Botswana Insurance Fund Management (Bifm) on Wednesday 27th November 2013 hosted the 6th annual Offshore Managers Conference. The platform, which was introduced in order to offer clients and key stakeholders an appreciation of offshore managers’ strategies was this year held at Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC).
This year’s Conference saw a focus and exploration of the global themes that have a bearing on client investments. The Conference aims providing a platform for offshore managers to explain global market conditions and the backdrop against which international investment portfolios and funds were managed, sharing experiences and updating trustees on their businesses.
Said Bifm Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Tiny Kgatlwane, “The Offshore Managers Conference has established itself as a key platform for our managers and our clients and trustees. By bringing together our offshore managers, trustees, pension funds, regulators and other stakeholders, in the asset management industry, the Conference helps us all to better understand current market views and themes. Beyond that, it offers us a chance to once more engage our valued stakeholders and strengthen those truly cherished relationships.”
This year’s Conference was held with Bifm appointed offshore partners in attendance, including: Franklin Templeton Investments and Sanlam International Investments. Additional partners included Mondrian Investment Partners Limited for Emerging Market Equities and Sanlam Investment Management for South African Equities (emerging markets); Key speakers included Monnane M Monnane (BIDPA), Dylan Ball (Franklin Templeton Investments), Guy Cameron (Sanlam International Investments), Boris Veselinovich (Mondrian Investment Partners) and Setshwano Ngope (Bifm).
“There are great many complex factors to consider. Though we’re out of the distressed phase for banks following the 2008 financial markets crisis, this isn’t quite a return to the normal practice just yet,” commented Mr. Dylan Ball, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst at Franklin Templeton Investments.
“What it boils down to is the mutually dependent relationship between government and banks. The first part of that relationship has seen government help banks through lowering of the interest rates so that banks may get stronger. The second part will see banks help the economy do better. We’re in a transition period in terms of the relationship between banks and government and we’re on the cusp of the second part of that relationship taking place, so it is only a matter of time. It is against this background that we navigate the economic and investment landscape in an effort to ensure the utmost value for investors.”