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Centre for Teaching and Learning engages students on asset management profession

03 November 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Supplied

SecureTheGrad Team — In front: Tshego Dichabe (CEO of Aeon Investment Management and UFS Alumni) In the back row from left are: Ludwig Esau, Ambroyse Johnson, Sello Mojapelo, Olebogeng Tlhong, Bonolo Mahlatsi, Anesu Manase, Evodia Mohoanyane (Assistant Director at CTL), Michelle Sibanda, and Bongi Ndlangisa.

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the University of the Free State (UFS), in partnership with Aeon Investment Management and the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, hosted a guest lecture focusing on asset management trends in South Africa and globally, as well as careers for specific disciplines in the faculty.

Students from the Centre for Accounting, the School of Financial Planning Law, and commerce fields flocked to the event, which was hosted in the Education Auditorium on the Bloemfontein Campus on 20 October 2022.

The guest lecture formed part of a series of webinars on asset management under the #SecureTheGrad initiative. The purpose of these engagements was to give UFS students access to industry giants in the asset management profession. Guests in this lecture included Fatima Vawda, the founder of the 27four Group, as well as Muitheri Wahome, an asset management expert.

Asset Management

“Asset managers gather savings for investment and buy public securities on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and unlisted securities, providing investors with opportunities and exposure to assets that they would not necessarily be able to access on their own,” Wahome highlighted. Vawda indicated that asset management has its roots in life insurance companies. “Life insurance companies were selling life insurance policies and then they had all these assets on their balance sheets, and they needed asset management teams to manage those assets,” she explained.

Asset Management Trends

A number of the students in the audience expressed an interest in asset management as a career path, and Vawda went on to showcase several industry trends that students needed to take note of prior to considering asset management as a career path. Firstly, the skill set needed to prosper in the asset management industry has changed over the years. In fact, the ability to code and a comprehensive knowledge of Python have become essential knowledge in the industry. Vawda said, “Without the ability to be analytic and use data cleverly, there is no room in this kind of industry for you.”

Careers in Financial Services

Wahome urged students to check out a number of other careers in financial services to set their sights on. She indicated that a career in investments can take different forms, such as mega pension funds, pricing analysts – due to the growing investments in private markets, as well as compliance professionals, as the demand for these is currently high in the industry.

Wahome further advised the students that, “as you start your careers, do not be in a rush to choose a specialisation, working with an array of people in different areas gives you enormous reach, as well as valuable perspective”.

Attending the guest lecture were from left Prof Francois Strydom (Senior Director at CTL); Frans Koning (Head of the Department of Actuarial and Mathematical Statistics Department); Prof Philippe Burger (Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences), and Evodia Mohoanyane (Assistant Director at CTL) and Dr Engela van Staden (Vice-Rector: Academic) (Photo: Supplied)

News Archive

UFS awards centenary bonuses to staff

2004-11-25

The University of the Free State (UFS) will award a special Centenary bonus of R3000 (three thousand rand) to all qualifying staff in December 2004 .

As far as general salary increases for 2005 are concerned, plus an inflation- based linked salary increase adjustment of 1,4 percent and a further 4,6 percent salary increase as a final dividend from the financial turn-around strategy that began in 2000, will be instituted .

The final percentage salary increase is dependent on whether the expected government subsidy, of which the UFS must still receive notification from the Department of Education, is received.
, if the expected government subsidy realizes .
In addition, the salaries of service workers in low remuneration groups, as well as full professors have been adjusted retroactively to 1 January 2004. This restructuring was agreed upon to address market-related backlogs for these two groups , who display the biggest backlog relative to comparable institutions . A similar professional bench-marking exercise for support service staff has not been finalised.

This agreement was signed on Wednesday 24 November 2004 between the UFS Council and the UVPERSU-NEHAWU Joint Forum regarding salary negotiations for 2005.

“With this Centenary bonus and the significant above-inflation salary increase payment the UFS wants to pay recogni se tion to the sterling role that staff

have played in a difficult period of transition and fast growth and the contributions that they made to promote excellence at the UFS to a

university of excellence,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-

Chancellor of the UFS.

He said that the extra payment of this final 4,6 percent increase due to benefit from the financial turn-around strategy means that in real terms average salaries at the UFS had increased over the past 3 to 4 years by well over more that the 15 percent target that was set initially.

According to Prof Fourie all staff members who were in the employ of the UFS on UFS conditions of service on 15 November 2004 and who assumed duties before 1 October 2004, will qualify for the bonus. The same criteria will apply as for the 2004 bonuses.

However, there are some exceptions who do not qualify for the bonus eg learning facilitators, professors extraordinary, affiliated lecturers, departmental assistants, laboratory assistants, student help, all staff appointed for less than 20 hours per week, persons who are paid on a claims basis etc.

“Although the UFS’s actual subsidy amount is not yet known, an increase of 6,6 % in the total remuneration costs was budgeted for in the budget serving before the Executive Management and Council. It was further agreed with the UVPERSU-NEHAWU Joint Forum that the first 6 % increase will be used as general pensionable salary adjustment with implementation date 1 January 2005,” said Prof Fourie.

According to Prof Fourie the agreement also applies to all staff members of the Qwaqwa and Vista campuses whose conditions of service are already aligned with those of the main campus.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
25 November 2004

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