2016 Nostalgia Trend Highlights the Timeless Principles of Wealth Creation

A Decade In Perspective

The hottest viral trend of 2026? That’d be 2016. Instagram, TikTok, and other social media channels are riding a wave of nostalgia into the new year, as people share throwback photos and videos from 10 years ago. But, as Siyabulela Nomoyi, Quantitative Portfolio Manager at Satrix points out, in between being reminded just how dramatically lives and people can change in a decade, there’s a serious lesson to be learned about what a difference 10 years can make to your finances.

How Markets And Technology Have Evolved

“2016 was the year of Pokémon GO, Dubsmash lip-sync videos and the Mannequin Challenge,” Siyabulela says, “It was also the year of Brexit, a landmark US election, and – closer to home – the fallout from Nenegate. The decisions you made then would have had a significant impact on your wealth today.”

If you want to see how much the market has changed since 2016, tech stocks are a good place to start. “In 2016, TikTok was still a small app called Musical.ly, Tesla was a niche electric vehicle (EV) maker, Zoom was a small, enterprise-focused video conferencing tool, and Microsoft Teams hadn’t been released yet. Today, these are all household names,” says Siyabulela. “Yoco was still an early-stage fintech in South Africa, and while Nvidia existed on the Nasdaq, it was nowhere near the trillion-dollar giant it is in 2026.”

Fast forward a few years and Artificial Intelligence (AI) was still in its relatively early stages, with generative AI tools like ChatGPT only released in late 2022.

Diversification Remains A Core Defence

One of the biggest lessons the past decade has taught investors is to expect the unexpected, and that diversification is the investor’s best defence, rather than chasing the “next big idea”. 

The Power Of Compounding Over Time

Some 2016 trends may not have aged well. But one thing that has stood the test of time is the age-old concept of compound interest. “The numbers are remarkable when you consider how recent 2016 really was,” says Siyabulela. “The FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index returned 12.58% per annum over the last 10 years (to the end of December 2025). That means that if you’d invested R10 000 at the beginning of January 2016, it would be worth about R30 010*, before fees, at end December 2025. That’s the power of compound interest, and time in the market.”

And while past performance is no guarantee of future performance, with that same annualised return of 12.58% the initial R10 000 investment in the Top 40 Index would be worth R90 060* (in today’s terms) in January 2036 – setting fees aside, and assuming no withdrawals or additional contributions. 

“You could do a similar exercise on the FTSE/JSE Capped Resources 10 Index,” Siyabulela adds. “Over the same 10-year period to end December 2025, the Index returned 22.17% per annum. At that rate, a R10 000 investment in 2016 would be worth R60 360* at end December 2025, before fees. That’s the power of a decade of compounding interest.”

Looking Ahead To The Next Decade

It’s impossible to tell what the world will look like a decade from now. As you scroll through the reams of 2016 nostalgia in your social feeds, some things will feel like just yesterday, while others will feel like the distant past. 

Timeless Principles Of Wealth Creation

“Fashions change, but the fundamentals of wealth creation will always stay the same,” Siyabulela concludes. “Saving, investing, avoiding bad debt, and tapping into the power of compound interest are timeless principles. If you haven’t started applying them to your finances yet, start now. When 2036 rolls around, you’ll be glad you did.”

*Source: Satrix, JSE

Disclaimer

Satrix consists of the following authorised Financial Services Providers: Satrix Managers (RF) (Pty) Ltd and Satrix Investments (Pty) Ltd. The information does not constitute financial advice. While every effort has been made to ensure the reasonableness and accuracy of the information contained in this document (“the information”), the FSPs, their shareholders, subsidiaries, clients, agents, officers and employees do not make any representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or suitability of the information and shall not be held responsible and disclaim all liability for any loss, liability and damage whatsoever suffered as a result of or which may be attributable, directly or indirectly, to any use of or reliance upon the information. 

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