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Who we are

Northstar is a specialist research-led asset manager that manages investments for selected institutions, family offices and high net-worth individuals in South Africa and abroad. We invest in high quality onshore equities, offshore equities and fixed income instruments. Our reason for existence is to generate market beating returns for our clients.

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What makes Us Different

An obsession for research

Our business places a premium on our proprietary research framework which guides independent thought and is key to outperforming peers.

Higher than market returns, lower than market risks

Northstar Asset Management offers above average returns which niche specialist managers are best positioned to generate, but we do so at lower levels of risk usually associated with larger managers. This is possible as our investment in research skills rivals that of the largest managers, yet we are small enough to nimbly navigate markets, which large managers are not.

Brand integrity

Northstar works closely with independent financial advisors who associate the Northstar brand with the competency and trust which they demand for their highest net-worth clientele. Northstar purposefully does not enter the fray of competing with independent financial advisors, nor do we own or offer competing services to our various suppliers.

Clients first

Our competitors aim for size dominance by offering ‘everything to everyone’. At Northstar, we specialise only in asset management aiming to outperform peers and offer our clients world class service.

Topline Numbers

1996

Northstar was founded by the late Alexander Otten in 1996. Alexander built a highly successful high net-worth private business, managing domestic segregated portfolios.
2012

The year Northstar attracted additional investment professionals and extended its service offering to the institutional market.
8

Our shortlist of very carefully considered South African and Global funds.
1

The number of activities within the financial value chain which Northstar focuses on. Northstar is a specialist in asset management as against trying to be a generalist across many fields.
12

Dedicated full time staff on the Northstar research team.
28

The number of years our longest standing clients have been invested with us.

Our Principles

To grow the capital of our clients.
To manage risks for our clients.
To act honestly.
To provide excellent client service.
To be investment rather than size led.
To constantly value our clients, our staff, our shareholders and charities.

Our History

1996
The year Northstar was founded by the late Alexander Otten, who built a successful high net-worth private client investment manager.
1999
Adrian Clayton begins managing a unit trust – a Regulation 28 compliant fund.
2002
Fund managed by Adrian Clayton wins a Standard & Poor's award.
2003
We begin to actively manage investments outside of South Africa.
2008
We take advantage of the Global Financial Crisis to buy undervalued assets in our funds, believing that the market has underappreciated the quality of many companies in South Africa and abroad.
2012
The cheap purchases of 2008 assist Adrian Clayton’s fund to be the runner-up for a second Standard & Poor's award.
2012
Tragically, Alexander Otten passes and Adrian Clayton (ex CEO PSG Asset Management), Mark Seymour (ex Fixed Income Manager PSG Asset Management) and Marco Barbieri (ex Credit Analyst PSG Asset Management) join Northstar.
2016
RMI Investment Managers becomes a strategic shareholder in Northstar.
2016
Matthew Bertram, ex Goldman Sachs joins Northstar as Financial Director and Chief Operating Officer.
2017
Sanlam assumes fund administration and new experienced staff join Northstar.
2021
Royal Bafokeng buy into RMI Investment Managers.
2023
Co-operation agreement with First Avenue, bolstering breadth and depth of research universe.

Corporate Social Investing

Making a positive impact on lives throughout South Africa

Northstar Asset Management is focused on investing responsibly and playing a meaningful and significant role in directly addressing the economic and social challenges faced by our country. Our primary areas of support have been in education, to charities engaged in supporting broken families and then those protecting various endangered species. Our education funding has involved ‘adopting’ students at various learning institutions and financially assisting them to better their lives through education. Northstar sets aside a percentage of our annual profits to fund these various initiatives and for a small firm, we write large cheques when we believe that our efforts and monies are improving education and skills development and reducing unemployment. For further information in this regard please e-mail admin@northstar.co.za