Retirement feature: How unclaimed monies can contribute to economic and social development objectives

Prescribed assets for retirement funds have been discussed extensively as a potential source of funding for state-owned entity (SOE) debt as well as the country’s developmental imperatives. This raises concerns about the possible implications for investment outcomes of more than 16 million members of South African retirement funds. But there are alternative models of investment which can go at least some way in addressing the funding needs of our country while providing a new and differentiated investment proposition for investors. Elio E’Silva, head of direct corporate solutions, Alexander Forbes, explains how the industry is approaching unclaimed benefits with a view to investing in real assets.