Standard Chartered Head of Affluent and Wealth Solutions, EMEA & UAE, Ayesha Abbas (left), and Head of Wealth and Retail Banking, Kenya and East Africa, Edith Chumba, during the launch of Standard Chartered Funds Variable Capital Company (VCC) – Signature Select in Nairobi. The investment platform gives eligible investors access to multiple funds and investment strategies through a single framework.
Standard Chartered Funds VCC – Signature Select brings together leading global fund houses to offer eligible investors access to professionally managed strategies across markets and asset classes
Standard Chartered has launched the Variable Capital Company (VCC) – Signature Select in Kenya, giving eligible investors access to differentiated, professionally managed global investment strategies through a single investment platform.
Following CMA approval, Standard Chartered Funds VCC – Signature Select adds a sophisticated new avenue to Kenya’s investment market, bringing global investment capabilities and a flexible multi-strategy platform closer to eligible Sophisticated Investors.
The launch comes as Kenya’s wealth market becomes more sophisticated, with an estimated 7,000 US-dollar millionaires and growing demand for diversified portfolios, global investment opportunities and professionally managed strategies. Across Africa, the millionaire population is projected to grow by 65 per cent over the next decade, creating a larger pool of investors seeking access to global markets and alternative investment opportunities.
“Standard Chartered Funds VCC – Signature Select represents a more sophisticated model of investment access for Kenya. It combines the expertise of industry-leading global fund managers with our worldwide asset-class specialists to create differentiated, custom-curated
strategies. The strategies are designed to support long-term strategic asset allocation as part of a client’s foundation portfolio, aligned with the Bank’s advisory emphasis on diversification and resilient core holdings,” said Edith Chumba, Head, Wealth & Retail Banking, Kenya & East Africa, Standard Chartered.
Unlike a single investment fund, a VCC can house multiple funds and investment strategies within one framework, providing flexibility to develop different investment solutions as investor needs and market opportunities evolve.
Through the platform, Standard Chartered’s investment professionals appoint industry-leading global fund managers as sub-investment managers. This brings together the managers’ specialist capabilities with the Bank’s global asset-class expertise to develop differentiated,
custom-curated strategies that can be difficult for individual investors to access.
So far, 4 strategies are available in KENYA: Enhanced Gold Income by Allianz, APAC Allocation Plus by BlackRock, US Allocation by T. Rowe Price, and Global Income Plus by Pimco, and have accumulated USD 20 million in AUM in 4 months since launch.
This model is underpinned by Standard Chartered’s open-architecture approach, enabling the Bank to select specialist capabilities across fund managers and asset classes rather than being limited to a single provider.
Standard Chartered Funds VCC – Signature Select is supported by the Bank’s investment professionals, including fund selectors and investment managers across multiple markets. They lead manager selection and comprehensive due diligence, while appointed sub-investment managers are responsible for investment decisions and day-to-day portfolio management.
In Kenya, the platform is available to eligible Sophisticated Investors, reflecting the development of a more discerning investor segment seeking specialist expertise, broader diversification and access to global strategies. Kenya’s investment market continues to deepen as investor needs become more sophisticated.
Standard Chartered is growing with the market to meet this demand and acknowledges the Capital Markets Authority for enabling an evolving regulatory environment for a broader range of investment solutions.
“Since Standard Chartered established its VCC in Singapore, Signature Select has expanded across our international wealth network, including Hong Kong, the UAE and Jersey, through partnerships with leading global asset managers. Bringing the platform to Kenya and Nigeria is a natural extension of that network and reflects our ambition to connect African investors to differentiated strategies and global expertise across markets and asset classes,” said Ayesha Abbas, Head of Affluent and Wealth, EMEA and UAE, Standard Chartered.
The platform is launching simultaneously in Kenya and Nigeria, expanding Standard Chartered’s ability to connect African investors with investment opportunities and expertise from across its global network.
