MASTER OF CEREMONY
RYK VAN NIEKERK
MONEYWEB EDITOR
RYK'S BIOGRAPHY
Financial journalism is in Ryk’s blood. He has been in the industry for 20 years, and is looking forward to the next 20. Ryk has won numerous journalism awards, including several Sanlam Financial Journalist of the Year category awards and the coveted Radio Journalist of the Year award in 2016. He was also acknowledged as the National Press Club’s Editor of the Year in 2013. Ryk is also the anchor of the largest national business radio show in South Africa, RSG Geldsake. He is a well-known public speaker and facilitator, and a regular political and economic commentator on many South African television and radio platforms.
AURIK CAPITAL
This is an opportunity for investors who are looking for private equity returns from businesses achieving annual turnovers averaging between R20million and R300 million. Aurik Capital sources and filters growth-geared SMEs and then works with them using a combination of business model design, relationships and data to deliver SME growth, which delivers returns for investors.
PAVLO PHITIDIS
ASSET CLASS:
SECTION 12J INVESTMENT
PAVLO'S BIOGRAPHY
You may have heard Pavlo on Radio 702 or Cape Talk where he is the resident entrepreneurial and business growth content contributor on Bruce Whifield’s show. As an entrepreneur and investor, Pavlo offers over 25 years of direct experience in conceptualising and building businesses across four continents. He has developed and brought to market business assets in excess of $350m through a combination of business start-ups, turnarounds, sales and acquisitions.
36ONE ASSET MANAGEMENT
The 36ONE SNN QI and Retail Hedge Funds are single-strategy, equity long/short hedge funds, with a moderate net equity bias that invests predominantly in South African listed equities and other financial instruments to enhance returns and manage risk for investors.
Their investment approach is centred on the principle that the market does not efficiently price securities at all times. 36ONE therefore believe that stock selection through bottom-up fundamental analysis can outperform over time.
CY JACOBS
ASSET CLASS: HEDGE FUND
CY'S BIOGRAPHY
Cy is a co-founder of 36ONE Asset Management and heads the investment team. Before 36ONE, he was a portfolio manager at Investec Securities (head of the Opportunities Mandate). Prior to that, Cy was a Director at HSBC, where he jointly managed the Nedbank Entrepreneur Fund.
SASFIN – SCOTT STREET ONE
Scott Street One is a private equity secondaries-focused fund that will seek to invest in secondary private equity transactions and direct co-investments with a strong preference for South Africa, but can also consider opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa of up to 40%. The fund will have an investment bias for cash-generative, mid-market growth opportunities and will aim to avoid industries and businesses that are cyclical in nature. The fund offers accelerated and diversified private equity exposure, with deployment risk largely mitigated and enhanced liquidity a possibility.
JUAN COETZER
ASSET CLASS: PRIVATE EQUITY
JUAN'S BIOGRAPHY
Juan started his career in financial services in 2002 at Nedbank’s head office. In 2005 he accepted a role at RMB and in 2011 he was part of team that started a new asset manager, which later became known as Ashburton Investments where he was appointed Head of Private Equity. Juan played a key role in the establishment and management of a successful private equity secondaries-focused fund. Juan has experience in origination, execution and management of private equity secondary and direct transactions in Southern Africa. In 2019 he joined Sasfin as Head of Private Equity to oversee its existing on-balance sheet private equity investments and to assist in building a private markets investment management business. Sasfin recently launched a new private equity secondaries-focused fund with Juan as the managing partner.
OLD MUTUAL
Old Mutual ESG Funds help investors to invest in companies with higher ESG scores – sustaining the environment, improving social conditions and promoting good governance without sacrificing returns.
FAWAZ FAKIER
ASSET CLASS: ESG FUND
FAWAZ'S BIOGRAPHY
Fawaz is primarily responsible for managing portfolios driven by active quantitative strategies across a range of funds such as local and international equity funds, balanced funds and long-short hedge funds. He also manages the sustainability-based (ESG) investment portfolio capability within the active space and oversees the broader ESG strategy and integration across the asset management business.
VALLOOP MANAGEMENT LTD
Valloop is a private markets investment management business that has spent the last 5 years developing an investment strategy to rebuild the buy-out market for the mature Pan-European SME market following the collapse of this market in the wake of the financial crisis. Valloop is committed to the sustainability of the SME market by ensuring that the employees and communities that they serve share in the prosperity of the businesses. The Valloop Fund has been able to provide investors with an attractive investment case and is currently one of the top performing private markets funds globally, while also making a positive contribution to society.
STEPHEN GREENWOOD
ASSET CLASS:
UNLISTED OFFSHORE INVESTMENT
STEPHEN'S BIOGRAPHY
Stephen is the co-founder and co-CEO of Valloop Management Ltd, formerly known as Acuity Management Ltd. He co-led the initiative which took the Acuity Private Fund through its launch in 2015 through to the registration of the Valloop Fund. Stephen’s 30 years in financial risk assessment and financial engineering of SME M&A transactions brings cutting-edge insight and innovative capital solutions to the Valloop offering. This experience and expertise were honed in a career that includes corporate finance roles at companies such as BNP Paribas, Equifax and Willis Corroon.
INFINITY ANCHOR FUND
Infinity Anchor Fund is one of the top performing Section 12J investments in the market and invests into a portfolio of asset backed businesses which earn rental income from the leasing of movable assets such as fibre infrastructure, technology, equipment, machinery, vehicles etc. Investing in businesses which collect contractual cash flows such as rental income, has allowed Infinity Anchor Fund to target a 6-monthly dividend payment to investors.
GAURAV NAIR
ASSET CLASS:
SECTION 12J INVESTMENT
GAURAV'S BIOGRAPHY
Gaurav is the CEO of Infinity Anchor Fund and is a qualified actuary having completing his degree (BSc Honours Actuarial Science) at the University of the Witwatersrand. Gaurav has extensive experience in financial services, which includes: asset management, domestic and international corporate and project finance, capital structuring and raising, hedging various financial risks and managing investments.
PEREGRINE CAPITAL
Peregrine Capital is South Africa’s longest running hedge fund manager and is focused on delivering superior, consistent risk adjusted returns for long term investors, based on in depth, proprietary bottom-up research. The Peregrine Capital suite of hedge funds offers investors a variety of investment strategies, based on their risk profile.
Peregrine’s investment ideas are uniformly expressed in its funds, in varying proportions, depending on the risk profile of the fund. Because Peregrine invest large sums of it’s personal savings into these funds, Peregrine’s interests are fully aligned with those of it’s clients. All Peregrine’s hedge funds are FSCA regulated unit trusts.
JACQUES CONRADIE
ASSET CLASS: HEDGE FUND
JACQUES' BIOGRAPHY
Jacques is the CEO and one of three Portfolio Managers of the Peregrine Capital Funds. Jacques started his career at Old Mutual in 2006, where he qualified as an Actuary. He joined Peregrine Capital in 2007. In 2005, Jacques was awarded the Chancellor’s medal for being the top graduating student at Stellenbosch University. Jacques is a member of the investment committee of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation and is a CFA charterholder.
GSR
GSR, founded in 2013, is a global leader in digital asset trading and market making. GSR specializes in providing liquidity, risk management strategies and structured products to sophisticated global investors in the digital assets industry. Their leadership team of veteran finance and technology executives from Goldman Sachs, Two Sigma, Citadel, IBM and Oracle, among others, has created one of the world’s fastest, most robust, and transparent digital asset trading systems.
Through the team’s trading experience and technology, GSR has the programmatic capabilities to execute strategies that take advantage of pricing discrepancies between South Africa and other markets. The advanced trading technology mitigates foreign currency exposure and cryptocurrency price volatility, thus reducing the investor’s investment risk. This significant market edge has created an opportunity for investors to take advantage of inefficiencies in domestic cryptocurrency markets through well calibrated algorithms.
Jakob Palmstierna
ASSET CLASS: CRYPTOCURRENCY
Jakob Palmstierna
Jakob is Head of Investment Solutions at GSR and is responsible for the firm’s investment management business. Prior to joining GSR, he was Head of EMEA business development at Two Sigma Investments and a board director of Two Sigma International. He has over 11 years experience of developing business and investment solutions in systematic investment management, including roles at Winton Capital Management and Barclays Global Investors (BGI). Jakob earned a BSc in Economics from Lund University where he also completed the MSc coursework in Economics.
CHRYSALIS CAPITAL
The Chrysalis Credit Arbitrage Fund celebrated its 12-year anniversary in August 2020. Its annualised return since inception is 12.04% p.a., an average of 7.08% p.a. above CPI, outperforming both the All Share Total Return index (9.24% p.a.) and the ALBI (8.62% p.a.) over 12 years. The fund is open-ended and investors need to provide 6-months’ notice to redeem. High Net Worth investors can earn a tax-free yield by accessing the fund via a Hollard endowment.
For its institutional investors, Chrysalis Capital manages segregated portfolios, which co-invest into debt opportunities, thereby giving investors comfort that all exposures are shared with other similar investors. Segregated portfolios enter into loans with durations of up to 5 years, yet the weighted average duration is typically closer to 2 years.
CARL COMBRINCK
ASSET CLASS: PRIVATE DEBT
CARL'S BIOGRAPHY
Carl has co-managed the Chrysalis funds for 12 years, prior to which he was the Head of Leveraged Finance at BoE Private Clients. He has 20 years’ experience in banking and finance and is a qualified attorney with experience in commercial and insolvency law. Carl holds an Honours in Financial Management as well as a Diploma in Tax Law.
KNIFE CAPITAL
Knife Capital is a venture capital investment manager that accelerates the international expansion of African innovation-driven businesses by leveraging knowledge, networks and funding. They invest via a consortium of funding partnerships, including SARS section 12J Venture Capital Company: KNF Ventures and select family offices. Knife has a proven track record with early stage technology investments in South Africa and facilitated lucrative exits to the likes of General Electric, Visa, Garmin and Uber. Knife is currently in the process of raising an African Series B Fund to fill a critical follow-on funding gap for local breakout companies.
KEET VAN ZYL
ASSET CLASS: VENTURE CAPITAL
KEET'S BIOGRAPHY
Keet has over 20 years of investment experience in private equity, banking and venture capital. He co-founded Knife Capital in 2010 to scale South African high-growth businesses globally and worked at industry-leading companies such as Procter & Gamble, Investec Bank and ‘Here Be Dragons’ (HBD) Venture Capital.
INVESTEC BANK LIMITED
Investec for Intermediaries is a provider of financial solutions, services, and expertise. Enabling Financial Intermediaries to save, invest and trade on behalf of their clients – in a seamless and integrated manner.
Investec’s specialist solutions teams across Cash Management (CCM); Foreign Exchange; Structured Products; Specialist Investments, Equities and Prime Services, Bespoke Investments and Life Investments have been brought together so that Investec’s clients can easily access the expertise they require to best advise their clients.
Through Investec’s dedicated client service team, integrated digital platform and specialist solutions, it all adds up to an Out of the Ordinary partnership.
BRIAN MCMILLAN
ASSET CLASS:
STRUCTURED PRODUCT
BRIANS'S BIOGRAPHY
Brian joined Investec in 2000 and is the Head of Sales of Investec Retail Structured Products. He has been involved in all aspects of sales and structuring across many asset classes including equity derivative, credit and commodities.
CALEO PRIVATE EQUITY
Caleo Private Equity is an investment management and advisory firm that provides growth capital to operating companies in South Africa and other jurisdictions. Caleo Private Equity has an opportunistic approach to sourcing investments and leverage off its strong base of existing clients and investors as well as the network of investee companies. Caleo Private Equity focuses on building relationships with investors and sees itself as a partner and collaborator in the businesses that it advises in and invests in. The business is industry agnostic with a focus on real estate, debt, and special situations.
Through their dedicated client service team, integrated digital platform and specialist solutions, it all adds up to an Out of the Ordinary partnership. Investec’s AUM has grown from R1bn in 2008 to over R21bn.
gLEN sCORGIE
ASSET CLASS:
PRIVATE EQUITY
gLEN'S BIOGRAPHY
Glen Scorgie is joint CEO at Caleo Private Equity and has over 20 years of experience in investing and fundraising globally. Glen began his career as dealmaker and portfolio manager at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), where he managed RMB’s US high-yield bond portfolio, investing over $1 billion of capital in over 150 US and European corporates. He subsequently co-founded RMB Westport Real Estate Development Fund, one of the largest sub-Saharan Africa real estate private equity funds at the time. Prior to joining Caleo Private Equity, Glen was CIO and a founding member of Gateway Delta Development Holdings.
Alexander Forbes Investments
Alexander Forbes Investments was first established in 1997 and has grown in strength, to become one of South Africa’s largest investment solutions providers. Its success has been earned by building market-leading multi-managed solutions across both institutional and retail savings and investment pools.
The Alexander Forbes Investments South Africa Private Markets (AFISAPM) portfolio provides clients with access to pools of assets not generally available in the public market, which bear a low correlation to traditional investments. The portfolio blends higher return expectations with structured liquidity events, to provide clients with an easy access point into a diversified portfolio of private market assets, including investments in private equity, direct property, infrastructure and unlisted credit.
dAVID mOORE
ASSET CLASS:
PRIVATE MARKET INVESTMENTS
dAVID'S BIOGRAPHY
David is responsible for sourcing and building scalable, diversified and high-performing alternative asset portfolios. Over his career, David has played an integral role in private equity fund commitments as well as sourcing and managing co-investment opportunities and direct investment opportunities across Southern Africa.
Verum Capital
Verum is a Short-Term Structured Product Strategist, providing sophisticated growth and yield enhancement strategies to the local IFAs and their clients.
Timo Bernhard
ASSET CLASS:
Structured Products
Timo Bernhard
Timo spent no less than 3 decades within the Swiss banking / wealth management industry during which he held various senior private banking positions. Due to his long term experience with South African clients and in-depth knowledge of the local private banking market, he was appointed Global Market Head for Africa before he resigned and established Verum Capital (Pty) Ltd.
Khulisa Investment Partners
Khulisa Investment Partners (KIP) is a majority black owned and managed venture capital and private equity management company that seeks to leverage the experience and wisdom of our investors. Through it’s multi-fund offering KIP aims to contribute to social and structural reform in South Africa and to make a meaningful difference to up-coming entrepreneurs.
KIP uses a proprietary investment process to identify promising investments and partner with dynamic entrepreneurs.
Reka Borole & Ross Tasker
ASSET CLASS:
Venture Capital
Reka Borole & Ross Tasker's BIOGRAPHY
Reka Borole has several years operational experience in a Fintech venture serving South Africa’s mass-market. In his previous career Reka was an Investment Banker at RMB in their Corporate Finance division. Reka is a qualified CA(SA) and CFA.
Ross Tasker has demonstrated experience in working with and advising Fintech innovators and start-ups. Ross was previously a co-founder of an innovative Insurtech venture in South Africa. Ross is trained as an attorney and spent several years in corporate law specifically M&A and private equity.
PANEL DISCUSSION
CRYPTOCURRENCY AS AN INVESTMENT CLASS
Farzam Ehsani
Farzam Ehsani is the CEO and Co-founder of VALR.com, South Africa's largest cryptocurrency platform, that allows customers to buy, sell, store and transfer one of the widest selections of cryptocurrencies. He was previously the Blockchain Lead at Rand Merchant Bank and the FirstRand Group, and was the inaugural Chairperson of the South African Financial Blockchain Consortium. He previously worked at McKinsey & Company in Johannesburg, Deloitte Consulting in San Francisco, the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa, and the United Nations in Nairobi. He studied economics at the University of California - Berkeley.
Lorien Gamaroff
Lorien Gamaroff is the founder/CEO of Bankymoon, a blockchain and cryptocurrency consultancy and co-founder/CEO of Centbee, a cryptocurrency payments and remittance company. He also serves as a Bitcoin Association ambassador.
Jakob Palmstierna
Jakob Palmstierna is Head of Investment Solutions at GSR and is responsible for the firm’s investment management business. Prior to joining GSR, he was Head of EMEA business development at Two Sigma Investments and a board director of Two Sigma International. He has over 11 years experience of developing business and investment solutions in systematic investment management, including roles at Winton Capital Management and Barclays Global Investors (BGI). Jakob earned a BSc in Economics from Lund University where he also completed the MSc coursework in Economics.
Sean Sanders
Sean is the CEO and Founder of Revix. He is a CFA Charter holder and all-round finance nerd with a passion for fintech.
Sean comes from an investment banking background having worked at JSE listed specialist investment firm Sabvest as a fixed income and equity analyst, at venture capital firm Knife Capital as an early-stage venture analyst, at General Pacific Management Services as an equity portfolio manager and at Draper-Gain Holdings - a family office based in London - as an investment analyst.
Before starting Revix, he founded 3 start-ups including Sataya, an event-driven proprietary trading firm, Blocktree Capital, a digital asset advisory firm, and Application Portal, a multi-purpose online university application system. He graduated Magna Cum Laude when completing his Bachelor of Business Science (Honours) in Finance at the University of Cape Town.
Philip-Ildo Vassilev Matov
Philip-Ildo Vassilev Matov is responsible for the development of the ConsenSys business in the EMEA region. Actively supporting product-market fit and go-to-market strategy for ConsenSys Digital assets, DeFi, Payments, Compliance and core blockchain infrastructure software solutions. Philip is also leading the Codefi Staking and Ethereum 2.0 infrastructure working group in the company. His prior experience is in entrepreneurship and the traditional financial sector.