Dear Stakeholder

On 27 April 1994, my husband and I happily entertained our one-year-old daughter for hours while we queued to cast our first-ever vote in our country’s first national democratic elections. It was both a profound and historic moment. The jubilation in the air was palpable as millions of previously disenfranchised South Africans celebrated the freedom to cast their first vote. A long-awaited era had finally dawned, one in which we would see the Bill of Rights (largely informed by the Freedom Charter) enshrined in our brand new South African Constitution.

More than 30 years later, commemorating this epic day remains important to me. It reminds me of my purpose, which is to immerse myself in the work of education – alongside a formidable team of like-minded individuals and industry partners – to open the doors of freedom for all delegates who come through the hallways of opportunity at the ASISA Academy.

GRADUATE PROGRAMMES

Fezeka Graduate Programme

First to come through the hallways of opportunity this quarter are our 2024/2025 Fezeka graduates, who will be completing their final workplace rotation in May. While a few of these dynamic young women have already secured employment on investment teams, a number of them are still engaged in interviews with different asset managers. If you have a position for a junior investment analyst as of June 1, please reach out and we will share CVs.

2024/2025 Fezeka Graduate Programme graduates, who complete their final workplace rotation in May.

IMACS@TSIBA

Next up is our 2024/2025 cohort of IMACS@TSIBA final year students. They are looking for a four-month internship, from August to November 2025, ideally in a back-office role with an investment management administration firm. Contact Zubeida Ebrahim if you are interested in interviewing students. 

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

I would like to thank the following companies who have already pledged their commitment to sponsoring the 2025/2026 intake of the IMACS@TSIBA Internship.

In this programme, high-potential, black undergraduate Bachelor in Business Administration students at TSIBA Business School participate in the ASISA Academy’s 12-month investment management administration course, followed by a four-month internship at their host company.

We still require more sponsorship for the 15th iteration of this exceptionally successful programme. Please click here to express your interest in sponsoring one or more students for this programme, which starts in July. Note that your sponsorship of this programme, which qualifies as a Category B on the Learning Programme Matrix, does not hold any other obligation.

IFA Internship

As much as we open doors for young people to access education and opportunity, they must still navigate complex issues for themselves. This frequently includes finding a balance between guiding clients toward a better financial future and ensuring the sustainability of the business they work for. For Aron Samuels, taking part in the ASISA Academy Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) Internship was a key first step to understanding that when it comes to the crux, “this issue of sales versus good advice”, “they don't stand opposed, they can actually go together, but it is challenging”. Read his story: Finding a way to balance integrity and sustainability.

Originally drawn to the legal field, Aron Samuels found his real passion in financial education.

RETIREMENT FUND TRUSTEE EDUCATION

At work and in our private lives we are all increasingly at risk of being hacked or scammed. At the office, the fight against ever-more sophisticated cyber-attacks is no longer simply the domain of the IT team; cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility. As our industry prepares for the implementation, on June 1, of Joint Standard 2 of 2024 on Cybersecurity and Cyber Resilience, the ASISA Academy, in partnership with the ASISA Foundation, is pleased to introduce a new Retirement Fund Trustee Education (RFTE) workshop on Cybersecurity.

The new workshop is tailored to help South African retirement fund trustees as they prepare to meet the critical requirements of the Joint Standard 2 of 2024. Issued by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority and the Prudential Authority, Joint Standard 2 complements Joint Standard 1 on IT Governance and Risk Management, effective since November 2023. Joint Standard 1 sets out the governance frameworks and policy requirements while Joint Standard 2 establishes the minimum technical controls required to operationalise those frameworks, effectively mandating cybersecurity and resilience standards across a broad spectrum of financial institutions.

The RFTE workshop is designed to give fund trustees a deeper understanding of cybersecurity and cyber resilience, and how these concepts apply to retirement funds. By covering the theory as well as interrogating practical examples, the workshop will allow delegates to develop a deeper understanding of the issues and the risks. By examining cybersecurity threats, legislation and real-world case studies, the course will empower trustees to effectively implement crucial cybersecurity practices to ensure that they are fully compliant with the incoming Joint Standard 2.  

This is the newest in a full series of RFTE workshops made available by the ASISA Academy, in partnership with the ASISA Foundation, at no cost to South African retirement funds and their trustees. Led by our experienced presenters, the first Cybersecurity workshop will be delivered online on MS Teams on May 28 from 09h00-12h00. Click here to view the brochure with detailed course content.

SHORT COURSES

UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors Short Course

Delegates who are in the third month of the UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors Short Course are enjoying the combination of structured presentations and opportunities to participate during the online course. Their feedback includes:

“Discussions and case examples were relevant and engaging.”

“Informative and very educational around legalities and regulations.”

“I appreciate that the presenters encourage participation. I felt like I was part of the learning, and contributed to my learning as much as they were presenting.”

This UCT-endorsed Short Course was developed in collaboration with experienced industry practitioners to assist in professionalising the role of life insurance claims assessors. To ensure a rich and relevant learning experience our Programme Champion, Phumla Motsa, invites a diverse group of highly experienced guest speakers, including a range of life insurance medical doctors. Three spaces are still available for the next iteration of this course, which will be running in Johannesburg from July to October. Enrol here.

Keep a look out for our three-hour online Sprints for Senior Claims Assessors coming up soon.

HIGHLIGHTS

Demand for customised in-house workshops continued in April, with Investment Sprints again being delivered to staff at Ninety One, and Industry Overview Blitzcamps presented to team members at Digiata Technology Services.

Topics covered by Programme Champion Grant Cloete in the Investment Sprints for Ninety One, which were held face-to-face at their Cape Town offices, included: Introduction to the SA Savings and Investment Sector, Investment Management Business Overview, Investment Products and Structures, and Fundamentals of Retirement Funds and Life Insurance.

The Digiata Technology Services team took part in the Industry Overview Blitzcamps delivered online over three mornings by Programme Champion Anton Berkovitz.

We encourage member companies to contact us to discuss topics and delivery formats that suit them best.

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