Top 20 Types of Investments in South Africa in June 2025
This guide takes you through top 20 types of investments, popular and safe investment forms and discusses why you may want to include them in your portfolio.
Many people are afraid of investing, there are a lot of choices, and it can be difficult to find out which ones are best for your portfolio.
If you’re serious about various investment types, you should seek the advice of a financial planner.
Types of Investments
Consider the different types of investments as tools for achieving your financial objectives.
From bank products to stocks and bonds, each large investment category has its own set of features, risk factors, and ways in which investors may use them.
Below is a list full list of all types of investments available in South Africa and world wide.
- Bank Products
- Options
- Annuities
- Retirement
- Stocks
- Bonds
- Investment Funds
- Saving for Education
- Alternative and Complex Products
- Initial Coin Offerings and Cryptocurrencies
- Commodity Futures
- Security Futures
- Insurance
The investing world can be a fast-paced, ever-changing environment.
Those who take the time to learn the fundamentals and the various asset types, on the other hand, stand to benefit greatly in the long run.
Stocks
Historically, stock ownership has become the most successful way to accumulate money and part of investment types.
Stocks are ownership interests of a single company.
When you buy a share of Apple, for example, you are purchasing a small portion of the business.
Stock rates fluctuate in response to a company’s performance as well as the overall economy.
Exchanges are where public corporations list and trade their stock.
There are a number of exchanges in Sout Africa and around the world which adds to types of investments option available.
Few firms sell stock but keep them private, which means they don’t sell on a stock exchange.
You can purchase and sell stocks of whatever amount you choose, with no obligation to keep them for a set period of time.
The free stock exchange determines the market price of a single share based on supply and demand.
To process your order to buy or sell a stock, your broker will normally charge a processing fee or commission.
This assets are graded according to the financial health of the underlying business.
Dividends are paid on a daily basis on some securities, although they are not paid on others.
If the valuation of the shares rises above what was paying for them, investors will earn capital returns.
Bonds
Bond, as part of investment types, has been considered one of the best ways to make money for more than a century.
A bond is a financial instrument that represents a loan given to a creditor by a lender.
A traditional bond involves a company or a government institution, with the issuer issuing a guaranteed interest rate to the lender in return for the use of their funds.
One of the best types of investments, “Bonds” are often used to fund operations, investments, and other programs for businesses.
Bonds, like securities, are graded according to their quality, with AAA being the highest.
A bond’s ranking is determined by rating agencies such as Moody’s.
Owing to the volatility of the underlying business, certain bonds are referred to as junk bonds, and they are riskier to buy.
Bonds must be kept for a certain amount of time until they mature.
You can, however, resell them through your broker on the secondary market.
Your broker will charge a fee to complete the transaction once more.
You’re lending money to the school board in the case of a school bond, for example, to create a new high school or change classroom conditions.
Purchasing a company’s bond entails lending capital to the company, which it will use to expand its operations.
Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrencies are a relatively recent and slowly but surely becoming one of the best investment types.
They’re unregulated digital currencies that can be purchased and traded on cryptocurrency exchanges.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have attracted a lot of attention throughout recent years as one of modern types of investments.
However, owing to many uncertain reasons, such as the likelihood of government intervention and the possibility that cryptocurrencies would never be widely accepted as a means of payment, they remain an extremely volatile investment.
Keep away, as I’ve advised.
No one knows what the future holds for cryptocurrencies at this time, so investing in cryptocurrencies is only speculative.
Cash Investment
A cash bank deposit is the simplest and best financial asset.
Not only does it provide holders with an accurate estimate of the amount of interest they will receive, but it also ensures that their money will be returned.
On the negative hand, the return received on money saved in a savings account rarely outpaces inflation.
Money is, though, locked up for a period of time, and there could be fines if you remove it too soon.
Daily checking accounts, high-interest savings accounts, and term deposits are also examples of cash transactions.
They usually have the smallest possible returns of any investment kind.
Although they have little chance of capital growth, they do have monthly profits and can be an important part of a portfolio’s risk management and asset preservation.
These various types of investments usually have a more consistent rate of return.
Cash equivalent portfolios, on the other hand, aren’t intended for long-term plans like retirement.
The rate of return after taxes is always so poor that it can not keep up with inflation.
Real Estate Investments
There are many people in the world who believe that real estate is the only investment that makes sense.
If you agree with the theory or not, there are more options than ever to diversify your real estate holdings.
Yes, you can purchase a home for yourself or rent a property.
A real estate investment trust, on the other hand, is a type of security that you can buy.
Retirement Plans
A 401K and an IRA are the two most common forms of savings accounts.
Both accounts provide funds that you set aside and later spend in a variety of ways.
Retirement plan cost and reward are entirely contingent on the investments made, which can vary greatly.
Annuities, in addition to these savings plans, are a type of investment that you may want to include as part of your retirement strategy.
If your employer will match at least half of the funds you put into it, take advantage of the free money but just put in the sum they will pay.
Exchange-Traded Funds
ETFs are similar to mutual funds in that they are a portfolio of shares that follow a stock index.
Unlike mutual funds, which must be acquired from a fund company, ETF shares are traded on stock exchanges.
Their worth is essentially the net asset value of the portfolios, which is measured at the close of each trading day, while mutual funds’ value fluctuates over the trading day.
Since ETFs are more diversified than individual securities, they are often recommended to new buyers.
You will reduce risk even more by investing in an ETF that monitors a large index.
Annuities
Annuities are a popular way for people to save for retirement and they are of types of investments in South Africa and world wide.
When you receive an annuity, you are purchasing an insurance policy in exchange for regular payments.
There are several different types of annuities, they can live until death or for a certain amount of time.
It’s possible that you’ll have to pay premiums on a regular basis or make a one-time charge.
They may be partly tied to the financial exchange or merely an investment scheme with no clear connection to the markets.
Payments may be made immediately or at a later date, they may be either set or variable.
Though annuities are low-risk, they aren’t particularly high-growth.
They’re more of a complement to retirement accounts than a primary source of income.
Commodities
Commodities are tangible goods in which you can spend.
They’re popular in futures markets, where farmers and commercial investors – in other words, experts – want to protect their financial investment in commodities.
Before engaging in futures, retail investors can make sure they grasp them fully.
Part of the reason for this is that commodities trading carries the possibility of a commodity’s price moving sharply and unexpectedly in either direction due to unexpected events.
For example, government decisions can have a significant impact on the price of oil, while weather can have a significant impact on the price of agricultural products.
Investment Types Conclusion
There are several investing options available, others are suitable for beginners, while others need a higher level of expertise.
Until deciding on an asset allocation that meets their objectives, investors should think about every types of investments and choose one that they understand better.
