By Roné van der Merwe*
Not all women consider themselves ‘investors’. A ‘saver’, yes. Responsible with money, definitely. But investor? That word brings to mind people who check the markets obsessively, take risks you’d rather avoid, or have a financial confidence you don’t quite have.
Here’s where I’d push back. You’re already an investor. You almost certainly have a retirement annuity, a pension fund, or a provident fund: money going in every month, compounding quietly in the background, being managed by professionals whose entire job is to grow it.
You’ve been investing for years. You just haven’t been calling it that.
So the question worth asking is this: why is the money outside your retirement fund still sitting in a savings account?
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. A survey released last month by US investment manager Vanguard found that 51% of women hold their non-retirement savings in traditional savings accounts, cheque accounts, or physical cash.
The reason isn’t ignorance or carelessness. It’s that a savings account feels responsible, safe and in control.
That sense of safety is real, but it comes with a cost you may not have calculated.
Safe from what?
A savings account protects the number on your statement, but not what that number will actually buy you in five years. With inflation again on the rise, money sitting in a low-yield account is quietly losing purchasing power every year.
The balance goes up, but what it can buy goes down. It’s a slow erosion, easy to miss precisely because the statement always looks positive.
The real risk isn’t the stock market; it’s that your money isn’t keeping pace with your life.
Here are five things I encourage my clients to do:
1. Separate your emergency fund from your wealth fund
Keep three to six months of living expenses somewhere accessible. That money belongs in cash – it’s your safety net and it should stay there.
But everything beyond that has different goals, and it deserves a different home. Once you make that separation, the decisions become a lot clearer.
2. Ask what your non-retirement savings are actually doing
If you have money sitting beyond your emergency fund, ask yourself honestly: what is this working towards? A savings account isn’t a strategy; it’s a holding pattern.
Unit trusts, balanced funds, and tax-free savings accounts all offer far better long-term growth potential, without requiring you to pick individual stocks or follow the markets every day.
3. Stop waiting until you feel ready
I’ve found that many women wait until they understand everything before they invest. The intention is good, but the cost is real, because time in the market compounds.
You don’t need to understand all the mechanics. A good financial adviser will walk you through your options and put together a plan you can trust. Start now, and build from there.
4. Separate risk from recklessness
Not all risk is the same thing. Putting money into a diversified, well-managed portfolio is not the same as gambling.
The risk of doing nothing, of watching your purchasing power quietly shrink year after year, is just as real and far less talked about. When you reframe it that way, playing it safe starts to mean something different.
5. Think about the currency your savings are sitting in
This isn’t a vote against South Africa. But if all your savings are rand-denominated, you’re carrying South African political, economic, and currency risk across everything you own.
A portion of your portfolio in global assets offers real cover against that risk, and gives you access to markets that have consistently delivered strong long-term growth. It’s not about complexity; it’s about protecting what you’ve worked to build.
My message to you is this. You already have the instincts this requires: the patience, the long-term thinking, the discipline not to make impulsive decisions. Those are exactly the qualities that separate good investors from poor ones.
The only shift is putting those qualities to work somewhere they can actually grow into something.
Your savings account keeps your money safe; a well-structured portfolio makes it grow. You deserve both.
*Roné van der Merwe is a financial advisor under supervision of Suzean Haumann, CFP® and Aidan Frewswick, Registered Financial Practitioner™ at Brenthurst Wealth Belville
Megan joined the Brenthurst Wealth team in March 2026 as an Administrative and Fiduciary Services Assistant at our Val de Vie Office in the Western Cape. Prior to joining Brenthurst, Megan gained three years of experience in the retail sector, where she developed management and client service skills.
I obtained my National Diploma in Financial Information Systems from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 1999 and have worked in the wealth management industry since January 2000. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience in various roles, including Portfolio Manager Assistant, Planner Assistant, and Paraplanner.
Esmarelda Isaacs-Andreas joined the Brenthurst Wealth Stellenbosch office in October 2025, taking on the dual role of Receptionist and Fiduciary Administrator.
I obtained my National Diploma in Financial Information Systems from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 1999 and have worked in the wealth management industry since January 2000. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience in various roles, including Portfolio Manager Assistant, Planner Assistant, and Paraplanner.
Ashley joined Brenthurst Wealth in January 2025 as Office Administrative Assistant and Receptionist for the Stellenbosch Office.
René Heystek joined Brenthurst Wealth in November 2023, as receptionist and administrative assistant in the newly established George/Garden Route office.
Michelle Heystek has built a career in the financial services over the last two decades, after obtaining her B.Com degree in Financial Management in 2005. Once she joined Brenthurst in 2006, she continued her academic journey, obtaining her Certificate in Wealth Management from INSETA in 2007, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State. In 2008, she earned the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation.
Anelle joined Brenthurst Wealth as a Receptionist and Administrative Assistant to Brian Butchart in the Cape Town office in December 2023. She has a wealth of knowledge from working as a liaison between Financial Advisers and clients at TMA and Absa Investment Management Services (Aims) since 1998. She obtained her B. com degree from the University of Port Elizabeth in 1997.
ADMITTED ATTORNEY | FINANCIAL PLANNER & HEAD OF BRENTHURST FOURWAYS
Sanet was appointed in April 2020, joining our Cape Town team as an Executive Administration Assistant to Renee Eagar. She has been in the financial services industry since 1990. Her previous experience includes positions at Sanlam, BJM and ABSA. She spent her last 12 years working at Alexander Forbes Private Client Wealth as a Senior Wealth Management Assistant. She has received numerous accolades over the years which include but not limited to, Alexander Forbes Client Service Excellence – Silver award in 2014,2015 and 2017. Sanet has also obtained her Certificate in Wealth Management (NQF 5) in 2012 and achieved “Best Student of the Year” from Moonstone.
Maria Smit is a Certified Financial Planner® with over 10 years of experience in the financial planning industry.
