South African investors’ preferred information sources revealed

South African investors’ most popular sources for investment information are news publications, company reports, online videos and podcasts, and Twitter.

This was one of the findings of Daily Investor’s 2023 South African Investor Report, based on responses from 1,443 retail and institutional investors.

The survey was conducted in July 2023, and most respondents were high-income earners who actively invested.

The survey revealed that around half of South African investors handle their own investments, with only 50% of survey respondents using a financial advisor.

Over the last year, the use of financial advisors increased by 6%. This is partly a result of increased uncertainty around the South African economy and the volatility of the local currency.

Many investors sought expert advice on protecting their wealth against local problems, which increased the use of financial advisors.

However, not everyone turned to financial advisors for help. Many investors are confident in their abilities to make good decisions without professional help.

The wealth of resources available online has made investing more accessible and understandable to retail investors.

Rightly or wrongly, freely available investment information makes many people think they no longer have to rely on a financial advisor or stockbroker to invest their money.

Most popular sources of information

The most popular source of information among South African investors is news publications like Daily Investor, Moneyweb, BusinessTech, Business Day, and Biznews.

Another important source is company reports, including annual reports, SENS announcements, and financial updates.

Podcasts and videos are growing in popularity among South African investors, while Twitter is the most popular social media platform for financial information.

YouTube is widely used to listen to interviews with CEOs, analysts, and other investing experts.

Traditional mediums, like television and books, are the least popular channels among South African investors to gather information.