Kasief Isaacs has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Creation Capital.

Isaacs brings extensive experience in the financial services industry, particularly in private markets.

He has over 30 years of professional experience, including eight years in the United Kingdom and has spent the last decade exclusively focused on private credit, infrastructure and development investments, spanning both local and international markets. He is a CA(SA), and an experienced conference speaker and media commentator. 

Isaacs joins Creation Capital from Mergence Investment Managers, where he led the private markets division and was responsible for circa R4,5 billion of assets spanning South Africa, Namibia and Lesotho.

Prior to joining Mergence in 2015, Kasief was a director at PwC where he led the renewable energy practice, overseeing circa 30 projects under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). At Mergence he was responsible for investments into sectors such as water, digital infrastructure, clean energy, affordable housing and aqua-culture.

“I am delighted to join Creation Capital, an asset manager I know well, having collaborated in the past on transactions during my tenure at Mergence. My vision is to take the company, together with the team, to the next level in terms of growth. In addition to scaling the existing product suite, we’ll shortly be adding an infrastructure credit fund to our portfolio. While we will focus on growing assets under management, we will always do so while keeping our responsibilities as trusted stewards of investors’ capital at the forefront,” said Isaacs.

As a specialist private credit asset manager, Creation Capital occupies a specific niche in the industry, where there are only a handful of dedicated players. They provide investment opportunities for institutional investors in the alternative segment of the investment universe.

Globally, private credit is a fast-growing alternative asset class and increasingly recognised as an attractive portfolio diversifier. Private credit is now well established as a distinct investment opportunity offering more predictable yields, better downside protection, tangible social impact, portfolio diversification and low correlation to other asset classes. Given its seven-year track record and circa R3 billion assets under management, Creation Capital is well placed to offer these benefits to the South African institutional investor market, said Kasief.

Heinrich Odendaal, who has served as CEO since the company's inception in 2017, will continue with the organisation as Deputy Chairman of the Board, also effective 1 March 2025. Heinrich co-founded Creation Capital, and during his tenure built an experienced team and successful business, unlocking and deploying investor capital into sustainable investments, and creating value for our stakeholders.

During his term, Creation Capital extended more than R4 billion in finance transactions and supported approximately 3,420 jobs, significantly contributing to the well-being of the people of South Africa.

Odendaal will work closely with Isaacs for an initial period and his continued involvement with the firm will help preserve institutional memory.

Founded in 2017, Creation Capital is an alternative asset manager, specialising in private credit, serving principally the South African market and are dedicated to delivering attractive, long-term investment returns by investing in the underbanked, middle corporate market (SMEs).