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This book is based on a series of columns that I wrote for Business Maverick, a branch of the Daily Maverick online newspaper, edited by a long-standing colleague of mine, Tim Cohen.

I decided to write the columns when I saw how pensioners were panicking in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and nine years of the Zuma regime. I called Tim, because as far as I’m concerned, the Daily Maverick is proper journalism in a world of dross. The Daily Maverick and Business Maverick do sound and scrupulous research – even though many people may not like the results.

I was so concerned about the situation in South Africa that I offered to write the columns for free. I thought at the time there would be about three of them. In the end, the project grew into 20 columns.

The main reason for this expansion was the research I was receiving from various parties. Most of it came from Alexander Forbes, Just SA and Sanlam, who over the years have produced an amazing amount of solid research into improving the lots of retirement fund members and pensioners.

The two people to thank above all others are John Anderson, who heads research at Alexander Forbes, and Deane Moore, chief executive of Just SA. I have spent many hours conversing with them over the phone and by email while going over the contents of my columns and this book. This is apart from their granting me access to their organisations’ research and suggesting other sources of information for me to utilise.

It was on the basis of all this that it was decided to go ahead with the publication of this book. Zebra Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa – which has published a number of my books, including another one co-authored by Wouter Fourie – were quick to accept the proposal. Wouter and I would like to thank Robert Plummer, Marlene Fryer and Penguin Random House for the way in which they have handled this book.

I would like to acknowledge the following two people who have helped me on the writing side:

 Wouter Fourie, a leading financial planner and my co-author once again, who provided information for both the newspaper columns and this book and who assisted me editorially. It is so useful having someone who interacts with investors rather than being an observer like me; and

 Dane Wallace, our copy editor. We have worked together before and I was impressed. My comment this time: Dane is damned good at keeping authors on their toes and had us meeting our deadlines for this publication. Thank you, Dane.

Generally, for both the columns and the book, I would like to acknowledge a host of other people who assisted me along the way.

In no particular order: Tony Mostert, my old friend and a curator and liquidator of retirement funds with whom I have spent many hours over many years discussing the many issues where our paths cross; Warren Matthysen, Belinda Sullivan, Zaid Saeed and Shelley van der Westhuizen of Alexander Forbes; David Gluckman and Karen Wentzel of Sanlam; Olano Makhubela, divisional executive of retirement funds supervision for the FSCA; David Hufton and Iain Anderson of Sygnia; Lucienne Fild of the Association for Savings and Investment SA; Derek Smorenburg of the South African Independent Financial Advisors Association; Estee Visser, a business development associate; Ryan Noach of Discovery Health; Francois du Toit, an investment planner educationist who runs the online programme Virtual Coffee and who has been, for me, a source of good ideas; and an old colleague of mine, Jo Tyler, another victim of the COVID-19 pandemic job losses.

Not everyone agrees with everything that is said in this book, so their mention here shouldn’t be taken as agreement with our views. This is simply our effort to share the information as prudently as we see it.

BRUCE CAMERON

AUGUST 2020