Wealth managers say there is a marked increase in clients, alarmed by political rhetoric, inquiring about protecting their assets, with many wanting to move them offshore. That is tied to perceptions of increased corruption in government and radical rhetoric that is perceived to threaten the value of assets. Other pressing concerns for the providers of private banking and wealth management services are increasing and costly compliance burdens and a need to stay on the cutting edge of technology — also an expensive undertaking — to ensure they provide full value to clients.

"It’s no secret that the past 18 months have been extremely difficult," says Brian Butchart, MD of Brenthurst Wealth Management. "Clients are concerned in terms of performance — that’s a big factor." He notes that returns on investments are generally down to post-2008 levels, when markets had been badly affected by the global financial crisis. Investors are being further squeezed by rising costs, says Philip...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.