Outlook for 2018: Planning in uncertainty
Next year will be pivotal for SA’s near to medium-term future, writes Johann Barnard
The beginning of the new year is fast approaching, yet it may as well be three years in the future. This is because it’s almost impossible to tell what the outcome of the ANC’s elective conference in December will be: we’re in for either a protracted period of politically inspired pessimism and upheaval or a time of renewed hope and upheaval. With the possible outcomes at such extremes, it is practically impossible to make predictions with any certainty for what investors could expect from 2018. The past two years alone have highlighted the futility of relying on historical biases or performance to make reasonable projections. Local and global markets have been propelled beyond historical highs. One would hope for this to continue next year, but cannot realistically expect it. Yet who would bet against it, given the unexpected ways markets have reacted and events have played out? For SA consumers and investors, however, the view remains less than rosy. Economic growth next year is f...
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