The INN8 Invest Diamond Awards

The INN8 Invest Diamond Awards serve as a platform to honour individuals and companies that have demonstrated exceptional performance, innovation, and dedication to delivering value to investors.

As a leading discretionary fund manager, INN8 Invest aims to recognise and celebrate excellence in the financial services industry. To learn more about our awards, download this information sheet.

Performance

Qualitative

Adviser

Performance

Best SA Multi Asset Income Manager

Winners

Granate Asset Management Granate for BCI Multi Income Fund

Nominees

ABSA Asset Management for SIM Tactical Income Fund
Fairtree Asset Management for Fairtree Flex Income Plus Prescient

Best SA Multi Asset Low Equity Manager

Winners

Truffle Asset Management for Amplify SCI Wealth Protector Fund

Nominees

Matrix Fund Managers for Amplify SCI Defensive Balanced Fund
Taquanta Asset Managers for Nedgroup Investments Core Guarded Fund

Best SA Multi Asset High Equity Manager

Winners

36ONE Asset Management for PPS Managed Fund

Nominees

Denker Capital for Denker SCI Balanced Fund
Fairtree Asset Management for Fairtree Balance Prescient Fund

Best SA Multi Asset Flexible Manager

Winners

Bateleur Capital for Bateleur Flexible Prescient Fund

Nominees

36ONE Asset Management for 36ONE BCI Flexible Opportunity Fund
Centaur Asset Management for Centaur Bci Flexible Fund

Best SA General Equity Manager

Winners

36ONE Asset Management for 36ONE BCI Equity Fund

Nominees

Coronation Fund Managers for Coronation Top 20 Fund
Truffle Asset Managers for Truffle SCI General Equity Fund

Best Global Equity Manager

Winners

Fairtree Asset Management for Fairtree Global Equity Prescient Feeder Fund

Nominess

Jupiter Asset Management for Old Mutual Global Equity Fund
Schroders for ABSA Global Core Equity Feeder Fund

Best Global Multi Asset High Equity Manager

Winners

Orbis Investments for Allan Gray-Orbis Global Balanced Feeder Fund

Nominees

M&G Investments for M&G Global Balanced Feeder Fund

Best Global Multi Asset Flexible Manager

Winners

First Pacific Advisors for Nedgroup Investments Global Flexible Feeder Fund

Nominees

Foord Asset Management for Foord International Feeder Fund
Thinkcell for MI-PLAN IP Global Macro Fund

Best Worldwide Multi Asset Flexible Manager

Winners

Aylett Fund Managers for Nedgroup Investments Bravata Worldwide Flexible Fund

Nominees

BlueAlpha Investment Management for Select BCI Worldwide Flexible Fund
Blue Quadrant Capital Management for Blue Quadrant Worldwide Flexible Prescient Fund

Best Long Term Performance Award in the MA SA High Equity Category

Winners

Ninety One for Ninety One Managed Fund

Nominees

Aylett Fund Managers for Aylett Balanced Prescient
Ninety One for Ninety One Opportunity Fund

Best Overall Performing Multi Asset Manager Over 5 Years

Winners

Ninety One

Nominees

Coronation Fund Managers
Fairtree Asset Management

Asset Manager Performance Awards Diamond Ranking Guidelines

Measured over five years to Dec 2023 using our Diamond Ranking Methodology, based on ASISA Category and retail fee class as specified by the manager.
Funds which have a single manager and may include Multi Asset Indexation funds.
Excludes multi-managers and DFMs.
Where a single manager outsources their offshore to another single manager, these funds will be considered and awarded to the single manager named in the fund.
Outsourced single managers are considered and any award given is to the underlying single manager, as long as the single manager was in place during the measurement period. If there is a change in the single manager during the period, then that outsourced fund will be excluded.
The nominees and winners must be Silver or Gold Rated through our manager research process.

Qualitative

Best Investment Due Diligence Award

Winners

Coronation Fund Managers

Nominees

Granate Asset Management
Sesfikile Capital

Best Operational Due Diligence Award

Winners

Ninety One

Nominees

Allan Gray
M&G Investments

Best Technology and AI Award

Winners

Differential Capital

Nominees

Old Mutual Investment Group
STANLIB Systematic Solutions

Qualitative Diamond Ranking Awards Guidelines

To assess managers, we rely on them submitting their comprehensive capability reviews. We also look at their attribution data and systems for risk management. Some managers are outstanding in providing timely and necessary information. We note that the following nominees and winners are qualitatively Gold rated funds and have been decided by our Manager Research team.

Adviser

Best Technology and Practice Management Integration

Winners

Wouter de Witt, Liberty

Nominees

Peter Hewett, Hewett Wealth

Best Centralised Investment Proposition and DFM Integration

Winners

Daniel Thomalla, Envestpro

Nominees

Niel Kasselman, Strategic
Shayne Cadman, Platinum Consulting

Best Overall Impact and Contribution to the Advice Industry

Winners

Kobus Kleyn, Kainos Wealth

Nominees

Michael Dundulakis, Hereford Group
Siba Njoba, Imvelo Wealth

Congratulations to all of our nominees. Winners will be announced in April.

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december INN8 Invest investment centre Richo Venter

The Synergy of Investment Success | INN8 Invest Summit

The Synergy of Investment Success

INN8 Invest Summit

The inaugural INN8 Invest Summit hosted a variety of interesting speakers from across the asset manager industry.
Explore below to gain insight into topics, from balanced funds to what the future of asset management might hold.

Why Haven't All Managers Maxed Their Offshore Opportunity Set?

Moderator Richo Venter, Joint Head of Portfolio Management for INN8 Invest, is joined by M&G’s Leonard Kruger, Prescient’s Bastian Teichgreeber, and Allan Gray’s Jacques Plaut to discuss the reasons behind some managers not fully capitalising on offshore investment opportunities, exploring potential barriers and strategies to overcome them.

Highlights

Offshore allocation challenge: Many South African asset managers have not fully utilized the 45% offshore allocation for Regulation 28-compliant funds.
Asset allocation considerations: Some managers are cautious due to concerns about moving too much offshore, as local assets are considered cheap.
Role of offshore teams: Having a strong offshore team can aid in making the most of global opportunities while managing risks.
Asset allocation focus: The emphasis is on getting asset allocation decisions right, as they have a significant impact on investment success.
Collaboration between passive and active managers: While active managers focus on selecting individual stocks, passive managers prioritize asset allocation, emphasizing the importance of both approaches.
Offshore allocation differences: The optimal offshore allocation varies between different fund types, such as high Equity balance funds and more stable funds.

The Future of Asset Management

INN8 Invest’s Executive, De Wet van der Spuy, sat down with asset manager CEOs, Hendrik du Toit of Ninety One, Anton Pillay of Coronation, and Derrick Msibi of STANLIB to discuss the evolving landscape of asset management, shedding light on future trends and potential innovations. Not to be missed.

Highlights

The asset management industry, with significant influence in South Africa, faces challenges related to unlocking economic growth and influencing government policies.
The Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA) plays a crucial role in engaging with government and regulators, with a structured approach involving various committees.
Industry collaboration and effective communication are essential to convey the industry’s competitive advantage and relevance in driving economic growth.
South Africa possesses a sophisticated investment management industry, but there is a need for clearer communication to emphasise its value.
Maintaining the right balance between industry growth and regulation remains a dynamic challenge, with a need to adapt to changing circumstances.

The Case for Flexible Income Funds

Carl Chetty, an INN8 Invest PM, led this panel discussion with Granate’s Bronwyn Blood, STANLIB’s Sylvester Kobo, and Aluwani’s Conrad Wood, that highlighted the advantages and potential benefits of flexible income funds for investors in various market conditions.

Highlights

Flexible income funds in South Africa, particularly multi-asset income, have gained popularity and compete with money market funds in terms of flows.
Over the last 2.5 years, most multi-asset income funds have outperformed money market funds due to active management and a broader toolbox.
The ability to adjust duration, be nimble, and leverage diverse opportunities are keys to success in this sector.
Flexibility in asset classes, such as inflation-linked bonds and corporate bonds, allows for strategic diversification.
Managing risk is a critical aspect of these funds, with the goal of delivering consistent, real returns to clients.
Drawdowns can occur but are generally less severe than those in the broader bond market, highlighting the importance of risk management and diversification.

Are multi-asset flexible funds just balance funds on steroids or watered-down hedge funds?

Melvyn Lloyd, Portfolio Manager for INN8 Invest, was joined by Bateleur’s Warren Riley, 36ONE’s Cy Jacobs, and Truffle’s Iain Power, to delve into the characteristics and performance of Multi-Asset Flexible funds, addressing the misconceptions and examining their role in diversified portfolios.

Highlights

The importance of a top-down macro-overlay to understand the global economic landscape to enhance decision-making.
A need to find the best risk-adjusted return opportunities in the current market.
The role of small, nimble firms in managing flexible funds and adapting to changing opportunities.
Incorporating both bottom-up and top-down approaches in investment strategies.
The importance of understanding the economic cycle and central bank actions in making investment decisions.
The potential for generating alpha through a flexible approach and the significance of having a diverse asset mix.

Are managers still interested in SA?

Jennifer Henry, INN8 Invest’s Deputy CIO, moderated a panel between Coronation’s Neville Chester, Laurium’s Murray Winckler, and Fairtree’s Jacobus Lacock. They discussed the current state of investment interest in South Africa, examining challenges and opportunities that may impact manager decisions.

Highlights

Interest is influenced by factors such as economic challenges, load shedding, immigration trends, and global opportunities .
Multi-asset high equity categories hold significant retail assets, making it essential for managers to remain interested in the market.
South African equities should not be viewed in isolation; offshore factors, including global developments, impact returns in the country.
Sectors of the South African market, including resources, offshore defensive companies, and SA Inc., are each influenced by unique drivers.
Offshore sentiment plays a role in fund manager decisions.
The concentration of market influence in South Africa may provide some defence in the face of global market fluctuations.

Global - does it make sense to use SA managers to manage the global component of your portfolio?

Our global portfolio manager, Kent Grobbelaar moderated this discussion, featuring Sands Capital’s Danielle Menichella, Ninety One’s Duane Cable, and JP Morgan’s Amit Parmar. They explored the advantages and potential drawbacks of using South African managers to handle the global portion of investment portfolios.

Highlights

The significance of location in global portfolio management.
The role of diverse teams and collaboration across different locations in managing global portfolios.
The importance of in-depth research, the size of the analyst team.
Exchange control relaxation in the UK.

Location Matters

US-based managers benefit from proximity to leading global growth businesses, such as tech giants like Meta, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia.

Collaborative research and diverse teams across multiple locations are essential for effective global portfolio management.

Investment Strategies

Effective research, a substantial analyst team, and a concentrated portfolio are key factors for generating alpha in global investing.

Exchange Control Relaxation

The UK experienced a shift from domestic to global equities in investment portfolios following exchange control relaxation, sparking discussions about the potential implications for South Africa.

The past, present and future of platforms (LISP)

Lucky Mokoena, Head of Client Experience at INN8 Invest, lead this panel with Allan Gray’s Mahesh Cooper, Ninety One’s Daryll Welsh, and INN8 Investment Platform’s Michael Summerton. They discussed the impact of future platforms on the asset management industry and how investors can leverage these advancements.

Highlights

The evolving landscape of LISPs and platforms.
The role of technology and service quality.
Independent financial advisers play a pivotal role in the platform market, with an increasing need for efficient technology, support, and sophisticated client solutions.
The development of digital-first platforms and integration with advice tech firms is changing the platform industry, creating a central hub for advisors and clients.
Key trends in the South African market include platform consolidation, replatforming, and the integration of advice tech firms.
Regulation is a significant challenge, with a new aim to shift from process-based to principles and outcomes-based regulation

The Hybrid Approach with
Richo Venter

INN8 Invest introduces a unique “hybrid approach” to accommodate a 45% offshore allocation. In this session, Richo Venter showcased our innovative approach, which focuses on adapting portfolios to a 45% offshore allocation. The “hybrid approach” combines specialist and multi-asset approaches to investing, emphasizing flexibility and optimizing offshore opportunities.

Highlights

Traditional approaches like building blocks and multi-asset strategies are compared
The importance of asset allocation and offshore flexibility, pushing the boundaries between 30% and 45% offshore allocation
The “hybrid approach” selects top managers, both locally and globally
Building portfolios like custom cable TV packages, offers clients the best of both worlds
AI’s role in the context of expanding opportunities within the hybrid approach.
Fund portfolios and manager selection illustrate the approach’s effectiveness