World’s assets decline in March
The value of the world’s assets surged ahead in the first two months of 2025, but in March gave up almost half their gains, shrinking by $3.4 trillion, according to the latest Global Asset Monitor from asset administrator Ocorian.
Up until the end of February, the main investable public and private asset classes (listed equities and listed bonds, and private funds investing private equity, private debt, real estate and infrastructure) grew by $7.8 trillion, a 3.2% increase to a record $250.6 trillion.
The sharp decline in March was driven almost entirely by US equities. The world’s assets were worth $247.2 trillion on March 12, up 1.8% year-to-date.
Electronic deeds registration
As part of government’s aim to digitalise and streamline the registration of deeds in South AfricaIn and pursuant to the partial commencement of the Electronic Deeds Registration Systems (EDRS) Act in December 2024, the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development recently published the Regulations to the EDRS Act, law firm STBB reports.
Scheduled to take effect on April 4, the EDRS Regulations detail, among other things, the procedures for the electronic preparation, lodgement, execution, and registration of deeds and documents. In the same week, the Minister published amendments to the Regulations to the Deeds Registries Act to facilitate the transition.
Tax on offshore pensions
In this month’s Budget, National Treasury announced its intention to tax withdrawals from foreign retirement funds, reports economist and tax practitioner Michael Kransdorff in an article for GoLegal.
The plan is to implement this change within the current legislative cycle, giving South African tax residents with foreign pensions limited time to restructure their affairs.
“The Budget labels this a ‘loophole’, but it’s actually a common-sense policy used by many countries to attract capital and skills. If passed, the change will subject expatriates and returning South Africans to full taxation on their foreign-earned retirement income. This could push skilled individuals and wealthy retirees toward more tax-friendly destinations,” he says.