Momentum Fixed Income

Momentum Fixed Income is a boutique team of specialist income investors, focused on delivering low-risk, inflation-outperforming returns for investors. This business enjoys the backing of one of South Africa's largest financial services institutions but retains the flexibility and focus of a small, specialist fund manager.

Given its relationship with its parent company, Momentum Fixed Income has access to extensive expertise, research and investment opportunities that are outside the reach of most other managers. This has helped them to develop an outstanding track record through their valuation-based approach to income investing.

Investment philosophy

The Momentum Fixed Income team has extensive expertise in building income-generating portfolios. They invest across government bonds, cash deposits, bonds issued by companies and listed property. Based on disciplined research, they focus on:

Buying assets when they are undervalued.
Building well-diversified portfolios.
Generating returns ahead of inflation.
Minimising the risk of capital loss.

Track record

The highly experienced members of the Momentum Fixed Income team have an outstanding long-term track record of delivering positive outcomes.

Their focus on inflation-outperforming returns has consistently met investors' expectations.
In their designated low-risk portfolios, their risk-management processes have delivered stable returns over many years.
While some significant market events have had a negative effect on the more flexible portfolios, they have always quickly managed to recover those minor losses.

Meet the team

Karabo Seima

Karabo has always been intrigued by the flow of money and how all parts of an economy are interconnected. Her core investment belief is that financial institutions should always consider how they create a social dividend for the people whose money they hold. She joined Momentum in 2022, having worked in the investment industry since 2006.

“In as much as you have to look after the money you have been entrusted with as a fund manager, you must use it to better the lives of the people who gave it to you.”

Zisanda Gila

Zisanda has worked within the Momentum stable her entire career. She relishes the challenge of looking after people’s money, as she is constantly learning as a result of markets evolving every day. She places the highest emphasis on investment research and never growing complacent.

“Once you have an asset in your portfolio, you can’t rest just because you did your work upfront. You have to keep doing checks so that nothing catches you by surprise.”

Thamage Lesito

Thamage is an investment professional at heart and someone who has always been fascinated by the financial markets. His core belief is that financial markets can be extremely overbought and oversold, and these present opportunities for active portfolio managers to execute high-conviction trades and realise value for the clients. Thamage has been in the investment and banking industries since 2007 and has been part of Momentum since 2014.

“We value stability and predictability of regular income streams. Value is important to us and, in fixed income, we understand value unwinds over time. What is important is having a thorough investment process to determine when fixed income investments are undervalued or overvalued and being able to realise value at the right time.”