etfSA
etfSA operates a Johannesburg-based platform providing South African retail and HNW investors access to over 200 JSE-listed ETFs and ETPs through DIY, retirement, living annuity, and bespoke wealth management products, including two proprietary AMETFs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What etfSA does
etfSA is an independent South African financial services firm that operates a platform enabling retail investors to invest in Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). Founded in 2010 by Mike Brown—an ETF pioneer who co-established Satrix (which listed the first ETF on the JSE in 2000)—the company serves a full investor lifecycle spanning first-time savers, retirement savers, retirees, and high-net-worth clients through both self-service digital and advised channels. The legal entity, ETFSA Portfolio Management Company (Pty) Ltd, holds FSP license 52314, and the associated entity M F Brown holds FSP license 39217; the firm's RA Fund is FSCA-registered under the Pension Funds Act. The company emphasizes independence with no outside shareholders or external influences.
etfSA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- etfSA
- Legal name
- ETFSA Portfolio Management Company (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://etfsa.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- etfSA operates a Johannesburg-based platform providing South African retail and HNW investors access to over 200 JSE-listed ETFs and ETPs through DIY, retirement, living annuity, and bespoke wealth management products, including two proprietary AMETFs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
etfSA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Management & Wealth Advisory
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Open-End Investment Funds (525910)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Asset & Allocation ETFs (Balanced, Target Risk) (FSAAAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Broad Market Equity ETFs (FSAAAFAA), Fixed Income ETFs (Government, Corporate, Munis, TIPS) (FSAAAFAD), ESG/SRI & Climate ETFs (FSAAAFAJ)
Keywords
Where etfSA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
etfSA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Brokerage Fees: ETFSA charges 0.10% (ex. VAT) brokerage fee when buying and selling ETFs on the Investor Hub platform.
- Administration and Client Service Fees: 0.5% (ex. VAT) fee including administration and access to human advisors or trained representatives on the DIY Hub.
- Model Portfolio Management Fees: 0.25% (ex. VAT) for ETFSA Model Portfolios on the Investor Hub.
- Retirement Annuity Fund Management: 0.87% (incl. VAT) total fee comprising fund fee and 0.25% (ex. VAT) portfolio management.
- Preservation Fund Management: 0.35% (ex. VAT) fund fee plus 0.6% p.a. (ex. VAT) for portfolio management and advice.
- Living Annuity Fees: Tiered policy and admin fee structure ranging from 0.55% for R5M to 0.27% for R10M+ investments, plus 0.69% management and advice fee.
- Wealth Management: Bespoke portfolio management service for clients with R1 million or more, including administration, portfolio management, advice and trading costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | DIY Investor Hub - Brokerage |
| Subscription | Monthly | DIY Investor Hub - Admin and Client Service |
| Subscription | Monthly | DIY Investor Hub - Model Portfolios |
| Subscription | Monthly | Retirement Annuity |
| Subscription | Monthly | Preservation Fund |
| Subscription | Monthly | Living Annuity - Investment Amount R5 million |
| Subscription | Monthly | Living Annuity - Investment Amount R5 million to R10 million |
| Subscription | Monthly | Living Annuity - Investment Amount R10 million+ |
| Subscription | Monthly | Excuse-proof Investing Starter Pack |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Minimum Investment - Monthly |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Minimum Investment - Lump Sum |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
etfSA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
etfSA operates a South African investment platform enabling retail and high-net-worth investors to access JSE-listed Exchange Traded Products (ETFs, AMETFs, ETNs, AMCs) through both a DIY digital channel and an advised channel. The company delivers a full investment lifecycle offering: the ETFSA Investor Hub for self-directed ETF investing, tax-free savings accounts, model portfolios, Regulation 28-compliant Retirement Annuity and Preservation Funds, an investment-linked Living Annuity underwritten by 27four Life, bespoke wealth management portfolios for HNW clients, and two proprietary JSE-listed AMETFs (Balanced Foundation Prescient AMETF and Oyster Global Balanced Prescient AMETF).
Product overview
ETFSA is a South African investment platform and wealth management business dedicated to Exchange Traded Products (ETPs) listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The company operates as a unified platform offering multiple integrated investment solutions: the ETFSA Investor Hub (a DIY online platform for self-directed investors), Retirement Annuity (RA) and Preservation Fund products for retirement savings, Living Annuity for post-retirement income, and Wealth Management for bespoke portfolio services. The core investment vehicle across all products is low-cost ETFs and Actively Managed ETFs (AMETFs), including proprietary products like the Balanced Foundation Prescient AMETF and Oyster Global Balanced Prescient AMETF. The company also offers Model Portfolios and Tax-Free Savings Accounts, all built on the same ETF infrastructure and accessible through a single digital platform. The platform enables investment in over 200 JSE-listed ETPs with Regulation 28-compliant portfolios.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ETFSA Investor Hub: A low-cost, easy-to-use online platform providing access to all JSE-listed ETFs and model portfolios for DIY investing.
- ETFSA RA Fund
- ETFSA Living Annuity
- ETFSA Wealth Management
- ETFSA Balanced Foundation Prescient AMETF
- ETFSA Oyster Global Balanced Prescient AMETF
Products and services
- ETFSA Investor Hub Low-cost, fully digital self-directed platform enabling South African retail investors to invest in all JSE-listed ETFs and model portfolios, with paperless sign-up, multilingual advisor support, and debit-order automation from R300/month or R1,000 lump sum.
Quantifiable outcome
- Wealth Enhancer portfolio grew by 18-19% in 2024
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use etfSA
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
etfSA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
etfSA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Prescient Fund Management ServicescorePrescient serves as the fund manager and Manco for ETFSA's Preservation Fund and AMETF products including the Balanced Foundation Prescient AMETF and Oyster Global Balanced Prescient AMETF. The partnership enables ETFSA to offer Regulation 28-compliant, low-cost ETF-based retirement solutions.
- 27four Life Limitedcore27four Life Limited underwrites the ETFSA Living Annuity investment-linked annuity policy, providing the insurance framework for post-retirement income products.
- Wealthport (Pty) LtdcoreWealthport, a FAIS-licensed admin platform owned by Telesure Investment Holdings, provides the administration infrastructure for the ETFSA Investor Hub, handling custody, transfer securities, and client account services.
- D and D The Cycle (Pty) LtdcoreD and D provides account and benefits administration for the ETFSA RA Fund. D and D is a registered Pension Fund Administrator in terms of Section 13(b) of the Pension Funds Act 24 of 1956.
- Kaya 959minorCollaboration with Kaya 959 radio station for investor education content, including interviews and discussions on excuse-proof investing, Retirement Annuities, and wealth creation strategies for South Africans.
- SatrixcoreSatrix provides ETFs as underlying investment building blocks within ETFSA's model portfolios and products, offering local and global equity, bond, and property exposure.
- SygniacoreSygnia's Itrix ETF range available through ETFSA's platform, providing access to European, UK, USA, Japan, and emerging market exposures.
- 10Xcore10X provides index-tracking ETFs including S&P 500 feeder, SA Top 50, Total World Stock, and bond ETFs used in ETFSA portfolio construction.
- 1nvestcore1nvest offers a range of ETFs covering local and global markets including gold, platinum, palladium, rhodium commodities, and MSCI-indexed products.
- FNBcoreFirst National Bank ETF range including Global 1200 Equity Fund of Funds, Government Inflation Linked Bond ETF, MidCap ETF, MSCI feeders, and Top 40 products.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
etfSA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Satrix: South African ETF issuer that was co-founded by ETFSA's Mike Brown and listed the first ETF on the JSE in 2000. Satrix ETFs are among the underlying building blocks used in ETFSA's model portfolios, making it both a partner and a directly comparable specialist ETF provider.
- 10X Investments: South African index-tracking ETF provider offering S&P 500 feeder, SA Top 50, Total World Stock, and bond ETFs used in ETFSA portfolio construction. As a competing low-cost ETF issuer with overlapping distribution channels, it is a directly comparable specialist.
- 1nvest: South African ETF provider covering local and global markets including commodity ETFs (gold, platinum, palladium) and MSCI-indexed products. Available through ETFSA's platform while also distributing independently, making it both a partner and a direct specialist competitor.
- Sygnia: South African asset manager offering the Itrix ETF range covering European, UK, USA, Japan, and emerging market exposures. Sygnia competes head-to-head in the ETF distribution and model portfolio space while also providing underlying ETFs for ETFSA's products.
Broad incumbents
- Allan Gray: One of South Africa's largest independent investment management companies offering unit trusts, retirement products, and living annuities. Competes with ETFSA's wealth management and retirement offerings across overlapping client segments with far greater scale and AUM.
- Coronation Fund Managers: Major South African asset manager offering a broad range of active and passive investment solutions including retirement and living annuity products. A broader incumbent serving similar retail and institutional client segments with overlapping product categories.
- Old Mutual Investment Group: Large South African investment manager offering retirement annuities, preservation funds, living annuities, and wealth management. A broad incumbent with significantly larger scale, distribution, and brand recognition competing across ETFSA's product categories.
- Sanlam Investments: Major South African wealth and investment manager with extensive retirement, living annuity, and discretionary portfolio offerings. A broad incumbent competing with ETFSA across the full retail investor lifecycle with much larger distribution and capital resources.
- Liberty: South African long-term insurer and investment provider offering living annuities, retirement products, and discretionary portfolios. A broad incumbent that competes directly with ETFSA's living annuity product while offering a much wider product set.
Emerging players
- Wealthsimple: Canadian digital wealth management platform offering low-cost DIY investing, managed portfolios, and retirement products with a model closely analogous to ETFSA's hybrid self-service-plus-advisor approach. Operates in a different geography but exemplifies the digital wealth platform business model ETFSA is pursuing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
etfSA social profiles
Digital presenceetfSA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
etfSA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
etfSA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
etfSA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
etfSA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about etfSA
What does etfSA do?
etfSA operates a South African investment platform enabling retail and high-net-worth investors to access JSE-listed Exchange Traded Products (ETFs, AMETFs, ETNs, AMCs) through both a DIY digital channel and an advised channel. The company delivers a full investment lifecycle offering: the ETFSA Investor Hub for self-directed ETF investing, tax-free savings accounts, model portfolios, Regulation 28-compliant Retirement Annuity and Preservation Funds, an investment-linked Living Annuity underwritten by 27four Life, bespoke wealth management portfolios for HNW clients, and two proprietary JSE-listed AMETFs (Balanced Foundation Prescient AMETF and Oyster Global Balanced Prescient AMETF).
Is etfSA a public or private company?
etfSA is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was etfSA founded?
etfSA was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is etfSA based?
etfSA is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does etfSA make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Brokerage Fees are the primary driver. The others are administration and Client Service Fees, model Portfolio Management Fees, retirement Annuity Fund Management, preservation Fund Management, living Annuity Fees and wealth Management.
Who are etfSA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Satrix, 10X Investments, 1nvest and Sygnia. Broad incumbents are Allan Gray, Coronation Fund Managers, Old Mutual Investment Group, Sanlam Investments and Liberty. Wealthsimple is listed as an emerging player.
Does etfSA have an API?
No public API is recorded for etfSA.
What industry is etfSA in?
etfSA's product category is Investment Management & Wealth Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAAFAF, Multi-Asset & Allocation ETFs (Balanced, Target Risk), with a secondary code of FSAAAFAA, Broad Market Equity ETFs. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.