Asset Management Market Research
South African asset management is under simultaneous pressure from fee compression, passive substitution, and Two-Pot-driven flow volatility — and from clients who increasingly expect managers to demonstrate stewardship with evidence. Product, marketing, and distribution teams need primary research that reflects how SA retail and institutional investors actually allocate, not global archetypes imported wholesale. Research programmes built around adviser, client, and consultant evidence are now a core competitive asset.
Why Asset Management Research Matters
- Two-Pot has changed the flow profile of retirement assets, and managers need primary evidence to reforecast retention and redemption patterns.
- Regulation 28 recalibration, offshore limits, and private-market allocation shifts are redrawing institutional mandate structures.
- Passive and smart-beta substitution is accelerating in SA equity and multi-asset categories — direct client research is the only reliable way to measure defection risk.
- Consultant and EB gatekeeping remains central, and managers need structured evidence of consultant perception to prioritise engagement.
- ESG, transformation, and impact expectations now shape institutional mandate allocation and require defensible primary evidence to position around.
Our Asset Management Research Services
Client and Adviser Segmentation
Primary-data segmentation of retail clients, IFAs, and institutional buyers calibrated to SA distribution realities and mandate structures.
Consultant and Gatekeeper Research
Structured interviewing of EB consultants, multi-managers, and institutional gatekeepers to map perception, shortlist dynamics, and decision criteria.
Fund and Product Concept Testing
Quantitative concept and positioning tests for new funds, share classes, and wrapper structures, including fee sensitivity modelling.
Brand and Consideration Tracking
Tracking brand equity, consideration, and mandate-level perception across retail, advised, and institutional channels over time.
Flow Driver Diagnostics
Mixed-methods diagnostics for unexplained redemption or subscription patterns, linking client qualitative evidence to flow data.
Sustainable Investing Positioning Research
Evidence-led positioning work on sustainable, impact, and transformation-aligned products for SA and sub-Saharan investors.
How We Approach Research in This Sector
We work directly with distribution, product, and marketing leadership — scoping studies to named commercial decisions rather than generic 'investor understanding'. Senior researchers conduct consultant, EB, and gatekeeper interviews personally, and quantitative work uses SA panels and adviser networks tuned to the mandates and wrapper structures our clients actually sell.
Why Choose Meraki Research for Asset Management?
- Direct coverage of SA's IFA, EB consultant, and institutional buyer landscape with genuine senior access.
- Demonstrated experience across Two-Pot, Regulation 28, and offshore allocation research questions.
- Independent of any asset manager, platform, or consultancy — no conflicts on competitive studies.
- Comfortable presenting to product committees, distribution leadership, and boards — we write to the audience.
What We Deliver
| Deliverable | Format | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Client segmentation | Segments deck, typing tool, dashboard | 6-8 weeks |
| Consultant perception study | Findings report plus verbatims annex | 4-6 weeks |
| Product concept test | Concept rankings, pricing simulator | 5-7 weeks |
| Brand tracker | Wave report plus live dashboard | Rolling |
| Flow diagnostic | Diagnostic memo plus supporting data | 3-5 weeks |