October 10, 2022 Mark Chasey Reflects on South Africa Roadshow 

Early in September, James Tracey and I attended the South Africa Private Roadshow, where we met representatives from CoolPlay, the charity We Are Guernsey chose to support throughout the trip. It also gave us the chance to reinforce the notion that Guernsey is a responsible global citizen and a force for good, in addition to being a superb jurisdiction for financial solutions. 

The first event we attended was a presentation in Johannesburg, and I was delighted to speak in front of my fellow delegates. I was able to discuss UK real estate, ATED, taxes, as well as how difficult it is for South African clients to secure a mortgage in their own name in the UK and if borrowing is easier in the Channel Islands. I was also able to discuss in depth purchasing property and who handles the legal work and what lawyers, if any, are involved, as well as the distinctions in the structure of ownership, such as leasehold and freehold, and what directors should avoid when looking to purchase a home for clients. 

After the presentation, it was great to meet so many new contacts and experts from our industry, including investment management, banking, funds, trust and fiduciary, insurance, legal, and tax advice firms ranging from large to much smaller, specialised organisations. It was also wonderful to meet those with whom I have had professional relationships but never had the opportunity to meet in person. 

We then travelled to Cape Town, where many of the delegates who attended the roadshow interacted with the CoolPlay children in District 6 in after many business meetings. The delegates had the opportunity to meet the players (ranging in age from nine to thirteen) and CoolPlay Champions, who invited delegates to participate in a mini netball and soccer match at one of the partner schools. 

After a day of sports and business talks, we attended a gala dinner that centred primarily on making Guernsey better known. The gala dinner was held at Kelvin Grove in Newlands and was attended by 250 top sports and industry people. It was amazing to see Ian Poulter welcome everyone to the event, and I am extremely delighted to say the evening was a huge success, raising just under R400,000 for CoolPlay. Watch the highlights from the dinner here. 

Attending this event has made me realise that promoting Guernsey is very much a team effort and has motivated me to explore what I can do in the future to support that effort, I'm pleased that James and I were able to forge some close relationships, my hope is that this fantastic event is held annually.  

The evening was also a tribute to our late friend Scott Campbell who had much interaction with Guernsey over the years and it was wonderful to have his family present for the event. 

Find out more about the event here.