The FSCA’s inaugural AI report shows that South Africa's financial sector is "cautiously ambitious" about AI adoption. Ninety One, for example, is reporting 20% productivity gains by using GenAI to analyse unstructured data, while boutique managers like Differential Capital are using machine learning to "neutralise risk" in portfolio construction.
This week in Seed Analytics Advisor Connect:
Upcoming events: chances to network & connect.
Automations that save advisors 5 hours per week.
How to plan your year with powerful data insights.
New opportunities & jobs for you to explore.
Tax hikes or no & SA’s fragile credit landscape.
Online tools: An advanced AI to try (cautiously).
Take Note
Kyalami Business Network – JHB 21 Jan 8 AM — Free morning networking at Doppio Zero, Kyalami Corner. Connect over coffee, share ideas, and grab a quick business growth tip. Register here.
Founders Running Club – CPT 22 Jan 6 PM — Weekly run + coffee meet for founders, investors, and creatives at Step Brothers, Green Point. Easy pace, social vibes, all welcome. Details here.
3 Automations that Free Up 5 Hours a Week Per Advisor
Use these to scale your operations while keeping the personal touch…
The biggest bottleneck in a growing advisory business is the advisor's own time. But you can’t scale a personality-driven business by working more hours.
So the key is automating the predictable so you can be fully present for the unpredictable. Here are 3 automations that don’t just save time — they actually make your service feel more personal.
1. The Meeting Pulse Automation
The most wasted hour of an advisor’s week is the one spent capturing meeting minutes and "next steps" emails. It’s a chore that usually gets delayed, meaning the client forgets the impact of the meeting by the time the notes arrive.
Autome it: Use an AI transcription tool integrated with your CRM to turn a meeting recording into a structured client action plan in 60 seconds.
The high-touch result: The client receives a clear, professional summary of the meeting before they’ve even driven home. They feel heard, and you’ve just saved 45 minutes of admin per meeting.
2. Data-Triggered Alerts
Generic "Happy Birthday" emails are great, but too few and far between. True personalisation is reaching out when something relevant happens with your client's portfolio.
Autome it: Set CRM triggers for specific client milestones (e.g., a portfolio hitting a certain value, a child reaching university age or a specific tax-law change affecting their sector).
The high-touch result: The system alerts you, not the client, when there’s a relevant change in circumstance or opportunity. It prompts you to send a 30-second voice note or a quick personal text. The tech identifies the moment; you deliver the humanity. It’s so much more meaningful.
3. The Behind-the-Scenes Admin Handshake
The biggest drain on client trust is when you are so busy working on a transfer or a policy change for them that you can’t communicate, prompting them to send a "Where are we with this?" email. When a client has to ask, you’ve already lost the service battle.
Autome it: Automate internal task status updates so the client gets an automatic notification at key milestones (e.g., "Documents received," "Submitted to provider," "50% complete").
The high-touch result: Transparency is the service. By keeping them informed automatically, you eliminate the anxiety of the "black hole" of admin and save hours spent answering "status check" calls and emails.
Automation should never try to replace the advisor; it should remove the friction that prevents you from bringing your personal touch to the game.
Join the conversation…
What eats up the most time in your week?
Plan your year with data, not guesswork
Every advisor starts the year with targets. Few have the data to back them up.
Seed Analytics gives you a clear, live view of your book so you can see which investments need attention, which clients should be prioritised, and where real opportunities exist — all without manual admin.
Use your dashboards to plan timely portfolio reviews, identify clients who may benefit from additional advice, and work out exactly how many new clients you need to reach your growth goals.
The result?
A more focused year, better use of your time, and a stronger client experience.
Not using Seed yet?
Featured Section
New wealth and fin advisory career opportunities in SA
Financial Advisor (DBN) @ Tescon Financial Advisors
Financial Adviser (PTA) @ Momentum Group Limited
Independent Financial Advisor (JHB) @ Succession Financial Planning
Retirement and Risk Benefits Consultant (JHB) @ Aon
Broker Consultant (Umhlanga) @ Sanlam
Broker Consultant (PE) @ FNB
In Case You Missed It…
Industry Roundup
The Great Discovery Clawback Reversal. Following significant public pressure, Discovery Health has reversed its decision to recover overpaid claims from 16,507 members. The group will now absorb the full cost (estimated at R130m–R170m) of the 2025 system error.
Budget 2026: The R20bn Tax Pivot. With the Budget Speech confirmed for Wednesday, 25 February 2026, the focus shifts to whether SARS can avert a VAT hike. This as a viral open letter from a tax professional also highlighted major inefficiencies and admin friction between corporate taxpayers and SARS.
SA’s Fragile Credit Landscape. The TransUnion Q3 2025 report highlights a dangerous trend: 30% of consumers are using new credit products just to service existing debt. Vehicle finance is recovering with a shift toward budget-friendly models, but lenders are seeing 49.4% delinquency rates in the non-bank loan sector.
The 2026 Volatility Trap. PSG Asset Management warns that 2025’s "everything AI" rally has created extreme market concentration, with Nvidia hitting a $5T valuation despite concerns over debt-funded capex. Prompting pivots to overlooked, value-driven assets outside the US.
SA Property: Cape Town vs. The Kremlin. The JSE-listed property index (Sapy) surged 30.6% in 2025, but the "Cape Town Miracle" is creating a performance divide. While Cape Town office vacancies are at record lows, property counters with Eastern European (CEE) exposure (like NEPI Rockcastle and MAS plc) face growing geopolitical risks as US-Nato tensions rise.
The Total Return "Secret." 2025 proved that share price performance doesn't tell the whole story. Super Group ended the year with its share price down 36%, yet delivered a total return of 48.36% following a massive R16.30 per share special dividend (a R5.5bn windfall).
Online Tool to Try
New hero AI: search your own files too…
There are numerous AI tools. The big three being ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini and Antropic’s Claude, whose Claude Code was very popular with coders, until they built a unique feature into it…
Antropic gave Claude Code the ability to also access the files on the computer it’s running on, giving the user instant access not only outside info but their own data, too.
It was so successful, Antropic has now released Claude Cowork, a powerful all-around (not just coding) AI that can access the files you give it access to.
Note: We are telling you this as an option for something to potentially try. Confidentiality is vital in finance, so before allowing anything access to your files, make sure it’s protected, legal and aboveboard first pls.
Did You Know? On 15 January 2001, Wikipedia, the internet’s free Wiki content encyclopedia, went online for the first time, changing the way the world stores and accesses general information.
Till next time,
Seed Analytics Advisor Connect
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