Smart Money – Brenthurst founder Magnus Heystek

In this Smart Money with Alishia Seckam interview, Magnus Heystek discusses the secret behind Brenthurst Wealth Management’s success. Heystek is the co-founder, director, and investment strategist at Brenthurst.

He began his career as an investment journalist with Beeld in 1976 and progressed to becoming the business and investment editor of The Star newspaper in 1986.

His journalism career sparked his interest in investing, as he regularly attended international investment conferences organised by entities such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Heystek then founded The Star Investors Club, which he ran for ten years before selling it to Citadel in 1998.

His next move was launching Brenthurst Wealth Management in 2004, which began as a three-person team in a small office in Fourways, Johannesburg, with no clients.

Fast forward 21 years, and Brenthurst Wealth Management manages R17 billion on behalf of its clients, with a strong focus on investing offshore.

The success of Brenthurst Wealth Management has been staggering.

It has ranked among South Africa’s leading boutique wealth managers for the past seven years in the Intellidex Private Bank and Wealth Manager awards.

Furthermore, in Daily Investor’s 2025 South African Investor and Banking Report, Brenthurst won the Top Boutique Wealth Manager award.

Heystek is also a highly respected thought leader in the investment industry, particularly well-known for his strong views on the value of investing offshore.

The interview

In this Smart Money interview, Heystek discusses what it means to be recognised as South Africa’s preferred boutique wealth manager.

He explains what makes Brenthurst special, including how it offers solutions rather than sells products.

Heystek then discusses why he is willing to take an outspoken approach to the investment industry and why Brenthurst spends 10% of its annual turnover on marketing.

He also discusses the investment industry. He highlights that he has seen growth in local equity markets, before noting that internationally, investors are moving away from the US and into regions like Japan and Europe.

Heystek concludes by noting that it is strange how South Africans are restricted in where they can invest for retirement while still contributing, but are given almost unlimited agency over their funds once they retire.

He argues that this is backwards, as the opportunity for risk should be higher when contributors are younger.

Watch the full interview with Magnus Heystek below.