A. Buijs

Responsible investing in South Africa

ABSTRACT Given growing interest in the phenomenon of Responsible Investing (RI), both locally and internationally, the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the RI sector in South Africa. It focuses on the definition and characteristics of RI within the South African context; the size and nature of the local RI sector and the obstacles which impede on the growth of the local RI sector. Recommendations are made on overcoming these barriers. It is suggested that local institutional investors drive the rebranding of RI in South Africa and that more RI products be developed to cater for the diverse needs of RI investors, both locally and internationally.

The risk-adjusted performance of responsible investment funds in South Africa

Empirical evidence shows that the phenomenon of responsible investing (RI) is gradually moving from a fringe investment strategy to a mainstream consideration in the global investment arena (Knoll, 2002:681; Schueth, 2003:189). Responsible investing essentially refers to a set of approaches which include moral as well as environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) considerations along with conventional financial criteria in decisions regarding the selection, retention and realisation of particular investments (Mansley, 2000:3).