etfSA is a platform, wealth and investment business, dedicated to Exchange Traded Products (ETPs), listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).

It operates under two licenses approved by the FSCA, namely:

  • etfSA.co.za (FSP No. 39217), which is a Category I sole proprietor business providing financial advisory and intermediary services on a number of financial products; and,
  • etfSA Portfolio Management Company (Pty) Ltd 'EPMC' (Reg. No. 2012/019954/02) (FSP No. 52314) is the primary operating entity and is a Category I and II FSP providing asset management, advice together with intermediary services. The Directors of etfSA Portfolio Management Company (Pty) Ltd are: Nerina Visser and Mike Brown.

The two entities are collectively referred to as etfSA.

 
FSP License Categories for EPMC
Category Description Advice Intermediary
Category 1 
Long-Term Insurance: Category B1 x x
Long-Term Insurance: Category B2 x x
Long-Term Insurance: Category B2-A x x
Long-Term Insurance: Category B1-A x x
Structured Deposits x x
Securities and Instruments x x
Participatory interest in a hedge fund x x
Long-Term Insurance subcategory C x x
Retail Pension Benefits x x
Pension Funds Benefits x x
Shares x x
Money market instruments x x
Debentures and securitised debt x x
Warrants, certificates, and other instruments x x
Bonds x x
Derivative instruments x x
Participatory interests in a collective investment scheme x x
Forex investment x x
Long-term Deposits x x
Short-term Deposits x x
Friendly Society Benefits x x
CATEGORY II - Discretionary FSP
Long-term Insurance subcategory B1 x
Long-Term Insurance: Category B2-A x
Long-Term Insurance: Category B1-A x
Structured Deposits x
Securities and instruments x
Participatory interest in a hedge fund x
Long-term Insurance subcategory C x
Retail Pension Benefits x
Pension Funds Benefits x
Shares x
Money market instruments x
Debentures and securitised debt x
Warrants, certificates, and other instruments x
Bonds x
Derivative instruments x
Participatory interests in one or more collective investment schemes x
Forex investment x
Long-term Deposits x
Short-term Deposits x
Long-term insurance subcategory B2 x
 
  • etfSA specialises in providing asset management services for the following investments:
 
  • Tax Free Investment Accounts
  • Discretionary Investments
  • Retirement Funds - including Retirement Annuity, Provident and Preservation Funds.
  • Living Annuities
  • Managed Portfolios - consisting of Passive ETPs (listed in South Africa and in global markets)
  • Investment Portfolios - structuring large investment portfolios of ETPs for Institutions, Trusts, Corporate and Retirement companies.
   

FSPs 52314 and 39217 hold the Professional Indemnity Insurance and Fidelity Guarantee Insurances required by the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (2002).

etfSA.co.za; etfSA The Home of Exchange Traded Funds® are registered trademarks in the Republic of South Africa.

 
 
 
Mike Brown
 
etfSA.co.za is owned and managed by M F Brown, a registered Financial Services Provider (FSP License No 39217) and its Managing Director is Mike Brown who was one of the top economists in South Africa. Mike Brown also worked as Chief Economist of the Chamber of Mines in the 1970s and early 1980s. Mike spent some 20 years in stock broking as Head of Research and Director of some of South Africa's largest stockbrokers. In the late 1990s, he helped establish Satrix, the first ETF Manager in South Africa and managed Satrix full time from 2003 to 2009, before leaving to establish etfSA. He is also a registered (non-practising) stockbroker and has over 45 years' experience in South African financial markets and is one of the acknowledged experts on ETPs in South Africa.

Mike Brown is an authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP No. 39217).

 
 
 
Nerina Visser
 
Nerina Visser is an ETF strategist and financial advisor with a specialist focus on exchange-traded products, benchmark indices and quantitative rules-based investment strategies. She is a director and key individual of the etfSA Portfolio Management Company where she oversees the management of specialist investment portfolios of exchange-traded products for a broad range of clients - from institutions, retirement funds and trusts, to private individuals.

She is the former president of the CFA South Africa Society, serves as chairperson of the ASISA ETF Standing Committee and as a member of the JSE Issuer Regulation Advisory Committee and is one of the founders of the Women in ETFs - South Africa chapter. She is a regular market commentator and a seasoned speaker at conferences, seminars and workshops, in South Africa, throughout Africa and on the global stage.

Nerina holds BSc and MBA degrees from the University of Stellenbosch and is a CFA charterholder. She is the former Head of Beta Solutions and ETFs at Nedbank Capital where she was responsible, amongst others, for the BettaBeta range of Exchange Traded Funds, from its inception in 2009 to the end of 2014. She has been a member of the etfSA team since 2015.

 
 
Gareth Stobie
 
Gareth has over 20 years of financial services experience. Gareth is a seasoned and versatile Asset Management and Banking executive with a strong track record of delivering growth and innovation.

Having founded CoreShares in 2015 and, as MD of that business, he managed its growth and successful ETF suite until the ultimate sale of CoreShares to 10X Investments in 2022. Gareth has been a strong advocate for the greater use of passive or index-based products within the South African savings market and he participates regularly within public forums - Radio, TV, and conferencing as well as penning thought pieces. Gareth received his academic grounding whilst attending both the University of KZN and then Wits Business School where he received his highest qualification of an MBA.

Gareth joined etfSA in October 2023 to lead the company’s corporate development and, as an experienced investment professional, is also a key member of the investment team.