Conversations that count: Investing made easy

At CN&CO, we’re big believers in the power of conversation. When smart, passionate people come together to share ideas, everyone learns. That’s exactly what happened in a recent EasyEquities webinar, hosted by CN&CO founder Carel Nolte (who is also part of the EasyEquities team) and featuring Nerina Visser from ETFSA.

Carel opened the session with his usual mix of warmth and humour, calling Nerina “fearless and fabulous” and describing her as “the financial brain you want on speed dial when the markets are doing all kinds of things we don’t understand.”

Nerina started her talk by unpacking what she sees as one of the biggest puzzles for investors right now: the disconnect between the chaos in the news and the steady highs in the markets.

“People are battling to understand why this disconnect exists,” she said. “At the same time, they’re asking how long it can last and how they should be positioned for the next phase.”

Looking back at the past year, Nerina raised the fact that inflation and interest rates have peaked globally, and in South Africa we’ve already seen three rate cuts. “We expected an economic slowdown rather than a recession – a so-called soft landing – and that’s exactly what transpired.”

She also commented on the surprising resilience of US corporate earnings.

“Despite all the noise around tariffs, this is not being felt in US corporate profits. Productivity growth, fuelled by AI investment, is giving a big boost,” she said.

Kangaroo markets and emerging opportunities

One of Nerina’s standout lines was her description of “kangaroo markets” – jumping up and down unpredictably thanks to geopolitics, Trump’s policies and shifting global dynamics .

She argued that investors should be looking carefully at emerging markets, particularly in Asia and Latin America.

“Not exposing yourself to that opportunity means missing out on a lot of potential,” she said .

Gold also made it into the discussion, with Nerina pointing out that “South African investors have not taken enough advantage of the boom in gold” .

Carel brought the conversation back to basics. “Investing isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme,” he reminded the audience. “If you want that, go gamble – or rob a bank! Although both of those options could land you in a lot of trouble. Good investing is about research, consistency, and using the tools at your disposal” .

He also highlighted the growth of EasyEquities investors: “Over a billion rand of new cash comes onto the platform every month. Ten years ago, many people wrote off retail investors. Today, they’re smart, engaged and growing in numbers.”

Beyond the numbers, the conversation touched on resilience, balance and inspiration. When asked how she manages to stay positive and energetic in such a demanding industry, Nerina was quick to credit both passion and support.

“I’m genuinely interested in this stuff,” she said. “And I have an amazing husband who is the wind beneath my wings. But at the heart of it, I’m MAD – I like to make a difference. If I can go to bed knowing I’ve done that, I sleep well” .

Looking ahead

The webinar wrapped with a sense of optimism. Both Carel and Nerina emphasised the importance of knowledge, conversation and consistency in building long-term wealth.

As Nerina summed it up: “At the root of all of this is empowering people with the knowledge and understanding to take control of their financial destiny.”