Smart Money – Trinisha Chanka on how Ninety One is changing South Africa’s ETF landscape

In this Smart Money with Alishia Seckam interview, Trinisha Chanka discusses Ninety One’s Actively Managed ETFs (AMETFs) – and how they have been impacted by the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.

Chanka is a Sales Manager in the Retail Distribution team within Ninety One’s South African funds team.

Her important role includes managing key discretionary funds and overseeing Ninety One’s Active Managed ETF strategy in South Africa.

Chanka has over 20 years of experience in the investing industry, having joined Ninety One’s Product Development department in 2004.

This was after graduating from the University of Witwatersrand with a BSc Honours in Actuarial Science.

She went on to complete her Investment Fellowship at the Institute of Actuaries in the UK in 2007.

In 2011, Chanka joined Absa Capital as an associate principal, where she led the development of first-of-their-kind ETF products.

She later took a position as Head of Post-Retirement Distribution at Liberty Corporate, before joining Colourfield Liability Solution as Head of Defined Contribution Solutions in 2017.

In 2025, Chanka re-joined Ninety One as a Sales Manager and the Actively Managed ETF Strategy Lead.

The interview

In this interview, Chanka discusses the AMETFs recently introduced by Ninety One – and the impact the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) has had on them.

She shares what interested her most about the MTBPS, before explaining what it means specifically for the bond market.

Chanka then discusses the fact that many South Africans are still sitting on large cash balances, and reveals the alternative for investors who want their cash to do more.

She unpacks Ninety One’s AMETFs in more depth, highlighting that they combine the flexibility of ETFs with active multi-asset portfolio management.

Chanka concludes the discussion by sharing the one message she thinks is most important for the Smart Money audience.

Watch the full interview with Trinisha Chanka, below.