a professor for yeah, until I retired in 2006.

 

So, it was a long career at UCT. Teaching is getting to the simple heart of a topic, you learn teaching. When you stand up in front of a class and you start explaining something it becomes very clear to you, not necessarily to your students that actually you don’t understand it as well as you should so in a way it builds understanding.

 

I’ve had thousands of students, many of them say they appreciate what I did, gave them something, made a difference. When people tell me, I made a difference well that’s good.

 

My particular responsibility is to inform asset allocation, how you mix up your assets and finding the right mix of risk and return. I’ve always wished to engage in conversation and to learn from what other people see and hear and understand.

 

And you share understanding. And you enjoy conversation as part of being a human being. I enjoy the intellectual challenge and Investec gives me that opportunity and I enjoy sharing my insights. I want to get it right. I want to make useful predictions.

 

Well the Global Investment Strategy Group is our global business at work. We draw on the talents of the London office and combine it with our local strengths and we get together and we analyse investment strategy and it’s a very important task.

 

[Different speaker]: "Lots of issues to address and I’m going to hand over to, in the normal run, course of events to Brian to give his view on the world. Brian."

 

"Good John, thank you. One of our concerns over the years has been the possibility that the Federal Reserve and other central banks might make a mistake. That is pursue interest rates increases that are too aggressive for the purpose of stabilising the economy and the business, I think."

 

Recent events emphasise that I think we should regard the bond market as our friend rather than as our enemy. One needs perspective, one needs to be able to see through the cycles of ups and downs.

 

Take the long-run view and one’s experience, one’s knowledge of how economies have worked, how they do work, knowledge of the history of financial crisis for example, helps you keep your feet on the ground, keep your poise when perhaps other people are in danger of losing theirs.

 

I believe the success of our business and I care about that, depends on the quality of our people. It’s not a job to be done on your own. You draw on colleagues, you draw on the debates, you draw on the research you are reading.

 

As long as you retain, as I think I have done, retain your interests, enthusiasm for the subject matter. I like to say I am a 24-hour a day economist. It just fascinates me, always has and always will. I care about the subject matter, I care about the South African economy, close to my heart.

Meet Brian Kantor

Professor Brian Kantor is, in his words, “a 24-hour a day economist”. He cares deeply about South Africa, its economy and resolving its problems. It’s this love of economics – and what it means for business – that he brings to the table at the regular Investec Global Investment Strategy Group (GISG) meetings.

 

Wisdom is the key to making good decisions, he says. “In life you can be bright but not wise,” he says. Wisdom, he says, comes from knowledge and that knowledge comes from immersing oneself in learning about a particular field or topic.

 

“This is what allows you to keep your poise, when others are in danger of losing theirs,” he says. And it’s not, he argues, a job you can do on your own.

 

“This is what I enjoy about the Investec environment. It’s a place you can engage in conversation, argue and learn, which is part of being a human being,” he says.

Brian Kantor, Investec Wealth & Investment

Watch other films in the Inside Out of the Ordinary series

Process

John Haynes, Investec Wealth & Investment
Watch film now

Trust us to manage your wealth today

* indicates required field.
Please indicate your capital availability *

This field is required

Please indicate your capital availability *

This field is required

How can we best assist you * By selecting the advice offering, an investment manager will help you to pick the investment suitable for your investment goals. Alternatively, by selecting the self-service offering you will not receive any advice, recommendations, or suitability reviews on your investments.

This field is required

How can we best assist you * By selecting the advice offering, an investment manager will help you to pick the investment suitable for your investment goals. Alternatively, by selecting the self-service offering you will not receive any advice, recommendations, or suitability reviews on your investments.

This field is required

Please enter your first name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in your name.

Please enter your last name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in your surname.

Please enter your email address here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid email address.

Please enter your contact number here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid contact number.

This field is required

DDMMYYYY *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is a required field.

Are you a US resident? * Please note that due to regulatory requirements, Investec Wealth & Investment may not be permitted to onboard persons residing in the USA on a permanent basis. Should you have any queries, please email [email protected]

This field is required

Amount in numerical digits only *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Please enter only numerical digits

Please leave your comments here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

0/500 characters
Preferred method of contact *

This field is required

Please enter additional person name here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in the name.

Please enter additional person email address here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid email address.

Please enter additional person name here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in the name.

Please enter additional person email address here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid email address.

Please select your sources of wealth * This refers to the economic activities or events that have contributed to your net worth. It could be your salary, an inheritance, income on an investment, an investment that has matured, or the proceeds of the sale of your business.

This information is required

I am interested in * With the investment management option, we manage your investments on your behalf, either through a Wealth Manager or Portfolio Manager. With the stockbroking option, you can trade (execution, online or with advice) in securities, including listed equities, fixed income instruments,unit trusts and derivative instruments.

This field is required

Please select your sources of wealth * This refers to the economic activities or events that have contributed to your net worth. It could be your salary, an inheritance, income on an investment, an investment that has matured, or the proceeds of the sale of your business.

This information is required

I am interested in * With the investment management option, we manage your investments on your behalf, either through a Wealth Manager or Portfolio Manager. With the stockbroking option, you can trade (execution, online or with advice) in securities, including listed equities, fixed income instruments,unit trusts and derivative instruments.

This field is required

Do you have a Private Bank Account? *

This field is required

Would you be interested in opening a PBA? *

This field is required

Please enter your first name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in your name.

Please enter your last name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in your surname.

Please enter your email address here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid email address.

Please enter your contact number here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid contact number.

Please enter your age here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Please enter numbers only

This field is required

Qualification(s) *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is a required field.

Please enter employer name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is a required field.

Gross annual amount in numerical digits only *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Please enter only numerical digits

By submitting this form, you give Investec permission to perform a credit check on you. Please see our Privacy Policy

Consent *

This information is required

Please enter ID or Passport number here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is a required field

DDMMYYYY *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is a required field.

Please enter your first name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in your name.

Please enter your last name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in your surname.

Please enter your email address here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid email address.

Please enter your contact number here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid contact number.

Please view the latest Data Protection Statement here

Please enter your first name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in your name.

Please enter your last name here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in your surname.

Please enter your email address here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid email address.

Please enter your contact number here *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid contact number.

This field is required

DDMMYYYY *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is a required field.

Are you a US resident? * Please note that due to regulatory requirements, Investec Wealth & Investment may not be permitted to onboard persons residing in the USA on a permanent basis. Should you have any queries, please email [email protected]

This field is required

Amount in numerical digits only *

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Please enter only numerical digits

Please leave your comments here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

0/500 characters
Preferred method of contact *

This field is required

Please enter additional person name here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in the name.

Please enter additional person email address here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid email address.

Please enter additional person name here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

Do not use numbers in the name.

Please enter additional person email address here

This information is required

Minimum characters 1

This is not a valid email address.

How can we best assist you * By selecting the advice offering, an investment manager will help you to pick the investment suitable for your investment goals. Alternatively, by selecting the self-service offering you will not receive any advice, recommendations, or suitability reviews on your investments.

This field is required

Please select your sources of wealth * This refers to the economic activities or events that have contributed to your net worth. It could be your salary, an inheritance, income on an investment, an investment that has matured, or the proceeds of the sale of your business.

This information is required

I am interested in * With the investment management option, we manage your investments on your behalf, either through a Wealth Manager or Portfolio Manager. With the stockbroking option, you can trade (execution, online or with advice) in securities, including listed equities, fixed income instruments,unit trusts and derivative instruments.

This field is required

Please complete all required fields before sending.

Thank you

We will be in touch shortly

Sorry there seems to be a technical issue

Inside Out of the Ordinary

Investec services you may be interested in

Wealth Management

Wealth Management

We work with some of South Africa’s most successful individuals and families to preserve and grow their wealth. Let us do the same for you.
Start your journey with us
Offshore investments

Offshore Investments

Global diversification is a must. Investec’s offshore investments give you access to the world’s leading companies and fund managers.
Learn more
Wealth Management

Wealth Management

We work with some of South Africa’s most successful individuals and families to preserve and grow their wealth. Let us do the same for you.
Start your journey with us
Offshore investments

Offshore Investments

Global diversification is a must. Investec’s offshore investments give you access to the world’s leading companies and fund managers.
Learn more
Investec. One Place™

Investec. One Place™

Are you a global citizen and pressed for time? Through Investec. One Place™, we give you access to our full suite of banking and investment services, both locally and internationally – all in One Place – enabling you to create, grow, preserve and protect your wealth through us.

Learn more
Investec Global Investment Strategy Group

Investments

Turn your South African and/or foreign investment goals into reality with advice, insights and services backed by a truly global investment approach and expertise.

Learn more
Investec. One Place™

Investec. One Place™

Are you a global citizen and pressed for time? Through Investec. One Place™, we give you access to our full suite of banking and investment services, both locally and internationally – all in One Place – enabling you to create, grow, preserve and protect your wealth through us.

Learn more
Investec Global Investment Strategy Group

Investments

Turn your South African and/or foreign investment goals into reality with advice, insights and services backed by a truly global investment approach and expertise.

Learn more

More insights from Brian Kantor

Previous
Previous