The Editor’s Desk: Here’s what Alec Hogg has to say to SA bears

The bear case for South Africa has been right for nearly ten years. Those who bet on SA Inc when Jacob Zuma took the presidency would be feeling the bite with nothing much to show for the last decade. But, as investment labels constantly warn us, past performance does not guarantee future results. After all, anyone watching China for most of the 20thcentury would be forgiven for writing the Middle Kingdom off as a basket case. But those who bet on China’s future have been richly rewarded. South Africa is not China, of course, but that’s not to say that there isn’t a bright future ahead for the country. In this week’s episode, Alec Hogg and Felicity Duncan discuss Alec’s interview with Magnus Heystek, who has long held a bearish view on the SA outlook. While there’s no doubt that Heystek’s perspective is a reasonable one – especially given his job managing other people’s money – there is nevertheless a bullish response to the bear case. It takes all sorts to make a market, after all, and in this episode, Alec explains why he’s betting on a positive future. – Felicity Duncan