PSG Financial Services Thinks Forward to realise SA's potential and celebrates top advisers

The annual PSG Financial Services’ Conference held in May brought together top financial services industry leaders, journalists and other distinguished speakers to engage on building South Africa’s future amidst an era of rapid technological change. This year’s theme – Think Forward – saw speakers discuss the need to leverage technology and digitisation without losing sight of the power of the human touch and relationships. 

Setting the scene, CEO Francois Gouws highlighted PSG’s impressive performance amidst this environment, with the group largely doubling profits in the last 5 years and achieving an impressive 26.6% return on equity for the last financial year. He said PSG is attuned to the rapid pace of change and is embracing it with agility and dynamism, highlighting their commitment to continued investment into technology. 

Critical to achieving this success is PSG’s adviser force. Edward Gibbens, CE of Distribution, explained that the group is committed to equipping advisers with the tools they need to be future-fit through best-in-class technologies so advisers can spend more time on value-enhancing activities. 

Top achievers of the firm were celebrated at the conference’s gala dinner: 

Wealth Manager of the Year:

Johan Borcherds, PSG Pretoria East, secured this year’s title for the 2nd time. 

Wealth Adviser of the Year:

Nelis Brink, PSG Wealth R21, earned the achievement this year for a fifth time.

Insure Adviser of the Year:

Ryno Pretorius, PSG Insure Bloemfontein Pretty Gardens, won for the 2nd consecutive year.

Office of the Year: 

Pretoria East scooped this year’s award for the second time.

Employee Benefits Office of the Year:

PSG Wealth R21 Employee Benefits took the honours in this category for the 13th time. 

Office Manager of the Year:

Eugenie Borcherds of PSG Pretoria East scooped this maiden accolade.

Top Performer: Adviser Development Programme:

Cecily Mathabe won this prestigious new award.

Top local and international minds share insight on challenges and think forward for success 

A stellar lineup of experts discussed local and global problems and opportunities in this rapidly changing world. 

Dr. Mark van Rijmenam, renowned global futurist and author, discussed the tsunami of technological change we are facing, calling it a digital renaissance that will fundamentally change our world within three to five years. Generative AI alone, he said, could add up to $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030. As a result of this, Van Rijmenam believes that data will become the new oil, as it underpins this technological surge. For financial institutions, he said data-centricity should be non-negotiable. 

Professor David McWilliams, an Irish economist explained that economic cycles reflect human emotions and are inherently unpredictable and irrational. He says we are entering a new economic super-cycle, and at tipping points like these, we need unconventional thinkers to take us into the future.   

CEO of Momentum Jeanette Marais celebrated the opportunities that AI will bring to the financial services industry. For Marais, the AI revolution will free up advisers to focus on the inherently human qualities of advice – empathy and connection. While AI will change almost everything, she says it won’t change our human need to want to be seen, heard and understood – particularly on complex matters related to our finances, family and legacy where the stakes are high. Marais believes that the future of financial services be both artificially intelligent and emotionally intelligent, making advisers more important than ever. 

Affiliates of the PSG Financial Services Group, a licensed controlling company, are authorised financial services providers. www.psg.co.za