What the South African Reserve Bank Can Teach You About Investing

Amid rising inflation and global uncertainty, many South Africans are asking a vital question: how can we ensure financial stability in our own lives? 

While macroeconomic challenges can feel distant or overwhelming, the core principles of financial resilience, consistent saving, managing risk, and making informed investment decisions are just as important for individuals as they are for institutions. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB), through its prudent management of the country’s reserves, sets a clear example of how long-term stability can be built through careful planning and a focus on low-risk, reliable assets.

Who is the South African Reserve Bank 

The SARB plays a critical role in safeguarding South Africa’s financial system by holding a diversified mix of official reserves. These reserves are made up of four components:

• Gold
• Special drawing rights (SDRs) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF),
• The government’s foreign currency deposits (Forex),
• and safe assets such as highly rated government bonds. 

Safe assets have had the biggest impact on reserves, growing by US$13 billion since May 2015 – these assets include government bonds, which provide security and liquidity in times of volatility. Gold was the second largest contributor to reserve growth, as of May 2025, mainly due to its price rising from US$1,191.40 in 2015 to US$3,277.55 in 2025. While the SARB’s gold volume remained stable, its value grew from US$4.8 billion to US$13.3 billion, boosting reserves by over US$8.5 billion, with most of the increase occurring after COVID-19.

Will you be investing in Bonds, Gold and FX? 

Investors using EasyEquities could take a cue from this strategy by building their portfolios around similarly stable instruments – accessing gold investments through listed gold mining companies, ETFs that track these miners or the gold commodity itself.

South African government bonds are also available on the platform and are exclusively available on the tax-free savings account and retirement annuity (RA) account. 

Additionally, Several Absa New Wave ETNs (exchange-traded notes) offer investors exposure to foreign currencies (FX) like the dollar, pound and euro. 

Conclusion 

By investing in assets that reflect the SARB’s focus on safety and resilience, such as government bonds, gold, and foreign reserves, investors could take practical steps to potentially protect their wealth, navigate uncertainty, and build long-term financial stability.

As we mark National Savings Month, the question becomes: will you follow the SARB’s lead and strengthen your portfolio with gold, bonds, and foreign currency exposure? 🤔💭

Government bonds offer a reliable way to earn fixed income by lending money to the government in exchange for regular interest payments. 

Dividends are one of the many key components of investing, representing a share of a company's profits distributed to its shareholders. 

Special dividends, also known as extraordinary dividends, are one-time payments made by companies to shareholders due to specific financial events, like windfall profits or asset sales.