Does anyone here have any insight on the investment banking environment in South Africa? Which is the most profitable department to aim for hours worked interview questions asked etc etc.
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aim to buy a plane ticket and get to nyc/london asap
,those are the only options?
You can work here, just the typical SA response of wanting to leave ☺️
“Non-existent”
From what I understand the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a solid Vulture Fund. Their strongest department is Acquisitions. They operate primarily in the White Owned Farms (WOW) sector.
I am incredulous that this comment doesn't have 100 banana points yet.
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Still so funny
Solid sir.
Correction, the Economic Freedom Fighters are not experts in acquisitions, rather, they do repossessions and operate primarily on formerly native owned lands.
Standard Bank does M&A work and I have heard good things about the team. No idea regarding the most profitable department, hours worked, interview questions etc.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about standard bank,most of the banks engage in supply side deals ana hardly buy side,would love the full experience so may look overseas
If you're a well educated person (which if you're targeting finance I assume you are) you should 100% leave and try your luck somewhere in Europe. My girlfriend was born in Johannesburg and had to grow up in a house built like a fortress. Her parents decided to leave when mom started seeing adds on buses trying to teach locals that raping virgins did not in fact cure aids. There's a very good reason why non-black South Africans are emigrating at an accelerating rate, it's a shithole. The country is tailspinning into a full Zimbabwe 2 electric boogaloo. Such a shame because it's an absolutely beautiful place, I'd argue one of the most gorgeous coastlines in the world.
Define "boogaloo" please
I suggest you watch Season 11 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
It's a meme making light of the fact that the mass of uneducated black native South Africans are destroying their country in a poorly (read - not at all) thought out attempt to achieve "reparations". Ironically, the government under apartheid (important to note, not BECAUSE of apartheid) is what at one time made South Africa one of the wealthiest regions on the continent. They could have kept the basic infrastructure and support systems in place, eliminated the racist dogma that made black South Africans second class citizens and tried to move forward as a beacon of prosperity for the continent. Instead they decided that anything put into place by the former white-led government was inherently oppressive (sound familiar?) and needed to be reclaimed. Hence the black empowerment and land reform policies enacted by the government that are resulting in roving bands of black natives purging farms that have been managed by generations of white South Africans, only to realize that they don't know how to farm. Then of course there's the water shortages, rampant corruption as is the norm in Africa when there's a large number of state-owned enterprises, near 0 investment into building out a proper educational system, and the subsequent brain drain of educated South Africans due to all of the former.
It's a big fucking boogaloo
Met a girl once from South Africa.....probably the most racist person that I've ever met and mind you that I grew up in the deep South.
Lmfaoooo South Africans are known for that, a buddy of mine up in Canada says Canadians secretly can’t stand them
I think Ivestec is originally from there
also there is a Russian emerging markets focused bank Renaissance Capital
But apart from those two, there's prolly big4 and not much else
Rand Merchant bank has a big desk in commo's in Joburg
.
This topic is very dear to me so I will try to give a detailed answer. Some of my best friends are from Joburg and the situation is absolutely insane. Mind you, if you live at home, drive everywhere and have walls and electric fences you'll be fine but it really is no way to live and ALL of my friends who are still there are trying to leave to the UK, Australia or US. In terms of IB/M&A work, most BBs have offices in Sandton (which is the richest square mile in Africa and the only reasonable place to work/live in Joburg). Most, if not all, of Africa's M&A and IB activity is carried out from Sandton. If leaving SA is not a choice for you, then I would try to get into a BB for IB/M&A or big4 (PwC and EY are big there) and move to a different country (mind you it's worth doing EY just to get out imo). The only two target schools I can think of are Wits (Witwatersrand Uni), UCT and maybe Stellenbosch. Feel free to let me know if I could be of any additional help.
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Thank you for this advice much appreciated,if I think of any other questions will get in touch
Speaking of Targets, does it mean it's hopeless applying as a Nigerian who has never been to South Africa (Bank of America)
Skip investment banking and become a Boer instead. Afrikaans is top tier
UBS pretty good, work alongside London team a lot due to dual listings JSE/LSE. But doesn’t hire very many.
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