Astute Financial Services Exchange moves into Waterfall’s Corporate Campus

Industry-owned and managed body is a critical player in the protection of citizen financial information.

Johannesburg, 19 Aug 2020
Astute CEO, Jacques Rossouw
Astute CEO, Jacques Rossouw

Astute Financial Services Exchange (FSE) is the latest fintech to move to Waterfall City, further affirming the precinct’s position as Gauteng’s business node of choice for professional organisations. Astute FSE is an industry-owned and managed body, responsible for ensuring that consumer financial information is protected and only shared with authorised bodies.

Founded by three principal shareholders: Sanlam, Liberty and Old Mutual, the financial institution is guided by the Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA) and the POPI Act. As an ISO 27001 certified financial institution, Astute FSE is legally required to maintain the highest of security standards at any premises from which it operates. In practical terms, this translates to best-in-class facial recognition technology, A-grade access control protocols as well as palm and body temperature sensors.

Waterfall Corporate Campus has been developed to support cutting-edge business requirements, offering dedicated security capacity, best-in-class – and environmentally conscious – power supply, and the flexibility for companies to tailor their offices for their personal needs.

“Institutions like Astute FSE are critical players in ensuring that South African citizens’ financial information is protected, and only shared with authorised bodies. As Waterfall, we are honoured that FSE, a fundamental facilitator of financial sector information security, has chosen our precinct to locate its secure facilities. If anything, their trust in us speaks volume about Waterfall City and is indicative of why so many professional service firms are choosing to call Waterfall home,” says Giles Pendleton, Chief Development Officer at Attacq.

Situated on the corner of Waterfall Drive and Lethabo Close, Corporate Campus is a secure, 35 000m2 premium-grade office park. The estate comprises seven buildings in total and is already home to several prominent companies, such as Accenture, Isuzu Motors South Africa, Decision Inc. and SASSETA. Its proximity to the Mall of Africa, and other amenities within Waterfall City, such as the Netcare Hospital, Curro School, other A-grade office developments, as well as a balanced range of residential developments, makes it ideal for firms that prioritise employee work-life balance too.

“What was essential for us was to find a space that fostered creativity and collaboration between our various teams. As a fintech company, we are used to working remotely, but the nature of the information we are custodians of requires a level of trust and transparency that can only be achieved through real-world interaction. Corporate Campus's central location, accessibility and mix of amenities make it the ideal location for a firm like ours. We look forward to fully taking advantage of all the city has to offer,” says Astute's CEO, Jacques Rossouw.

This year, Astute FSE celebrates its 20th anniversary. The company remains committed to its mission to make financial products more broadly accessible and inclusive through the disintermediation of traditional financial services value chains.

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