Meet the financial experts

Gerhard completed his schooling in George. He dedicated his entire professional life to Old Mutual, where he held various management roles. His career reached the highest point of development in his retirement in 2001 as the managing director of Old Mutual South Africa.

He has served as director for various organisations, including Transnet, Nedbank, Imperial Bank, CG Smith, Stellenbosch University and various Old Mutual affiliates in the UK, the Channel Islands, Bermuda, and South Africa.

Gerhard is married to Di, and they have two sons, three daughters and seven grandchildren. He enjoys reading, is a keen traveller, both locally and internationally, and loves relaxing at the family vacation home on the West Coast.

Amy is a founding partner and Director of Finfocus. She was the managing director from 2003 – 2018 and a practising CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® until 2020.

She is 95% retired and is now the financial advisor to a limited number of clients – mostly family - and do not accept any new clients.

Management Training officer at Lyttleton Engineering Works 1981–1984; Head of training Agriven (Venda Agricultural Corporation) 1984–1989; own consultancy business in Louis Trichardt 1989–1992; Volkskas Broker/Advisor 1992–1997; ABSA brokers regional manager 1997–1999; ABSA brokers provincial manager 1999–2002; ABSA brokers national leader 2002–2008; ABSA Business Bank broker 2008–2009; Liberty Franchise 2009–2015; Partner in PSG Centurion Franchise 2015–2021. On sabbatical since 2021.

Highlights: to grow ABSA broker’s life business from 0.1% to 13% and short term from 5% to 20% within 18 months.

My vision is to use my experience and knowledge to help young people to be more effective and successful. I believe that there are many ways to be successful as long as everything is approached with integrity and honesty.

I believe that being a financial advisor is an honourable profession placing tremendous responsibility on our shoulders to give our clients the best possible advice to ensure that their risks are properly managed and that their financial dreams are realised

I am married, with 2 sons and a daughter and 3 grand-children. I am a passionate photographer of birds and have done well with my photos in a few world-wide photography competitions. I don’t take pictures of people except of my grand-children who are a delight to photograph.

I enjoy going camping for weeks, in order to take photographs of nature.

Schalk, a founding partner and managing director of Finfocus, has over 25 years of experience in the industry. With a BA Law and Economics degree from the University of Stellenbosch, he began his career as a broker consultant for Old Mutual. Recognising the importance of independent advice, he became an independent financial advisor in 2001.

Schalk holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning and an Advanced Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning (Investments) from the University of Free State. As a practising CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® professional, he takes a holistic approach to financial planning, creating personalised plans tailored to each client's needs.

With a strong focus on client relationships, Schalk maintains regular contact with clients in various areas, ensuring their financial actions are considered and their allocations optimised. He specialises in business assurance and employee benefits for small to medium companies.

Schalk's extensive expertise and personalised approach make him a trusted advisor for individuals and businesses seeking comprehensive financial solutions.

Callie grew up in Springbok and completed his BA degree at Stellenbosch University before joining Old Mutual as a financial advisor. With twenty-five years of experience at Old Mutual, he excelled in client service, earning International Quality Awards and leading a team of seven advisors. Callie obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in financial planning and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® practitioner. Callie specialises in investment, retirement, and estate planning, catering to older clients and assisting the younger generation in achieving their financial goals. He advocates for incorporating risk products into holistic financial plans, including coverage for severe illnesses and frail care beyond retirement. Outside of work, Callie enjoys golfing, and spending time with family and friends. He finds fulfilment in positively impacting his clients' well-being.

Ella has a B.A. degree from the University of Northwest and 20 years of insurance industry experience. As a broker consultant, underwriter, and underwriting manager, she understands insurers' expectations. Joining Finfocus in 2006 as the short-term advisor, Ella excelled and obtained a Higher Certificate in Short-Term Insurance (NQF5) with distinction, and became a Licentiate of the Insurance Institute of South Africa. Ella values all clients equally and has a dedicated team, including assistant Gerhard Olivier, committed to solving problems and providing optimal market options tailored to individual needs. Serving clients across Boland, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, and Winelands, Ella's familiarity with the area optimises the claims process and ensures personalised service. While Ella enjoys her fulfilling career, she understands the importance of balance. Through painting, writing, and reading, she escapes to other worlds and finds rejuvenation.

After nearly a decade in the UK, Willem and his family returned to South Africa. Joining Finfocus in June 2016, he is passionate about assisting individuals and businesses with their financial planning needs. With a growing client base in Cape Town, Durbanville, Paarl, Somerset West, Stellenbosch, and the wider Winelands region, Willem is actively involved in serving his clients. Willem holds certificates in Higher Financial Planning (NQF5), Advanced Financial Planning (NQF6), and Financial Management from UNISA. He further completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) and obtained his, CFP^® designation in 2019. Willem specialises in providing independent financial advice, covering investments, risk planning for individuals and businesses, estate and retirement planning, employer benefits, medical aid, and gap cover. Outside of work, Willem enjoys running, mountain biking, and spending quality time with his wife and two children.

Andries, originally from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, obtained his B Comm and LLB degrees in Stellenbosch. He began his career as an attorney but transitioned to Sanlam Trust as an estate and trust Consultant in 2000. With his Certificate in financial planning, he has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® practitioner since 2001. After years in sales support at Sanlam Trust, he joined Glacier Financial Services as a product specialist. In 2015, Andries left the corporate world to become a financial advisor within the Sanlam Group. Since January 2017, he has been an active member of the Finfocus team, serving clients primarily in Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Durbanville, and the Winelands area. Regardless of the amount involved, Andries believes that all savings deserve dedicated and specialist attention. He has a special interest in helping clients save adequately for a dignified retirement. Andries is married to Francien, a radiologist, and enjoys outdoor activities, travel, and mountain biking.

CJ grew up on a farm near Piet Plessis, a very small town in the North West province. He obtained a law degree and did his master’s degree in the law of contracts. In addition to his accomplishments, he is also an admitted attorney and has served as a lecturer at the University of the Free State. CJ is a certified financial planner practitioner. In his pursuit of knowledge to better advise his clients he obtained the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

He is a committed individual and strives to provide his clients with the best possible advice and expertise. CJ has a holistic and comprehensive approach to financial planning and always places the client’s needs and interests first.

He is passionate about investments and the behavioural aspects of investing, estate planning, tax planning and all personal risk management aspects.

He is a loving husband, a proud father of three sons and an avid sportsman.

Elzanne started working at Finfocus in January 2011. She obtained a B.Comm Financial Planning degree at the University of Stellenbosch and a Post Graduate Diploma in financial planning at the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB). She is a qualified CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^® practitioner and completed the first level of the regulatory exams as required by FAIS legislation.

Her dream is to help others with their financial planning so that they can sustain a better lifestyle. She believes that a financial advisor can add significant value to clients’ lives by thoroughly considering every aspect of their financial position, constructing a suitable financial plan for them, and helping them make informed decisions. Elzanne works in close partnership with Schalk van Niekerk to service his clients effectively.

Carl, a long-time resident of Stellenbosch, completed his schooling at Paul Roos Gymnasium before pursuing a BComm Management Science degree at Stellenbosch University. After graduating in 2018 Carl completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning at Milpark. At the end of 2022, he passed his qualifying, CFP^® board exams. Currently, Carl is working as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^®.

Carl joined Finfocus at the beginning of 2022 and believes that proper financial planning can have a big impact on how comfortably a person lives and retires. He aims to contribute to a client’s ability to plan for and master unexpected events, as well as to make sufficient preparation for a comfortable retirement.

Carl has a keen interest in investments and believes in independent financial advice where each client receives a solution based on their individual needs.

When he is not in the office, he enjoys spending his time outdoors taking part in action sports, travelling, and spending time with family and friends.

Andrea joined Finfocus as a Para Planner in 2021 and has been working closely with Willem Mans to support clients ever since. As a qualified CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^®, Andrea began seeing her own clients in 2023. While she is still under supervision for certain categories, she strongly believes in the importance of a holistic approach to financial planning. Andrea provides independent financial advice on a wide range of topics, including investments, risk planning, estate and retirement planning, medical aid, and gap cover.

Andrea has always been passionate about the financial planning industry. She believes that thoughtful financial planning can profoundly impact clients’ lives, adding significant value and enhancing their lifestyle. Andrea feels that having a financial adviser is important for everyone, regardless of age, as it provides guidance and peace of mind at every stage of life.

Originally from Bloemfontein, Andrea now loves living in Stellenbosch, even though it’s far from home. In her free time, she enjoys staying busy and cherishes moments spent with friends and family.

Lee-Anne was born in Limpopo and in 2002 her family relocated to Kwa-Zulu Natal where she completed all of her schooling. There she also started her short-term insurance career in 2015.

After being at her previous employer for 8 years where she grew from intern to broker, Lee-Anne decided that she wanted to “immigrate” to the Western Cape with the goal to grow her career even further. With this aim in mind, Lee-Anne joined the Finfocus team in December 2023.

Being raised in a small town, Lee-Anne believes that you need someone to look out for you ordinarily, as well as when disaster strikes – which she is well-positioned to do as short-term insurance broker.

Lee-Anne’s hobbies include horse riding as well as natural horsemanship and experimenting in the kitchen.

Marga completed her audit articles with Rademeyer Wesson. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, she started working for Christo Wiese where she obtained valuable experience in financial management, structured finance, and taxation on foreign income. She decided to spread her wings and moved to London where she entered the world of investment banking and worked for Deutsche Bank as a business analyst and project manager in global financial control initiatives.

Marga is passionate about helping small and medium businesses thrive. She believes that entrusting accounting and tax responsibilities to a professional allows business owners and individuals to focus on running their businesses and enjoying life to the fullest.

Marga is married to Xavier Murray, and they have two young boys. When she has the time, she enjoys reading, travelling, and training for events. Her biggest sporting accomplishment is running two full marathons in one week.

Sjarlene taught at Stellenbosch University for many years. She served as a member of the University council, was a trustee of the University provident fund (USAF) and member of the University committee for medical aid and insurance. Professionally she came late to the financial planning environment, but the enthusiasm for numbers and matters financial has always been there. She has joined the Finfocus team initially as advisor in 2013. Most recently she has shifted her focus to administrative and especially compliance support for Finfocus management. As part of Finfocus X-tra Client Services outreach she is available to help with administrative assistance also to clients. She is passionate about getting the job done, whether to provide regulatory documentation or as general support for management.

Sjarlene is married to Johan Thom and they have two children, Mia and Niël. The family enjoys cooking together, with some members being more gifted in this direction than others. Sjarlene loves reading, travelling, entertaining and walking.

Adri started in the life assurance industry in 1995 and joined Finfocus in January 2004. She is the managing director’s assistant and manager of the admin team.

She has a passion for client service and an eye for detail. She will try to quickly sort out a problem before it becomes an issue for the client.

Monique finished her schooling in Stellenbosch before spending five years in the United States on a tennis scholarship. She has a deep love for sports, particularly tennis. As a mother of two, Monique fully embraces her nurturing role and cherishes this chapter of her life. With nearly a decade of experience at Finfocus, Monique loves every day at work. She has a genuine passion for connecting with people and finds joy in serving and supporting both colleagues and clients.

Antoinette has more than 30 years’ experience in the life assurance industry. She spent the first 28 years with Metropolitan Life and Momentum and the past 7 at independent financial adviser firms. Her past experience at large life assurers has given her valuable insight in how to deal with product providers, financial advisors and clients. She has a passion for client service and it is key to her to deliver such good service which clients will always remember.

She is the mother of two and the grandmother of four.

Gerhard grew up on a farm near Bethlehem in the eastern Free State where he spent the first 10 years. Later they moved to the north of Namibia and finally settling down south in the Cape, where he has lived for the past 15 years.

He is the current administrative assistant to Ella Olivier (no relation) for the short term insurance part of our business. His goal is to become a Short term insurance advisor in future and gradually take over her portfolio to assist our clients with their asset insurance and risk management needs.

Having worked in many industries including Construction, Retail, Accounting and Water Engineering, has helped him acquire a better understanding of client needs and risks across various specialist fields. He recently earned his Higher Certificate in Short-term Insurance (NQF level 5) through Milpark Education Group and is working towards finishing his certification to become a Short term insurance financial advisor.

He enjoys using technology to create unique and specialized solutions for clients, to better assist them with effective risk management and loss controls. In his leisure time he enjoys Rugby, Formula One, cooking/braai, listening to informative podcasts and good rock or orchestral music.

Brent majored in finance and investments for his B.Comm (General Studies) degree, received from the University of the Western Cape in 2018. Born and raised in Belhar, Cape Town, he attended Parow-North Primary School and matriculated from Elsies River High School in 2009. At school, he loved accounting and entered university as an aspiring accountant but later realised that his passion was really in investments and financial planning. He works as broker support and aspires to practice as a certified financial planner.

Brent is an active member of his church and currently serves as the assistant secretary. He enjoys expressing creativity in music and learning new things.

After many years in a corporate environment, Sarette focussed on her family for the past few years. She joined the Finfocus team on 1 February 2020 as an administrative assistant and broker support.

She is ready for this new challenge and is eager to assist colleagues and clients alike.

Sarette was born in Stellenbosch and grew up in Somerset West. She obtained her NQF 6 secretarial certificate in 1995 at Stellenbosch College.

Sarette and her husband enjoy spending most of their free time next to the sports fields supporting their two children, who are both sports enthusiasts.

Sofia was born in Williston in the Karoo. She moved to Wynberg before the age of 19 where she started working as a young girl. In the years that followed she moved to Eersterivier and Stellenbosch area where her 2 sons were born. Sofia loves her job and always makes sure everyone around her is happy. She finds great joy in her work at Finfocus, evident in her infectious laughter and positive attitude. Sofia hopes to continue working here for many years to come.