Wealth Management Market Research
Wealth management in South Africa is changing on three fronts simultaneously — generational transfer, regulatory conduct expectations, and the rise of digital-native advice and direct platforms. Firms competing for affluent and HNW clients need primary evidence on trust, fee tolerance, and multi-generational planning behaviour that syndicated research simply does not provide at the granularity needed. The winning firms pair deep client research with disciplined adviser development.
Why Wealth Management Research Matters
- Generational wealth transfer in SA is accelerating, and firms need evidence on multi-generational client retention and heir engagement.
- Offshore allocation, emigration, and financial emigration decisions drive client churn and need structured research to predict and prevent.
- FSCA conduct standards around advice, suitability, and disclosure set real operational constraints that need to be tested against affluent client experience.
- Direct platforms and robo-advice are compressing fees at the mass-affluent end, requiring defensible primary evidence on willingness to pay for advice.
- HNW and UHNW client segmentation in SA is shaped by currency, emigration, and asset-location considerations that generic archetypes miss entirely.
Our Wealth Management Research Services
HNW and Affluent Client Research
Depth interviews and quantitative studies with affluent, HNW, and UHNW SA clients — sampling that respects the scarcity and confidentiality norms of the segment.
Adviser Research and Productivity Studies
Research with tied advisers, IFAs, and private bankers on practise economics, client interaction quality, and technology adoption.
Fee and Value Perception Studies
Primary evidence on fee tolerance, advice value perception, and platform pricing — including comparisons to direct and robo alternatives.
Brand and Trust Measurement
Trust, consideration, and brand equity tracking in the affluent and HNW segments, including generational and emigration-intent subsets.
Client Journey and Experience Research
Structured evidence on onboarding, reviews, and lifecycle moments that drive retention or defection in affluent advice relationships.
Market Sizing and Opportunity Mapping
Sizing of HNW, UHNW, and family office segments in SA with emigration-adjusted flow modelling.
How We Approach Research in This Sector
We handle affluent and HNW fieldwork with the discretion the segment expects — private recruitment, senior-led interviewing, and no panel-based shortcuts for UHNW work. Research is scoped around commercial decisions around retention, acquisition, and fee defence, and we are comfortable presenting to partners and investment committees as well as marketing leadership.
Why Choose Meraki Research for Wealth Management?
- Genuine access to SA's affluent and HNW segments through long-standing private networks, not reliant on consumer panels.
- Senior researchers personally interview HNW and adviser respondents — this segment does not respond well to junior fieldworkers.
- Experience with emigration, offshore, and dual-jurisdiction wealth considerations shaping SA client behaviour.
- Independent of platforms, wealth managers, and banks — no conflicts on competitive or retention work.
What We Deliver
| Deliverable | Format | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| HNW client segmentation | Segments deck, typing tool | 7-9 weeks |
| Adviser productivity study | Findings report, practise benchmarks | 5-7 weeks |
| Fee and value study | Findings deck, pricing simulator | 5-7 weeks |
| Brand and trust tracker | Wave report plus dashboard | Rolling |
| Client journey diagnostic | Journey map, moments-of-truth memo | 4-6 weeks |