JERRY MONONELA 1
                     How To Invest In the 
South African 
Stock Market During 
The Pandemic
 By Jerry Mononela
 
Investing your hard-earned money is a risk that is scary in normal life, but much more so in a global onset of a 
killer disease. The Coronavirus has impacted businesses and companies both huge and tiny alike. A lot of people 
have lost their jobs and large corporations are undergoing downsizing. So where do you stand in such a volatile 
market, a person looking to invest their savings, hoping to get a decent return?
 
Naturally, the first thought that would come to your mind in 
the yesteryears of Corona would be to invest your money in 
various firms that have comparatively low risk and higher 
return rates, right? Well, what if I told you that the same 
thought process is still valid in a pandemic?
Some of the most common mistakes that people make while 
investing are:
• Not knowing enough about the industry they want to be 
involved in.
• Not assorting their investments properly.
• Not assorting their investments at all.
 
 
 So the first thing you have got to learn is 
the market you want to invest in. You have got to have 
enough information about the firms you want to invest in, 
their past performance, their plans, and the return that other 
investors have got in the past. You would be surprised to 
know how much a little amount of research can do for you!
 
The next thing you have to do is to assort your investments. ‘Don’t 
keep all your eggs in one basket’ is an age-old phrase for a reason. 
But just randomly investing in different ‘baskets’ won’t amount to 
anything. Smart investments are what will make you money and 
then some. One common example would be to not invest in a 
similar stock. You would think that you are playing it safe but it’s 
quite the opposite.
 
When you look at the bigger picture, you’d realize that investing 
in similar stock would increase the chances of you losing your 
money as your investment wouldn’t help any company in 
particular. This would mean that the only way your stock in any 
one company going up would be on a fluke. And you don’t want 
to invest your money on a  fluke; a risk, yes but not a fluke.
 
But all of this doesn’t matter if you don’t know where to invest 
your money. So in this post, I’d like to inform you about some 
industries that are thriving despite the pandemic and how you 
can place a safe bet on any of them.
Online Businesses
 
It is no surprise that online businesses have not been affected by the Coronavirus but are booming due to people 
now ordering most of their stuff online. Even if we disregard that change, online businesses are businesses that 
don’t get affected by the lockdown or social distancing as most of their products or services are delivered through 
the internet.  
So investing in online businesses during a pandemic would be a strategic decision as these businesses will 
continue to thrive even after things normalize. 
 
But as is with every type of stock, stock of online companies also comes with risks. Server collapses, hacker 
attacks are only some of the things that can bring an online business down. So as mentioned earlier, do your 
research and invest in the company that you think would yield the maximum benefits with lower risks.
Delivery Businesses
 
It is of no surprise that delivery and subscription-based businesses are booming in the pandemic in which every 
place is enforcing social distancing. People want to have less and less contact with objects that change hands.
That’s why investing in a local delivery business or an online subscription-based business would be a smart 
decision to get a quick return from your sum.
 
But while investing your hard-earned 
savings, you should also consider longevity. 
Delivery and other subscription-based 
businesses will bloom in the pandemic and 
will continue to do so long after the 
situation comes under the control as people 
will get accustomed to convenience. 
The factor of convenience plays a major role in online businesses that more and more people are 
experiencing in the lockdown. This will make a large chunk of the user base recurring customers and 
ultimately yield more profit for the company.
 
But all of this depends differently on different types of services that a business offers. Groceries and 
essentials deliveries are popular now but would decline when there is no need for social distancing in the 
slightly distant future. So do take your time and research about subscription and online businesses booming 
in the pandemic and invest accordingly.
Content Creation
 
The one thing that is considered non-essential by most people but is one of the most essential businesses 
of all humankind is the entertainment business. We have seen a content boom because of the pandemic 
and more and more companies are on the look for content that can be published online. 
 
Content creation comes under various forms whether it be 
blogging, making videos for YouTube, or marketing on 
Instagram. But the most important thing about content 
creation is that everyone needs content. Businesses needed 
content and online marketing before and they need it now 
much more than ever. Investing in an online marketing 
company would be a sound decision as we move towards a 
world that is ruled by technology and the internet is the 
biggest marketplace.
 
Traditional marketing was steadily being pushed out by 
online affiliate marketing but the pandemic has made 
that push that is making online marketing the next big 
thing. So invest in a company that provides a platform 
for online marketing to their clients because that is the 
direction the world is moving in.
All in all, it all depends on what you want to do with 
your money. If you want longevity, it would be wise to 
invest in online businesses and content creation as 
these types of businesses were already moving 
towards being big but have jumped a big hurdle 
because of the pandemic. 
 
Delivery businesses would get you a decent return on your 
investment in a comparatively lower time as they are 
growing in the pandemic but would slow down as the 
vaccine rolls out and people start going outdoors.
 
The most important thing to do would be to do your 
research and making a well-thought decision. Jumping the 
gun helps no one, especially while investing in the stock 
market.
Who is Jerry Mononela?
 
Jerry Mononela is a freelancer that offers accounting services in the city of Tshwane and has a passion for 
finance and the stock market!
Jerry Mononela like to write articles on stock marketing investing tips to help out a complete novice in the 
finance industry. If you liked this blog and found it helpful, check more of my articles here.