In this article, Equity Analyst Lizelle van Rooyen explains why managing global portfolios from South Africa offers unique advantages for investors. Drawing on her recent experience at a major healthcare conference and our 20+ years of global investment expertise, she highlights how distance fosters independent thinking, strong alignment, and fresh perspectives.
I recently had the privilege of attending the Bank of America Healthcare Conference in Las Vegas, where I met with over 40 companies, including industry leaders such as Eli Lilly, Danaher, HCA, Roche, Thermo Fisher, and IQVIA. It was truly inspiring to hear how these organisations are navigating regulatory landscapes, driving innovation, and delivering improved outcomes for both patients and shareholders.
Equally valuable were the conversations I had with fellow global investment professionals from around the world – more than 800 were in attendance. These discussions reminded me of the unique position we’re in at Denker Capital: managing global portfolios from Cape Town, thousands of kilometres from the world’s major financial centres. This distance isn’t a limitation. In fact, we believe it’s an advantage.
Managing global investments from South Africa offers a unique and valuable vantage point.
Thanks to modern technology and open access to information, we are able to research, engage with, and invest in companies around the world – despite our geographic location. In many ways, being geographically removed from Wall Street or the City of London can enhance the way we invest. Below are a few reasons why.
- Less herd mentality, more long-term focus and discipline
One of the most important benefits of operating outside the world’s financial centres is that we’re less exposed to the short-term noise and groupthink that can dominate those environments. As Vitaliy Katsenelson noted in his piece, ‘The Hidden Advantages of Investing from NOT New York City’, stepping away from the crowd allows for more thoughtful, original thinking – and we couldn’t agree more.
Without the pressure to keep up with the consensus or chase short-term wins, we’re better able to stick to our investment philosophy:
- identifying quality businesses with durable competitive advantages and good business economics,
- run by capable and shareholder-aligned management teams,
- and trading at attractive valuations.
This quieter environment supports deeper thinking, freedom from bias, greater patience, and a disciplined long-term approach.
- Over 20 years of global expertise, locally accessible
At Denker Capital, we have over 20 years of experience in global investing, but we’re rooted in South Africa. This gives our investors and intermediaries something rare: direct access to global investment expertise, with a team that is accessible for direct interactions and engagement – something that’s harder to achieve when working with large global firms headquartered on the other side of the world.
At the same time, we understand the unique context, constraints, and objectives of South African investors.
- Diversity of perspective
Distance also brings diversity – not just in geography, but in perspective. Seeing the world from outside the dominant financial hubs gives us a fresh lens through which to interpret global developments. Our team engages with companies and industries across the world, but we view them through a South African lens, which often brings different questions and insights to the table. Investing from an emerging market like South Africa has taught us to navigate volatility, currency swings, and geopolitical uncertainty as a norm, sharpening our ability to assess risk and adapt quickly. It has also fostered a deeper appreciation for cultural and institutional differences – skills that are often less developed in markets like the US. This can help us uncover opportunities or risks that may be overlooked by consensus-driven thinking.
- A focused team with aligned incentives
We’re not part of a huge multinational organisation. Instead, we’re a tight-knit group of investment professionals who share a clear investment philosophy and the agility to act quickly and decisively when opportunities arise, unencumbered by large investment committees or bureaucratic processes. We invest alongside our clients, so our success is directly tied to theirs – creating strong alignment and accountability.
We see great strength in operating from a distance.
Technology ensures that we’re always connected—able to meet management teams, attend global conferences, and engage with other investors in real-time. But distance gives us something just as valuable: perspective, focus, and the freedom to think independently.
For our clients, that means investments guided by long-term conviction rather than short-term trends. As always, we remain committed to investing in high-quality businesses that can compound capital over time—and to doing so in a way that serves our investors, not the market’s mood.
We have two global funds available to South African and international investors.
The Denker Global Equity Fund, managed by Jacobus Oosthuizen and his team, invests in companies around the world across various sectors and geographies.
The Denker Global Financial Fund, managed by Kokkie Kooyman and his team, focuses on financial companies across global markets.
Each fund is over US$100 million in size and is available to investors in US dollars. For South African investors who prefer to invest in rand, both funds are accessible via rand-denominated feeder funds.
Please click on the links below for more information on these funds or contact us if you have any questions.
USD-denominated global funds:
Rand-denominated feeder funds:
Denker SCI Global Equity Feeder Fund
Denker SCI Global Financial Feeder Fund
Please read and understand the minimum disclosure documents (fact sheets) before investing. They can be found here.
