| Wade Witbooi heads Amplify Investment Partners, bringing over 15 years of investment experience and a passion for making a difference in South Africa. His expertise in investment management and commitment to providing superior investment products while striving to protect our natural bounty make him a driving force in Amplify’s mission to create meaningful impact. |
What makes your business distinctive?
Our managers have a hedge fund mindset in their DNA, so this is how they think when they view market opportunities regardless of whether the market is up or down on a specific day, month or year. The managers we partner with operate with full degrees of freedom and have demonstrable track records of hedge fund management over time in changing markets. They are selected after in-depth due diligence, evaluating qualitative and quantitative metrics and assessing whether those past or observed successes will be replicable in future, and whether their environment and business structure are set up for the process to be replicated.
What is your core belief at Amplify Investment Partners?
Hedge funds across multiple styles can add demonstrable benefits to portfolio construction for investors, whether they are in the accumulation phase or decumulation phase of their financial plan. We look for unique sources of alpha to provide portfolio construction benefits to investors.
What does your track record look like?
While the Amplify name is relatively new, we have a long and proven track record in manager selection. Amplify (then named Blue Ink) was the dedicated hedge fund research and investment team within Sanlam Multi Managers. We believe our manager selection track record, our diverse fund range, and our expertise in an industry which comes with complexities is a competitive advantage. We don’t subscribe to one view, style or philosophy. We allow access to multiple strategies, ranging from fixed income to equity.
What is your current view of the industry as we head deeper in 2025?
Industry assets continue to tick up strongly, and the number of managers and their capabilities have increased, so there is a lot of runway. Amplify is well positioned to attract flows due to the quality and skill of the managers we have partnered with for our hedge fund range. Previously, investments into hedge funds were reserved for a certain cohort of clients, but now, due to the advent of the retail hedge fund industry and businesses like ours, there is greater access on a greater number of platforms for investors for their consideration.
What does the future hold for Amplify Investment Partners and the industry?
The regulator currently has a limit on the amount of hedge fund exposure for pre-retirement clients (Regulation 28), something which has the potential to be revised over time as hedge funds continue to display portfolio construction benefits. The investable universe is growing, the regulatory environment is becoming more supportive and financial advisors continue to evolve their portfolio construction process. These factors are all leading to potential continued growth in the industry, and we at Amplify sit in a unique position with a diverse suite of funds and all the experience and knowledge as a business to help investors on their journey.
Contact information:
- Wade Witbooi, Managing Director
- Telephone: 021 950 2689
- Email: wade@amplify.co.za
- Website: www.amplify.co.za
