Dear Readers,

A great quarter four 2024 to close off a fantastic year for The Spirit Group. Well done to all!

2024 will be memorable for many reasons. Our country’s thirtieth year of democracy, the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of the Spirit Foundation and in business terms, our best year ever.

We have a clear vision in the Spirit Group that sees a better future for South Africa, excellence for our companies and real impact by our foundations and personal fulfillment for all who contribute to our success. I am happy to report that we are well on the way to achieving our vision!

No company is successful without strong sales and great products. In Q4 Marc Wiese and his Warwick Wealth Directors and team delivered stellar performance in achieving over budget and setting new records over the year. You have set a great platform for 2025 and my commitment to Warwick is to continue investing in Warwick people, systems, services and products. We are also now clearly demonstrating to the financial services industry that the Warwick M&A deal is the best in the industry and the investment is paying dividends.

Our sister company, Appleton, delivered what many believe to be the best fiduciary services in the country and did so while achieving budget. Well done Lauren and Team Appleton.

I am particularly pleased to report that Orion Investment Managers also had a very good Q4 and an excellent 2024. It requires dedication and hard work to run a modern and competitive asset management company and so congratulations to Adrian Meager and his brains trust of the brightest and the best in asset management. We will continue to identify and invest in even more advisors locally and internationally in 2025. I am confident that no other asset management house of this scale can offer the range of funds we now can to our clients.

Behind the scenes, but as a fundamental bedrock to the success and sustainability of our group is our CFO Tiaan Meyer and his finance, operations and business intelligence team. It’s a team that ‘never sleeps’ and one that delivers constantly day in and day out. As a Group we never stand still and this means that finance, operations and business intelligence are constantly being challenged to be even better and you do, with a smile, so thank you.

You will have seen how the Group’s marketing has grown in range, scope and impact in Q4 and so a big well done to Wendy de Sousa and her (growing) team of marketing specialists. We have brought a lot of skills, development and product in-house now and so I am pleased to see the quality of our marketing getting better each month.

Finally, to our beloved Spirit Foundation. This is personal to me, but I also know that the Foundation has become a personal commitment to many of you and that you follow its success and impact closely. We could not have achieved what we did in 2024 without the leadership of Dr Armand Bam, who, together with his remarkable team, made this a year that will go down in history. 

Finally, we are not a group that ever rests in its laurels. We set demanding targets, achieve them, celebrate them and then aim even higher. So, this is what I am asking all of you in the Group to do in 2025. Celebrate and be proud of your success, but then aim higher, deliver better and show the world what a great Group we are!

Yours sincerely,