Impact of the US monetary policy cycle on the gold price
Weak economic data and volatility in risk assets over the past week have increased expectations of an imminent Fed rate
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Weak economic data and volatility in risk assets over the past week have increased expectations of an imminent Fed rate
Business Day reports that South Africa’s 15 water boards, which manage water infrastructure, are owed R21.3 billion by municipalities. This
Commenting on SA banks’ reporting season, Radebe Sipamla, senior investment analyst at Mergence Investment Managers, said credit growth will likely
As Discovery Vitality realigns its health food partner strategy, its decade-long relationship with retailer Pick n Pay will officially come
How could markets likely react to the prospect of a second Trump term? In Money Marketing, drawing on recent and
The last few weeks have seen a dramatic shift in expectations for the outcome of the US presidential election. Starting
Since early 2023, digital disruption has been a key driver of global equity returns. We have seen increased capital spending
In a wide-ranging cover story in Financial Mail, specialist IT writer Mudiwa Gavaza looks at the potential turnaround of the
News24 covered the latest Naspers/Prosus results in depth. The group has managed to swing its consolidated e-commerce business into its
Commenting on Telkom’s group results, Mergence Head of Equities, Peter Takaendesa, said there was improvement in terms of operational cash
Credit growth across the banking sector is tepid due to the tough economy, and unless the new Government of National
It is our longstanding belief that companies cannot achieve sustainable economic success while neglecting their social and environmental responsibilities. Responsible investing forms an intrinsic part of our investment processes and supports our mission in creating sustainable shared value through delivering positive risk-adjusted returns for our clients while making a significant positive impact on society and the environment.
Engagement with companies and voting at shareholder meetings are both powerful tools that we have considered to be an essential part of our active management offering since the very beginning of our responsible investing journey. We were one of the first South African asset managers to make public its proxy voting decisions. Click here to view our historic proxy voting records.
CLICK HERE to view our historic proxy voting records.
We have been early supporters of initiatives guiding responsible investing, including:
Our investment processes deliberately include ESG considerations which are continually refined, updated and enhanced by the investment teams.
Our Public Markets team have an explicit ESG pillar and minimum ESG deliverables as part of their equity research process and portfolio construction. Similarly, the Private Markets team have an ESG management system which details how they incorporate ESG issues into the investment decision-making process with a view to mitigating overall portfolio risk, promoting sustainability, and generating positive impact. The system also spells out our ESG requirements of investee companies.
At Mergence, we believe in the power of People, Planet and Prosperity, acknowledging that making profits can only be justified if people and the planet are respected and preserved in the process. Our ethos of creating sustainable shared value is at the heart of our business. Making a positive impact on society, embracing diversity and inclusion, nurturing relationships, and encouraging an entrepreneurial spirit underpin our commitment to being a responsible employer.
As evaluated by an independent agency we currently hold a Level 1 BBBEE rating.
We offer a range of local and offshore investment strategies that meet the needs of retirement funds and individuals in Southern and Sub-Saharan Africa. We are dedicated to managing and growing our clients’ investments in a socially sustainable manner. Our clients are mainly institutional investors with a growing offering of retail investors.
Mergence was a pioneer in impact and infrastructure investing, with a rich history showcasing the advantages of uncorrelated alternative investments. We strongly advocate for the potential of these investments to deliver consistent long-term returns while making a positive social impact. Our diverse portfolio encompasses a wide range of debt and equity asset classes carefully chosen from sectors that global and national organisations have identified as high-priority areas.
This Fund aims to invest in a diversified combination of infrastructure risk-adjusted returns, whilst supporting the development of both social and economic infrastructure services. The Fund forms part of the Mergence suite of impact funds. The Fund strives to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns over that of the FTSE/JSE All Bond Index (ALBI).
The objective of this Fund is to provide commercially viable investments into the renewable energy sector enabling investors to achieve targeted investment returns together with social and environmental impact. Through both these Funds, we are invested in 13 renewable energy projects within Southern Africa, across both wind and solar. Fund II is open for investment.
This Fund aims to invest in a diversified combination of infrastructure risk-adjusted returns, whilst supporting the development of both social and economic infrastructure services. The Fund forms part of the Mergence suite of impact funds. The Fund strives to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns over that of the FTSE/JSE All Bond Index (ALBI).
Our specialist equity mandates aim to provide investors with capital growth over the long term. The key objective of these mandates is to consistently achieve returns that are in excess of the respective benchmarks over any rolling three-year period, without exposing the client to excessive risk. We embrace a style-agnostic approach and have a strong bias towards quality at a reasonable price.
The objective of these mandates is to achieve returns that are in excess of the FTSE/JSE Capped Shareholder Weighted Index (Capped SWIX) over any three-year rolling period without exposing the Fund to excessive risk. These core mandates target maximum active returns relative to tracking error volatility.
Our range of multi-asset strategies include absolute return and balanced mandates. These products are developed for institutional and retail investors who seek a product which is broadly diversified across asset classes including equities, listed property, conventional bonds, and inflation-linked bonds both domestically and internationally.
This collective investment scheme fund is managed with the objective of producing a real return of 4% above inflation per annum over the longer term while preserving capital over rolling 12-month periods. The Fund employs active asset allocation and derivative hedging to manage and reduce downside risk. It is broadly diversified across asset classes including equities, listed property, conventional bonds and inflation-linked bonds, both domestically and internationally.
This Fund aims to invest in a diversified combination of infrastructure risk-adjusted returns, whilst supporting the development of both social and economic infrastructure services. The Fund forms part of the Mergence suite of impact funds. The Fund strives to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns over that of the FTSE/JSE All Bond Index (ALBI).
This Fund aims to invest in a diversified combination of infrastructure risk-adjusted returns, whilst supporting the development of both social and economic infrastructure services. The Fund forms part of the Mergence suite of impact funds. The Fund strives to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns over that of the FTSE/JSE All Bond Index (ALBI).
Mergence is an independent asset management firm with a strong 18-year track record. We were founded in 2004 and have successfully grown our offering to a diverse product range across both public and private market investments, spanning specialist equity and fixed income, multi-asset, infrastructure, debt and private equity funds.
We are focused on sub-Saharan markets and led by a pragmatic, sustainable, shared value creation mindset. Responsible investing and ESG principles are part of our ethos and embedded across our investment processes.
Mergence is majority black-owned and managed and embraces the multi-cultural and multi-racial diversity of Southern Africa. We employ 58 people across our operations in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Windhoek, and Maseru.
At Mergence we value our people. Our culture is characterised by a collective focus on excellence and development, keeping our staff motivated and committed to growing with Mergence and growing our clients’ savings.
Our senior investment team have worked together for nearly a decade. With over 300 years of combined experience our entire team, including analysts and fund managers, have distinct specialisation in both Public and Private Markets. We leverage data and key elements from each area to widen our perspective and innovate to obtain outperformance.
BSc (Chemistry)
BTech (Ceramic Science)
MSc (Engineering)
MBA (Administration)
Sholto joined Mergence in July 2022. He has more than 19 years’ experience in financial services with a focus on strategic leadership, product innovation, and research across all asset classes in Public and Private markets. He held various senior roles at the Public Investment Corporation including Acting Chief Investment Officer. Before entering the financial services sector, Sholto pursued a specialised career in resources and precious metals.
BSc (Chemistry)
BTech (Ceramic Science)
MSc (Engineering)
MBA (Administration)
Sholto joined Mergence in July 2022. He has more than 19 years’ experience in financial services with a focus on strategic leadership, product innovation, and research across all asset classes in Public and Private markets. He held various senior roles at the Public Investment Corporation including Acting Chief Investment Officer. Before entering the financial services sector, Sholto pursued a specialised career in resources and precious metals.
BCom Hons (Economics)
MCom (Economics)
MCom (Finance & Econometrics)
Peter joined Mergence in 2014 as a Senior Equity Investment Analyst specialising in the TMT sector. He became a portfolio manager in 2016 and head of the listed equities team in 2019. Peter has over 15 years’ experience in the financial services industry, having worked for several global investment banks. He won ABSIP equity analyst of the year in 2011 and has worked as a university lecturer in economics.
BSc Hons
MCom (Financial Management)
ACCA
Chito joined Mergence in 2011 as an Equity Analyst in the Public Markets team, where he focused on the FMCG, hospitality, financial services, and telecommunications sectors. He transitioned to the Private Markets investment team in 2015 and now serves as Head of Private Equity. In this role, he leads the origination and execution of private equity investment opportunities across the SADC region. Chito has spearheaded transactions in sectors such as aquaculture and microfinance and sits on the boards of several investee companies.
