[REPLAY] Investing in Africa: A Conversation with Anthony St John, 22nd Baron St John of Bletso

Money Maze Podcast

Business, Investing, Management, News, Business News

4.8 • 216 Ratings

🗓️ 24 June 2021

⏱️ 33 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In a slightly different conversation for the Money Maze Podcast, Anthony St John shares his fascinating journey and investment insights.

Anthony is a Non-Executive Chairman of Yellow Cake PLC, a specialist company operating in the uranium sector. He's also the Chairman of Strand Hanson (an independent advisory boutique with a strong African orientation) and Chairman of IDH, a health care provider in the Middle East and Africa.

Furthermore, he's one of 90 hereditary peers elected to remain in the House of Lords, is Lord in waiting to the HM the Queen, the Vice Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Africa Group and a former friend of Nelson Mandela.

Educated in South Africa and then the UK, he talks of his arrival in the UK to take his seat in the House of Lords and how he was initially hugely inhibited by a stutter that was reminiscent of the King’s Speech. In our conversation he speaks of his journey from being a lawyer, to working in China, working as an oil analyst, then being chairman of three companies whilst managing his Parliamentary duties.

Our discussion covers investing in Africa, cyber security, uranium and its role in the evolving debate about energy sources, as well as his relationship with Nelson Mandela. Finally, Anthony gives some powerful advice to young people thinking about their future and some additional tips for navigating life’s veritable money and other mazes!

Interview originally recorded in August 2020.

In our latest release, Simon spoke to Guy Hands, Chairman & Founder of Terra Firma. We are replaying this episode due to similar themes discussed in both interviews, with both guests overcoming psychological disadvantages in their careers.

For Anthony, his stutter presented a major challenge to his legal career. He successfully overcame this thanks to speech therapy (taken on the advice of a former British Prime Minister), and is now a highly successful Parliamentarian and business tycoon. For Guy, his dyslexia made reading a challenge in his early career. Yet this proved no dampener on his ambition, and actually turned out to be an advantage given that it meant he read investment prospectuses more carefully than his peers at Goldman Sachs (helping him becoming Head of Eurobond Trading at just 26!).

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Money Maze podcast. I'm Simon Brewer, and we've created this show to explore and unravel some of the mysteries surrounding the investment business.
0:19.3	And we hope through direct and insightful interviews with
0:22.3	masters of the real-life money maze, we're going to learn about different approaches to
0:27.5	allocating capital, making investment and business decisions, and navigating the pitfalls that line
0:34.2	the paths to prosperity. Whether you're a current or aspiring investor or a student
0:39.3	exploring career options, we hope you gain some helpful insights and enjoy the shows. Thank you for
0:45.6	listening. Today we're going to have a different type of conversation. My guest has both
0:52.6	South African and English roots. He's been involved in both
0:55.9	the investment and corporate worlds, while simultaneously being an active parliamentarian,
1:01.3	vice chairman of the All-Africa parliamentary group and Lorden Waiting to the Queen.
1:05.9	Born in South Africa, a member of the ANC, friend of Nelson Mandela. He trained as a lawyer, worked as an oil
1:13.1	analyst, and was in the city for 17 years before becoming a CEO of a data hosting company,
1:19.1	and currently is chairman of three very different corporations. So the plan today is to move from
1:24.6	South Africa to the UK, from cybercrime and Parliament's activities here,
1:29.6	to uranium's investment opportunity, investing in Africa, and his perspectives on Nelson Mandela,
1:35.8	given today's racial turbulence. Anthony Sinjan, welcome to the Money Maes podcast. Well, thank you,
1:41.4	Simon. It's always a delight to be with you, and very honored to be part of this podcast. Fantastic. Well, thank you, Simon. It's always a delight to be with you and very honored to be part of
1:45.9	this podcast. Fantastic. Well, let's start in South Africa. Tell me a little bit about your education.
1:51.4	Well, very simply, I was born in London, came over to South Africa when I was three months old.
1:56.3	So I was educated in Cape Town, went to university in Cape Town. Sadly, my father died when I was just
2:02.5	20. So I finished my education, did my university degree, and then I went on did my articles,
2:09.5	became a solicitor. But I took my seat in the House of Lords in 1978. That was a year
	...

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