Artificial intelligence (AI) platform Santi4, which handles the paperwork and compliance systems for investment firms, is targeting clients managing assets worth R1 trillion within the next year.
It aims to triple that to R3 trillion within three years, from its current base of R720 billion.
Recently launched in Cape Town, the platform currently supports operations in South Africa, Ireland, Botswana and Namibia, with the company saying it is designed to handle processes across multiple legal and regulatory jurisdictions.
South Africa’s asset management industry had R6.83 trillion under management in 2025 and employs more than 5 000 people, according to 27four Investment Managers’ latest DEInvest report.
The Public Investment Corporation, Africa’s largest asset manager, manages over R3 trillion as of March 2025 and has set a target of R4.2 trillion by 2028.
Paperwork pain
Santi4, which doesn’t manage investments, provides an administrative software platform for investment managers and platforms. It automates onboarding, compliance checks, reporting and investor servicing for the firms that do.
Globally, investment administration is shifting away from bolt-on AI solutions towards platforms that coordinate fund accounting, reconciliations, portfolio analytics, corporate actions and reporting from the ground up, according to Boston Consulting Group.
The consulting firm says AI could deliver cost reductions of 25% to 35% and a three-to-five-fold increase in client coverage, with AI automating workflow such as quote handling, compliance checks and documentation review by as much as 40%.
Firms such as Hebbia, Rogo and BlackRock Aladdin are already automating investment operations, research and compliance workflows internationally.
Daniel Micali, CEO of Santi4, says the platform helps operational teams identify exceptions, highlight missing information, reduce repetitive manual work and route tasks through the correct process. “This helps improve turnaround times, reduce operational friction and allow firms to scale without a linear increase in cost or headcount,” he says.
The AI tool was developed over the past year using technology that the company says has already been running in live investment administration systems for more than two years, with AI built into its architecture from the start rather than added later.
“Santi4 does not treat AI as a separate add-on. Intelligence is built into the platform to support automation, workflow orchestration, exception handling and servicing,” says Micali.
The entity is backed by asset management firm Prescient. Prescient Group CE Willem Venter says the initial launch is focused on Southern Africa, with plans to expand into the United Kingdom and Europe using Prescient’s existing footprint.
Micali says investment firms globally are under pressure to reduce costs, while managing increasingly complex regulatory requirements. “Too much time and capital are still consumed by fragmented processes, manual administration and compliance-heavy operating models.”
Strict compliance
South Africa’s financial services sector is heavily regulated, primarily overseen by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority.
Depending on the structure and products involved, firms may also fall under the Prudential Authority and must comply with the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, the Financial Intelligence Centre Act and anti-money-laundering requirements.
“The objective is not to replace governance or human oversight. It is to help firms operate more efficiently by allowing technology to handle more of the routine, repetitive and document-heavy work, while giving teams better visibility and control over exceptions and decisions,” says Micali.
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