South African UHNWIs

Guernsey - The jurisdiction of choice

50 Years

A global finance centre with a 50-year tradition of providing specialist wealth management services

Foremost in family office

The jurisdiction of choice for sophisticated clients and their families

Privy Council access

The island has a right of appeal at the UK’s Privy Council, which sets it apart from many of its competitor jurisdictions

Unrivalled market access

Guernsey has unchanged market access to both the UK and EU following Brexit. This includes continuing access to many EU countries for fund services

Fiscal strength

As well as possessing an A+/A- credit rating by S&P, the island benefits from prudent public spending, bringing long-term financial stability

150 Trust providers

Breadth and depth of experienced professionals in fiduciary, investment management, tax, and legal services

Safety and security

The island is politically and economically safe and secure, with 800 years of constitutional autonomy outside of the UK and EU

A Force for global good

Guernsey is a leading jurisdiction of green and sustainable finance. Guernsey is a founding member of UN FC4S Europe

Proximity to London

The island is the closest global finance centre to the City of London, operating in the same time zone and with a flight time of one hour

Leading centre of substance

Compliant with Moneyval and fully committed to the implementation of FATF and CFT recommendations

A strong relationship with South Africa

For decades, Guernsey has built and managed special structures for ultrahigh-net-worth (UHNW) individuals and their families. This is evident in the number of well-known South African blue chip companies that have a presence in Guernsey, including firms such as FirstRand Bank and Investec.

Guernsey’s experienced professionals have advised South African clients on a wide range of financial services for decades, from cutting-edge technologies and innovative technological advancements, to energy sectors, foundations and other forms of private wealth management. Commonly, South Africans use Guernsey

as a destination for annual foreign investment. This protects their wealth against the Rand’s volatile fluctuations and enables a portion of the family’s wealth to be managed outside of South Africa, thereby creating a secure nest egg in a stable jurisdiction.

Why Guernsey for South African families and investors?

Guernsey is best placed to...

Hold assets in a strong currency (£, $, €)

Launch family-led investment funds through the Guernsey Private Investment Fund regime

Establish trading and holding companies outside of South Africa, facilitating international capital flows and business transactions

Attract capital flows from international investors through The International Stock Exchange (TISE), based in Guernsey, and through easy access to London financial markets, such as AIM and FTSE