Challenges and alternatives with SA’s retirement fund system

South Africa’s pension fund system has constantly produced inferior outcomes for its individuals, with the 2022 Mercer CFA International Pension Index rating 34^th out of 44 international locations studied. In opposition to this background, how will proposed modifications to the nation’s pension fund system form the retirement fund panorama? And, importantly, what will be achieved right this moment to enhance retirement outcomes for South Africans sooner or later?

Whereas it’s clear that South Africa’s retirement system rating is poor, with adequacy and sustainability of retirement advantages recognized as weak hyperlinks, the issue is multi-layered and sophisticated.

It is very important perceive that South Africa’s retirement system doesn’t function in isolation.

We are attempting to downside remedy in a extremely unequal society the place plenty of individuals don’t have jobs. We have to repair unemployment earlier than we will actually rework our pension fund system. If extra individuals have jobs, it is going to enhance the financial savings pool.

In terms of these taking part within the system, an space to prioritise is preservation.

Presently, many individuals are attending to retirement with little or no financial savings, not as a result of they didn’t take part, however as a result of they didn’t protect sufficient. In different phrases, it’s the sum of money being paid out pre-retirement that undermines the system. For some, there may be additionally a problem with contribution charges. Folks typically don’t know the way a lot to avoid wasting for retirement. This implies even when they take part and by no means take cash out, they nonetheless find yourself with too little at retirement.

One other problem is that saving for retirement, by nature, is a long-term endeavour that performs out over many years. You might have a system that tends to be difficult, and each change made could have unintended penalties on, for instance, buyers’ behaviour, which can take years to play out.

The “two-pot” retirement system, set to be applied throughout the first half of 2025, will positively change behaviour if it “delivers on its intention”. The brand new system would require all new contributions to retirement funds to be break up into two parts: two-thirds shall be allotted to a retirement element, which should be preserved till retirement, whereas the remaining one-third shall be allotted to a financial savings element, permitting one withdrawal per yr earlier than retirement.

Whereas many imagine the two-pot system will permit buyers entry to extra money, this isn’t essentially the case. It recognises that folks could have emergency conditions and have to entry some funds; fairly than having members resign to entry their funds, leaving their funds fully, the system will make a portion accessible.

The 2-pot system will ration how a lot you may entry whereas saving in direction of retirement. General, if the thought is applied effectively, it is going to transfer us in the appropriate path. However as with all the pieces, the satan shall be within the element, together with within the laws.

With the implementation date looming, there are dangers to speeding the laws.

There must be time for the business to make the executive modifications and make them correctly so that folks retain their belief and confidence within the system. If you happen to hurry the laws by way of and rush the modifications that should be made, and you can not pay individuals what they count on, it may well find yourself doing extra hurt than good.

Placing higher retirement financial savings incentives in place can even change behaviour.

The tax incentives on retirement merchandise like retirement annuities are nice, as are tax-free funding accounts, however these incentives solely apply to the tax base.

In April this yr, the South African Income Service (Sars) introduced that it had recorded a 4.53% enhance in new private earnings taxpayers, elevating the energetic taxpayer base to only below 26 million. Nonetheless, the inhabitants measurement of South Africa is slightly below 60 million.

In response to Statistics South Africa, 73% of older individuals within the nation are beneficiaries of an old-age grant.

The Older Particular person’s Grant, often known as the state old-age pension, is a month-to-month cost made to qualifying people who’re 60 or older. The means take a look at determines who will get this grant, which is just accessible for individuals who obtain a month-to-month earnings beneath a sure stage. I belive the take a look at ought to be reviewed, as it might at the moment act as an unintended disincentive to avoid wasting in direction of retirement.

The means take a look at successfully implies that should you obtain earnings from pension financial savings, you don’t qualify for the Older Particular person’s Grant. We should always think about excluding pensions from the means take a look at to take away the potential incentive to deplete your pension fund financial savings.

I’m inspired by the truth that there are glimmers of hope within the nation’s retirement system.

The governance of retirement funds is by and enormous good. There are a lot of well-meaning and sensible individuals taking care of the financial savings of pensioners. We now have a superb financial savings and funding business, not with out its challenges, however there are alternatives.

Richard Carter is head of Assurance at Allan Grey.