EQT: Seamless Trading for Investors With a Global Mindset
Jean Minnaar, Managing Director of Private Clients by Old Mutual Wealth, says, 'The South African financial market is small and shrinking, representing less than 1% of global stock exchanges. This makes it crucial for investors to explore international opportunities and diversify their investments globally. However, high barriers to entry and complex processes have traditionally discouraged investors from expanding beyond local markets. EQT eliminates these barriers by offering an intuitive, seamless platform.'
He emphasises that EQT is more than just a trading platform, it's an essential partner and resource for investors focused on long-term investing and growing their wealth. With advanced technology, the platform, secured with institutional-grade encryption, biometric access, and multi-factor authentication, ensures a smooth, secure and empowering investment experience, even for those who are first time investors.
According to Shivani Naidoo CFA, Head of Digital Investor Solutions at Private Clients business, the platform offers expert research and insights with access to in-depth market analysis and analyst recommendations for investors to make informed decisions. This includes daily market updates, thematic screeners and personalised newsfeeds.
Naidoo says, 'For investors willing to expand their portfolios beyond South Africa's borders, EQT provides a timely and innovative solution to traditional investment channels by offering direct ownership of stocks, bonds, ETFs, structured notes, real-time insights, and low-cost trading, EQT empowers investors to take control of growing their wealth.'
She adds 'Investor behaviour is evolving, and more investors want to play an active role in their wealth creation. They want flexibility and the ability to act independently, while still benefiting from high-quality research and institutional-grade tools guided by expert insights. Self-directed investing is no longer on the margins, it's becoming a core part of how people engage with their financial futures. At Old Mutual Wealth, we are committed to meet this shift with modern wealth solutions, and EQT is a powerful enabler of this.'
Through the app, investors can execute trades across numerous global markets with ease and keep track of taxes and performance. There are no platform fees and no investment minimums. Investors also have the advantage of enhanced interest rates due to Old Mutual Wealth's size and scale, which enables it to partner with the biggest and most established financial services companies across the world.
Minnaar points out that the backing of a trusted brand such as Old Mutual Wealth is also important because there have been many scams by fly-by-night forex trading companies in South Africa promising impossible returns and charging high up-front minimums. 'The trusted Old Mutual brand brings with it the advantages of scale which gives investors an opportunity to use Old Mutual's asset swap capacity for greater offshore exposure. In addition, investors gain access to relevant Old Mutual incentives, including receiving Old Mutual Rewards points for every rand invested. For Old Mutual Wealth, EQT is not just a platform, it's a movement towards smarter, borderless investing. Whether you're a seasoned investor or just getting started, EQT provides the tools, insights, and cost-effective solutions to make every decision impactful.'
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Daily Maverick
3 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
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Following the abrupt dismissal of Deputy Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Andrew Whitfield, the Democratic Alliance (DA) publicly called for the immediate removal of Nkabane. We take a closer look at Nkabane and the path that led her to the influential role she holds today. From rural roots to academic heights Nkabane's academic journey began in KwaZulu-Natal, where she attended Ibisi Primary School in Umzimkhulu and matriculated at Task Force High School. In 2001, she earned a Diploma in Business Administration from Durban University of Technology, according to her LinkedIn profile. From 2007 to 2009, she completed a Diploma in Youth Development at the University of South Africa (Unisa). From 2010 to 2014 she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities at Unisa, focusing on government, administration and development. Her postgraduate studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal include a Bachelor of Administration, Honours (2015, cum laude), a Master of Administration in Public Administration (2016), and a PhD in Public Administration (2019). Alongside these, Nkabane completed several professional and executive programmes: a Compliance Management Programme at the University of Cape Town (2016–2017), Executive Development (NQF Level 7) at Stellenbosch Business School (2017), and participated in the African American European Summer School in Nancy, France. She expanded her qualifications with a postgraduate Diploma in Labour Law from the University of the Western Cape (2020), and in March 2025 obtained a Master of Science in International Business Administration from SOAS University of London. Currently, she is studying for a Master of Management in Energy Leadership at Wits Business School. Nkabane's ascent Nkabane's early career included roles as a personal assistant at Umzimkhulu Local Municipality and as a youth coordinator at Sisonke District Municipality. According to the South African Government website, her political journey began with leadership positions in the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and the ANC Women's League across branch, regional, and provincial levels in KwaZulu-Natal. As a leader in the ANCYL Sisonke Region, she played a key role in the successful campaign to rename Sisonke District Municipality to Harry Gwala District Municipality, honouring the anti-apartheid stalwart. She was elected as a member of Parliament in 2019 and served on several portfolio committees, including Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation, Employment and Labour, and Sports, Arts and Culture. She was also a member of the committee that evaluated the Public Protector's fitness for office. In 2022, she joined the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) and was appointed convenor of NEC deployees in Mpumalanga. In August 2021, Ramaphosa appointed her deputy minister of mineral resources and energy, a role she held until June 2024. On 3 July 2024, she was sworn in as minister of higher education in the Government of National Unity. Nkabane's promise to reform higher education The Higher Education Ministry had been beset by systemic failures and public distrust. Nkabane promised a decisive shift in how the sector, particularly the troubled National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), would be managed. The scheme was placed under administration in April 2024 after serious mismanagement and failure to deliver student allowances. In her maiden budget speech in Parliament on 16 July 2024, Nkabane pledged a full overhaul of the fund, promising to root out corruption. She also vowed to engage directly with student formations to better understand their daily struggles in accessing higher education. Another item high on her agenda was the accommodation crisis plaguing students. In February, Nkabane said that after consulting with landlords and student representatives, she had found common ground and was inspired by the voices of students. She also focused on the Setas, key to upskilling South Africa's youth. Her department allocated R333-million to support Seta programmes aiming to build a skilled and capable workforce to support inclusive growth. Strategic appointments to rebuild trust To steady the NSFAS ship, Nkabane appointed Waseem Carrim as its acting CEO, with a mandate to restore integrity and operational efficiency. She also reconstituted the NSFAS board. Carrim, a former National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) CEO, has since outlined ambitious plans to tackle governance failures and financial mismanagement at the agency. 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The Seta scandal: A growing storm However, the biggest crisis of her short tenure has stemmed from the Setas that she sought to empower. Opposition parties and civil society slammed a leaked list of 21 Seta board chairpersons, exposed by Daily Maverick, for including politically connected figures like Buyambo Mantashe and former KZN premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube. Critics accused Nkabane of nepotism, and in an open letter to Ramaphosa, DA MP Karabo Khakhau called for her dismissal. Nkabane rescinded the appointments, but the political fallout was significant. She established an independent panel to assist her in making appointments to the NSFAS and other entities. The Portfolio Committee on Higher Education demanded the names of the panellists, and Nkabane revealed five names: Advocate Terry Motau SC; Asisipho Solani; Nelisiwe Semane; Rhulani Ngwenya; and Mabuza Ngubane. However, Motau denied ever chairing the independent panel, contradicting Nkabane's claims. 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No response had been received by the time of publication. However, the secretary-general of the ANC, Fikile Mbalula, said during a press briefing that Nkabane had had no intention of misleading Parliament over the Seta appointment process and the naming of Motau. 'We reject the Democratic Alliance's opportunistic laying of criminal charges against the minister,' said Mbalula. 'The DA's conduct is not grounded in legal principle but in performative politics… The minister has decided to restart the process afresh, in full compliance with legal provisions, and without the influence of the prior panel. We invite broader sectoral participation, including business, labour, and student organisations, in the spirit of cooperative governance, a process we fully support as the African National Congress.' For a minister who came in with promises to listen, clean up and restore dignity to the education sector, Nkabane now finds herself on the defensive. 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The Citizen
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- The Citizen
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