Calling the shots

Change in recent times has touched virtually every aspect of life in South Africa and the investment market is no exception. In the rapidly receding past, investment houses such as Ashburton could effectively build their client base in affluent niche markets by seeking them out and dealing directly with them. This is no longer the case. The major intermediaries - notably the banks and life offices - have cast their eyes increasingly towards these affluent niche markets and, particularly in the case of the major banks, they have sought to draw them into their folds by offering wealth enha...