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03 April 2018 Photo Sonia Small
First-rate fund managers in SA produced by UFS Prof Philippe Burger
of Philippe Burger, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Science.

A recent comparative study on the performance of South African fund managers has revealed that the-top performing fund managers over a running average of five years are former undergraduate students of the University of the Free State (UFS).

In an attempt to understand South Africa’s fund managers, Leigh Köhler, head of research at Glacier by Sanlam, and his team, published a comprehensive breakdown which looked at all South African universities and universities of technology. Aspects explored in the report included philosophy, process, people, organisational structure, and cost of funds. In addition, the study also considered characteristics such as age, tenure, level of qualification and undergraduate university to identify fund managers who are superior to their peers.

A closer look at the statistics
The majority of the sampled fund managers studied at the University of Cape Town (46%), University of Stellenbosch (10%), and University of the Witwatersrand (8%), while only 2% studied at the UFS. However, according to the report, “The highest average performance over five years was generated by fund managers who attended the UFS – 13.25%.” This means that for every rand they invested, the portfolios managed by UFS alumni got back approximately R1.13 annually, the highest return when compared to the returns generated by portfolio managers from other universities. These fund managers are employed by a range of institutions, including independent asset management firms, insurance companies, banks and wealth managers.

What our acting dean had to say

Prof Philippe Burger, Acting Dean at the UFS Faculty of Economic and Management Science, said: “When you and I put money into a pension fund or investment, portfolio managers buy bonds and shares with it from companies. Those companies use that money to invest in building factories, businesses, offices, and of course they make a profit on their investments. That profit is used to pay interest and dividends. These interest payments, dividends and increased share values constitute the returns paid to investors.”

The outstanding performance of UFS-groomed fund managers is a comment on the quality of the students UFS delivers. “For decades we have had a BComm degree that includes an option to specialise in what was previously called Money and Banking, and is now called Financial Economics. We are the only faculty that has had a focus on Financial Economics going back all the way to the late 1970s. In that sense we train people and give them an education that allows them to perform like this,” said Prof Burger. 

Moving forward, the faculty is looking at partnerships with financial institutions that can strengthen that capacity and give students increased value for money. 

News Archive

What did they learn at Stanford University?
2015-11-04

    

Members of the cohort with the
Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS,
Prof Jonathan Jansen

Every year, since 2012, six second-year Kovsies are selected to take part in the elite Stanford Sophomore College Programme at the prestigious Stanford University in the United States. The University of the Free State and Oxford University are the only non-Stanford members of this exclusive course.

From 31 August to 15 September 2015, Farzaana Adam, Cornel Vermaak, Precious Mokwala, Tristan Van Der Spuy, Anje Venter, and Naushad Mayat undertook a three-week long academic exploration of multidisciplinary topics. These students attended seminars aligned with their respective fields of study from which they accumulated a wealth of knowledge.

This year’s cohort reflects on what they learned at Stanford University:

The significance of analyzing technology

One of the key points gathered by Farzaana Adam from the seminar, ‘Great Ideas in Computer Science’, was the necessity not to approach technology at face value. “Computer science goes beyond the technological products and social networks. By analysing the concepts underlying these technologies, many discoveries which have benefitted many fields of study have been made possible.”

Critical thinking in Arts and Science


“By combining different fields of study, one can obtain a greater perspective on the relevant fields,” said Cornel Vermaak, about what he garnered from a seminar titled ‘An Exploration of Art Materials: An intersection between the Arts and Science’. “This greater perspective enables one to evaluate problems critically,” he added.

Visual media substitutes oral narratives

“We were also taught different ways in which to interpret images, and how images influence society. Photography is a way to tell a story without actually having to say anything,” reflected Precious Mokwala, on ‘Photography: truth or fiction’

A lesson in business economics


Tristan Van Der Spuy received pointers pertaining to the stock exchange market    in ‘A Random Walk Down Wall Street’. “We looked at stock markets, and what influenced the stock prices of multiple companies, taking note of what should be looked at when investing in a company.”

Race relations and representation

‘The New Millenium Mix: Crossings between Race and Culture’ exposed Anje Venter to a global perspective on identity. “We explored the new generation of people that have mixed races and cultures, and how they are depicted in media and art.  We analysed the discrepancies and stereotypes of these depictions through film, novel, and short story studies, as well as through field trips to museums and art exhibitions.”

Overcoming the HIV/AIDS endemic


Naushad Mayat realised that “more teamwork and transparency between governments, chemists, social workers, and clinicians will be required for us to stem the flow [of HIV/AIDS],” in view of what he learned in a seminar on ‘HIV/AIDS: A Response to the AIDS Epidemic in the Bay Area’. “It is a daunting task. For the current generation of youth to tackle this epidemic now, we must stand together and be counted,” he added.



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