Nkosazana Mthembu
Editor-in-Chief
With 18 years in asset management and a CFA charter gathering dust, Nkosazana now focuses on making investment concepts accessible. She previously led research teams at two major South African fund houses.
Our Contributors
The minds behind LuminaWealth Insights bring diverse backgrounds in finance, economics, and investment management.
LuminaWealth Insights exists because a group of investment professionals grew frustrated with the gap between industry jargon and everyday understanding. We're not selling products or managing money here—we're translating complex ideas into language that actually helps people make better decisions.
Our contributors work across different areas of finance, from portfolio management to economic research to behavioural science. What unites us is a belief that financial literacy shouldn't be gatekept, and that South African investors deserve content that respects their intelligence without assuming they have MBAs.
The Team
Meet Our Contributors
Johan van der Merwe
Fixed Income Specialist
Johan spent 12 years trading bonds before deciding spreadsheets were more interesting than Bloomberg terminals. He writes about fixed income markets with a focus on making yield curves less intimidating.
Priya Naidoo
Behavioural Finance Writer
A psychologist who wandered into finance and never left, Priya explores why smart people make irrational money decisions. Her PhD research focused on cognitive biases in investment behaviour.
Perspectives
Short Interviews
Quick conversations with our contributors about their areas of expertise and what they think investors get wrong.
Nkosazana Mthembu
On the biggest misconception in investing
"People think investing is about finding winning stocks. It's really about managing your own behaviour. The best investment strategy is one you can actually stick with through market turbulence. I've seen brilliant analysts panic-sell at bottoms because they couldn't handle the emotional pressure. Your process matters more than your predictions."
Johan van der Merwe
On why bonds deserve more attention
"Bonds are the unglamorous backbone of most portfolios, yet retail investors often treat them as an afterthought. In South Africa, with our inflation history and currency volatility, the fixed income decision is actually quite complex. Inflation-linkers, nominal bonds, offshore bonds—each serves different purposes. Getting this right can add significant value over time."
Priya Naidoo
On overcoming your own brain
"Your brain evolved to survive on the savannah, not to manage a retirement portfolio. The same instincts that kept our ancestors alive—fear of loss, herd following, recency bias—actively sabotage investment returns. You can't eliminate these biases, but you can design systems that account for them. Automate what you can, create rules when emotions are calm, and follow them even when it feels wrong."
Resources
Expert Materials
Curated resources from our contributors—deeper dives into topics that matter.
Understanding the Yield Curve
Johan's comprehensive guide to interpreting bond market signals and what they mean for your portfolio.
Cognitive Bias Masterclass
Priya's video series on identifying and counteracting the mental traps that derail investors.
SA Economic Dashboard
Themba's curated collection of key indicators with plain-language explanations of what to watch.
Retirement Drawdown Calculator
Willem's interactive tool for modelling different withdrawal scenarios and their sustainability.
Value Investing Reading List
Anele's annotated bibliography of essential value investing texts, from Graham to Greenblatt.
Market Perspectives Podcast
Monthly conversations where our contributors discuss current themes and answer reader questions.
Have a Question for Our Experts?
We regularly address reader questions in our content. If there's something puzzling you about investing, drop us a line.
Get in Touch