4 of the Smartest ETFs to Buy When Inflation Is Running Hot

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Smart Inflation Hedges on the JSE: Look Beyond Tech

With inflation running hotter than the SARB’s target, certain sectors and stocks offer more reliable protection than growth-driven counters like Naspers.

South African investors watching inflation would do well to reconsider their portfolio mix. Defensively, retailers like Shoprite and Woolworths, which provide essential goods, tend to hold steady when prices climb. Dividend resilience also matters; banks like Nedbank and FirstRand have strong cash flows to sustain payouts even if borrowing slows. On the commodity side, AngloGold Ashanti remains a classic play against higher inflation and rand weakness because gold typically benefits when purchasing power erodes. Tech giants like Naspers or Prosus, while tempting, remain vulnerable to rising interest rates which often keep growth stocks in check. The rand’s volatility against the dollar (USD/ZAR) is also important: a weaker rand often boosts mining exporters but hurts import-heavy sectors. The view might falter if inflation shocks prove transitory and trigger a quick SARB pivot, which would favour riskier assets. this is just our opinion and not financial advice