South African businessman Christopher Seabrooke, chief executive of investment group Sabvest Capital Limited, received total compensation of R32.06 million ($1.95 million) for the financial year ended December 31, 2025.

The figure marks a 1.57% decline from R32.57 million ($1.98 million) a year earlier, even as the company reported higher earnings and an expanded asset base over the same period.

Seabrooke, chairman and co-founder of Apex Partners, has spent more than four decades at Sabvest Capital and continues to play a central role in its investment strategy and portfolio oversight.

His 2025 package included a base salary of R4.6 million ($280,219), alongside benefits totaling R1.68 million ($102,041). Short-term incentives accounted for the largest share at R21.91 million ($1.3 million), while long-term incentive awards were valued at R3.87 million ($235,280).

The structure reflects performance-linked pay tied to group results and long-term value creation across its investment portfolio.

Sabvest posts stronger earnings and asset growth

Sabvest Capital Limited reported improved full-year results for 2025, supported by gains in several core investments.

Revenue rose to R1.13 billion ($68.73 million), up from R908.82 million ($55.27 million) in 2024. Net income increased to R1.12 billion ($68.16 million), compared with R899.29 million ($54.73 million) in the previous year.

Total assets climbed to R6.53 billion ($397.4 million) from R5.48 billion ($333.28 million), reflecting broader portfolio expansion and valuation gains in select holdings.

The company also reported a 21.9% increase in net asset value (NAV) per share to R161.05 ($9.79), up from R132.13 ($8.03). The gain was supported by stronger contributions from Apex Partners and a recovery in ITL Holdings, which helped offset weaker results from Amicus, Narrowtex, and Halewood SA.

Seabrooke’s longstanding stake and corporate history

Seabrooke remains the largest shareholder in Sabvest, holding a 42.6% stake, equivalent to about 16 million shares. His position underscores his long-term financial commitment to the group’s investment strategy and governance direction.

Sabvest Capital Limited is a Sandton-based investment holding company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 2020 following a restructuring that consolidated its predecessor, Sabvest Limited, which had been listed since 1988.

The company focuses on portfolio investments across listed equities, debt instruments, cash holdings, and selected unlisted businesses, with exposure to both domestic and offshore assets.

Seabrooke, who joined the group in 1980 and became chief executive in 1987, has held senior roles across several companies over the years. He currently serves as a non-executive director of Metrofile Holdings and has previously sat on the board of Transaction Capital Limited.

He has also served on companies listed on the JSE, Nasdaq and AIM, and held governance roles within the State Theatre and the National Arts Council of South Africa, reinforcing his broader influence in South Africa’s corporate and governance landscape.