South African business leader, advocate for financial literacy and driver of equality in the finance sector, Olwethu Masanabo, CFP®, has taken over the helm of the FPI as the FPI Board’s chairperson. In this edition of Blue Chip, we speak to Masanabo about her aspirations for the FPI.
Masanabo’s long-term vision for the FPI is to position it as a globally recognised professional body that sets the gold standard in financial planning, while remaining deeply rooted in the realities of South Africa. “I want the FPI to be known not only for excellence and ethics, but also for its impact on society and ensuring that financial planning is accessible, inclusive and transformative,” she says (page 26).
While the FPI has been setting the gold standard in financial planning, there are three financial planners, in particular, that have been going for the ultimate gold. Meet the top three finalists competing for the 2025 FPI Financial Planner of the Year Award on page 18. Congratulations to all three of you and the best of luck for your roads ahead!
The winner will be announced at the FPI’s annual gala dinner that forms part of the FPI Professional’s Convention, which takes place on the 3 and 4 November at the Sandton Convention Centre. The theme for this year’s convention is “Bring it home”.
And bringing it home is Rudolf Geldenhuys: the 2024/25 FPI Financial Planner of the Year. Geldenhuys shares the immense journey of growth he experienced as the FPI Ambassador in 2024/25. “I’ve learned that you never truly ‘arrive’, but you must keep moving forward – continuously growing, learning and getting better. One step at a time. Because we owe it to ourselves, our clients and our families to be the best version of ourselves for them,” he says.
Wisdom, it is said, is better than silver and gold. The FPI has recently launched the FPI Education and Training Trust, which is dedicated to making professional financial planning accessible to all South Africans. The Trust is designed to fund bursaries, scholarships, work-integrated learning and development programmes that remove barriers to entry and strengthen the pipeline of competent, ethical financial planning professionals. With the support of industry stakeholders, the Trust will grow the financial planning pipeline, advance transformation and ensure that all South Africans have access to trusted, competent financial planning professionals. Please visit www.fpi.co.za to find out more.
Wondering if you should invest in gold? Michael Mgwaba, Absa CIB, provides the ultimate answer to whether gold warrants a place in your diversified investment portfolio (page 38). If it doesn’t, perhaps try the Braaibroodjie Index. I believe that it is worth its weight in gold (page 65).
See you at the convention!
Alexis Knipe, Editor
Blue Chip Journal – The official publication of FPI
