STANLIB moves listed property into its equity engine room

STANLIB Asset Management is ushering in a new era for its listed property portfolios, with a strategic shift from traditional, fundamental management into a systematic process. This deliberate evolution is designed to enhance alignment across its investment strategies and deliver greater discipline in delivering investment returns for clients.

Previously, STANLIB managed listed property using a fundamental strategy, but it will now be integrated into STANLIB’s Systematic Solutions and equity capability, headed by Rademeyer Vermaak.

STANLIB has been on a clear path to ensure the business is modernised and future-fit. Around three years ago, we consolidated STANLIB’s equity capability into Systematic Solutions, and listed property was the final component to integrate.

Listed property is increasingly viewed globally as a sub‑sector of equity rather than a standalone asset class, so bringing it into the equity capability is a logical step. This effectively streamlines our structure: we now have three core capabilities across fixed income (led by Victor Mphaphuli), equity and a multi‑asset (under Marius Oberholzer). It’s a cleaner, more coherent proposition to take to market.

Bringing listed property into the systematic framework is a natural next step which will allow us to manage these equities with precision, efficiency and risk control, while maintaining transparency and accountability. We’ve executed the transition carefully, with clients’ interests at the centre, and we’re pleased with the robustness this adds to our broader active equity offering.

The Systematic Solutions team has the scale, technology and expertise to manage additional strategies without compromising quality.The Systematic Solutions team boasts a wide range of backgrounds and skills, with engineers, accountants, mathematicians, CFAs, CAs and Chartered Alternative Investment Analysts. Together, they represent more than 190 years of experience.

As our head of Systemic Solutions, Rademeyer Vermaak, puts it: “Systematic investing does not replace fundamental analysis. We use the same underlying data as discretionary managers, but we process it in a structured and disciplined way that removes emotion.”

According to Vermaak, listed property carries complex risks, from interest rates to currency exposure, and a systematic framework measures these more effectively. Still, even as stock decisions follow a consistent, predefined approach, human judgment remains essential in designing and overseeing the process.

“We pick stocks that are consistently better than the benchmark and buy them at decent valuations,” he says. “Our alpha is uncorrelated and we have generated long-term top-quartile performance. The team is leading the way into the future of active equity investing.”

Mark Lovett is head of investments for STANLIB Asset Management

About STANLIB Asset Management

STANLIB Asset Management is one of South Africa’s leading investment managers, with more than R580bn in assets under management as of June 2025. As the institutional asset manager within the Standard Bank Group’s Investment & Asset Management business unit, STANLIB is focused on delivering consistent investment returns. To fulfil this fiduciary duty, it leverages progressive investment strategies and best-in-class, transparent partnerships, including its collaboration with J.P. Morgan Asset Management. This partnership provides clients with more access to global insights and forward-looking strategies.

STANLIB offers a core range of unit trust funds and manages a diverse array of bespoke institutional portfolios across various disciplines and asset classes, including fixed income, multi-asset, listed property, equity, and alternatives. Visit STANLIB.com.

STANLIB Asset Management (Pty) Ltd, an authorised financial services provider (FSP) under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act (FAIS), Act No. 37 of 2002 (Licence No. 719).