How do I protect the value of my investments against inflation?

It is not easy to find the right balance, but a portfolio should be well-diversified and structured to the environment.

- Schalk Louw

I don’t think there is a single South African who is not familiar with the Wimpy restaurant group. It always reminds me of long drives to some or other vacation spot and a quick stop for a Wimpy burger after refuelling the car somewhere along the way. While browsing the internet the other day, I came across a nearly 50-year-old Wimpy menu. Now, to place things into context, a regular Wimpy burger and chips will cost you R59.90 today. Consider that you wouldn’t have paid VAT 50 years ago, the burger must have cost you R52 then, right? Wrong. The Wimpy menu clearly shows us that a burger and chips cost a mere 35c in 1972. Why is this burger 14 783% more expensive today (or why did the price increase by 11% every year)? The short answer is because of inflation.