STANLIB has onboarded Aladdinʼs enterprise capabilities, BlackRockʼs investment technology to drive transformational growth by optimising the client experience and reducing complexity.

Aladdinʼs technology combines sophisticated risk analytics with portfolio management, trading, and operations tools to unify the investment management process across all major asset classes.

Furthermore, Aladdinʼs enterprise capabilities will help simplify STANLIBʼs operating model, minimise operational risk, support effective investment decision making and deliver best-in-class risk and performance analytics. Recognising technologyʼs critical role in transforming asset management models, STANLIB identified Aladdin as the ideal technology solution to drive and improve investment outcomes and lower the companyʼs total cost of technology over time.

“Our primary focus is on our fiduciary duty to deliver the best possible investment outcomes for our clients. Consequently, we have invested significantly in technology that is critical to our growth strategy, which is centered on our clients and aims to create South Africaʼs most advanced asset management infrastructure,” said Derrick Msibi, CEO of STANLIB.

“Aladdinʼs enterprise capabilities will increase transparency through the investment lifecycle, accelerate information delivery and synchronise data throughout the process to support portfolio managersʼinvestment decision making. Seamlessly plugging into our data ecosystem, this technology will also enhance our efficiency and scalability and allow fast implementation of digital applications. Ultimately, it will provide clients with a continuous and efficient experience when combined with the rest of our technology and data architecture.”

Aladdinʼs technology will help STANLIB capitalise on the continued acceleration of digital transformation forecast for the South African asset management industry, and Africa at large.

Two key drivers of digitaltransformation are regulation and evolving investor requirements.

Regulation is opening up options for investors, now permitting an increase in the amount of offshore (i.e., non-South African) and alternative assets that a portfolio can hold.

This is satisfying investorsʼ growing appetite for greater geographical and asset-class diversification.

The second is investorsʼ growing requirements of greater transparency and lower cost structures in local asset management. Aladdinʼs enterprise capabilities will enable STANLIB to respond to these market requirements supporting more effective collaboration, more agile responses to clients and more efficient data leverage.

“Weʼre excited to partner with STANLIB to more fully streamline its investment process,” said Sudhir Nair, Global Head of the Aladdin Business at BlackRock.

“Aladdin will provide STANLIB a unified technology platform, tailored around its business, strengthening the investment process and creating operating scale in support of its clients.”

Aladdinʼs technology unifies the investment management process by providing a common data language within an organisation to enable scale, provide insights, and support business transformation. The platform has been enhanced to deliver specific product features that will meet the unique demands of theSouth African market.

These include South African rates and inflation factors, as well as a fundamental factor model for South African equities.

“The integration of Aladdinʼs technology is another example of STANLIBʼs unrelenting commitment to innovation and bringing best-in-class products and product enhancement to our clients. In addition to the technical expertise, we value BlackRockʼs shared focus on operating with the client at centre of all decisions,” concluded Msibi.