BACKSTORY: Natasha Narsingh, CEO of Sanlam Investments Active Management

What’s your one top tip for doing a deal?

Always understand what you’re investing in, it can be very rewarding when you actively invest with intention.  Also, make sure to conduct a thorough due diligence. Valuations matter — a lot.

What was your first job?

At university I was a laboratory demonstrator to engineering students. Even earlier than that, when I was 15, I was a part-time bookkeeper at a printing company for a few months.

How much was your first pay cheque, and how did you spend it?

As a bookie, I earned all of R20 a month.  As a lab rat, I earned about R500 a month. I used it to buy a second-hand cellphone and the coolest pair of jeans with a big heart sign on the right leg.

What is the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out?

Your savings clock starts now. Know and trust in the power of compounding returns.

If you could fix only one thing in SA, what would it be?

The problem is there is no “one-thing” silver bullet. Ultimately, what we must do is lift the real GDP growth rate. Fixing infrastructure is the basics, which needs to be followed up with boosting small businesses (removing barriers to entry and improving the ease of doing business).  

What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know?

As a young teenager, I used to be a keen angler and was a member of an angling club. I often went boat fishing with my brothers.  I loved being out in the ocean at sunrise, baiting my hook and reeling in the fish.

What’s the worst investment mistake you’ve made?

Finding reasons to spend my earnings rather than saving them and investing more.

What’s the best investment you’ve ever made? And how much of it was due to luck?

Early in my career as a mining analyst, I bought some Sasol shares which have performed quite well over the years. 

What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why did you like it?

Multipliers by Liz Wiseman is brilliant, hugely motivating and a real eye-opener. It should be a go-to book for every manager. We each have an opportunity to be a Multiplier rather than a Diminisher leader and enable our teams to thrive.

What is the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt so far?

Your life can take a 180° turn within a blink of an eye. Learn from the setbacks and use them as tools to grow stronger.

What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most?

“Get-rich-quick scheme” is a phrase that makes me cringe.

What is something you would go back and tell your younger self that would impress them?

Be patient, my darling, be patient.  Embrace challenges with curiosity and resilience.

If you were President Cyril Ramaphosa, what would you change, or do, tomorrow? 

Follow through vigorously on the government’s stated objective to professionalise the public service to improve service delivery.