We are 100% owner-managed, with no external shareholders or corporate ties or conflicts of interest. This means our research and advice is truly independent and objective — we are free to recommend the best solutions for you.

Our founding partners have acted as trusted advisors to most of the largest and most prestigious institutional investors in South Africa over the past 25 years. Our team has worked globally, with deep knowledge in offshore structuring, cross-border planning, and local and international investment management. Our superior long term track records is proof of a tried and tested and proven investment process that works. We grow our clients wealth and we’re really good at it.

GraySwan has offices in Somerset West (Head Office), Stellenbosch and a footprint in George (Garden Route) and Centurion (Gauteng). We work with clients across South Africa and abroad, offering both in-person and virtual consultations depending on your location and preferences

We serve clients across the globe, including in Europe, the Middle East, Canada, and the United States. Our investment consulting team has extensive international experience, and we make use of secure technology to ensure seamless communication, reporting, and service — no matter where you are.

We partner with clients who have investable assets of R1 million or more or which can invest meaningful monthly contributions. This allows us to provide a tailored, premium service that delivers real value over the long term.

No. Investing with GraySwan is flexible. You can:

• Start with a lump sum;
• Set up a monthly debit order, or
• Invest ad hoc, on your terms.

To get started, you will need to provide us with:

• A certified copy of your ID or passport;
• Proof of address (not older than 3 months);
• Proof of bank account;
• Tax number;
• Any relevant legal or financial documents (e.g. trust deed, company registration, etc., where applicable).

We will guide you through a simple onboarding and FICA process, and tailor our approach to your individual or entity structure.

Our fee structure is transparent and competitive, and are clearly disclosed and agreed upfront.

• Initial meetings are free of charge as we use this opportunity to better understand your needs and determine how we can add value.
• Annual Advisory Fee is priced on a standard sliding scale as a percentage of assets we advise upon. The fee ranges between 1.00% p.a. (excl. VAT) for assets below R3 million and 0.30% p.a. (excl. VAT) for assets above R100 million. This includes ongoing strategic financial advice, portfolio reviews and client support through a dedicated investment consultant and assistant.
• Hedging Overlay Fee is priced on the same standard sliding scale as a percentage of assets we have to hedge, and is a one-off fee as per every hedging transaction.
• Investment Management Fee of 0.50% p.a. (excl. VAT) is priced into our investment Funds’ Total Investment Cost (TIC). This is for the ongoing professional management of our Funds, i.e. our range of GraySwan Unit Trusts or our Offshore Exchange Traded Notes. Where we tailor-make a Structured Product for our clients via Leonteq, we charge a once-off 0.50% fee (excl. VAT), albeit that the Structured Product’s term is typically 3 to 5 years. Off-the-shelf Structured Products (such as the products offered by Investec and other banks) have built-in distribution fees which are already built into the Product and will be disclosed to you upfront.
• Corporate Cash Manager Fee is where we act as the facilitator for Investec Corporate Cash Manager investments; we charge an intermediary fee of 0.50% p.a. (excl. VAT).
• Ad-hoc Fees are only charged for very specific tasks, such as for holistic estate planning or material one-off projects and will be discussed and agreed to with you before we proceed with such tasks.

We do not charge performance fees. We believe in a simple, transparent fee structure that aligns with your long-term investment success.

The TER represents the total annual costs of managing and operating a Fund (excluding transaction costs), shown as a percentage of the Fund value. This includes management, administration, and operational costs. TER is a useful measure to compare cost-efficiency between Funds.

The TC represents the cost of buying and selling the underlying assets within the Fund. These are necessary to maintain and rebalance the portfolio over time.

TIC = TER + TC. This gives you the total cost of investing in a fund, expressed as a percentage of the fund value. TIC excludes financial advisory fees. We publish the TER, TC, and TIC of our Funds on our monthly Fund Fact Sheets for full transparency.

Choosing the most suitable and optimal Funds depends on your investment goals, risk appetite, and time horizon. For example, if you’re in your 20s and saving for retirement, you may be comfortable with more risk and have a long-term horizon, which may point toward a higher-growth strategy.

We work with a range of leading retail investment platforms, including:

• Allan Gray
• Glacier by Sanlam
• Momentum
• Ninety One
• Old Mutual
• PPS

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Our GraySwan SCI Funds are registered under the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act (CISCA) and regulated by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Each Fund is held in a trust structure, separate from the asset manager and platform, with an independent Trustee / Custodian (Standard Bank) appointed to safeguard investors’ money. This means your investment is legally protected and held in a regulated, transparent vehicle.

We provide comprehensive life and risk cover, including life insurance, disability cover, severe illness cover, and income protection to help secure your financial future.

We offer specialist estate planning services, including wills, trusts, and succession planning, to help protect and transfer your wealth effectively to the next generation.

Whether you’re building toward retirement or managing your income in retirement, we help you:

• Maximise tax-efficient retirement savings;
• Align your investment strategy with your lifestyle goals;
• Plan sustainable income drawdowns post-retirement;
• Navigate legislative and product changes with confidence.

We create a retirement roadmap tailored to your personal circumstances, giving you peace of mind before and after your final working years.

As a globally experienced wealth manager, we offer offshore investment access through:

• Our own GraySwan SCI Funds with offshore exposure;
• International unit trusts and exchange-traded funds (ETFs);
• Foreign currency investment portfolios and tax-efficient structures.

Our solutions help diversify your portfolio, manage currency risk, and unlock global opportunities.

We provide our clients with foreign exchange services at low institutional rates. From simple cross-border, trade-related payments to sophisticated forex hedging solutions, we work closely with you to understand your investment requirements and develop a tailored currency strategy.

We offer access to international shares, Exchange Traded Funds (ETF’s), Exchange Traded Notes (ETN’s), Funds (i.e. Unit Trusts) and Structured Products (SP’s) through offshore stockbroking accounts Direct Market Access (DMA), Swissquote, Investec Wealth & Investments and Peresec.

Your GraySwan financial advisor will help you to understand the broad tax implications of any investments for your portfolio but we do not provide tax advice and therefore recommend that our clients work with a certified tax professional for formal tax advice.

When you invest in a unit trust, you may earn income and capital growth. These are taxed as follows:

• Interest and Dividends: Reflected on an IT3(b) certificate annually. This must be included in your SARS tax return. Individuals over 65 may qualify for a primary rebate on interest earned.

Capital Gains Tax (CGT): Applies when units are sold and a gain is realized. A portion of the capital gain is included in your taxable income, subject to SARS guidelines and annual exclusions.