🕮 The Savvy Investor’s Toolkit: Exploring Five Alternative Investments for Portfolio Diversification
When it comes to investing, most people think first of the traditional duo: stocks and bonds.
🎥 How to Optimise Your Foreign Exchange Transactions
Cashbox Global
Maximising Value in Currency Transfers – What Smart Investors Should Know
Foreign exchange strategy is often overlooked by investors, yet it plays a vital role in determining the actual value of an offshore investment. In this Thought Leadership Thursdays (TLT) session, Kuda Mpofu from Currencies Direct joins Cashbox Global to unpack how investors can significantly reduce the cost and complexity of international money movement — whether funding a structured note, buying offshore property, or repatriating investment income.
Currencies Direct is a global treasury outsourcing company that operates in over 20 countries, providing institutional-level currency solutions for individuals, businesses, and financial intermediaries. With decades of experience navigating South African Reserve Bank regulations and global FX systems, Kuda offers clarity on the tools, risks, and opportunities investors face when moving funds across borders.
Key Topics Covered in the Webinar:
- How banks apply hidden margins: Kuda explains how the rates quoted by banks are often embedded with up to 4% in hidden margin, especially for less common currencies or lower-value transfers.
- How treasury specialists offer better FX execution: Unlike traditional banks, Currencies Direct operates with global settlement accounts, enabling more competitive pricing, faster transfers, and personal support.
- Real-world cost comparisons: Using Standard Bank, FNB, Absa, and Nedbank as examples, he shows how the margin and service levels vary widely — and where investors unknowingly lose value.
- SA Reserve Bank regulations for residents and non-residents: Learn the difference between the Single Discretionary Allowance (SDA), Approval for International Transfers (AIT), and full Reserve Bank approvals — including timelines, requirements, and when to apply.
- Structuring FX efficiently: Discover how forward contracts allow investors to lock in exchange rates for up to 12 months in advance — ideal for those with fixed investment deadlines or foreign expenses.
- Avoiding common FX scams: Kuda shares essential precautions around inheritance scams, fake Reserve Bank notices, email interception, and how to verify banking details securely.
- Investor psychology and timing: With the Rand historically depreciating by 6% annually against major currencies, waiting for a “better rate” often proves costly. Kuda outlines a decision-making framework to help investors act decisively, rather than speculatively.
Whether you’re an investor funding a USD-denominated note, emigrating capital, or simply want to reduce costs when sending money abroad, this webinar provides essential guidance rooted in transparency, strategy, and global insight.
Cashbox Global’s TLT series is designed to equip investors with practical tools and knowledge that go beyond product discussions. Understanding the structure behind your FX transfers — including margins, timelines, regulations and risk — can have a direct impact on your long-term returns.
Watch the full video here:
Articles and videos are educational only and not financial, tax, or investment advice. Always make decisions based on your own research and, if needed, the advice of licensed professionals you choose
