Strate, South Africa’s principal central securities depository (CSD), has confirmed that Vantage has launched its investment platform leveraging Strate’s Global Funds Access (GFA) solution, with RMB as its approved CSD Participant.

The GFA solution, enabled through Strate’s CSD-to-CSD link with Euroclear Bank and Euroclear FundsPlace, gives local investors access to approximately 250 000 global funds, while benefiting from the governance, security and operational efficiencies of a trusted local financial market infrastructure.

“Vantage’s platform launch is a strong example of how South African institutions can access global fund opportunities through a secure, standardised model based on market infrastructure,” said André Nortjé, Strate Chief Executive Officer. “Our Global Funds Access solution was built to improve operational efficiency, reduce barriers to entry and safeguard ownership rights through segregated account structures.”

Vantage’s LISP platform provides advisors and their investors with simplified access to global funds, supporting access through a single, standardised operating model integrated into Strate’s systems.

“By integrating Strate and Euroclear FundsPlace into our LISP platform, we have delivered a single digital access point to global funds – simplifying onboarding, improving turnaround times and providing extensive access to international investing. Through this partnership, Vantage continues to lead the market in lowering the cost of local and now offshore investing, opening global markets to more South Africans,” said Emile Wegner, Managing Director at Vantage.

Strate’s GFA solution uses segregated securities accounts opened for each institution and held securely by Strate in the books of Euroclear Bank. GFA offers digital records of ownership, settlement services, asset services, data, and reconciliations across the lifecycle of global fund transactions. Strate also facilitates all account opening requests at Euroclear and with the various transfer agents.

What Vantage’s LISP platform offers financial advisers and their clients

Through Strate’s GFA solution, Vantage clients benefit from standardised, end-to-end capabilities including:

• Settlement services across purchases, redemptions, switches and transfers, with real-time status updates 
• Digital ownership records, supported by daily reporting and reconciliation 
• Custody and asset protection through segregated safekeeping accounts that provide transparency and safeguard assets, even in the unlikely event of an insolvency
• Asset services, including automated processing of distributions and fund corporate actions 

• Data services that provide consolidated reporting across local and global assets, with customisable delivery 
• Integration services using messaging protocols and connectivity options to embed the GFA solution into existing operations 
• Account opening with Euroclear Bank and foreign transfer agents through Strate as the single point of contact, including operational and know-your-customer support