11 July 2023

Diversity in Asset Management

In 2023, EPPF commissioned the Responsible Finance Initiative of the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) to carry out a qualitative study of the experience of female professionals who work in asset management in South Africa. As a thought leader in pension fund administration, it is important for us to understand the realities of women who work in finance and investment. Our intention in publicising this research is to spark thought-provoking conversations on the topic and to get industry to be intentional about redress.

13 June 2023

Waseema Mocke: A Life of Risk and Reward

By Rorisang Rathebe

A professional responsibility to minimise risk, coupled with a natural affinity for taking risks, makes Waseema Mocke one of the most interesting Chartered Accountants you’ll meet. She lives in a world of conquered fears and broken barriers, because when you’re as spirited, free and capable as she is, taking risks can only lead to great reward. From savvy career moves to daredevil physical activities, Waseema lives life exactly as it should be: with passion and purpose. 

14 February 2023

Thandie Mashego: A Reflection on One Year at the Fund

By Rorisang Rathebe

Like many other South Africans, Thandie Mashego embraced the festive period of 2022 as a time for much needed rest. Having taken no time between her transition from Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at WDB Investment Holdings to CFO at the Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (EPPF), she felt long overdue. 2022 had been a year of personal and professional growth, with her appointment at the EPPF being a highlight. “My move to the Fund happened in a way that required a lot of growth from me,” she reflects. “I was thrown into my role, which is a good thing, because it allowed me to adapt quickly and understand so much about the organisation in a short space of time.” 

01 December 2022

Meet Our New Chief Investment Officer, Sonja Saunderson

By Rorisang Rathebe

Sonja Saunderson began her tenure as the EPPF’s Chief Investment Officer (CIO) on 1 November 2022. She smiles when she explains that the first few days at the Fund have introduced her to an intimate yet bustling culture. “The EPPF is such a professionally run fund. It is revered and respected in the industry, so I’m excited to be a part of that,” she says. 

Leaving Momentum, where she worked for 22 years, was not an easy decision. In the modern working world, staying at a company for two decades isn’t particularly common. In Sonja’s case, it is indicative of her values. “When you’re surrounded by the right people, and when your work positively impacts the lives of others, staying for 22 years comes naturally,” she says. 

12 October 2022

Yolisa Skwintshi: Innovation Worthy of Nomination

By Rorisang Rathebe

When a bright-eyed, teenage girl took a school tour to the University of Port Elizabeth (now Nelson Mandela University), she had no idea that the path led to becoming Executive of Information Technology (IT) at one of Africa’s largest pension funds. In the university’s computer lab, the words across the screens represented a world of possibilities to her. She later learned that these words were code. Fascinated and excited, she returned home and attentively researched the field of Computer Science. Her name is Yolisa Skwintshi and, while she is no longer a teenage girl, the trajectory of her life has been driven by that nostalgic moment. 

10 September 2021

EPPF investment in China A equities

By Ndabe Mkhize

The Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (“EPPF”) is a defined benefit pension whose long-term investment strategy is set through an asset-liability modelling (“ALM”) process, which leads to formulation of the strategic asset allocation (“SAA”) of the Fund. The EPPF ALM process is a very robust process that involves three groups of actuaries (ALM actuaries, peer review actuaries, and the Fund actuary or valuator, the investment team, and the Strategic Investment Committee 

05 April 2021

Eskom Pension and Provident Fund CFO Shafeeq Abrahams steps into CEO role

Shafeeq Abrahams has taken over from Linda Mateza as the EPPF’s CEO and principal.

05 April 2021

EPPF head of HR Shyless Nkuna says servant leadership is paramount

If the global financial crisis was the mock exam, Covid-19 presented the real test for HR leaders, says Shyless.

25 March 2021

Eskom fund supports Pension Funds Act amendments

The Eskom Pension and Provident Fund (EPPF) has welcomed proposed amendments to the Pension Funds Act regulation 28 that will allow funds to elect to invest in infrastructure projects, says EPPF chief investment officer Ndabe Mkhize.

19 July 2020

No reason entities that manage people’s data should not implement Popia now

Firms can find themselves being ordered by the regulator to pay compensation to affected parties, and they can further be sued for damages

10 July 2020

Technology fulfils human purpose in pension fund environment

By Yolisa Skwintshi

Technology plays an important role in how a pension fund interacts with each of these stakeholder groups, which all have different needs.

18 March 2020

The Great COVID-19 Crisis, where is the bottom?

By Spencer Korb
 

Since the news broke that the Covid-19 coronavirus had spread substantially outside China to Europe and the United States, we have witnessed the mass destruction of wealth globally.

03 March 2020

INFRASTRUCTURE: HOW PENSION FUNDS CAN SERVE MEMBERS – AND THE NATION

By Ndabe Mkhize

Chief Investment Officer, Eskom Pension and Provident Fund

23 January 2020

The future of transformation in the investment industry and the EPPF’s role

By Ndabezinhle Mkhize

A first in the investment industry!

23 January 2020

Responsible Investing by Pension Funds: The ABC Of ESG

By Ndabe Mkhize

The core functions of a pension fund are to provide its beneficiaries with good enough returns for them to live on – and a good enough world to retire into.

20 January 2020

Sound corporate governance depends on ethical leaders – and you and me

By Levern Forley

Risk and Compliance Officer, Eskom Pension and Provident Fund