Dear Jurgens Community,
A Message from Mark Jurgens
Greetings,
As we wrap up another eventful year, we hope it has been as positive and rewarding for you as it has been for the stock markets from an investment perspective.
This year brought several changes as part of our gradual transition plan, including our move into the new building at the end of last year. Now, more than a year in, the office has proven to be an excellent space for our team and clients alike. We have settled in comfortably and the five boardrooms have become invaluable, accommodating our growing meeting needs and helping us serve you more efficiently. We have even received additional praise for their increased parking availability!
With our continued growth, it became necessary for us to expand our Advisory team. After a careful selection process, we are excited to introduce additional Advisors to you in early 2026. This growth also required additional administrative and office support, some of whom you may have already begun communicating with.
As we look ahead to 2026, I’d like to share a personal update with you. From the start of the new year, I will be spending more time at our home in Hermanus – a change my family and I have been planning for some time.
Although my primary residence will shift, I want to reassure you that my commitment to the business and to each of you remains as strong as ever. I will travel to Johannesburg regularly for meetings, and while I may be in the Johannesburg office less often, my involvement in our operations and decision making will remain exactly the same.
Our partnership with Morningstar continues to be a cornerstone of our investment process. Their team meets with us every two weeks, offering consistently strong insights and guidance in the asset allocation and management of our portfolios. Their ongoing involvement ensures that we continue to deliver the high standards of strategic investment oversight you have come to expect.
As we head into the festive season, we extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones, and for those travelling, may your journeys be safe.
And once again, we thank you for your continued trust and partnership.
We look forward to a prosperous and fulfilling 2026 together.
Stay well and regards
Mark
Mark
The Quest for Certainty: Why Good Advice Still Matters More Than Predictions from Alan Botha
“The inability to forecast the past has no impact on our desire to forecast the future.”
I have always loved this line because it captures a simple human truth: even though we regularly misremember what happened yesterday, we still desperately want certainty about tomorrow. Certainty is comforting. It helps us plan, sleep well, and make decisions. Without it, most of us would struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
And in investment markets, the desire for certainty is even stronger.
The Silver Ball That Does Not Exist
Every adviser has had some version of the same moment.
Recently, a long-standing client of ours, let us call him Martin-walked into a review meeting with a smile. He placed an article on the table, tapped the headline about the most recent market surge, and said, “You must have seen this coming. What is the next big move?”
Martin is an intelligent, successful businessperson. Yet in that moment, he was asking for something none of us can provide: a silver ball. A crystal sphere that tells us when markets will rise, when they will fall, and what the next “big one” will be.
Another client, a retired couple travelling frequently between South Africa and Europe, once told us, “You are the experts. Surely you can tell us whether the rand will strengthen this year?” If only it worked that way.
These and other versions of these stories are not unique; they reflect a universal temptation. We all want to believe that someone, somewhere, knows what comes next. But financial markets do not operate on a schedule, a pattern, or a secret code accessible to a select few.
What we do know, with absolute clarity, is that uncertainty is unavoidable. The year 2025 has been filled with high levels of uncertainty from tariff tantrums to geopolitical tension and rising social discord around the globe.
What Really Drives Long-Term Success
Thankfully, good investing does not require perfect foresight. It requires discipline, diversification, and a framework supported by evidence, not headlines.
Diversification is not a boring catchword. It is a shock absorber. A way of reducing the impact of being wrong about the future, because at some point, all of us will be wrong. Markets will surprise us, sometimes delightfully, sometimes painfully.
The real value we add as advisers is not in pointing to the next hot theme. It is in constructing portfolios that can weather the unknown and still move forward. It is in helping clients make consistently better decisions, especially when emotions run high.
Advice Alpha (or Gamma): The Quiet Engine of Better Returns
There is a growing body of research that measures the value of good advice.
The industry sometimes calls it advice alpha or gamma – the uplift in long-term investment returns that results from behaviour coaching, rebalancing, tax management, and proper diversification.
In other words, it is the value created not by predicting markets, but by:
- Keeping clients invested during periods of fear.
- Reducing concentrated risks
- Preventing panic-selling
- Ensuring portfolios stay aligned to long-term goals.
- Using data, experience, and process rather than instinct
For investors, this “gamma” can exceed what they could gain from simply trying to pick winning shares or timing the market. It is steady, rational, evidence-based value creation, the opposite of crystal-ball guessing.
What we cannot control:
- Future market movements
- Political outcomes
- Global shocks
- Sudden economic surprises
What we can control:
- Your asset allocation
- Your risk exposure
- Your behaviour in uncertain moments
- Your tax and withdrawal strategy
- Your long-term planning
When the world feels unpredictable, this distinction becomes even more powerful.
A Partnership Built for the Long Game
The truth is that every investor will face moments of doubt, moments of excitement, and moments of frustration. What matters is how we navigate those moments together.
When clients like Martin ask us for the next market prediction, it is not because they are trying to catch us out. It is because they are human and humans seek comfort in certainty. Our role is to provide not predictions, but clarity. Not forecasts, but frameworks. Not guarantees, but guidance with factual evidence behind it.
The Path Forward
The future will always surprise us.
Sometimes pleasantly.
Sometimes not.
But with a diversified portfolio, a disciplined process, and a trusted advisory relationship anchored in research and experience, you do not need a silver ball. You only need a strategy that works across multiple future, not just the one we hope for.
And that is exactly what we are here to build and protect with you.
Keep Well
Alan
Short Term News Update from Greg Brits
It’s hard to believe that the festive season is upon us already, and that 2026 is but only a stone throw away. I’m sure that we are all looking forward to a well-deserved break, and quality time spent with our loved ones over the Christmas period.
The Short-Term Insurance industry in South Africa has had many challenges this year, however Re-insurers continue to apply pressure in our markets. In this edition I would like to reiterate how important the terms and conditions are, set out in your policy schedule, as well as a recap of some previous correspondence throughout the year.
Building/Property Insurance:
• Market value vs Rebuild cost:
Estate agents provide a market-related selling price, not the cost to rebuild the property from the ground up. Please do not insure your building based on this type of valuation, as you may find yourseIf horribly underinsured.
• Municipal valuations are not accurate:
Your municipal rates and taxes account are not a true reflection of the rebuild cost, and hence we advise not to fall into this trap.
• Rebuild cost includes more than just the structure, such as:
- Demolition and debris removal
- Professional fees, such as architects and lawyers’ costs
- Municipal Reconnections
- Foundation types
- Construction materials
- Fixtures, fittings, and finishes
Vehicle Tracking Devices:
• High Risk motor vehicle brands require a dual tracking device with a recovery system to be in stalled. Some Insurers may only deal with preferred tracking companies on their panel, and hence it is vitally important to check with our office if your unit complies to these standards.
• It is also important to note that you must test if your tracking device is operational as per your contract conditions with them. This could be as often as once a month, however, please confirm this with your tracking company, as the onus ultimately falls on the customer to read their contract conditions.
• It has come to our attention that Back-up and Wireless units have an expiry date of 3 years, and it is very disappointing to hear that tracking companies are not conveying this to their clients via email or telephonically, yet you’re paying for this service. Please check that your unit/s are operational though.
Alarm Systems:
• If your policy includes a linked alarm warranty, it means your insurer has imposed a condition for theft cover to be in place. Your alarm system must be linked to an armed response company and always be fully functional. It must also be activated when your home is unoccupied at all times.
Power Surge Protection:
• Power surge protection has become standard across homes and businesses. A Type 2 Surge Protection Device (SPD) is required and should be in stalled on your main distribution box. For businesses with 3-phase power, a Type 1 SPD may also be necessary, however trusted electricians are always advised for these installations who issue a COC (certificate of compliance).
Important Safety Tips If You Are Travelling Locally or Abroad:
- Please check the tread depth of your vehicle’s tyres to ensure they meet the legal requirements, as insurers will in spect this at claims stage.
- Try and do a safety check on your vehicle at your preferred dealer to avoid a breakdown whilst travelling long distances.
- Test your Alarm system to make sure that it is functional, and that your Armed Response company is receiving opening and closing signals.
- Where possible, turn off geysers, and the water supply connections as pipes do burst and are the cause of flooded homes.
- Trim back any excess foliage and overhanging trees in the front of your garden. This creates better visibility and a deterrent for thieves.
- Check that you have the necessary call centre numbers of your Insurer in case of emergencies.
- Bryte: +27 860 001 121
- CIB: +27 860 104 952 or Vertex +27 860 888 889
- F& I: +27 86 170 8007
- Hollard: +27 860 000 123
- Old Mutual Insure: +27 860 247 365
- ONE: +27 86 100 0286
- Santam: +27 860 505 911
Please remember that Jurgens Insurance Brokers remain open during the festive season with regards to claims and any policy changes or additions, besides the public holidays that fall in between.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our loyal clients for your continued support. We wish you and your families a blessed Christmas and a prosperous 2026. If you are traveling, please stay safe, be cautious, and be aware of any potential risks.
Lastly, please refrain from unsubscribing from our “IMPORTANT NOTICE” emailers. These contain valuable information that may help prevent issues at claims stage.
If you have any questions about the points mentioned above, please do not hesitate to contact our office.
Best regards,
Jurgens Insurance Brokers Team
Congratulations to Gugu Ntshalintshali and Jordan Busch on achieving their 5-Year Long Service Award with Jurgens Group
– Presented by Alan Botha and Mark Jurgens.
Quote of the Day
"Don't look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack!"