South Africa’s State Pension Fund Preparing for National Downgrade
South Africa’s main government workers’ pension fund is seeking permission to invest more cash in international assets to protect against the impact of a possible downgrade of the country’s local-currency debt to junk status.
The Government Employees Pension Fund is in talks with Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba about easing its investment criteria to include more foreign bonds and equities, Abel Sithole, principal executive officer, told reporters in Johannesburg on Tuesday. The GEPF currently has 1 percent of its 1.7 trillion rand ($121 billion) in assets in foreign bonds and 5 percent in international equity.
“There is a fear that we might be downgraded this year or next year,” Sithole said. “We need to increase our exposure offshore and we are seeking to do so.”
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