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By André Basson*
Two noticeable demographic trends developed in the past decade or so amongst higher income groups in South Africa. The first was growth in the number of people and families who left the country and relocated to countries like New Zealand, Australia, the USA and UK.
The second and bigger trend, is the number of people who migrated from the northern parts of the country to coastal areas, especially the Western Cape.
Towns like Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Paarl and Franschhoek as well as other regions along the Cape coast have experienced a significant influx of families seeking a new lifestyle.
This was a driver for the growth of wealth management companies, and many have added offices to serve the growing client base in these areas. Brenthurst Wealth is one of those that added more offices in the Western Cape to manage the higher demand. The company now operates offices in the V&A Waterfront and Claremont in Cape Town, Tyger Valley in Belville and Stellenbosch in the winelands.
In addition to the migration from Gauteng, a further migration has now picked up pace with residents of Cape Town relocating to areas out of the city. Partly because of traffic congestion and also crime but also for a ‘country’ lifestyle. Estates like Val de Vie in Paarl and Delta Crest in Stellenbosch and others have experienced this influx.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic many people already researched relocation away from the city, but as business operations changed this year many professionals realised they can work remotely and do not have to be at an office every day. Technology like Zoom and MS Teams and others made it possible to maintain office communication without physical presence at an office,” says Ryk Neethling, head of marketing at Val de Vie.
This growth has led to the establishment of another Cape office for Brenthurst Wealth at the Polo Village office complex at the estate.
“Val de Vie is a rather unique estate and offers a great lifestyle. Residents include successful businesspeople, entrepreneurs and professionals who are interested in building global wealth. We established the latest office on the estate to serve them efficiently in the personalised style such investors prefer, without having to travel anywhere” says Magnus Heystek, co-founder, director and investment strategist of Brenthurst Wealth.
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“There is great awareness and interest in investing offshore, where the best returns have been realised for almost a decade now. The local market has experienced very low to no growth and investors are moving investments to international market to build and protect wealth,” Heystek says.
Beyond adding more offices Brenthurst has also expanded its service offering to clients with international assets. Estate planning for offshore assets requires knowledge and experience in the legal requirements and issues like tax regimes in different territories. We have two such legal experts in-house – Malissa Anthony who serves the Western Cape Region and Rozanne Heystek-Potgieter who serves the Gauteng region. “They guide clients about offshore wills and the winding up of international estates and also the setting up of trusts via the Brenthurst office in Mauritius,” Heystek added.
- Financial Advisor André Basson, runner up in the 2020 Intellidex Relationship Manager of the Year award, has been appointed as the head of the Brenthurst Wealth Val die Vie office. Brenthurst Wealth won the Intellidex Top Boutique Wealth Manager award for the second time in 2020.
I obtained my National Diploma in Financial Information Systems from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 1999 and have worked in the wealth management industry since January 2000. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience in various roles, including Portfolio Manager Assistant, Planner Assistant, and Paraplanner.
Esmarelda Isaacs-Andreas joined the Brenthurst Wealth Stellenbosch office in October 2025, taking on the dual role of Receptionist and Fiduciary Administrator.
I obtained my National Diploma in Financial Information Systems from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in 1999 and have worked in the wealth management industry since January 2000. Over the years, I have gained extensive experience in various roles, including Portfolio Manager Assistant, Planner Assistant, and Paraplanner.
Angelique Anderson joins our Pretoria office as an Administrative Assistant, bringing over 24 years of experience across the financial, legal, and executive support sectors, both locally and internationally. Her meticulous attention to detail, discretion, and extensive knowledge of asset finance and compliance make her an invaluable addition to our team.
Ashley joined Brenthurst Wealth in January 2025 as Office Administrative Assistant and Receptionist for the Stellenbosch Office.
René Heystek joined Brenthurst Wealth in November 2023, as receptionist and administrative assistant in the newly established George/Garden Route office.
Michelle Heystek has built a career in the financial services over the last two decades, after obtaining her B.Com degree in Financial Management in 2005. Once she joined Brenthurst in 2006, she continued her academic journey, obtaining her Certificate in Wealth Management from INSETA in 2007, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State. In 2008, she earned the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation.
Anelle joined Brenthurst Wealth as a Receptionist and Administrative Assistant to Brian Butchart in the Cape Town office in December 2023. She has a wealth of knowledge from working as a liaison between Financial Advisers and clients at TMA and Absa Investment Management Services (Aims) since 1998. She obtained her B. com degree from the University of Port Elizabeth in 1997.
ADMITTED ATTORNEY | FINANCIAL PLANNER & HEAD OF BRENTHURST FOURWAYS
Sanet was appointed in April 2020, joining our Cape Town team as an Executive Administration Assistant to Renee Eagar. She has been in the financial services industry since 1990. Her previous experience includes positions at Sanlam, BJM and ABSA. She spent her last 12 years working at Alexander Forbes Private Client Wealth as a Senior Wealth Management Assistant. She has received numerous accolades over the years which include but not limited to, Alexander Forbes Client Service Excellence – Silver award in 2014,2015 and 2017. Sanet has also obtained her Certificate in Wealth Management (NQF 5) in 2012 and achieved “Best Student of the Year” from Moonstone.
Maria Smit is a Certified Financial Planner® with over 10 years of experience in the financial planning industry.
