Final answer:
To find the initial investment, calculate the present value for each period using the compound interest formula and sum them up.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find out the initial investment, we need to find the present value using the formula for compound interest. We can break down the investment into three periods:
- The first 10 years with a 13.65% interest rate compounded half yearly.
- The next 5 years with an 8.4% interest rate compounded quarterly.
- The remaining period with a 7.2% interest rate compounded monthly.
Let's calculate the present value for each period and sum them up:
- For the first period: PV = 313550/(1+(0.1365/2))^(10*2) = R69361.55
- For the second period: PV = 313550/(1+(0.084/4))^(5*4) = R183447.74
- For the third period: PV = 313550/(1+(0.072/12))^(remaining months) = R6671.14 (approx.)
Therefore, the initial investment was R69361.55 + R183447.74 + R6671.14 = R256480.43