Private Client Holdings Management: Over a Quarter Century of Asset Management in Southern Africa

Owners and Directors: Grant Alexander and Andrew Ratcliffe

On the cusp of South Africa’s move to democratic rule in 1990, Private Client Holdings (PCH) opened its doors in Cape Town, South Africa.

From humble beginnings as a corporate tax consultancy practice, the company has developed into providing a complex multi-family office offering. This offering spans a range of financial management solutions including asset management, tax and accounting services, as well as full spectrum of wealth and fiduciary management.

Owners and directors Grant Alexander and Andrew Ratcliffe saw a bright future for South Africa and founded PCH with the vision of becoming a leading boutique provider of wealth management services to high-net-worth (HNW) individuals and their families.

PCH focused on attracting entrepreneurs, high-earning executives and successful owner-managed businesses.

“During our 29-year history we have focused on being recognised as the pre-eminent provider of wealth management and multi-family office services in South Africa,” said Alexander, “and we have achieved this, with a growing client base and increasing assets under management year-on-year.

“We are proud to say we were pioneers in the introduction of multi-family office services and advice in the South African arena, which has paved the way for others in the industry to follow.

“We have remained focused on nurturing our clients’ wealth and we have solidified our offering based on a clear principle of goals-based wealth management, supported by great FinTech solutions. PCH continues to differentiate itself in terms of long-term relationships, and remains focused on our clients’ interests and goals.”

Ratcliffe advises that while riding out the volatility in the currency markets, PCH as a company is prepared for the big changes expected in the next phase of the country’s planned retail distribution review (RDR). “We have had extensive legislation implemented over the years, in-line with global standards, and the industry has raised the bar.

“RDR can only be a good thing and PCH is well positioned in the sense that our advisory, asset management, financial services and fiduciary entities are all separate companies that work together on demand.”

While much of PCH’s success has hinged on the effective implementation of business strategies, the company’s leaders remain mindful that this could not have been achieved without the support and efforts of the PCH teams.