Cape Town-based executive Alan Keet steers Apex Group to $300 billion in South African assets under administration

In the space of less than four years, Cape Town-based executive Alan Keet has overseen the expansion of Apex Group’s South African platform, helping grow assets under administration to R5 trillion ($300 billion). This marks one of the biggest gains in the country’s financial services sector, strengthening Apex Group’s position in South Africa’s asset administration market. 

The milestone marks another step in the company’s push across Africa since entering the market in August 2022. Backed by continued investment in people, technology, and infrastructure, Apex Group’s African business has steadily expanded its footprint while deepening its role in South Africa’s financial system. Globally, it services over $3.5 trillion in assets, with South Africa now serving as a key hub for international mandates and domestic institutional clients.

Four-country footprint strengthens regional platform

For Keet, whose career spans key positions in entrepreneurial family-owned businesses as well as listed companies, the growth reflects years of building operational depth in a market where scale, reliability, and client confidence remain central to winning mandates. Since taking over as Regional Head for Africa in September 2022, he has led the expansion of Apex Group’s presence to seven offices across four African countries, with over 1,200 employees across the region.

The rise in assets under administration has been supported by a combination of new client onboarding and the expansion of existing mandates. Over the past three years, clients serviced by Apex Group in South Africa have significantly increased their assets, helping lift the overall scale of the platform at a time when institutional investors are placing greater emphasis on operational efficiency and technology-backed service models.

Integrated ecosystem drives AUA scale

“Reaching ZAR 5 trillion ($300 billion) in assets under administration is a meaningful milestone for our business in South Africa,” said Alan Keet, Regional Head for Africa at Apex Group. “It reflects the trust our clients place in us, as well as the levels of precision, flex and scalability of the integrated ecosystem we have built over many years.”

That growth has also come with continued investment in automation and digitization. Apex Group has expanded its transfer agency capabilities while strengthening broader technology infrastructure aimed at improving operational efficiency and scalability. Even as the company increases automation, Keet said the business remains focused on maintaining a client engagement model that supports both major institutions and emerging investment managers.

“Our focus has been on building a stable, scalable platform that can support clients as they grow and future-proof their businesses,” Keet added. “We continue to invest in automation to improve efficiency, while maintaining a client engagement model that supports both large institutions and emerging managers.”

Expanding Africa’s capital administration network

Inside South Africa, the scale of the business increasingly positions Apex Group among the larger administration platforms operating in the market. Under Keet’s leadership, the company’s South African operations have combined local experience with access to a broader international client network and product offering, while continuing to invest in people and systems designed to support long-term growth.

The company’s expansion also reflects a broader shift taking place across African financial markets, where institutional investors, fund managers, and international clients are demanding faster processing, stronger reporting systems, and platforms capable of handling growing pools of capital across jurisdictions. Apex Group’s continued investment in infrastructure and digitization has helped strengthen its position as those demands increase.