Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH)

What Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH) does

Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH) is a South African private investment holding company established on 1 July 2011 through the merger of Kagiso Trust Investments (KTI, founded 1993) and Tiso Group (founded 2001), with legacy origins tracing to the Kagiso Trust established in 1985. The company manages a diversified portfolio of market-leading businesses across media, financial services, healthcare, services, and industrial sectors, with approximately R9 billion in net asset value and a lean headcount of 31 staff at the holding-company level (including a core finance team of four Chartered Accountants). Its wholly-owned subsidiary Kagiso Media operates South Africa's largest commercial radio portfolio (Jacaranda FM, East Coast Radio, Kaya FM, Gagasi FM, OFM, Heart FM), specialist publishing (Juta, Future Managers), television production (Urban Brew Studios), and a multi-channel media sales house (Mediamark). Major non-media holdings include majority stakes in Servest Group (integrated facilities management) and Futurewise (digital-first education financial services, acquired 2022), and minority stakes in Momentum Metropolitan (JSE-listed financial services group), Me Cure Healthcare (West African pharmaceuticals), and others.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: investment returns from portfolio companies (dividends, capital appreciation, capital gains), advertising and broadcasting sales at Kagiso Media, subscription and educational content revenue at Juta and Future Managers, insurance premiums at Futurewise (underwritten by Guardrisk Life Limited), and facilities management contracts at Servest Group. KTH funded growth through an R800 million JSE-listed bond in 2015 as part of a R2 billion programme, with approximately R5 billion in acquisitions, disposals, and fundraising over a five-year window to 2017. Geographic exposure is approximately 90% South Africa and 10% rest of Africa, with selective West African positions (Nigeria via Me Cure Healthcare, Ghana via GMABC). KTH is led by Chairman Reverend Frank Chikane (appointed 1 July 2020), Group CEO Paballo Makosholo (appointed 2020, MComm South African and International Tax, Columbia Business School executive programme), and Group CFO Tshepo Setshedi (qualified CA(SA), appointed 2020). The board includes senior figures from Remgro, Vodacom, Oracle, and financial services.

KTH's proprietary technology includes the Futurewise omnichannel platform (enabling education insurance, investment funds via Nedbank, and a market-first learning hub with HP, CodeSource, and Skillshare partners) and IBM Cognos Controller/Disclosure Management for group consolidation (implemented 2013 when the group had over 90 companies). Distribution occurs primarily through portfolio company channels: radio broadcast (Kagiso Media), bookstore and institutional sales (Juta), direct digital channels (Futurewise), and enterprise contracts (Servest). The company is POPIA and GDPR compliant for personal information processing.

Name

Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH)

Legal name

KTH Kagiso Tiso Holdings Proprietary Limited

Website

https://kth.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH) is a South African private investment holding company managing a diversified portfolio across media (Kagiso Media radio stations, publishing), financial services (Futurewise, Momentum Metropolitan stake), healthcare (Me Cure), and facilities management (Servest Group), with approximately R9 billion in net asset value and selective West African exposure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sandton, Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: KTH generates returns through its diversified investment portfolio including media, financial services, healthcare, services, and industrial sectors. As an investment holding company, revenue comes from dividends, capital gains, and value appreciation across portfolio companies.
2. Broadcasting and Radio Advertising: Kagiso Media generates revenue through advertising sales across its radio stations (ECR, Jacaranda FM, Kaya FM, Gagasi FM, OFM, Heart FM), television production (Urban Brew Studios), and specialist media sales house (Mediamark).
3. Publishing and Educational Content: Revenue from Juta and Company (law, education, and academic publishing) and Future Managers (learning material development).
4. Education Financial Services: Futurewise generates revenue through education insurance products (annuity-based paying schools directly), education investment funds, and learning hub services. Insurance underwritten by Guardrisk Life Limited, saving and investment offerings managed by Nedbank.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH) is a black-owned and managed private investment holding company that owns, controls, or holds significant stakes in a diversified portfolio of market-leading companies across media (radio stations, publishing, TV production, media sales), financial services (education insurance, listed financial services group), healthcare, facilities management, and industrial sectors. Revenue is generated through investment returns from the portfolio, plus underlying portfolio company revenues from broadcasting/advertising, subscription publishing, education insurance premiums, and facilities management contracts.

Product overview

KTH is not a unified software product or platform — it is an investment holding company with a diversified portfolio of market-leading companies across multiple sectors. The portfolio includes: (1) Media — through wholly-owned subsidiary Kagiso Media, comprising radio stations (Jacaranda FM, East Coast Radio, Kaya FM, Gagasi FM, OFM, Heart FM), media sales house (Mediamark), television production (Urban Brew Studios), and publishing (Juta, Future Managers); (2) Financial Services — including Futurewise (digital-first education financial services) and Momentum Metropolitan (financial services group); (3) Healthcare — Me Cure Healthcare (pharmaceuticals in West Africa); (4) Services — Servest Group (integrated facilities management); (5) Other investments — Nozala Investments (women's investment company) and INCA Portfolio Managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kagiso Media: Wholly-owned media and publishing subsidiary operating radio stations including East Coast Radio and Jacaranda FM, as well as Urban Brew Studios, Juta publishing, and Mediamark.

Products and services

• Jacaranda FM
• East Coast Radio (ECR)
• Kaya FM

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,264,000 ECR listeners (BRC RAM, July 2022)
• +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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HPminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2022High-profile education partner in Futurewise learning ecosystem. HP provides educational products and services as part of the learning hub available exclusively to Futurewise policyholders.
• CodeSourceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2022Education partner providing coding and technology education content through Futurewise learning hub ecosystem.
• SkillshareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2022Education partner providing online learning content through Futurewise learning hub ecosystem.
• Guardrisk Life LimitedcoreOthers · 17 November 2022Underwriting partner for Futurewise education insurance products, providing the insurance coverage component that pays tuition fees upon death of parent/guardian.
• Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company (GMABC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2017Kagiso Media acquired 37% stake in GMABC, a Ghanaian broadcasting company operating four radio stations (Happy FM, YFM Kumasi, YFM Accra, YFM Takoradi) and e.tv Ghana. Partnership allows exchange of experience and skills between Ghanaian and South African media businesses.
• Sabido InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 September 2017Partner in GMABC joint venture for e.tv Ghana (launched 2009). Sabido owns e.tv in South Africa and partnered with GMA for Ghana operations.
• RaizcorpcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 11 March 2016KTH partnered with Raizcorp, Africa's most successful for-profit business incubator, to roll out the Impande supplier development programme. Raizcorp facilitates the 24-month business growth programme providing market access, entrepreneurial learning, mentorship, and specialist services to selected black-owned SMEs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Naspers: South African-listed global internet and media group with extensive media and e-commerce investments across emerging markets. A broad incumbent operating at much greater scale than KTH's media holdings, but overlapping in broadcasting and publishing exposure through Kagiso Media.
• Sanlam Limited: Large JSE-listed pan-African financial services group offering insurance, investment, and wealth management. Comparable through KTH's interests in insurance and education-savings products (Futurewise) and as a broader financial-services incumbent.

Emerging players

• Alexander Forbes Group Holdings: JSE-listed investment, insurance, and advisory group focused on retirement, healthcare, and investment solutions in Southern Africa. Comparable to KTH's portfolio management (INCA) and broader financial-services exposure.

Direct peers

• Remgro Limited: JSE-listed diversified investment holding company with a multi-sector portfolio spanning financial services, healthcare, media, and industrials. Highly comparable in structure and active-shareholder style, and Remgro executives sit on KTH's board (Stefan Crouse, Pieter Uys), confirming tight ecosystem overlap.
• PSG Group: JSE-listed investment holding company focused on financial services, banking, education, and consumer businesses. Similar diversified holdco model with active ownership of operating subsidiaries across multiple sectors.
• Hosken Consolidated Investments (HCI): South African diversified investment holding company listed on the JSE with interests in gaming, hotels, media, healthcare, and financial services. Directly comparable in multi-sector holdco structure, with overlapping media and financial-services exposures.
• Brimstone Investment Corporation: South African black-controlled investment holding company listed on the JSE, investing across financial services, industrial, fishing, and consumer sectors. Closest direct peer to KTH given its similar BEE ownership profile and multi-sector investment approach.

Regional players

• African Bank Investments Limited: South African-listed banking and financial services group with regional African exposure. Overlaps with KTH through its financial-services investments (notably Momentum Metropolitan and Fidelity Bank Ghana) and serves a similar Southern African retail/consumer base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/kth_sa
• Facebookfacebook.com/KagisoTisoHoldings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kagiso-tiso-holdings

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries19 records

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 Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH)