Dear Stakeholder

Established in 2007 as an independent business school offering high-quality learning solutions designed and delivered by savings and investment industry experts, the ASISA Academy’s offerings have steadily scaled over the years. 

Our vision is to be the training partner of choice for both ASISA members and the broader financial services industry and its stakeholders. Our mission is to have high-quality, relevant learning solutions delivered by experienced industry professionals in the form of short courses, learnerships, full qualifications, internships and graduate programmes.

The ASISA Academy serves:

• The staff of ASISA members and their stakeholders.
• Young people entering the financial services industry.
• Retirement fund trustees.

Our new Retirement Fund Trustee Education (RFTE) workshop on Cybersecurity, launched during May, is an example of our intention to offer courses that are relevant to current issues affecting our industry.

A total of 63 participants attended the first three iterations of the workshop — delivered for Vodacom, the University of South Africa (Unisa) and the Institute of Retirement Funds Africa (IRFA). Notably, 11 delegates were not trustees. While the workshop was designed to help retirement fund trustees prepare for the implementation of Joint Standard 2 of 2024 on Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience (effective 1 June), its reach has extended beyond its original audience. The strong turnout and diverse participation reflect a growing awareness across the retirement fund ecosystem of the critical importance of cyber preparedness.

This workshop — like others in our RFTE series — is made available by the ASISA Academy, in partnership with the ASISA Foundation, at no cost to retirement fund trustees. We regularly receive interest in the RFTE workshops from professionals in related roles, including consultants, administrative staff, sub-committee members and assistants to Principal Officers. Their goal is often to deepen their understanding, better support their boards, and implement board decisions more effectively. These participants are welcome to enrol in the workshops at no charge.

The ASISA Academy’s RFTE workshops cover a wide range of topics, including investment fundamentals, responsible investing, infrastructure investing, and exchange-traded funds. The workshops are delivered for individual funds or as multi-fund sessions.

In the case of single-fund workshops, consultants are especially eager to attend in order to fully grasp the content being shared with trustees. This is crucial because trustees act as the fund’s oversight body and often delegate action items to their consultants or service providers. When consultants are in the room, the implementation process becomes far more effective. The need for alignment is especially important in highly technical areas, such as cybersecurity and retirement fund governance.

Click here for more information on the courses available. Please reach out by email to discuss attending a session, or how any of our material might be customised to meet your business needs.

Trustees from Akani Retirement Fund Administrators who participated in one of the Johannesburg-based single fund workshops held in May.

GRADUATE PROGRAMMES

A standout moment this month was the ‘Invest in You’ event, a student-led initiative aimed at inspiring young people to take ownership of their financial futures. Hosted on May 13 in partnership with the University of Cape Town’s Investment Society, the event reflected the growing appetite among students to empower themselves and their peers with regards to understanding how money works and making wise decisions when it comes to managing their personal finances.

In these times of instant gratification and conspicuous consumption, the event urged students to choose a different path — to be more mindful in their spending, and to save and invest for the long-term. ASISA Academy Career Development and Work Readiness Programme Champion Grant Cloete delivered a powerful talk on financial fundamentals, covering budgeting and saving as well as managing debt and making intentional decisions around finances.

Certified Financial Planner Shanell Domike, a graduate of the ASISA Academy Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) internship, shared practical insights and real-world experiences at the event. Students also got to engage with Kirsten Ferguson and Philisiwe Sikhakhane – both IFA alumni who completed their internships at Private Client Holdings in February 2024 and 2025 respectively, and took on permanent roles as wealth management associates. Kirsten, who has set her sights on asset management, recently passed her CFA level 1 exams.

When asked about their most valuable takeaways from the event, students pointed to the importance of the basics, such as spending less and saving more, and educating themselves. They also talked about investing efficiently, starting early with even a small portfolio, and leveraging the power of compound interest.

It is very rewarding to see young people empowering themselves and each other and adopting good habits early.

Shanell Domike (left) delivering her talk, and Philisiwe, Kirsten and Shanell (right).

Dimakatso Mlambo, a Client Investment Analyst at Alexforbes, is another graduate of the IFA internship who continues to carve out her own path and inspire her peers. Read her story of resilience, grit and the transformative power of opportunity: When determination meets opportunity.

Dimakatso Mlambo was doing the best with ‘what she had at the time’, which ended up igniting a new passion.

The enrolment window for the 2026 IFA internship opened this week. IFA practices should click here to express an interest in hosting a graduate.

IMACS@TSIBA

This programme takes high-potential, undergraduate Bachelor in Business Administration students at TSIBA Business School through the Academy’s 12-month investment management administration course followed by a four-month internship.

Our 14^th group of students are currently writing their final exams and those who pass all their courses will proceed to their final semester, which involves a four-month undergraduate internship. While we wish these students well in their final stretch towards obtaining their degree, we prepare to welcome our 15^th cohort in July. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please click here to express your interest in supporting this programme which qualifies as a Category B on the Learning Programme Matrix.

2024/2025 IMACS@TSIBA final year students attend one of the investment management administration sessions.

Fezeka Graduate Programme

During May, 11 Fezeka graduates completed their 15 months of work experience in asset management in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Each graduate worked at three different asset managers for five month-stints, thus gaining a great deal of experience. So far, five of the graduates have secured employment at various asset managers. Contact Zubeida Ebrahim should you be interested in reviewing the CVs of any of the graduates who are still in the market. All Fezeka graduates are already registered to write their CFA 1 exams in November.

The Fezeka graduates of 2024/2025.

SHORT COURSES

UCT Collective Investment Schemes (CIS) Short Course

The UCT Collective Investment Scheme (CIS) Short Course was delivered online this month to 17 delegates from various companies. This officially endorsed UCT Short Course was developed in collaboration with experienced industry professionals to upskill new and existing members of investment administration, retail and compliance teams within investment management firms and CIS Mancos, as well as their service providers. The next UCT CIS Short Course is scheduled for October. Click here for more information and to enrol.

Equity Analyst Short Course

The Equity Analyst Short Course, which runs online over 10 consecutive mornings, commenced in May with 15 delegates attending. The course was developed to support new investment analysts within investment management firms or stockbrokers. Programme Champion Francois Toerien invites a diverse group of highly experienced guest speakers to share their specialised knowledge and experience. The next iteration is scheduled to start in October. The course has also been run very successfully in-house, tailored to meet clients’ specific needs. To explore this in-house option, please email us.

UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors’ Short Course

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, it became necessary to offer this course online. In 2021, the Academy found that there was a continued demand for both the online course and the classroom-based course, so we have continued to offer both each year. 

As the online course comes to a close during the month of June, we look forward to offering the classroom-based UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors’ Short Course in Johannesburg once again. There are still places available on the course starting in July.

This course was developed in collaboration with experienced industry practitioners to assist in professionalising the role of life insurance claims assessors. Programme Champion Phumla Motsa invites a diverse group of highly experienced guest speakers, including a range of life insurance medical doctors, to share their specialised knowledge and experience with participants. To download a brochure with detailed course content click here.

HIGHLIGHTS

New staff members in various departments at Sanlam Investments attended an investment induction course, which was presented online and in-person. The sessions covered the savings and investment environment, investment governance, investment products, running an investment business, the major asset classes, and pricing and performance.

Four online Investment Sprints were delivered for Momentum employees, including service specialists and quality assurers. The sessions covered topics such as an introduction to the South African savings and investment sector, fundamentals of equities portfolio management, investment products and structures, and an overview of investment performance.

Four Investment Sprints were delivered to Ninety One employees at their Cape Town offices. The sessions covered topics including the fundamentals of equities portfolio management, equity operations, interest-bearing assets and other asset classes.

These and all of the ASISA Academy’s courses and workshops are highly customisable. Please email us to discuss your business’s unique needs.

For a complete overview of learning opportunities, please visit the 2025 ASISA Academy Learning Calendar.

LEARN WITH US

The ASISA Academy is recognised as a Level 1 B-BBEE Qualifying Small Enterprise, with more than 83% of the Academy’s beneficiaries being Black South Africans. This means employers can claim 135% of their skills development spend with the ASISA Academy. Please get in touch with us to discuss how we can support your skills development requirements.

Please visit our website for more information on our many learning opportunities. We also invite you to interact with us on LinkedIn.

Best wishes
Alicia Davids
ASISA Academy CEO