Symmetry partners with Russell Investments
Symmetry, one of South Africa’s leading investment solutions businesses with over R440 billion in assets under management and advice, has announced a landmark strategic partnership with Russell Investments, the Seattle-headquartered global investment solutions provider managing $355 billion in assets worldwide.
The partnership marks the latest milestone in Symmetry’s journey, having recently evolved into a full-service investment solutions business offering Multi-Manager, Discretionary Fund Management, and a new Best-in-Class capability.
Through this collaboration, Symmetry gains access to Russell Investments’ open-architecture research platform, one of the most extensive globally, which evaluates more than 16 000 investment strategies, across local and global markets. This scale makes Russell Investments one of the most prolific investment research houses worldwide and gives Symmetry a powerful edge.
“Our clients expect us to deliver investment solutions that meet their goals with precision and purpose. This partnership is a real game-changer because it deepens our access to global manager talent and world-class research covering a vast universe of funds,” says Kieyam Gamieldien, Managing Director at Symmetry.
The enhanced research capability allows Symmetry to interrogate more strategies, uncover richer insights, and apply greater rigour in the investment process, strengthening decision-making and enabling solutions that are both globally informed and tailored to the unique needs of South African investors.
“For advisers, retail investors and institutional consultants in South Africa, it means having insight at their fingertips to make confident, well-informed decisions, with the assurance that every option has been rigorously analysed and considered,” Gamieldien adds.
He continues: “This isn’t about outsourcing our investment decisions; it is about strengthening Symmetry’s investment expertise with Russell Investments’ research depth, smarter execution, and risk management capabilities to deliver even greater value to our clients”.
The partnership will immediately enhance Symmetry’s ability to:
- Broaden research and manager selection through Russell’s global due diligence and on-the-ground insights.
- Sharpen portfolio execution with Russell’s Enhanced Portfolio Implementation (EPI) service, improving visibility of exposures, lowering costs and reducing fund expenses.
- Strengthen investor confidence by ensuring that all decisions are backed by global best-practice research and robust data.
The first phase of the collaboration focuses on Symmetry’s global equity allocation, delivering a more consistent, cost-efficient, and risk-managed solution. The aim for Symmetry is to sharpen execution, reduce costs, improve transparency, and ultimately enhance portfolio outcomes through Russell Investments’ advanced implementation tools, to create tangible value and consistent investment outcomes for clients across diverse market environments.
For Russell Investments, the partnership underpins its commitment to the African market.
“It’s an exciting time in the African investment landscape, with more investors looking globally,” says Jim Leggate, Head of EMEA at Russell Investments. “Symmetry is one of South Africa’s most established investment solution businesses, and we’re proud to support their next stage of growth by providing access to our open-architecture platform and advanced implementation tools”.
This partnership is a major step forward in Symmetry’s broader growth strategy as a globally informed, locally relevant investment solutions provider.