What we do.
We offer investment solutions to institutional investors and family offices.
Our solutions range from Real Estate Funds, Impact Investing Funds, Multi Managed Funds and Implemented Investment Consulting across a range of asset classes.
Our History
Our brief history of significant milestones
2000
Novare was founded as an investment advisory business advising South African Pension Funds.
2003
Novare Investments Launched Offshore multi-manager, domestic multi Manager and Mayibentsha Moderate Qualified Fund of Hedge Funds.
2005
Novare Investments launched South Africa Hedge Fund Survey.
2006
- The founders sold 50% to Mvela Private Equity thus making its first Black Economic Empowerment transaction.
- Novare took a strategic decision to expand beyond the borders of South Africa. Novare Equity Partners was established as a private equity firm investing exclusively in sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa.
2007
Established Mayibentsha in Cayman Island for offshore investors.
2009
- Mvela Private Equity sold back to founders when they de-listed and unbundled.
- Invested 30% in First Guarantee Pension Limited. A pension fund administrator in Nigeria.
- Launched Sub-Saharan Africa Real Estate business.
- Opened office in Lagos, Nigeria and Botswana.
2010
- Launched Novare Africa Property Fund, which raises $81million.
- Opened office in Mauritius.
- Novare Africa Property Fund started its first construction of the first mall in the capital of Nigeria, Abuja.
- Founders sold 26% to Nehawu Investment Holdings.
2012
- The Fund’s very first mall, Novare Apo, opened in Abuja, Nigeria, in the second quarter.
- The Novare Africa Property Fund opened office in Abuja, Nigeria.
2014
- Launched Novare Africa Property Fund II.
- Acquired the Collective Investment Scheme License for hedge funds, a first in South Africa.
- Opened office in Lusaka.
- Nehawu Investment Holdings sold its 26% to Black Economic Empowerment Consortium.
2015
Opened Office in Maputo; Mozambique.
2016
- Novare Africa Property Fund II closed in June and raised $351million.
- Novare Lekki, the biggest mall in Lagos, Nigeria, opened for trading.
2017
- Novare Gateway opened in Abuja, Nigeria.
- Novare Matola opened in Mozambique.
- An existing mall, Twin Palms Shopping mall was purchased.
2018
- Novare Great North mall phase 1 and 2 opened in Lusaka, Zambia.
- Novare Central Office Park opened in Abuja, Nigeria.
- Construction started on Standard Chartered Bank’s new head office in Lusaka, Zambia.
2019
- Novare Pinnacle opened in Lusaka, Zambia.
- Novare Twin Palms phase 2 opened.
- Management bought out one of the founders of Novare, resulting in the company being majority black-owned.
2020
- BEE Consortium sold its 26% stake to Ata Capital.
- Launched Novare South Africa Impact Fund.
- Novare Central Lusaka offices opened with Standard Chartered Bank as the anchor tenant.
- Achieved Level 1 Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) status.
2022
- Built the first office building in Zambia to receive an EDGE certification.
2023
- 20 years of Alpha with Novare Mayibentsha Moderate Fund of Hedge Fund.
- Nominated International Finance Corporation (IFC) EDGE Champion.
2024
- Novare becomes the first African company to partner with IFC - International Finance Corporation’s Greening Real Estate Investment Portfolio (GRIP) program.
- 20 years of offering Offshore solutions.
- Awarded the “Best Multi-Manager or Asset Consultant of the year” at the ABSIP 2024 awards.
2025
- Launched Wealth & Invest
- Novare achieves full management ownership after acquiring Ata Capital’s 26% stake.
Our Group Structure
Our diversity
We are a progressive company that embraces the values of diversity and non-racialism.
While our company is now spread across the continent it has its roots in South Africa and thus is an active participant in Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and the general empowerment of women and the communities in which we invest and operate.
This philosophy informs our approach to employment, skills development and corporate social investment programmes.
Note: Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) is the process through which previously disadvantaged South Africans are given the opportunity to participate in and benefit from South Africa’s mainstream economy.
Novare is a Level 1 BBBEE contributor.
Our Team
We have a diverse team with a depth of experience across a range of disciplines.
Our teams are our greatest asset
Wealth & Invest
Dr Theuns Mans
Managing Director
Dr Theuns Mans is the Managing Director of Novare Wealth & Invest, where he leads the firm’s strategic direction while actively advising clients as a Wealth & Invest Advisor. He specialises in working with high-net-worth individuals and families, with a particular focus on solving complex estate planning challenges and structuring bespoke investment solutions.
He holds a PhD in International Business from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), as well as a Master of Laws (LLM) in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State. In addition to his professional qualifications, he lectures in financial planning at Nelson Mandela University and contributes to academic research in international business strategy, with a focus on the goal-setting processes of internationalising small and medium-sized enterprises.
At Novare Wealth & Invest, Dr Mans plays a central role in shaping the firm’s long-term vision and client offering, ensuring that advice is both intellectually rigorous and practically relevant. His dual role as both Managing Director and Wealth & Invest advisor allows him to remain closely connected to client needs while guiding the broader direction of the business.
Margi de Bruin CFP®
Wealth Manager
Margi is an experienced wealth professional with over two decades in the financial services industry, having begun her career in 2004. She specialises in advising high-net-worth individuals and families, guiding them through complex financial decisions with clarity, discretion, and precision.
She holds a B.Com in Accounting (2001) and a B.Com Honours in Cost and Management Accounting (2002) from North-West University. In 2005, she obtained her Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State and is a member of the Financial Planning Institute. Margi remains committed to continuous professional development, ensuring her advice reflects the latest developments in legislation, taxation, and global best practice.
At Novare Wealth & Invest, Margi oversees the firm’s wealth advisory function, playing a central role in shaping client strategy and ensuring a consistent, high standard of advice across the practice. Her approach is deeply personalised, with a focus on preserving and growing multi-generational wealth.
Craig Leach
Financial Advisor
Craig is a financial advisor at Novare Wealth & Invest, where he provides strategic financial guidance to individuals and families seeking long-term, sustainable growth. He works closely with clients to design tailored solutions that integrate investment strategy, risk management, and comprehensive financial planning.
He holds a BCom in Economics and International Trade from North-West University, complemented by a Diploma in Management with Business Administration and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State. This multidisciplinary foundation enables him to approach client portfolios with a broad, insight-driven perspective.
As one of the first advisors to step into the Wealth & Invest role, Craig played an instrumental part in bringing the firm’s vision to life. His early belief in the Novare Wealth & Invest proposition has translated into a leading role in shaping and expanding the brand, contributing meaningfully to its growth and client offering.
Novare Holdings
Olaotse Leepile
Chief Executive Officer
Ola started his career at Alexander Forbes Financial Services in 2003 and worked as an assistant retirement funds consultant.
In 2005 he joined Novare as an investment analyst involved in local long-only and hedge fund manager research.
He also formed part of the hedge fund portfolio construction and risk management teams. In October 2006 he joined BJM Securities which later became Renaissance Capital where he traded South African equity futures. During his time at Renaissance Capital, he was promoted to Vice President and appointed as an executive director on the board of the South African business.
He left Rencap in August 2012 to pursue an MBA at the London Business School. Ola then re-joined Novare Equity Partners (NEP) in July 2013 as a portfolio manager responsible for research into Africa, and business development for the Novare Africa Property Funds. In 2016, he was appointed as deputy CEO of NEP and in 2019 he was promoted and appointed CEO of the Novare Group. He holds a BCom degree from Wits University, is a CFA charterholder, a certified FRM and obtained his MBA from the London Business School.
Zanele Qinisile
Head of Marketing
Zanele has 16 years’ experience in Marketing within the Financial Services industry and is currently the Head of Marketing of Novare Holdings. She manages the company’s overall marketing strategy and key strategic initiatives, tasks, campaigns, and plans as well as the implementation and project management thereof.
Before joining Novare, Zanele was a Senior Marketing Specialist at Liberty, a well-known Financial Services company in Southern Africa. Prior to joining Liberty she also worked for South Africa’s largest bank Absa and Africa’s largest insurer Old Mutual, in the capacity of Marketing Consultant.
Zanele holds a degree in Marketing from the University of Johannesburg, which she completed in 2010. Zanele then went in to complete her second qualification, in Media Management, from AAA School of Advertising.
Zanele has extensive experience in Marketing within Sub-Saharan Africa as well as a multitude of other regions within the African continent. She thrives in a fast-paced, high growth environment and has the ability to ensure that brand’s messages, standards and communications are understood and implemented effectively.
Christopher Harry
Chief Financial Officer
Christopher started his career in 2006 at HLB Marx Gore, a small Audit Firm in Cape Town and later completed his articles at Mazars Johannesburg where he qualified as a chartered accountant.
After completing his articles Christopher stayed on as an audit senior, managing the audits of listed and unlisted companies until joining Netcare Limited in June 2012 as internal auditor at Netcare’s Group Risk, Audit and Forensic Services Division. His main responsibilities included conducting operational, financial and IT audits over Netcare’s South African operations. Christopher joined Novare Equity Partners in June 2016 as financial manager for the Nigerian operations. In 2019 he was promoted to Head of Finance for the Novare Group and then became Chief Financial Officer.
Pierre du Plessis
Finance Manager
Pierre obtained his bachelor’s in accounting from University of Stellenbosch and his Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Accounting Science through UNISA. He started his career in 2014 at Moore Stephens Stellenbosch as a Trainee accountant. After completing his articles in 2016 he stayed on as a Junior Tax Manager in 2017 and then Audit Manager in 2018. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant that same year.
He joined the BM Foods group in 2019 as Group Accountant and quickly grew in the role to join executive management late 2019, managing the day-to-day operations of the finance department. During his time at BM Foods group, he was a key member in changing of accounting and payroll software and building of new financial reporting for the group.
In January 2022 he joined the management team of Pinewood DMS South Africa as their Head of Finance. During his tenure both Finance and HR departments reported into him. During his time, he was part of strategic decision making for his departments and company think tanks to develop the business. His main responsibilities however were to develop and maintain good financial reporting and developing his team. Pierre joined Novare in December 2022 as Finance Manager.
Alana August
HR Manager
Experienced Human Resources Consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Skilled in Human Resources, HR Administration, Payments and Finance.
I have a good human resources profession with a HR Bachelor of Technology (BTech) focused in Human Resources Management from Cape Peninsula University of Technology. I started my working career at Liberty Holdings as a Finance Assistant as I gained my strengths in Finance. I completed my degree part-time at Cape Peninsula of Cape Town in 2016. During that time, I was an HR Administrator at The RCS Group. I moved around within the HR Team and gained knowledge in all areas from Administration, payroll, leave specialist, consulting and Learning and Development. In 2017 I became an HR Generalist within the HR Team. I Joined Novare in October 2019 as the HR Consultant. Her responsibility is to oversee the whole Novare Group from an HR perspective. I have 6years HR Experience
Lorego Whittles
Senior IT Administrator
IT Administrator Since passing his matric in 2007, Lorego has obtained his apprenticeship in bindery from Paarl Media and gained a Diploma in Information Technology Network Integration, which he completed in December 2014. Lorego holds an ITIL foundation certificate in IT management and he completed a course in CompTIA security+. Prior to joining Novare he undertook work-based-learning at Compu World, working as a PC technician. Lorego joined Novare in May 2015, assisting the head of information technology with managing the IT-related services required by the company.
Phumla Sibeko
Receptionist / Executive Personal Assistant
Phumla has 5 years’ experience in Management Assistant and is currently a Receptionist / Personal Assistant at Novare Holdings.
Before joining Novare, Phumla was an Executive Assistant at TNI Security Services, prior to joining TNI Security Services she worked for Innovative Funding Solutions as a Personal Assistant to the CEO. She started her career at Alisom Communications where she was a Personal Assistant to the Store Manager.
Phumla holds a NQF Level 5 in Wealth Management from ICollege, which she completed in 2015. She then went to complete her second qualification of National Diploma in Management Assistant at Tshwane North TVET College which she completed in 2018.
Loren Williams
Financial Accountant
Loren has more than 30 years of experience. She is skilled in programmes like SAGE, Pastel, VIP, E-filing, and several other accounting programmes. She gained invaluable experience in a variety of industries such as information technology, construction,
manufacturing, and agriculture. She started her career in finance as a PA/Bookkeeper and advanced her career through hard work and dedication to reach a level of middle management positions in several companies.
She joined Novare on 12 September 2022 as a temporary Assistant Accountant and then promoted to financial accountant on 01 July 2023.
Sade Carollisson
Financial Manager
Sade chartered accountant with 5 years of experience in the auditing industry and 2 years of experience as a financial manager. After graduating from the University of the Western Cape, I started my career doing my articles at the Auditor General of South Africa whilst studying towards and completing my PGDA/CTA.
Audit clients included the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, Western Cape Provincial Parliament, as well as various municipalities across the Western Cape. In 2018 I was appointed as an audit senior for two years, and thereafter moved to the private sector as a financial manager at a hydraulic pump manufacturing company which included accounting for subsidiaries in the United States and the United Kingdom. I joined the Novare Group on contract in 2021 as the Financial Manager of Novare Holdings and Novare Actuaries and Consultants, after which being appointed as the Financial Manager of Novare Equity Partners Group.
Ridwaan Fulat
Senior IT Administrator
Ridwaan started his career as a part-time tutor for the University of Johannesburg in March 2014. Here he was responsible for lecturing undergraduate students: Concepts of Information and Communication Technology, Using the Computer and managing files, Microsoft Office Suite of Apps and Computer Networks, Internet, and Digital Safety and Security.
In October 2015, he joined Oasis Group Holdings (Pty) Ltd as an Information Technology Helpdesk Support Administrator where he was responsible for handling multiple day-to-day technology support activities and assistance to the firm’s personnel and executive team. In addition, he demonstrated the ability to prioritise tasks, working with multiple software and hardware technologies, in a fast-paced environment.
In July 2017, Ridwaan started his journey at Novare as an Information Technology Administrator, assisting the Head of Information Technology with managing IT-related services required by the company.
Being dedicated and results-oriented, in July 2022, Ridwaan was promoted to Senior Information Technology Administrator at Novare where he is responsible for all the technology services required by Novare’s various operations.
Ridwaan has a proven ability to implement and support IT systems and solutions that drive operational efficiency and enhance organisational productivity. He is committed to delivering exceptional service and ensuring the security and reliability of IT systems. Ridwaan has nine years’ experience in the industry.
Alain Afrika
Junior IT Administrator
Alain has 6 years of experience in IT and is currently the Junior IT Administrator for Novare Holdings. He gives support to Novare Africa and assists with the company's IT needs. He began his career at Comtel Communications as a Support Technician in 2018. He then joined Raubex Pty Ltd as a Network Administrator, further expanding his knowledge of complex network and server infrastructure. At Raubex, he was responsible for designing, procuring, and maintaining the entire network.
Alain holds a diploma in IT Network Integration and earned a MikroTik Certified Network Associate certification in 2022. His primary focus throughout his career has been on IT networks. Alain joined Novare in January 2025.
Simanye Luzipo
Assistant Accountant
He is a registered Professional Accountant with SAIPA, skilled in compilation of financial statements, tax planning & computation, and monthly management accounts. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting (BCom) obtained from the Nelson Mandela University. He started his working career at Adient South Africa Pty (Ltd) as a Finance Graduate. He then moved to start his articles (SAIPA) at Whitfield Fintax in Gqeberha in 2019.
He completed his degree full-time at Nelson Mandela University in 2015. In 2021 He became a qualified Professional Accountant and moved to Cape Town to join Glacier by Sanlam, where he became a financial consultant with the group accounting team. He gained further experience in compilation of reports for management and other business partners, finance payment and accounting systems.
He joined Novare in November 2023 as an assistant accountant. He’s responsibility is to assist the financial manager with the accounting for Novare Holding and its subsidiaries. He has an overall experience of 6 years in Finance.
Real Estate
Derrick Roper
Executive Director
Derrick Roper is a qualified actuary. He graduated from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in England.
Before he co-founded Novare Derrick worked for a number of large financial services companies in South Africa including Sanlam and Gensec Asset Management. He spent some time in the United Kingdom where he gained experience in investment product development in the pension fund market.
Derrick co-founded Novare in October 2000. He is a regular commentator on industry topics in the financial media and has addressed numerous conferences across the globe. Derrick’s areas of expertise include asset-liability matching, strategic asset allocation, alternative investments and private equity investments in sub-Saharan Africa.
Derrick’s tendency to innovate in product development saw Novare launch the first South African Fund of Hedge Funds in 2003, and subsequently, the first Novare Africa Property Fund in 2010. Derrick is the Chief Investment Officer of the Novare Group and the Managing Director of Novare Equity Partners, a private equity firm investing exclusively in Sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa.
Lerato Kumalo
Chief ESG & Impact Officer
Lerato started her career in 1999 as trainee technician at De Reuk & Associates responsible for producing designs of township infastructure and drawing up of tender documentation. In 2001 she joined Waffmark for a brief period as trainee technician. She was responsible for foundation design, software development and applications. Subsequently Lerato joined Universal Group in 2002 as technical services agent. She was involved in the planning and execution of building projects and providing the construction of specialised foundations. In 2006 she joined National Home Builders Registration Council as structural engineer, acting technical manager, research engineer, programme manager and structural and geotechnical engineer. Lerato’s responsibilities included ensuring that all engineering work was carried out in accordance with company procedures, specifications and other contractual requirements. She had to provide strategic support and research input towards successful implementation of the organisation’s mandate. Lerato joined Novare Equity Partners in July 2016 as technical solutions manager. She has 20 years’ experience in the industry.
Pierre Groenewald
Chief Investment Officer
Pierre completed his articles at PricewaterhouseCoopers and spent time in the UK from 2001 to 2004 working for Credit Suisse First Boston in risk management, asset valuation and the accounting of proprietary and market-making portfolios.
Pierre joined Novare in 2005 as a member of the teams managing the Novare funds of hedge funds and the multi-manager portfolios with responsibility for product structuring and operational due diligence.
He moved to Novare Equity Partners in 2009 to establish the Novare Africa Property Fund where his duties include the operational and financial structuring of the underlying investments of the fund. Pierre is a CFA charter holder and a director of Novare Fund Manager and several companies within Nigeria. He has 23 years of industry experience.
Roland Osondu
Facilities Manager
Roland is an Internationally Certified Facilities Manager, with over 10 years of increasing professional and Managerial accomplishments. He holds membership with prestigious Institutions, such as, British Institute of Facilities Management UK, and the Middle East Facilities Management Association. A highly skilled and well-trained professional, He was awarded Facilities Management Professional (FMP) by International Facilities Management Association.
Adept at building services & maintenance, health and safety standards, Roland brings to bare a robust experience garnered from working on multiple projects with Multinationals spanning across different industries. He has contributed immensely to the development of approved facility management process across local and international business operations.
Distinguished by his commitment to excellence, Roland is constantly adding value to the world of Facilities Management. This has made him a successful team leader with demonstrated ability to manage multi-disciplinary teams of staff in a fast-paced environment to achieve set goals. Roland currently heads the Novare Central Office Team in Nigeria as the Center Manager and a member of the Nigeria Property Development team as a Facilities Manager.
Naledi Mongoato
Acting Chief Operating Officer - Nigeria
Naledi began his career in 2007 with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he completed his articles to become a chartered accountant. During this time, Naledi worked on statutory audits for a number of South African blue-chip businesses, including Naspers, Caltex, and Life Healthcare Group.
In March 2010, he joined Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyer Inc as financial manager, in charge of supervising the finance department. Naledi joined Basileus Capital in February 2011 as a private equity analyst, where he was responsible for analysing and researching various industries such as mining, cash management, aquaculture, mining processing, infrastructure, renewables, and road building. During his time with Basileus Capital, he obtained substantial knowledge in the private equity sector, particularly in identifying potential company possibilities.
Naledi joined Novare Equity Partners in April 2013 as an investment analyst in charge of researching and analysing possible investment possibilities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Naledi is currently the investment principal and a member of the investment committee for the Novare Africa Property Funds I and II, which have invested capital of 81 million USD and 351 million USD, respectively.
Johan Kirstein
Chief Financial Officer – Africa Operations
Johan completed his studies in accounting and finance at Stellenbosch University in 2011 and started his articles at Mazars, where he had the opportunity to work in their New York office, gaining experience in real estate markets in and around Manhattan. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant (SA) in 2015. Prior to joining Novare Equity Partners, Johan was Audit Manager at Mazars, while also lecturing in business tax. His position at Mazars entailed managing client relationships and large audit teams, identifying and resolving technical issues, and maintaining the highest level of professional knowledge. Johan acquired significant experience in JSE financial reporting while developing expertise in financial services, manufacturing, capital markets, mining, real estate and renewable energy, amongst others. Johan also gain extensive experience in strategic finance within the EdTech start-up space where he assisted in raising successful Series B funding round for a global Ed Tech company, developing their financial models, investors communication and closing.
As a chartered accountant with experience in working with a diverse range of companies, listed and private in various sectors, Johan’s background is ideally suited to helping our business develop optimal financial structures that best serve all of Novare Equity Partners’ stakeholders. Johan joined the business in March 2022.
Robin Jones
Finance Manager
Robin has 8 years working experience. He is skilled in a few programmes like Pastel, SAGE, excel, E-filing and the like.
He has a good accounting background with a BCom Accounting degree from the University of the Western Cape. After achieving his degree, he completed three years of SAIPA articles at BGR Alluvium in Stellenbosch where he gained experience in various industries such as rentals, services, hospitality, and farming. At the completion of his articles, he then started working at Protea Hotel Fire and Ice as the Assistant Financial Manager. With hard work and dedication, he became a Financial Manager at another hotel. Robin joined Novare on 4 January 2021 as an Assistant Accountant.
Daniella Da Cruz
Manager: Leasing & Portfolio Administration
Daniella successfully completed a 3-year International Travel and Tourism Diploma through The City and Guilds of London Institute, a Bookkeeping course through UCT and more recently a Commercial and Contract Law course through UCT. Daniella joined Novare Property Development in February 2016 as lease administrator and English/Portuguese translator. She has five years’ experience in the Africa Retail Industry.
Chineme Onuoma
Head of Legal – Novare Property Development Nigeria
Chineme Onuoma heads the Legal Team and is the Company Secretary of NPDN. Prior to joining Novare, Chineme practiced in the law firm of Kenna Partners (a top tier law firm in Nigeria) before leaving as the Head of the Corporate and Commercial Unit of the firm to join First Bank of Nigeria Limited. Chineme’s interest in finance and investment law was honed at the bank.
Chineme is dynamic but specializes in private equity, finance and investment law, corporate structuring, real estate law and asset management. Chineme has represented and provided advisory services to several foreign investors in Nigeria and brings to bare his expertise and experience in leading the legal team in Novare.
Chineme co-authored the book, Company Secretary’s Guide on Corporate Governance (a publication of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria, an institution he was the company secretary).
Marcello Kleinsmith
Financial Accountant
After completing a national Diploma in Internal Auditing in 2003, Marcello went on to complete his articles in 2008 under the auspices of the South African Institute of professional Accountants.
Prior to joining Novare Equity Partners, he worked as an accounting clerk at Mazars, the professional services firm. Before that, Marcello was an accounting clerk from 2004 until 2016 at Naude & Partners. Based in Cape Town, he joined Novare Equity Partners on 1 August 2017 as assistant accountant. Marcello has 16 years’ experience in the industry.
Roberto Benn
Centre Manager
Roberto started in property industry in 2006 and has extensive experience in retail, commercial and industrial property sectors. Before joining the Novare Group in 2018 ac CM at Novare Lekki Mall, Lagos, he was a Portfolio Manager for Excellerate JHI Properties, one of SA biggest Property Services Groups. In last 16 years Roberto worked on property portfolios for various funds in SA such as Old Mutual Property Fund, Texton Property Fund, Fairvest Holdings, Delta Property Fund, SA Corp Real Estate and Cape Joint Property Fund. He also has extensive experience in operations/facilities and sectional title building management.
Ayotunde Adesulu
Manager - Leasing
Ayotunde Adesulu heads the Leasing Team for NPDN. Prior to joining Novare, Ayotunde worked as an Estate Surveyor and Valuer at Dan Odiete & Co, Abuja, and as a retail leasing consultant in Broll Property Nigeria as a Broker, Senior Retail Broker and Ass. Head, Retail Leasing.
Ayotunde He has over 5 years working experience with various retail and commercial industries.
He has acquired experience in retail and commercial leasing as well as property management from working on various portfolios with ACA (Africa Capital Alliance), Resilient Africa, Actis and Hyprop who own various developments across Nigeria and Africa.
Vaughn Freeman
Tenant Project Coordinator
Vaughn has over 20 years Construction Project Management experience either as: Tenant Project Coordinator, Site Agent and/or Owner Representative.
He has Certification in Project Management and Facility Management.
Vaughn joined Novare in September 2015 as Tenant Coordinator, presently still fills the roll of Tenant coordinator for Novare and Centre Manager at Novare APO Mall.
Portia Thobedi
Receptionist
Portia passed her matric in 2003 and worked as a Housekeeper at Lagoon beach hotel Cape town from 2005 until 2007. She then started to work as a cleaner in 2008 until 2011 at The Cliffs buildings.
2012 she joined Novare Holdings as a temp and was permanently employed by Novare Equity Partners September 2014 as a Tea Lady. September 2019 was promoted as a Receptionist.
Jonathan Mitchell
Art Director
An Art Director and photographer, Jonathan completed the National Diploma in Graphic Design in 2003 and obtained his B-tech Degree in Graphic Design the following year. He also received specialist training in Adobe Illustrator and photographic studio lighting.
Jonathan’s professional career started at DTPR concepts, with Woolworths visual merchandising as their main client, he rose to the level of Senior Designer and Studio Photographer. Jonathan was previously employed as a Senior Graphic Designer at Mustard Seed Relationship Marketing where his responsibilities included taking artwork from brief to print for multiple accounts and projects, acting as brand custodian for multiple malls throughout South Africa. He joined Novare Equity Partners in September 2017 as Senior Graphic Designer and was later promoted to being an Art Director, overseeing the all the Real Estate designs.
Malan Meyer
Financial Manager
Malan studied BCom and BCom Honours degree at North-West University. He completed his articles and qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Baker Tilly Greenwoods from 2020 to 2022. Subsequently, he worked as a Financial Controller at Apex from 2023 to 2025. In April 2025, he joined Novare as a Financial Manager.
Eleni Catacouzinos
Executive Personal Assistant
Eleni started her career at Bowes McDougall Attorneys in 1989 before joining Fiveash, Marsberg & Edwards Attorneys in 1991 as conveyancing and litigating secretary. She went on to hold similar positions at several law firms including Bisset Boehmke McBlain, Heyns & Partners Inc, Miltons Matsemela, De Klerk & Van Gend, CK Friedlander Shandling Volks Inc. and Bill Tolken Hendrikse Inc.
She joined Novare Equity Partners in October 2013 as executive personal assistant to the MD.
Phaphama Mncwango
Financial Accountant
Phaphama matriculated from King Bhekuzulu High School and went on to graduate from University of Kwa-Zulu Natal with a BComm in Accounting majoring in financial accounting, management accounting and finance.
He worked as procurement clerk at Clicks Group Distribution Centre from 2009 until May 2013 when he joined the Clicks head office as accounts payable clerk. After that he worked as accounts clerk at Haw & Inglis Civil Engineering, before joining Novare Equity Partners in August 2017 as assistant accountant and has 10 years’ experience in the industry. Phaphama is based in Johannesburg.
Grant Davids
Assistant Accountant
Grant Davids joined Novare Equity Partners in 2018 as an Assistant Accountant. He previously worked for Pragma, an engineering company providing asset management services that allow business owners to focus on operations without having to worry about the assets that make it possible for them to deliver their products and services.
His role as assistant programme manager included managing and monitoring emergency maintenance for schools in the Western Cape activating contractors to undertake maintenance and reporting back on the operations and financials of the emergency maintenance programme.
Prior to that, Grant was involved in the sales function at BNG Telecoms and, before that, he worked as a debt review consultant at SA Credit Solutions and MSA Consultants. Grant has a national certificate in financial accounting and has a short course in Property and Investments and is working on a B. Comm degree in accounting at the University of South Africa.
Impact Investment
Benedict Mongalo
Managing Director - Novare Impact Investment Partners
Benedict spent the earlier part of his career in corporate and investment banking with ABSA Bank and Standard Bank. He later moved to the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) where he has worked for the past seven years. He is a seasoned investment professional with more than 19 years’ experience in the financial services sector and worked across a range of different asset classes. Benedict also served on the Boards of various investee companies while at the PIC and has a keen interest to invest in businesses that follow best practices in Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) aspects while maximizing stakeholder value.
He holds an MBA from Wits Business School, as well as a BCom in Accounting, Financial Service Diploma, amongst other financial qualifications. The title of his MBA dissertation was “The impact of corporate credit ratings’ change on equity prices of JSE listed firms” and it was published in the proceedings of the European Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance. It also continues to be cited by global academic scholars with interest in emerging markets credit ratings. He is a Certified Associate of the Institute of Bankers (CAIB(SA)) and a member of the Institute of Directors (M.Inst.D)
Benedict joined the Novare in July 2019 as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Novare Investment Solutions, the merged Novare Investments and Novare Actuaries and Consultants. Pursuant to the resolution by the Novare Group to expand their alternative investments franchise which led to the launch of the first domestic impact fund, Benedict was appointed as the Managing director of Novare Impact Investment Partners, the newly established private equity fund manager established with the primary mandate to manage the Novare SA Impact fund.
Olaotse Leepile
CEO - Novare Holdings
Ola started his career at Alexander Forbes Financial Services in 2003 and worked as an assistant retirement funds consultant.
In 2005 he joined Novare as an investment analyst involved in local long-only and hedge fund manager research.
He also formed part of the hedge fund portfolio construction and risk management teams. In October 2006 he joined BJM Securities which later became Renaissance Capital where he traded South African equity futures. During his time at Renaissance Capital, he was promoted to Vice President and appointed as an executive director on the board of the South African business.
He left Rencap in August 2012 to pursue an MBA at the London Business School. Ola then re-joined Novare Equity Partners (NEP) in July 2013 as a portfolio manager responsible for research into Africa, and business development for the Novare Africa Property Funds. In 2016, he was appointed as deputy CEO of NEP and in 2019 he was promoted and appointed CEO of the Novare Group. He holds a BCom degree from Wits University, is a CFA charterholder, a certified FRM and obtained his MBA from the London Business School.
Derrick Roper
Managing Director - Novare Equity Partners
Derrick Roper is a qualified actuary. He graduated from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in England.
Before joining Novare he worked for a number of large financial services companies in South Africa including Sanlam and Gensec Asset Management. He spent some time in the United Kingdom where he gained experience in investment product development in the pension fund market.
Derrick co-founded Novare in October 2000. He is a regular commentator on industry topics in the financial media and has addressed numerous conferences across the globe. Derrick’s areas of expertise include asset-liability matching, strategic asset allocation, alternative investments and private equity investments in sub-Saharan Africa.
Derrick’s tendency to innovate in product development saw Novare launch the first South African Fund of Hedge Funds in 2003, and subsequently, the first Novare Africa Property Fund in 2010.
Derrick is the Chief Investment Officer of the Novare Group and the Managing Director of Novare Equity Partners, a private equity firm investing exclusively in Sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa.
Lerato Kumalo
Chief ESG & Impact Officer
Lerato started her career in 1999 as trainee technician at De Reuk & Associates responsible for producing designs of townshop infastructure and drawing up of tender documentation. In 2001 she joined Waffmark for a brief period as trainee technician. She was responsible for foundation design, software development and applications.
Subsequently Lerato joined Universal Group in 2002 as technical services agent. She was involved in the planning and execution of building projects and providing the construction of specialised foundations. In 2006 she joined National Home Builders Registration Council as structural engineer, acting technical manager, research engineer, programme manager and structural and geotechnical engineer. Lerato’s responsibilities included ensuring that all engineering work was carried out in accordance with company procedures, specifications and other contractual requirements. She had to provide strategic support and research input towards successful implementation of the organisation’s mandate. Lerato joined Novare Equity Partners in July 2016 as technical solutions manager. She has 20 years’ experience in the industry .
Multi Management
One Giddie
Portfolio Manager
Upon the completion of her degrees at Rhodes University as best student in the Finance Honours class of 2013, One joined Botswana Unified Revenue Services (BURS) in June 2014 as accounts officer in the finance division.
She joined Novare Actuaries and Consultants Botswana in October 2014 as an investment analyst. In January 2016, she moved to Novare Actuaries and Consultants South Africa as fund consultant responsible for client fund management and communication. She is based in Johannesburg. One is a CFA charter holder and has 7 years’ experience in the industry.
Kwazi Mbhele
Portfolio Manager
After obtaining a BCom with majors in Economics and Finance in 2015 from the University of Cape Town, Kwazi began his career at Glacier by Sanlam as a Junior Research and Investment Analyst. In this role, he was responsible for analysing and interpreting market data, producing in-depth research on collective investment scheme performance, positioning, and mandates, and providing direct investment support to retail multi-managers and model portfolio managers, among other duties.
Kwazi joined Novare in 2017 as a Junior Analyst through the Novare Graduate Professional Programme, which provides investment professionals with the opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience within the investment team. Promoted to Portfolio Manager, Kwazi now brings over 7 years of industry experience and is also a CAIA candidate, deepening his expertise in alternative investments.
John Henry Van Der Westhuizen
Investment Analyst
John Henry is an enthusiastic Investment Analyst with a strong foundation in Actuarial Science, having earned his degree from Stellenbosch University in 2023. He attended Paul Roos Gymnasium where he actively participated in a diverse range of sports, including cricket, rugby, tennis, and golf. Beyond sport, his passion for numbers shines through, and he thrives on tackling challenging problems with enthusiasm and precision. He is a keen chess player and regularly competes online.
John Henry enjoys working with people and creating an environment where individuals can thrive together. He is currently studying to complete his actuarial exams and is eager to make a meaningful impact at Novare.
Masoto Lazarus Kanyane
Quantitative Research Associate
Masoto Joined Novare in April 2024 as Quantitative Research Associate. Masoto has 5 years of experience in financial services industry and 2 years corporate finance, having worked for Stanlib and Novare investment. Prior to Joining Novare He was a Financial Planning and Analysis Analyst at ETG looking after the group’s budgets consolidation, Working Capital planning and performance tracking.
Handre Retief
Portfolio Manager
Handré is extremely passionate about financial markets, he studied finance at the University of Stellenbosch, completing his BCom Honours degree in Financial Analysis in 2019.
He started his professional career as an equity analyst in 2019 at ID Capital (formerly known as Innovation Wealth). Handré emerged as a multi-asset fund manager and managed local and global fixed income funds, as well as equity funds. Handré has also successfully launched multiple structured products. At the end of his tenure at ID capital, Handré had a dual role as CEO/CIO. He joined Novare in July 2024 as the Portfolio Manager.
Operations Team
Jacques Du Preez
Chief Operating Officer
Jacques has 14 year of experience in the financial services sector. He is a qualified Chartered Accounting and Chartered Financial Analyst. Jacques’ career started as an auditor at Nolands in South Africa.
He then moved to PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Cayman Island as an audit senior in the hedge funds team and later joined HSBC Bank plc in London in the Global Equity Finance Team, after which he was appointed financial controller at TCI Fund Services LLP, a London-based provider of middle-and back-office services to investment managers. Jacques joined the Novare group in 2016, working as a consultant on various projects. He was then appointed Chief Operating Officer for Novare Real Estate South Africa in July 2017 and director of Novare CIS (Manco) in June 2019. Jacques is currently acting as Managing Director of the CIS Manco.
Fahiem Moses
Operations Manager
Fahiem has been in investment fund administration for the last 14 years. With extensive experience in Unit Trusts, Money Markets, Pension Funds, Fixed Income, OEIC’s and the management of teams both locally and abroad.
His knowledge base from a fund administration and asset management perspective has put him in good stead in the industry and our clients alike.
Fahiem joined Novare in October 2019 as the Hedge Funds Operations Manager. We look forward to working with him as we continue to improve our service offerings to our stakeholders.
Liesl Keuler
Chief Compliance Officer
Liesl has over 16 years of experience in the financial services sector, covering the compliance requirements and legal structures of a range of products and services.
Before joining Novare, she worked within subsidiaries of the PSG Financial Services Group. She holds a BCom LLB and Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of Stellenbosch and is a Member of the Compliance Institute.
Liesl joined Novare in December 2019 as Compliance and Legal Manager of Novare Holdings.
Ernest Stripp
Assistant Group Compliance & Legal Officer
Ernest started his career in Compliance in 2014 in the Banking industry. He was part of a team that conducted research and investigation into Politically Exposed Persons and performed Enhanced Due Diligence on these High-Risk entities.
He then moved into the Corporate Investment Banking space, onboarding Global Corporate's moving into the local market. Before joining Novare he worked in AML Compliance and onboarding of global clients focusing on the UK and Channel Islands.
Ernest joined Novare in November 2019 as an Assistant to the Compliance and Legal Manager of Novare Holdings.
Shireen Bailey
Office Manager
Shireen started her career at Goliaths Attorneys in 1995 as a receptionist before joining Pop-up Promotions as an assistant clerk for 10 years. She relocated to the Eastern Cape and worked for Hutton & Cook Attorneys as Conveyancing Secretary for 3 years. After moving back to Cape Town Shireen joined Novare Holdings as a temp and was permanently employed by Novare Equity Partners July 2015 as Receptionist. Shireen was promoted to Office Manager by Novare Capital in February 2019.
Avela Qoyise
Investment Support Officer
Avela started her career in 2004 as a fund assistant and fund administrator for Old Mutual Administration Services (OMFAS) working on unit trust fund administration, offshore companies, retailing and individuals.
She moved to JP Morgan in 2007 as a reconciliation specialist working on both foreign and local accounts. Avela spent a short period at Curo Fund Services in the same position before joining Novare in January 2013 as investment support officer responsible for the administration and pricing of multi-manager portfolios and unit trusts.
In May 2015 Avela transferred to Novare Capital as investment support officer. She is now the Fund/Investment Analyst in the Unit Trust Department. She is currently doing her Post Grad diploma in Business Administration with MANCOSA and has 20 years’ experience in the industry.
Nomawaka Ntlemeza
Risk Analyst
Noma spent five years with the Cape Metropolitan Council as an administrative assistant, after which she joined Old Mutual as a fund accountant in September 2000. She joined Novare in September 2004 as an investment support officer responsible for the risk administration of the hedge funds of funds.
Her duties also include administration and pricing of the hedge funds of funds, multi- manager portfolios and offshore unit trusts. In May 2015 Noma transferred to Novare Capital as investment support officer. Noma was promoted to risk analyst in January 2016, her responsibilities include the monitoring of investment mandates and regulatory oversight of portfolios including hedge fund products. she has 24 years’ experience in the industry.
Marina Rogers-Mellem
Senior Operations Specialist
After completing her degree at Stellenbosch, Marina started her career at Sanlam in 1997 as a client service assistant. She joined Tasc Administration in 1997 as a portfolio administrator and later as senior pricing administrator. In 2003 she was appointed operations manager in charge of the bank reconciliation department. She joined Novare in May 2005 as operations assistant and was promoted to senior operational analyst in 2011.
Marina was promoted to operations manager in the hedge funds division and is responsible for client reporting and pricing of the hedge funds of funds, multi-manager portfolios and unit trusts. Marina has 19 years’ experience in the industry.
Donovan Hallett
Operations Specialist
Donovan started his career in 2009 at USS Graphics as an account assistant, while completing his BCOM Banking Management degree at Milpark School of Business. He then moved to Maitland in 2016 as an administrator before moving to the Hedge Fund team in 2017, where he later became a Senior Hedge fund accountant.
He later moved onto Riscura as an Investment Compliance Analyst in 2019, where his duties included Reg 28, Reg 30 analysis and reporting, as well as assisting with FSB submissions, annual audit support data, and various other Ad hoc analysis interpretation and analysis of portfolio data and investment reports. In December 2021, he joined Novare as an Operations Administrator.
Tapiwa Munedzimwe
Risk Analyst
Tapiwa Munedzimwe holds a BBusSc Finance (Honors) Degree and a Master of Commerce in Risk Management of Financial Markets from the University of Cape Town where he was recognised as part of the top 15% achievers in the faculty by the Golden Key International Society in 2020. He has passed CFA Level 1.
Tapiwa started his career as a private equity analyst at Ocean Rock providing equity research, analysis, and decision-making support to UK private equity funds. Before joining Novare, he was a Fintech Analyst at IDR. Tapiwa joined Novare in March 2024 as a Risk Analyst.
Investment Consulting
Lulamile Makasi
Managing Director – Novare Investment Solutions
Lulamile Makasi is the Managing Director at Novare Investment Solutions. He has over 23 years of extensive experience in the financial services industry. Notably, he has dedicated a significant portion of his career, spanning two decades, to Novare, demonstrating his enduring commitment to the organization.
As a seasoned investment consultant, Lulamile possesses a wealth of expertise accumulated over more than 17 years, primarily specializing in investment consulting within the dynamic landscape of Southern Africa.
His professional journey commenced as a data analyst, a role in which he meticulously engaged with databases from various enterprises. Here, he focused on the intricate tasks of analysing, cleansing, and scoring potential clients, a vital process for identifying and capitalizing on new business opportunities. Prior to joining Novare in 2003, Lulamile honed his skills during a four-year engagement in the investments sector, gaining invaluable experience at both Momentum and Metropolitan.
Upon his arrival at Novare, he assumed the pivotal role of investment consulting, setting the stage for his remarkable ascent within the company. Over time, he took on increasingly significant responsibilities, ultimately managing Novare's most substantial clients as their auxiliary investment consultant.
In 2005, Lulamile briefly stepped away from Novare, embarking on a short-lived tenure at Stanlib. There, he shouldered the vital responsibility of marketing the retail money market fund. Returning to Novare in May 2006, he embraced a multifaceted role that encompassed comprehensive business development across Novare's diverse range of services. Concurrently, he skilfully managed strategic relationships with key clients. It's important to note that Lulamile's exceptional performance in this capacity played a pivotal role in propelling Novare's asset portfolio to surpass R150 billion.
A significant turning point in Lulamile's career occurred in August 2013, when he made the strategic move to Novare's Africa division, Novare Equity Partners (NEP). Here, he assumed the role of a portfolio manager, entrusted with responsibilities that spanned conducting vital research within Africa and spearheading the crucial task of business development for Novare Africa Property Funds. In this capacity, he not only honed his skills as an expert negotiator but also gained invaluable experience in navigating complex development projects.
Following a management buy-out of a business, in which Lulamile played a prominent role alongside other senior members, he made a triumphant return to the realm of investment consulting in 2019, this time taking the helm as Managing Director. His adept leadership was instrumental in successfully guiding the business through periods of instability and change, ultimately achieving remarkable growth in assets, which now stand at over R230 billion.
Lulamile's qualifications, including a B.Sc. in Maths and Chemistry, a B.Com (Hons) degree, a Master’s in Business Leadership (MBL), a Certificate in Corporate Governance, and a Global Executive Development Certificate, underscore his unwavering commitment to continuous learning and skill refinement. These credentials are a testament to his technical prowess and strategic acumen, which continue to shape his illustrious career.
Lameck Pattison
Head of Strategy
Lameck Pattison is a highly experienced professional with a diverse background in investment banking, risk management, and actuarial consulting across the African continent. With over 12 years of industry expertise, he has built an impressive career trajectory marked by notable achievements.
Previously, he worked at BancABC part of Atlasmara, a pan-African bank with operations in Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Continuing his professional growth, Lameck transitioned to African Bank, a leading consumer credit institution headquartered in Midrand, South Africa. In 2017, he joined NBC Holdings, where he was responsible for NBC actuarial consulting services throughout Africa.
He had a stint at the Road Accident Fund where he represented the Fund as an expert witness before joining Novare as the Head of Strategy in June 2023. Lameck is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (FIA), a Fellow of the Actuarial Society of South Africa (FASSA), and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary (CERA). He also holds an MBA from the Gordon Institute of Business Science.
Samantha Adams
Operational Manager - Institutional
Samantha has 18 years’ experience in the financial services industry. As an Operations Manager she is responsible for the implementation of investments, all regulatory reporting, performance reporting and all day-to-day operations for Institutional clients.
She joined Novare in January 2003 as a Receptionist. Over the years she has moved through the ranks swiftly, first being promoted to Fund Administrator in 2007, then to Client Services Manager in 2012, and then to Operational Manager of Institutional Operations in 2015.
Prior to joining Novare, during 2002, Samantha worked as a Creditors Clerk for Sovereign Sweets and a Company Secretary for both AMT Placement Services and Bell’s Security.
Samantha holds a BCom Degree in Accounting for Management, including Finance, Economics, Industrial Psychology and Information Systems.
Tino Mombo
Head of Systems & Automation I Senior Investment Consultant
Tino completed his BCom and BCom (Hons) Degrees in Actuarial Science at the University of Cape Town and is currently studying towards his fellowship with the Actuarial Society of South Africa (currently has his TASSA designation). Some of his accolades include making the Dean’s Merit List, being inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society, being awarded by the Dean of the Faculty of Commerce PPS scholarship, and receiving the Bain & Co Actuarial Science Honours Price.
Tino was recruited straight out of university as an Actuarial Assistant to the Head of Investment Strategy and his role has evolved considerably over his nine plus years with the group. Tino is an Actuarial Analyst and is currently responsible for the development and
maintenance of investment strategy as well as investment manager research (with a special focus on alternative investments). In his time with the group he has built up valuable experience in product development including the design and implementation of bespoke
investment solutions.
He has strong asset-liability and statistical modelling skills. He also specialises in the development and maintenance of in-house systems and models used across the group with strong proficiency in R and VBA programming languages.
Kholofelo Mphahlele
Actuarial Analyst
Kholofelo holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematical Science from Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University and a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science from North West University. During her studies, Kholofelo achieved remarkable academic success and she was nominated to become a member of the Golden Key Society, representing the top 15% of the faculty.
After completing her studies, she gained valuable industry experience working for a pensions firm. In this role, she was responsible for pensions valuations and calculating benefits such as claims for the Road Accident Fund (RAF) and estates of the deceased. In May 2023, she joined Novare Actuaries and Consultants as an Actuarial Analyst.
Asanda Zuma
Operational Specialist
Asanda completed her Bcom Degree in Financial Management in 2008 and a Postgraduate Diploma from the University of the Western Cape. In 2005 she joined the Nedbank Graduate Program. In 2013 Asanda joined independent actuaries and consultants as an investment administrator.
She was responsible for facilitating client take on (collect FICA documents); SARB reporting and submit on the reserve bank and Complete Reg 28 and submit to the FSB. December 2014, she joined Maitland Fund Services as a fund accountant in the Hedge Fund team where she later became a senior, ensuring the accurate calculation of the fund valuation, generating, and distributing investor statements and contract notes.
Before joining Novare in August 2022, she was a senior Fund accountant at JTC from September 2021, monitoring daily/monthly assets prices and their pricing sources, preparing cash and stock reconciliations including proper investigation of all outstanding breaks.
Motale Ramakongoana
Senior Fund Consultant
Motale spent the earlier part of his career with Alliance Insurance in Lesotho as an Actuarial Analyst responsible for pricing and special projects.
He later moved to NBC where he has worked for the past 5 years. He is a well-rounded consultant with more than 7 years’ experience in the financial services sector. Motale has worked in various fields from actuarial, employee benefits consulting to investment consulting serving the Southern Africa region. He holds a BComm Honours in Statistical Sciences from the University of Cape Town. Motale joined Novare in April 2020 as a Senior Fund Consultant.
Lebo Molefi
Office Administrator
Lebo initially joined Novare in 2009 as a temporary cleaner through Cleaning Africa Services. In 2012, Novare hired her as a permanent cleaner. She steadily advanced, becoming an office assistant in 2014. In 2015, she pursued office administration studies and was promoted to office administrator at Novare Actuaries and Consultants. Lebo also holds a digital marketing certification and currently contributes to the marketing team.
Katleho Moloi
Analyst Investment Consultant
Katleho holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Investment Management and Banking from the University of the Free State; where she was recognised as part of the top 15% achievers in her faculty by the Golden Key International Society in 2017. She started her internship in corporate banking & structured investments at the Land Bank head office, while concurrently completing her Postgraduate Diploma in Investments at The University of the Free State in 2021.
She joined Novare Actuaries and Consultants in 2022, and hopes to grow and expand in the investment solutions sector.
Precious Mbatha
Market Research Specialist
Precious Holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Econometrics from the University of Johannesburg and is a CFA Level II candidate. She has 10 years financial services industry experience. Precious started her career at Gauteng Treasury as an intern and later joined Independent Actuaries & Consultant as an Investment Analyst. She joined Novare in 2019 as a Senior Investment Consultant. Precious is a well-rounded investment professional having served in various roles within asset consulting which include investment reporting, investment consulting and manager research and has been part of the investment committee.
Rabotho Mathekga
Senior Manager Research Analyst
Rabotho graduated with a BCom Honours in Economics from North‑West University in 2017 and completed a Master’s degree in Finance in 2025. He began his professional career at Alexander Forbes Investment, where he joined as a Junior Manager Research Analyst and progressed to the role of Investment Analyst. During this time, he conducted in‑depth research on asset management portfolios, monitored performance, and provided analytical recommendations to support investment decision‑making.
In 2024, Rabotho joined Novare as a Manager Research Associate, bringing over six years of industry experience. He has since advanced to the role of Senior Manager Research Analyst. In his current position, he leads comprehensive research initiatives across multiple asset classes within the asset management space and continues to contribute meaningfully through rigorous analysis and industry insight.
Board Of Directors
Olaotse Leepile
Executive Director
Ola started his career at Alexander Forbes Financial Services in 2003 and worked as an assistant retirement funds consultant.
In 2005 he joined Novare as an investment analyst involved in local long-only and hedge fund manager research.
He also formed part of the hedge fund portfolio construction and risk management teams. In October 2006 he joined BJM Securities which later became Renaissance Capital where he traded South African equity futures. During his time at Renaissance Capital, he was promoted to Vice President and appointed as an executive director on the board of the South African business.
He left Rencap in August 2012 to pursue an MBA at the London Business School. Ola then re-joined Novare Equity Partners (NEP) in July 2013 as a portfolio manager responsible for research into Africa, and business development for the Novare Africa Property Funds. In 2016, he was appointed as deputy CEO of NEP and in 2019 he was promoted and appointed CEO of the Novare Group. He holds a BCom degree from Wits University, is a CFA charterholder, a certified FRM and obtained his MBA from the London Business School.
Derrick Roper
Executive Director
Derrick Roper is a qualified actuary. He graduated from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa and is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries in England.
Before he co-founded Novare Derrick worked for a number of large financial services companies in South Africa including Sanlam and Gensec Asset Management. He spent some time in the United Kingdom where he gained experience in investment product development in the pension fund market.
Derrick co-founded Novare in October 2000. He is a regular commentator on industry topics in the financial media and has addressed numerous conferences across the globe. Derrick’s areas of expertise include asset-liability matching, strategic asset allocation, alternative investments and private equity investments in sub-Saharan Africa.
Derrick’s tendency to innovate in product development saw Novare launch the first South African Fund of Hedge Funds in 2003, and subsequently, the first Novare Africa Property Fund in 2010. Derrick is the Chief Investment Officer of the Novare Group and the Managing Director of Novare Equity Partners, a private equity firm investing exclusively in Sub-Saharan Africa outside of South Africa.
Lerato Kumalo
Executive Director
Lerato started her career in 1999 as trainee technician at De Reuk & Associates responsible for producing designs of township infastructure and drawing up of tender documentation. In 2001 she joined Waffmark for a brief period as trainee technician. She was responsible for foundation design, software development and applications. Subsequently Lerato joined Universal Group in 2002 as technical services agent. She was involved in the planning and execution of building projects and providing the construction of specialised foundations. In 2006 she joined National Home Builders Registration Council as structural engineer, acting technical manager, research engineer, programme manager and structural and geotechnical engineer. Lerato’s responsibilities included ensuring that all engineering work was carried out in accordance with company procedures, specifications and other contractual requirements. She had to provide strategic support and research input towards successful implementation of the organisation’s mandate. Lerato joined Novare Equity Partners in July 2016 as technical solutions manager. She has 20 years’ experience in the industry .
Craig Lyons
Non-Executive Director
Experienced and accomplished investment banker and businessman with extensive strategic, management and finance experience in various industries having built up and led a number of leading businesses in Africa. He actively participates as an independent director on various company boards, committees and investment funds.
Craig worked for Standard Corporate and Merchant Bank (Investment Banking) for prior to co-founding Mvelaphanda Strategic Investments where he was responsible for building and managing its investment portfolio of property, financial services, infrastructure, technology, telecommunications, engineering, healthcare and engineering assets and investments.
As CEO, he built Mvelaphanda into one of the leading BEE investment houses in South Africa with assets in excess of R26 billion. Shortly after the merger with Rebserve he left Mvelaphanda to pursue building and acquiring a range of businesses.
Craig is a director of Novare Equity Partners, a private equity company focussed on managing two Sub-Saharan private property funds, with completed developments in Nigeria, Mozambique and Zambia.
Benedict Mongalo
Executive Director
Benedict spent the earlier part of his career in corporate and investment banking with ABSA Bank and Standard Bank. He later moved to the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) where he has worked for the past seven years. He is a seasoned investment professional with more than 19 years’ experience in the financial services sector and worked across a range of different asset classes. Benedict also served on the Boards of various investee companies while at the PIC and has a keen interest to invest in businesses that follow best practices in Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) aspects while maximizing stakeholder value.
He holds an MBA from Wits Business School, as well as a BCom in Accounting, Financial Service Diploma, amongst other financial qualifications. The title of his MBA dissertation was “The impact of corporate credit ratings’ change on equity prices of JSE listed firms” and it was published in the proceedings of the European Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance. It also continues to be cited by global academic scholars with interest in emerging markets credit ratings. He is a Certified Associate of the Institute of Bankers (CAIB(SA)) and a member of the Institute of Directors (M.Inst.D)
Benedict joined the Novare in July 2019 as the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of Novare Investment Solutions, the merged Novare Investments and Novare Actuaries and Consultants. Pursuant to the resolution by the Novare Group to expand their alternative investments franchise which led to the launch of the first domestic impact fund, Benedict was appointed as the Managing director of Novare Impact Investment Partners, the newly established private equity fund manager established with the primary mandate to manage the Novare SA Impact fund.
Lulamile Makasi
Executive Director
Lulamile Makasi is the Managing Director at Novare Investment Solutions. He has over 23 years of extensive experience in the financial services industry. Notably, he has dedicated a significant portion of his career, spanning two decades, to Novare, demonstrating his enduring commitment to the organization.
As a seasoned investment consultant, Lulamile possesses a wealth of expertise accumulated over more than 17 years, primarily specializing in investment consulting within the dynamic landscape of Southern Africa.
His professional journey commenced as a data analyst, a role in which he meticulously engaged with databases from various enterprises. Here, he focused on the intricate tasks of analysing, cleansing, and scoring potential clients, a vital process for identifying and capitalizing on new business opportunities. Prior to joining Novare in 2003, Lulamile honed his skills during a four-year engagement in the investments sector, gaining invaluable experience at both Momentum and Metropolitan.
Upon his arrival at Novare, he assumed the pivotal role of investment consulting, setting the stage for his remarkable ascent within the company. Over time, he took on increasingly significant responsibilities, ultimately managing Novare's most substantial clients as their auxiliary investment consultant.
In 2005, Lulamile briefly stepped away from Novare, embarking on a short-lived tenure at Stanlib. There, he shouldered the vital responsibility of marketing the retail money market fund. Returning to Novare in May 2006, he embraced a multifaceted role that encompassed comprehensive business development across Novare's diverse range of services. Concurrently, he skilfully managed strategic relationships with key clients. It's important to note that Lulamile's exceptional performance in this capacity played a pivotal role in propelling Novare's asset portfolio to surpass R150 billion.
A significant turning point in Lulamile's career occurred in August 2013, when he made the strategic move to Novare's Africa division, Novare Equity Partners (NEP). Here, he assumed the role of a portfolio manager, entrusted with responsibilities that spanned conducting vital research within Africa and spearheading the crucial task of business development for Novare Africa Property Funds. In this capacity, he not only honed his skills as an expert negotiator but also gained invaluable experience in navigating complex development projects.
Following a management buy-out of a business, in which Lulamile played a prominent role alongside other senior members, he made a triumphant return to the realm of investment consulting in 2019, this time taking the helm as Managing Director. His adept leadership was instrumental in successfully guiding the business through periods of instability and change, ultimately achieving remarkable growth in assets, which now stand at over R230 billion.
Lulamile's qualifications, including a B.Sc. in Maths and Chemistry, a B.Com (Hons) degree, a Master’s in Business Leadership (MBL), a Certificate in Corporate Governance, and a Global Executive Development Certificate, underscore his unwavering commitment to continuous learning and skill refinement. These credentials are a testament to his technical prowess and strategic acumen, which continue to shape his illustrious career.