CHAMWE KAIRA
Financial services group, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited (Alexforbes) has started consolidating its fund administration platforms across Namibia, South Africa and Botswana into a single system, a move aimed at improving client service, reducing costs and supporting future growth across the region.
The company said it has begun decommissioning its legacy fund administration systems as part of a broader technology modernisation programme.
Initial milestones have already been achieved and clients in the affected markets, including Namibia, have been engaged during the transition process.
The development forms part of Alexforbes’ wider strategy to simplify operations, improve efficiency and strengthen its technology infrastructure.
The group said the integrated platform is expected to enhance client experience while providing a more scalable administration system over the medium term.
The update was released alongside the group’s financial results for the year ended 31 March 2026, which showed strong growth in earnings and operating income.
Chief executive officer Dawie de Villiers said the company had delivered another solid year of performance while continuing to invest in technology and business simplification.
“We delivered strong growth in operating income and a 22% increase in normalised profit, while maintaining a robust balance sheet and high levels of client retention,” De Villiers said.
He added that the company had made substantial progress in simplifying its business, strengthening accountability and improving service delivery, while investing in technology and advice-led client engagement.
Alexforbes reported that operating income increased by 10% to N$4.85 billion during the year, supported by higher average assets, positive investment performance, strong client retention and new business growth in its investment and retail divisions.
Operating expenses rose 9% to N$3.85 billion, although the company said underlying expense growth was limited to 5% after adjusting for accounting changes and lease-related factors.
Normalised profit from operations increased by 22% to N$1.03 billion, reflecting improved operational performance across the group.
The company said its balance sheet remained strong, supported by continued cash generation from operations.
Regulatory surplus capital stood at N$1.19 billion while available cash amounted to N$860 million at year-end.
Alexforbes also declared a final cash dividend of 33 cents per share, bringing the total annual dividend to 57 cents per share, up 4% from the previous financial year.
Technology investment remained a key focus during the period.
The company said several digital initiatives were successfully implemented, including cloud migration of administration systems and enhanced automation capabilities.
A major administration system upgrade approved in August 2025 remains on schedule and is expected to deliver operational efficiencies by 2028.
The group said these technology investments had already contributed to improvements in client experience and operational stability, despite industry-wide disruptions linked to pension reforms in South Africa.
In addition to the regional administration platform project, Alexforbes is pursuing a three-year initiative aimed at strengthening its position as a preferred investment partner in South Africa.
The strategy is designed to increase asset inflows, improve client retention and expand platform and product assets across both institutional and retail markets.
The company said strong institutional business flows and growing retail inflows during the year demonstrated early progress toward those objectives.
