The Sunday News
IT’S all systems go for the Pension Fund Investment Forum that is set to take place at a city hotel starting on Wednesday, with various delegates from the Southern African region having confirmed their participation.
The two-day conference, which is in its third year, is designed to provide fund managers, project developers, Government and the general investment management industry with access to industry-led insights, and analysis of best practices in fund management.
Senior Minister in the President’s Office, Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo will deliver a keynote address at the forum.
One of the organisers of the forum, Mr Michael Ndinisa, who is the managing director and head of Institutional Business Development for the South Africa; MNCapital Group, South Africa, said the main thrust of the forum was to raise everyone’s awareness of the fact that pension funds were an integral part of a country’s development as they could be used to revive the country’s economy.
He said the key drivers were sustainable investment strategies and governance. Mr Ndinisa further noted that Zimbabwe pension funds were looking at diversifying their investment portfolios into more innovative asset classes such as infrastructure investment, agribusiness, mining and private equity.
“The 3rd Annual Zimbabwe Pension Funds Investment Forum is designed to provide pension funds, their fund managers and the general investment management industry with access to industry-led insights, and analysis of best practices in fund management, sustainable investment strategies and governance, participants will access alternative asset classes for pensions and retirement funds.
“Volatile markets are a challenge to pension boards and fund managers and in such times finding the right balance between liquidity and long-term strategies is required from the funds and their asset managers. Moreover, as fund managers struggle to make the most of the uncertainty in the markets, and pension funds grappling with big challenges – from market volatility to regulatory uncertainty and demanding a different relationship with their managers,” said Mr Ndinisa.
He said among the desired outcomes of the forum were identifying new opportunities for collaboration and alliances between asset owners, investment professionals, business, governments and industry associations to improve the understanding and on-going pensions reform.
Mr Ndinisa said they had brought in experts who would raise awareness of indigenous institutional funds and national reserves to diversify their investment portfolios into more innovative asset classes.
“Among the outcomes we hope to draw up proposals for mechanisms that can help prioritise sector sustainability framework that maximise indigenous savings into pension schemes and encourages investment into innovative asset classes.
“We will further identify key areas for executive education for fund trustees; with focus on fund management, setting and monitoring investment policy, investment strategies and sustainable investing,” he added.
Speakers at the conference will also include the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Mr Willard Manungo; Mr Xolisa Dhlamini, South African Network Manager, United Nations – Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI); Mr Togarepi Pupurai, head of Prudential Supervision, Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC); Mr Ritesh Anand, Founder and Managing Director, Invictus Capital; Mr Tawanda Magumise, Head: Investor Services, Stanbic Bank Zimbabwe and Dr Eric Bloch, an independent economic consultant.
