Ember Consulting
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ember Consulting does
Ember Consulting is a South African boutique financial advisory firm founded in 2018 by Chris Ellis, a Certified Financial Planner with more than 20 years of employee benefits experience. The firm provides independent, non-tied advisory services to South African employers across seven interconnected service lines: retirement funds, group risk benefits, medical aid consulting, employee financial planning, benefits communication, claims and beneficiary support, and ongoing benefit reviews. A dedicated Two-Pot System guidance sub-product, including a withdrawal impact calculator, addresses the country's September 2024 retirement reform. The firm is regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority under FSP License 49618 and operates from offices in Johannesburg and Somerset West with a small team (1–10 employees) anchored by two CFP-certified practitioners.
The business is a pure professional-services model: revenue is generated through retainer-style advisory fees scoped per employer based on workforce size and service scope, with no disclosed pricing tiers and no transactional or product-commission streams. Distribution is direct and relationship-led — no self-serve portal, marketplace listing, or paid digital demand generation is in use; engagements are initiated through website contact forms, email, or phone and delivered via on-site workshops, member sessions, and one-on-one consultations. There is no proprietary technology platform; the underlying stack consists of human advisory delivery supported by a static informational withdrawal calculator and a content-marketing website.
The most significant recent structural development is the 2024 partnership with Graviton Partners, under which Ember became the first specialist employee benefits firm to join the Graviton group, gaining institutional-grade actuarial and research capacity while retaining boutique-scale accountability. Ember's customer base is described generically as South African employers ranging from start-ups to large listed companies; no named client logos or revenue concentration data are publicly disclosed, and the firm is not venture-backed.
Ember Consulting firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ember Consulting
- Legal name
- Ember Consulting
- Website
- https://emberconsult.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ember Consulting industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Employee Benefits Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)
Keywords
Where Ember Consulting is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Ember Consulting business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel
Revenue model
- Benefits Consulting & Advisory Fees: Fees charged to employers for ongoing benefits consulting services including retirement fund advisory, group risk benefits, medical aid consulting, claims support, benefits communication, and employee financial planning. Revenue model appears to be retainer/ongoing advisory rather than per-transaction, with services delivered per-employee or as a comprehensive package.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Employer benefits consulting retainer |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Ember Consulting product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ember Consulting is a boutique financial advisory firm that provides independent employee benefits consulting to South African employers. Core offerings include advisory on retirement funds (umbrella and standalone), group risk benefits (life, disability, dread disease, funeral cover), medical aid consulting, employee financial planning, benefits communication, claims and beneficiary support, and regular benefit reviews. All services are delivered by CFP-certified human advisors through on-site presence, member sessions, and ongoing retainer engagements.
Product overview
Ember Consulting is a boutique financial advisory firm providing seven interconnected employee benefits services to South African employers. The core offerings include Retirement Funds advisory, Group Risk Benefits, Medical Aid Consulting, Employee Financial Planning, Benefits Communication, Claims & Beneficiary Support, and regular Benefit Reviews. These services are delivered alongside the Two-Pot System Guidance sub-product, which educates employees on South Africa's retirement reform. All services are tied together through human advisors who provide direct consultation to both employers and employees, with no automated or portal-based delivery.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retirement Funds Independent advisory on umbrella and standalone retirement funds covering fees, investment strategy, governance, and member outcomes, designed for South African employers.
- Group Risk Benefits Advisory, design and support for group life, disability, dread disease and funeral cover ensuring claims are paid out, targeted at South African employers providing employee risk benefits.
- Medical Aid Consulting Healthcare benefits advisory plus one-on-one plan selection support for employees, designed for South African employers offering medical aid benefits.
- Employee Financial Planning One-on-one financial advice for employees covering retirement, two-pot decisions, debt, cover and tax, delivered through Ember's advisor team at client companies.
- Benefits Communication Onboarding packs, payslip notes, workshops and videos in plain language explaining employee benefits, aimed at South African employers seeking to improve employee understanding of their benefits.
- Claims & Beneficiary Support Death, disability and dread disease claim support, guiding families through paperwork until the claim is paid, designed for employees of client companies and their dependants.
- Benefit Reviews Regular independent benchmark of retirement fund, group risk and healthcare benefits covering fees, performance and outcomes, delivered to South African employers on a recurring basis.
- Two-Pot System Guidance Educational resources and decision tools explaining South Africa's Two-Pot retirement system, including withdrawal calculators and withdrawal impact analysis for employees of client companies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Withdrawal decision tool showing tax impact and retirement income trade-off — e.g., R20,000 withdrawal at 26% tax bracket leaves R14,200 today but costs approximately R93,219 at retirement (20 years, 8% growth)
Companies that use Ember Consulting
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Ember Consulting technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ember Consulting partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Graviton PartnerscoreGraviton partnership provides Ember Consulting with institutional-grade research and deep actuarial capability while maintaining boutique accountability. Graviton's first specialist employee benefits firm to join the group. Chris Ellis recently completed the deal making Ember the inaugural employee benefits practice within Graviton. Partnership described as combining 'analytical horsepower of a large practice' with 'warmth and accountability of a small one.'
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ember Consulting competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ember Consulting social profiles
Digital presenceEmber Consulting compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Ember Consulting financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ember Consulting leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Ember Consulting funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ember Consulting 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 Ember Consulting
What does Ember Consulting do?
Ember Consulting is a boutique financial advisory firm that provides independent employee benefits consulting to South African employers. Core offerings include advisory on retirement funds (umbrella and standalone), group risk benefits (life, disability, dread disease, funeral cover), medical aid consulting, employee financial planning, benefits communication, claims and beneficiary support, and regular benefit reviews. All services are delivered by CFP-certified human advisors through on-site presence, member sessions, and ongoing retainer engagements.
Is Ember Consulting a public or private company?
Ember Consulting is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Ember Consulting founded?
Ember Consulting was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ember Consulting based?
Ember Consulting is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Ember Consulting make money?
One revenue line is on record: benefits Consulting & Advisory Fees.
Does Ember Consulting have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ember Consulting.
What industry is Ember Consulting in?
Ember Consulting's product category is Employee Benefits Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEADAC, Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting, with a secondary code of FSAEAAAL, Fee-Only Advisory. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 6411.