March 2026

Dear Colleagues

As we move into the second quarter of 2026, our work is about building foundations – the knowledge that transforms students into professionals, the relationships between mentors and learners, and the partnerships that make it all possible.

This month, we profile Momentum Investments, demonstrating what happens when organisations invest strategically in people. We’re also celebrating Zharne Whiteboy, a 2024 IFA Internship alumnus recently awarded the Women in Finance Network bursary for postgraduate studies.

Thank you for being part of this foundation-building work.

Warm regards,

Alicia Davids
CEO, ASISA Academy

Where learnership meets leadership

How Momentum Investments uses the FMP Learnership to develop existing staff and recruit new talent – with remarkable results.

When Faatima Adams talks about Momentum Investments’ partnership with ASISA Academy, one phrase keeps recurring: exceptional results.

Whether they’re sending existing employees on the Financial Markets Practitioner (FMP) Learnership or recruiting unemployed graduates and supporting them through the programme, Momentum consistently achieves what many companies aspire to: 100% absorption rates and career progression that transforms interns into accredited analysts.

“The journey those on the FMP Learnership go on, from the time they start to how they finish off, and the experience they get throughout the business because of how the learnership is structured, works very well for us,” says Adams, Head of Learning and Development at Momentum Investments.

Since launching their partnership with the FMP in 2022, Momentum has run four cohorts with approximately 20 participants. The results mirror the programme’s exceptional track record: nobody has failed the external exams set by the South African Institute of Stockbrokers (SAIS), interns enjoy 100% absorption, and learners have moved from junior positions into middle management.

Adams attributes this success to three factors: “The calibre of people we’re getting, the fact that this is NQF Level 7 – quite high – and the support we provide. We check in constantly, because apart from working full-time and doing the learnership, some are still finishing their studies.”

After every rotation, Momentum ensures masterclasses are available so learners can complete assignments. This hands-on approach, combined with rigorous recruitment – advertising externally, conducting multiple interviews, technical assessments – ensures the right candidates enter the programme.

Momentum employees who are currently enrolled in the Financial Markets Practitioner (FMP) Learnership. From top left, clockwise: Tshegofatso Masipa, Kutullo Rantloka, Michael Mathonsi, Timika Somanna, and Khodani Sinyosi.

For existing employees, managers identify high performers and engage with them about the opportunity. The programme serves both transformation goals and retention strategy. “If you don’t invest in your employees, people tend to leave,” Adams explains.

This commitment recently contributed to Momentum achieving Level 1 B-BBEE certification for management control and skills development. Successfully completing the FMP allows graduates to apply to SAIS for the Certified Financial Markets Practitioner designation – professional recognition that opens doors throughout the industry.

One standout success is Paulina Mwenda, part of Momentum’s first FMP cohort in 2022. She was absorbed before her internship even concluded and is now an Investment Analyst – exemplifying what’s possible when talent meets opportunity and dedicated support.

Paulina Mwenda, who was part of the 2022 FMP Cohort, is currently working at Momentum as an Investment Analyst.

Beyond the FMP, Momentum also partners with the Academy on Investment Sprints for existing staff outside the investment’s world. “The feedback is so positive,” Adams says, “with everyone asking for more training.”

Momentum is now exploring rolling out the FMP to other parts of the business. When a programme delivers this consistently, expansion becomes inevitable.

From intern to paraplanner: Zharne Whiteboy’s journey in financial planning

How this 2024 IFA internship alumnus discovered her calling.

Growing up in Goodwood, Cape Town, Zharne Whiteboy had an interest in finance that developed from a young age, supported by an inclination toward saving and understanding the value of money.

She knew she wanted to work in the financial world, but finding the right career path took time. After starting with financial accounting at UWC, she says it felt like something was missing, so she switched to a BCom majoring in finance, investments, and information systems. But in her final year, an email from her lecturer about the ASISA Academy’s IFA Internship changed everything.

Zharne Whiteboy, centre, pictured with Kim Potgieter, MD of Chartered Wealth Solutions and founder of The Women in Finance Network (left), and Alicia Davids, CEO of ASISA Academy (right), on the day she was announced the recipient of the bursary.

Financial Markets Practitioner (FMP) Learnership

The fifth iteration of the FMP Learnership has commenced with 16 delegates from five companies across the industry: Ninety One, Fairtree Asset Management, Momentum, Curo Fund Services, PPS Investments and Sanlam Private Wealth.

The academic component runs via weekly three-hour online sessions over approximately 34 weeks, from March to November 2026, while learners simultaneously gain practical workplace experience throughout the duration of the learnership. From December 2026 to February 2027, learners focus on consolidating their learning and finalising their Portfolio of Evidence for submission. The programme culminates in the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA) in May 2027.

The FMP programme has an exceptional track record – virtually no drop-outs and very high completion and success rates for those who write the external exam set by the South African Institute of Stockbrokers (SAIS). Successfully completing this NQF Level 7 qualification allows delegates to apply to SAIS for the Certified Financial Markets Practitioner designation.

Delegates who are currently participating in the 2026 Financial Markets Practitioner (FMP) Learnership.

IMACS@TSIBA

Our 2025/26 cohort of 46 students has progressed into their final year. They’ll complete academic coursework in June, after which they’ll need placements for their compulsory four-month internship from August to November 2026.

We have 17 internship placements confirmed and are actively seeking host companies for remaining students. Please contact Zubeida Ebrahim at zebrahim@asisaacademy.org.za if you would like to give one of these outstanding young people an opportunity to take the next step in their career progression.

Sponsorship opportunity for 2026/27 intake

We’re also raising funding for the July 2026 intake. Here’s what you need to know:

• Investment: R20,500 per student (excluding VAT).
• Minimum sponsorship: three students (R61,500 ex VAT).
• Category B on the Learning Programme Matrix.

UCT Investment Management Industry (IMI) Short Course

Eleven delegates from various industry companies attended the UCT IMI Short Course in Cape Town, including delegates from Eswatini and Botswana. This course is designed for new entrants to financial services or those servicing the industry, such as software and legal firms.

The next iteration will take place in Johannesburg in August 2026. 

Delegates who attended the March UCT IMI Short Course that was held in Cape Town.

UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors Short Course

Fourteen delegates are attending the online UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors Short Course, running over 18 Wednesdays from February to June.

This UCT-endorsed course includes a variety of assignments and continuous assessments as well as a three-hour exam in June. The course is registered for CPD points with the Insurance Institute of South Africa (IISA).

A face-to-face course is planned for Johannesburg, July to October 2026. However, if we don’t receive sufficient people signing up to warrant this, we might deliver the course online.

Some of the delegates who are attending the online UCT Life Insurance Claims Assessors Short Course.

Ninety One Investment Sprints

It was our great pleasure to train a second group of staff at Ninety One so far this year. We delivered Investment Sprints over two consecutive days, covering: introduction to the South African savings and investment sector; investment management business overview; investment products and structures; fundamentals of retirement funds and life insurance; fundamentals of equities portfolio management; fundamentals of equity operations; fundamentals of interest-bearing assets; and fundamentals of other asset classes.

If your company would benefit from tailored in-house training, please contact us at learn@asisaacademy.org.za to discuss your needs.

Employees from Ninety One who attended the Investment Sprints.

Retirement Fund Trustee Education

One of the highlights from the many RFTE workshops run during March was the delivery of the Foundations for Retirement Fund Trustees Course for the Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union (PPWAWU) National Provident Fund. 

The ASISA Academy, in partnership with the ASISA Foundation, delivers engaging workshops on a fully-funded basis to South African retirement fund trustees. Workshops are registered with Batseta for CPD points and presented by industry professionals.

These workshops are also available to non-trustees at a fee of R2,125 excluding VAT. For more information, visit our trustee education website.

Trustees from the Paper, Printing, Wood and Allied Workers' Union (PPWAWU) National Provident Fund who attended the Foundations for Retirement Fund Trustees workshop.

For a complete overview of learning opportunities, please visit the 2026 ASISA Academy Learning Calendar.

Contact us:

• General enquiries: learn@asisaacademy.org.za
• CEO: adavids@asisaacademy.org.za
• Graduate Programme enquiries: zebrahim@asisaacademy.org.za

ASISA Academy – Building the talent pipeline for South Africa’s savings and investment industry