| CAPITAL SEASONS Your Money. Your Future. Your Choice. |
A personal lesson plan for South Africans who are ready to start
capitalseasons.co.za
| A note before we begin When we spoke, I saw something in you that I recognised immediately. You are working hard, you are saving, and you actually have a goal. That already puts you ahead of many people. You do not need to hand your future over to someone else. You can learn to take control of your own money — step by step, not perfectly, just consistently. I am not here to give you advice or tell you what to buy. I can only share what worked for me, because I also started with very little and a lot of questions. This lesson plan is your starting point. Work through it at your own pace. Come back to it. Ask questions. The real power sits with you — in your own hands. — Mari, Capital Seasons |
| How to use this guide There are five lessons. Work through them in order — each one builds on the last.You do not need to finish in a week. One lesson at a time is enough.At the end of each lesson there is one simple action to take. Just one.The resources listed are free and written in plain language. No jargon required. |
LESSON 1 Know Exactly Where You Stand
Before you can move forward, you need to see the full picture. Most people avoid this step because it feels uncomfortable. But the moment you write it all down, something changes — it becomes real, and you can start making decisions instead of guesses.
Your action for this lesson:
Sit down with a piece of paper or a simple spreadsheet. Write down two lists.
| List 1 — What I have (assets) Savings account balanceAny pension or provident fund from your employerRetirement annuity (RA) — even if smallAny investments or unit trusts you already haveProperty value (if you own your home) List 2 — What I owe (liabilities) Credit card balance — and the interest rate on itStore accounts (Edgars, Jet, Woolworths, clothing accounts)Car loan or vehicle financePersonal loanHome loan (bond) |
Subtract what you owe from what you have. That number — positive or negative — is your starting point. Write it down. It is not a judgement. It is just the truth, and the truth is always the best place to start.
The fee problem — what happened to your investment
When you discovered that your investment was charging 3% in fees per year, that was an important moment. Here is why it matters so much:
| Scenario | Annual Fee | After 20 years on R100,000 |
| Low-cost ETF | 0.2% – 0.5% | ~R380,000 |
| Active fund (typical) | 1.5% – 2% | ~R280,000 |
| What you were paying | 3% | ~R210,000 |
Fees compound just like returns do — but in reverse. A 3% annual fee does not just cost you 3% once. Over 20 years, it can consume nearly half of your potential wealth. Always check the TER (Total Expense Ratio) before you invest in anything.
LESSON 2 Deal With Debt Before You Invest
If you have expensive debt — credit cards, store accounts, personal loans — pay those off before you put serious money into investments. This is not complicated. It is mathematics.
A credit card charging 21% interest per year is costing you 21% guaranteed. No investment consistently earns 21% per year. Paying off that card is the best investment you can make right now.
The snowball method — how to get out of debt faster
- Write down all your debts from the most expensive interest rate to the cheapest.
- Pay the minimum on everything except the most expensive one.
- Put every extra rand you can find toward that most expensive debt.
- Once it is paid off, take that same payment amount and add it to the next one.
- Repeat. The momentum builds. Each win gives you confidence for the next.
| The exception to this rule Your home loan is usually at a lower interest rate and has a tax structure that makes it worth keeping. Also — if your employer offers a pension or provident fund where they match your contributions, always contribute enough to get the full match. That is free money. Do not leave it on the table. |
Build your emergency fund at the same time
Before you invest a single rand in the market, build up three to six months of living expenses in a savings account. Keep it somewhere accessible — not locked away. This is your safety net. Without it, a job loss or an unexpected bill forces you to sell investments at the worst possible time.
Good options for your emergency fund in South Africa include TymeBank, African Bank, or FNB’s Money Maximiser — all offering competitive savings rates with easy access.
LESSON 3 Understand What an ETF Is — And Why It Matters
An ETF — exchange traded fund — is simply a basket of shares that you buy as a single investment. Instead of picking one company and hoping it does well, you buy a small piece of hundreds of companies at once. When those companies do well, you do well.
| Think about it this way You buy groceries at Shoprite. You fill your car at Sasol. You bank with Standard Bank. You use technology every day. Those companies make money from you. So why not own a small piece of them and let them pay you back over time? When you buy the Satrix Top 40 ETF, you own a tiny slice of the 40 biggest companies on the JSE — Naspers, Anglo American, Standard Bank, Sasol, MTN, and more. One purchase. One low fee. Instant diversification. |
ETFs vs unit trusts — what is the difference?
| ETF (index fund) | Active unit trust | |
| Managed by | Computer tracks the index | Fund manager picks stocks |
| Annual fee (TER) | 0.1% to 0.5% | 1% to 3% |
| Buys and sells often? | No — very low turnover | Yes — more cost |
| Performance vs market | Matches the market | Often underperforms market after fees |
| Best for | Long-term investors | Short-term tactical bets |
Recommended ETFs to start with in South Africa
You do not need many. Two or three is enough to start.
- Satrix 40 (STX40) — tracks the 40 biggest companies on the JSE. Banks, miners, retailers. This is South Africa in one purchase.
- Satrix MSCI World (STXWDM) — gives you exposure to the biggest companies in the world. Apple, Microsoft, Nestle, Samsung. Rand hedge built in.
- Sygnia Itrix S&P 500 (SYG500) — direct exposure to the 500 biggest US companies. One of the lowest-cost global ETFs available in South Africa.
- Satrix Divi Plus (STXDIV) — focuses on dividend-paying companies on the JSE. Good for income over time.
A simple starting portfolio for a South African beginner: 50% in a local ETF (STX40) and 50% in a global ETF (STXWDM). That is it. You are diversified locally and globally with two purchases.
LESSON 4 Where to Open Your Account — and the Tax-Free Secret
The Tax-Free Savings Account — start here
Every South African is entitled to invest R46,000 per year into a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) with a lifetime limit of R500,000. Inside this account, you pay no tax on growth, no tax on dividends, and no tax when you withdraw. It is the most powerful savings tool available to ordinary South Africans — and most people do not use it.
Open a TFSA first. Fill it before putting money anywhere else (except your retirement fund at work).
| TFSA rules for 2026 Annual limit: R46,000 per tax yearLifetime limit: R500,000Available to every South African, including childrenYou can withdraw at any time — but withdrawals do not restore your annual limitBest used with an ETF inside the account, not just as a savings account |
Where to open your account
All of these platforms are reputable, low-cost, and beginner-friendly. Most let you start with as little as R100 to R500 per month.
| Platform | Best for | Website |
| EasyEquities | Complete beginners, R50 minimum | easyequities.co.za |
| Satrix | ETF-only investors, low-cost debit orders | satrix.co.za |
| Sygnia | Low-cost ETF platform | sygnia.co.za |
| 10X Investments | Retirement (RA) + low fees | 10x.co.za |
| Allan Gray | Managed funds + retirement | allangray.co.za |
| FNB Securities | If you already bank with FNB | fnb.co.za |
About Allan Gray and 10X
Allan Gray is one of South Africa’s most respected investment managers. They offer unit trusts and a retirement annuity. Their fees are higher than an ETF platform, but they also offer more active management and a range of multi-asset funds. Good for someone who wants a managed option without making too many decisions.
10X Investments is specifically built around low fees for retirement savings. Their research shows that most South Africans retire with far less than they need — mostly because of high fees eating their returns for decades. 10X’s RA has some of the lowest fees in the country. If you have a retirement annuity that is charging 2-3%, moving it to 10X is worth investigating.
LESSON 5 Keep a Record and Stay Consistent
The most powerful investing habit is not knowing which shares to pick. It is simply showing up every month. Consistent, small contributions beat brilliant but irregular ones every time.
Set up a simple monthly system
- Decide on an amount you will invest every month — even R500 is enough to start.
- Set up a debit order on the day after your salary arrives. Automate it so you never forget.
- Open a simple spreadsheet and record: date, amount invested, current total value.
- Update it every three months. Watch your savings grow and your debt shrink.
- Do not check the value every day. Markets go up and down. Time is your friend.
| The one habit that beats everything else Nobody will care about your money as much as you do. Not your bank. Not your advisor. Not your family. You. The sooner you take responsibility for understanding where your money goes and how it grows, the sooner your future starts changing. You do not need a big salary to start. You do not need to be perfect. You just need to be involved. |
YOUR FREE RESOURCE LIST
Start here — free education in plain English
- Just One Lap — Beginner’s Guide to Investing — Start with Investing 101. Written by Simon Brown, no jargon.
- Just One Lap — Tax-Free Investing — Everything you need to know about TFSAs and ETFs in one place.
- Just One Lap — ETF Database — Compare every ETF available in South Africa with fees and performance.
- Just One Lap — JSE Direct Podcast — Simon Brown’s weekly podcast. Easy listening, practical advice.
Open your investment account
- EasyEquities — Start with as little as R50. Friendly for beginners. Open a TFSA here.
- Satrix — Buy ETFs directly. Set up a monthly debit order into the Satrix 40 or MSCI World.
- 10X Investments — Low-cost retirement annuity. Check what your current RA is charging vs 10X.
- Allan Gray — Managed funds and retirement products. Good for a hands-off investor.
- Sygnia — Low-cost ETF and RA platform. The Sygnia S&P 500 is one of the cheapest global ETFs available.
Learn more over time
- Capital Seasons — capitalseasons.co.za — Weekly market commentary in plain language. Learn to read market seasons.
- National Credit Regulator (NCR) — Understanding your rights around debt and credit in South Africa.
- FSCA — Financial Sector Conduct Authority — Check if any investment company or advisor is registered and legitimate.
| YOUR FIRST FIVE ACTIONS Do these in order. Take as long as you need on each one. Write down everything you have and everything you owe on one page.List your debts from most expensive to cheapest and start attacking the top one.Go to justonelap.com and read the Investing 101 page.Open a Tax-Free Savings Account on EasyEquities or Satrix.Set up a monthly debit order — even R500 — into a simple ETF. |
Capital Seasons | capitalseasons.co.za | Invest with the seasons. Not the noise.
This guide is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute personal financial advice. Always verify information with a registered financial advisor before making investment decisions.
A Beginner’s Guide to Taking Control of Your Money