Camissa Asset Management

What Camissa Asset Management does

Camissa Asset Management is a South African active investment manager founded in 2001 and rebranded from Kagiso Asset Management in February 2022 following a management buyout that placed 74% of the firm in staff ownership. Headquartered in Cape Town with a Dublin-domiciled UCITS vehicle (Camissa Global Asset Management ICAV), the firm manages R97 billion in assets (as of January 2026) across roughly 17 funds plus tax-free investment wrappers, segmented into individual investor funds, Shariah-compliant Islamic funds, and institutional mandates. Investment outcomes are generated through a fundamental, contrarian-value process branded as 'Black Sheep Thinking', delivered by a 21-person investment team with 244 years of combined experience.

The firm operates a traditional active-management fee model: annual management fees ranging from 0.50% to 1.35% depending on fund/segment, plus a 10% performance fee on outperformance capped at 2% of AUM, with financial-adviser fees layered on top. Distribution is platform-led and adviser-intermediated, with funds available across 13+ major South African LISP and wealth platforms (including Allan Gray, FNB/Ashburton, Discovery, and Glacier), giving the firm access to the long tail of advised retail, Shariah, and institutional capital. The business model is straightforwardly AUM-linked, with revenue scaling linearly with market levels and net flows, and performance fees providing asymmetric upside in years of benchmark outperformance.

Operationally, Camissa is a regulated Financial Services Provider with cross-border reach via its Irish UCITS structure, targeting both South African and select offshore investor pools. It does not disclose AI/quant capability, relying instead on human-judgement fundamental research, and competes primarily on track record, philosophy differentiation, and platform reach rather than on technology or pricing.

Name

Camissa Asset Management

Legal name

Camissa Asset Management (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://camissa-am.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Camissa Asset Management is a South African active investment manager (R97bn AUM, est. 2026) operating ~17 funds across individual, Shariah, and institutional segments via a staff-owned (74%) Cape Town-led firm distributed through 13+ adviser platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asset Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Asset Solutions for Institutional (Pensions/Endowments/Sovereigns) (FSAAAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Equity (Active) (FSAAAIAD), Portfolio Construction & Asset Allocation Advisory (FSAEAAAC)

Keywords

• Active asset management
• Unit trust funds
• Investment management
• Shariah-compliant investing
• Wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Management Fees: Ongoing annual management fees charged as a percentage of assets under management. Fee rates vary by fund class (e.g., Class A: 1.25% pa for SA Balanced Fund, 1.35% pa for Global Equity Fund Class A, 0.50% pa for Islamic High Yield Fund).
2. Performance Fees: Performance-based fees applied when funds outperform their benchmarks over rolling 12-month periods. For SA Equity Fund: 10% of outperformance with total fee capped at 2%.
3. Financial Adviser Fees: Initial fees (up to 0%) and ongoing advice fees (up to 1% per annum) charged through financial adviser channels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Camissa Asset Management is an active investment manager that offers a range of unit trust funds across South African and global equities, balanced, fixed income, and Shariah-compliant strategies. The firm manages R97 billion in assets using a high-conviction, contrarian 'Black Sheep Thinking' investment philosophy with separate fund offerings for individual investors, Shariah investors, and institutional clients. Products include actively managed equity, balanced, stable, protector, global, and Islamic funds available directly, via financial advisers, and through major South African investment platforms.

Product overview

Camissa Asset Management is a true high-conviction active investment manager offering a comprehensive range of locally and globally managed unit trust funds. The product portfolio consists of eight individual investor funds (Equity Alpha Fund, Global Equity Fund, Global Equity Feeder Fund, Balanced Fund, Protector Fund, Stable Fund, SA Equity Fund, and SA Balanced Fund), five Shariah-compliant Islamic funds (Islamic Balanced Fund, Islamic Equity Fund, Islamic Global Equity Feeder Fund, Islamic Global Equity Fund, and Islamic High Yield Fund), and four institutional funds (Bond Fund, Core Equity Fund, Domestic Balanced Fund, Global Balanced Fund, and Managed Equity Fund). The funds cover various risk profiles from low to high and investment strategies including equity growth, balanced allocation, capital protection, and Shariah-compliant investing. The company also offers tax-free investment accounts across nine eligible funds. All funds are actively managed using a disciplined valuation-driven investment philosophy with a contrarian approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equity Alpha Fund A high-risk actively managed equity unit trust fund aiming for strong capital growth, suitable for investors with higher risk tolerance and a long-term investment horizon. Benchmarked against the average performance in the South African Equity General unit trust universe.
• Global Equity Fund An Ireland-domiciled UCITS fund providing strong capital growth and targeting top quartile returns for general equity funds, benchmarked against the FTSE World Index.
• Global Equity Feeder Fund A feeder fund fully invested in the dollar-denominated Camissa Global Equity Fund (domiciled in Ireland) aiming for returns better than the world equity market over the long term.
• Balanced Fund A medium-high risk fund providing high, long-term capital growth within statutory investment restrictions for retirement funds, moderating exposure to short-term volatility.
• Protector Fund A low-medium risk fund providing steady capital growth and returns better than equity market returns on a risk-adjusted basis over the medium to longer term.
• Stable Fund A low-medium risk fund providing total returns above inflation over the medium term with high capital stability and minimised loss over any one-year period, within retirement fund constraints.
• SA Equity Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• R97 Billion AUM as of January 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Allan GraycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor South African investment platform partner offering Camissa funds to retail investors through Allan Gray's investment platform.
• FNB/AshburtoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFirst National Bank and Ashburton investment platform distribution partnership for Camissa fund products.
• DiscoverycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDiscovery Invest platform offering Camissa funds as part of discovery investment solutions.
• Glacier by SanlamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlacier investment platform distribution partner for Camissa unit trust funds.
• Ninety OnemajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFund Choice platform partner, offering Camissa funds alongside Ninety One's own fund range.
• MomentumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMomentum Fund Shop platform providing access to Camissa funds for investors.
• Old MutualcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOld Mutual Multi-Manager and platform distribution for Camissa fund products.
• SygniacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSygnia open architecture platform offering Camissa funds to investors.
• Easy EquitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail-focused platform partner making Camissa funds accessible to individual investors with lower minimums.
• StanlibmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStanlib Linked Range platform distribution partner for Camissa funds.
• PPSmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPPS platform providing Camissa fund access to professionals and graduates.
• Northern Trust International Fund Administration ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFund administrator for Camissa Global Asset Management ICAV, providing fund administration services for Ireland-domiciled UCITS funds. Located at George's Court, 54-62 Townsend Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Allan Gray South Africa: One of the largest privately-owned South African active asset managers offering balanced, equity, and hedge fund products via similar direct, adviser, and platform channels; the most direct head-to-head competitor for Camissa's active unit trust range.
• Ninety One: Dual-listed South African and UK asset manager offering active equity, multi-asset, and alternatives to retail and institutional clients globally; competes with Camissa in domestic balanced and global equity mandates and is a platform shelf competitor.
• Truffle Asset Management: South African boutique active asset manager running equity and multi-asset funds for retail and institutional investors; directly comparable to Camissa in scale, philosophy, and distribution model.
• STANLIB: Major South African asset manager (part of Liberty Holdings / Standard Bank group) offering active multi-asset, equity, and Shariah funds across retail and institutional channels; direct competitor on platform shelves and adviser panels.
• Coronation Fund Managers: Listed South African active asset manager managing balanced, equity, and fixed-income funds for retail and institutional clients; directly comparable to Camissa across mandate types, target investor segments, and benchmark-relative active management approach.
• Foord Asset Management: Privately-owned South African boutique active asset manager with a long-term, valuation-driven philosophy similar to Camissa; serves institutional and high-net-worth clients with balanced, equity, and international mandates.

Emerging players

• Ashburton Fund Managers: South African active asset manager (part of FirstRand group) offering multi-asset and equity strategies on its own and partner platforms; comparable to Camissa in active philosophy and overlapping in retail platform distribution.
• BlueAlpha Investment Management: Smaller South African boutique active manager focused on differentiated equity and balanced strategies; overlaps with Camissa's high-conviction, benchmark-agnostic positioning but at lower AUM scale.

Broad incumbents

• Sanlam Investments: Large South African financial-services group offering active and passive asset management across retail, adviser, and institutional channels (via Glacier and other platforms); competes with Camissa across the full risk-profile spectrum but with much broader product breadth.
• Old Mutual Investment Group: Large multi-affiliate South African asset manager offering active equity, balanced, and alternative funds via platform and adviser channels; competes with Camissa in institutional and retail segments with significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/camissa-asset-management

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Camissa Asset Management