Meet the team

CA(SA)
Industry experience: 37 years

Hannes co-founded Truffle in 2008 with Louis van der Merwe and currently heads the Fixed Income team, playing a key role in the management of fixed income across all multi-asset and income mandates. He began his career at RMB in 1989 on the money market desk where he was instrumental in starting the forward rate agreement market in South Africa. Hannes then joined Huysamer Stals, where he became a director and specialised in trading hybrid instruments between equity and interest rate markets. In 1996, he joined start-up company, Mettle (Boland Financial Services), to take on the role of treasury specialist. This involved a close working relationship with Boland Bank, and in 1997, he was asked to take over as Treasurer of Boland Bank. After various takeovers and mergers, Hannes became the Treasurer of NBS Boland Bank (later BoE Bank), which was taken over by Nedbank in 2003. In 2005, Hannes was appointed Head of Global Markets and an EXCO member of Nedbank Capital where he was responsible for all the foreign exchange.

B. Bus Sci (Stats Hons), CFA
Industry experience: 17 years

Danesh joined Truffle in March 2025 as an equity analyst covering global stocks. Danesh brings a wealth of experience in the research field having worked as an equity analyst at Franklin Templeton Emerging Markets for 14 years covering companies in South Africa and Frontier Africa across various sectors. He began his career as a performance and attribution analyst, first at JP Morgan Administration Services and then Investec Asset Management (now Ninety One). He has also worked as a buy side trader for RECM and in roles across operations and investments at Optis Investment Management.

CA(SA), CFA
Industry experience: 17 years

Etienne joined Truffle in 2013 as an Equity Analyst and currently covers various sectors, including Property, Healthcare, Diversified Industrials, Gold, and various mid-caps. Etienne also has portfolio management responsibilities for Truffle property mandates. He began his career at Greenwoods Chartered Accountants where he gained invaluable experience in various sectors, including Manufacturing, Property, and Industrials.

M.Com., B.Com. (Hons), B.Tech.
Industry experience: 9 years

Lebohang joined Truffle in March 2024 as an Equity Analyst. With a qualification in metallurgical engineering and company research experience, Lebohang adds both diverse skill and experience to the investment team. He joined in the investment industry in 2016 and prior to joining Truffle, worked as an analyst at Argon Asset Management, where he was responsible for coverage of Mining, Commodities, and Industrial companies.

B.Sci. Actuarial & Financial Mathematics, B.Sci. (Hons) Statistics
Industry experience: 4 years

Leyyah joined Truffle in July 2024 as an analyst in our fixed income team. She has two years of experience as a performance analyst at Coronation Asset Management and as a driven individual who enjoys working with statistical models adds expertise and passion to the investment team.

B.Com. Investment Management, CFA
Industry experience: 14 years

Mark joined Truffle in September 2024 as an Equity Analyst. He brings extensive knowledge and experience analysing stocks across various sectors, both locally and globally. He began his career at JP Morgan in 2011 before joining Novitas Capital Advisors as a corporate finance analyst in 2013 where he worked with various public and private companies on various projects including capital raising, mergers and acquisitions and sale mandates. In 2016, Mark joined Excelsia Capital as an Equity Analyst where he was responsible for covering the Telcos, Media, General Industrials, Paper, Chemicals, Tobacco and Beverages both in South Africa and globally. He was later promoted to Head of Research and responsible for leading the development and implementation of the equity research process.

CA(SA)
Industry experience: 29 years

Nicole joined the Truffle team in 2015 and adds broad and deep experience to the portfolio management team. Nicole discovered her love for investments while working in merchant banking in London for three years after completing articles at PWC. On her return to South Africa in 1997, Nicole joined RMB Asset Management, where she held various investment roles, including those of senior equity analyst and portfolio manager. During this time, various unit trust funds which she co-managed won Raging Bull and Standard & Poor’s awards. She remained with RMB Asset Management, which later became Momentum Asset Management, until 2015, where her final position was Deputy Head of Equity Research.

M.Sc., B.Sc (Hons)
Industry experience: 6 years

Noluvuyo joined Truffle in September 2025 as an analyst in our fixed income team. She brings a passion for investments and six years of experience as a quantitative and credit risk analyst. Noluvuyo spent over a year at AIP capital management where she was responsible for investment analysis and research across a range of hedge funds. Prior to working at AIP, Noluvuyo spent more than 3 years at Prescient Investment Management as a Quantitative Analyst in the credit team where she was involved in building credit models and conducting credit research and analysis. Noluvuyo’s career started at Direct Axis Financial services as a quantitative credit risk analyst in the unsecured lending portfolio.

B Com CA(SA)
Industry experience: 11 years

Pranita joined Truffle in January 2025 as a Research Analyst, focusing on the Property sector, contributing to research, portfolio construction, and the ongoing oversight of Truffle’s property mandates. She previously spent three years as an Equity Analyst at Standard Bank Group Securities and four years at Anchor Stockbrokers, where she covered listed property.

B.Bus.Sci. (Hons) Finance & Economics, CFA
Industry experience: 11 years

Raihan joined Truffle in January 2023 as a Portfolio Manager in our Fixed Income team, adding significant depth of skill and expertise. He has also developed strong commercial experience having previously worked at a boutique manager where he co-managed both Income and Money Market funds. Raihan works together with Hannes van der Westhuyzen in managing the Truffle SCI* Income Plus Fund, the Truffle SCI* Enhanced Income fund as well as the fixed income portions of Truffle’s multi-asset mandates.

B.Com. Accounting
Industry experience: 8 years

Samkeliso joined Truffle in 2020 as part of the operations and client service team. Following a passion for trading she later joined the investment team as an Equity and Bond Trader. Samu started her career in financial services in 2018 at PSG Wealth as a wealth adviser assistant.

M.Bus.Sci., Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries (FFA)
Industry experience: 28 years

Saul joined the Truffle team in 2016 and with over two decades of investment experience plays a key role as one of Truffle’s senior portfolio managers. Saul spent more than 10 years working for RMB Asset Management, managing a range of equity and balanced funds that won numerous unit trust industry awards. Saul then moved to Argon Asset Management, where he was Head of Equity for over four years. During this period, the firm’s equity assets under management grew rapidly from around R8 billion to over R20 billion, and investment performance comfortably exceeded benchmark returns. He was also responsible for implementing Argon’s equity investment philosophy and process.

B.Com. Investment Management
Industry experience: 10 years

Sibusiso joined Truffle’s investment team in 2020 and is responsible for all Trading and analysis. He gained 5 years’ experience at STANLIB Asset Management starting as a quantitative analyst in the Absolute Return team. This role involved maintaining the fund’s asset allocation, derivative, and risk analysis reports. Thereafter he went on to join the equity trading desk specialising in equity and foreign exchange trading.

M.Com., CFA
Industry experience: 31 years

Sophié-Marié has been part of the Truffle team since 2016 and with almost three decades as an equity analyst and portfolio manager, brings deep experience and expertise to the investment team. She began her career at RMB Asset Management as a trainee analyst and progressed to a senior investment professional, responsible for equity research, and co-management of various unit trusts. During this time, these unit trust funds won several Raging Bull and Morningstar awards. In 2011, Sophié-Marié joined Argon Asset Management, where she served a dual role as both equity analyst and co-manager of all the equity funds under management, before joining Truffle.

CA(SA), CFA
Industry experience: 19 years

Thishan joined Truffle in 2014 as an Equity Analyst and has developed a deep and broad research experience. Thishan currently focuses on SA Retail, Diversified Miners, Tobacco, Paper and Property sectors. He began his career in the financial services and investment management division of PwC and once he’d completed his articles, Thishan then joined RMB Asset Management as a junior equity analyst. He focused on the RMB Small and Mid-Cap Fund and later covered larger industrial and financial companies. In 2012, Thishan joined Kumba Iron Ore as a senior strategy analyst and served as a trustee on their Pension and Provident Fund, as well as a member of their Investment Committee.

B.Com. Quantitative Finance, CFA
Industry experience: 12 years

Vuyolwethu joined Truffle in 2021 as an ESG Analyst adding both equity research and ESG experience to the team. Vuyolwethu started her career in financial services in 2014, working in the manager research team of Nedgroup Investments. Iin 2017, she joined Perpetua Investment Managers as an equity analyst, where she was responsible for research coverage across various sectors including Financials, Consumer discretionary, and Paper and packaging. During this time, she was also responsible for conducting ESG research and the improvement of ESG processes within the firm’s broader investment process.

B.Com. (Hons) Financial Analysis & Portfolio Management, CFA

Thandi joined Truffle in 2023 to head up the Institutional Distribution strategy. She began her career at Investec Bank in 2010 before joining the Investec Bank Australia team one year later, where she consulted on treasury products to retail clients and superannuation funds. In 2012, she moved to Investec Wealth and Investment. In 2019, Thandi moved away from private client investments into the institutional space, joining Benguela Global Fund Managers to head up their Business Development team.

B.Com. Financial Accounting, (Hons) Management Accounting, CIMA

Felicity joined Truffle in 2025 as Client Operations Manager adding valuable experience and skill to Truffle’s client services. Felicity began her career at State Street Southern Africa in 2011 as a Fund accountant and progressed to Client Reporting Manager, responsible for servicing Institutional Offshore clients within the asset owner and sovereign wealth division. Felicity then joined Mergence Investment managers as a Client Relationship Manager and was appointed Team lead in 2023, leading a team responsible for Investment operations as well as forming a vital link between a variety of business units and third-party relationships.

B.Com. (Hons) Economics, Risk, & Investment Management

Gerda joined Truffle Asset Management in 2024 as a Client Services Specialist and has since transitioned into a role in Retail Distribution. She started her career at Harbour Advisory as a Financial Advisor and Fund Analyst. During this time, she completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning and obtained the CFP® title. She has a passion for investment management and is committed to ensuring that clients achieve their financial objectives.

B.Com. Finance and Economics

Muhluri Sombhane joined Truffle as a Client Service Specialist in 2026. She began her career at Momentum Metropolitan in the retail financial services environment, where she developed a strong foundation in client service, before moving to Benguela Global Fund Managers. At Benguela, she gained experience in institutional business development support and client-facing roles within the asset management industry.

Professional Assistant and Reception (Cape Town)

Natalie joined Truffle’s Cape Town office in July 2023 as a professional assistant, filling a much-needed role in supporting our senior investment team as the business continues to grow and evolve. Natalie has developed extensive expertise working across all organizational levels to support delivery of business strategies and create operational efficiencies. She also has investment and wealth management industry experience having previously worked at Northern Cross Wealth Management in the position of professional assistant and office manager where she helped facilitate and manage the framework in client servicing, regulatory compliance, finance, and operational support functions.

B.Com. (Hons) Economics

Zai joined Truffle as a Distribution Intern in May 2024. She completed a Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Economics and Finance before pursuing her Honours in Economics at the University of Cape Town.

B.Com. Economics, LLB, PGDip in Financial Planning

Keitumetse joined the Truffle team in June 2024 to head up the Legal, Compliance, and Risk division. She was admitted as an attorney in 2016. Keitu began her career in financial services at PSG Wealth, starting in compliance and later being appointed as the Legal Manager where she was responsible for providing legal advice, contract management, oversight of regulatory compliance, and helping the group mitigate risk in areas such as wealth management, retail fund investments, linked life insurance, and retirement funds. Prior to joining Truffle, Keitumetse was part of the legal team at the Public Investment Corporation.

B.Bus.Sci., CA (SA)

Tiisetso joined Truffle in 2025 to head up Investment Operations. She began her career with Nedbank as part of their Chartered Accountant training programme and continued to work in Nedbank’s Rest of Africa division once completing her CA(SA) articles. She joined Allan Gray in 2017 where she spent 5 years working within the Pan and ex-Africa Operations team and later managing the Investment Accounting team. Prior to joining Truffle, Tiisetso was the Manager of Investment Operations at Ashburton Investments, responsible for overseeing their Manco operational processes.

Bella provides a fundamental service to our staff and visitors. She is responsible for administrative and support tasks in the Johannesburg office and ensures efficient management of all office supplies.

B.Com. Accounting

Ethel joined Truffle’s graduate internship programme in 2022 and has remained in the business as a Finance Assistant. After completing a B.Com. Accounting degree, Ethel started her career at Telesure Investment Holdings in the finance operations team. She is an ambitious and self-driven individual.

B.Com. (Hons)

Namhla joined Truffle in February 2024 as part of Truffle’s graduate internship programme. After completing her B.Com. (Hons) Investment Management degree, she spent three months in Retail Banking at Access Bank and a further 6 months as an Academic Tutor.

B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. Mathematical Statistics, Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM), CFA

Nicholas began an internship at Truffle in 2013 where he managed fund data for clients. In 2014, he officially joined the Truffle team as a Quantitative Analyst. His current responsibilities include developing tools to assist the investment team, calculating fund performance for attribution and contribution reports, data management, and order management on the trading system. Nicholas is passionate about increasing efficiency via automation.

B.Com. Financial Accounting, Professional Accountant (SA), Professional Tax Practitioner (SA)

Prudence joined Truffle in 2022 as the Accountant and Administration Officer. She started her career as a South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) article clerk in 2016 and qualified as a member in 2018. Prudence then worked as an accountant at Mackinnon Anderson for 2 years. She is a motivated and driven individual who strives for excellence and client satisfaction.

B.Compt., Associate General Accountant (AGA) (SA)

Thelma joined the Truffle team in 2012 as a senior administrator and has over 25 years of experience. She has previously worked in administration in the stockbroking, asset management, and hedge fund industries where she gained a wealth of invaluable experience.

Vida handles all administrative support tasks for Truffle’s Cape Town office. She has many years of experience as a receptionist and ensures the office runs smoothly.

B.Com. (Hons) Investment Management
Industry experience: 31 years

Iain leads the investment team and plays a key role in the strategic direction of the business. He has been part of the Truffle team since 2010, when he joined to work with the founders as a senior portfolio manager. Iain previously worked at RMB Asset Management where he held various positions, including serving as a member of the Board of Directors and the Management Board, and fulfilling the role of a senior investment professional in the equity team. Iain was keen to join a smaller, owner-managed asset management business where he could be part of building a larger concern, and has been key to Truffle’s growth over the last 15 years.

CA(SA), M.Com. Taxation

Craig joined Truffle in 2018 as Truffle’s COO bringing over 20 years of industry experience. Craig began his career at Standard Bank where he provided securities services and solutions to asset managers, global banks, pension funds, and the collective investment scheme (CIS) industry. From there he moved on to design, develop, and implement fund administration operations for two Nigerian banks as well as a South African CIS management company. As part of this role, Craig was responsible for providing Truffle with outsourced fund administration and management company service for many years.

B.Com. Investment Management

Louis is one of the founding members of Truffle. He joined RMB in 1988 after graduating. He started trading in the fledgling equity derivatives markets and found his niche in arbitrage and structuring activities in the equity market. Louis then headed up the equities division of RMB until 2002, where he was responsible for the proprietary trading, structuring, stockbroking, commodities, scrip lending, and futures clearing activities. During this time, Louis served on the RMB Board, as well as on the Exco of the JSE and SAFEX. He then left RMB in 2002 to take up the position of CEO of RMB Asset Management, one of the largest asset managers in South Africa, managing assets in excess of R200 billion at the time. In 2008, Louis left, and established Truffle with Hannes van der Westhuyzen. Louis retired in 2021 and served three years as Chairman of the Board at Truffle.

B.Com. (Hons) Financial Analysis & Portfolio Management

Mcebo has more than 7 years’ experience in financial services and investment management having joined RBH from Barclays, where he worked as an Investment Banking Analyst in Corporate Finance and M&A. He gained experience with a focus on research and analysis across various sectors as well as company valuations and financial modelling. Prior to joining Barclays, he worked as an Operations Consultant at Allan Gray where his focus areas were client services and investment administration. Mcebo represents Royal Bafokeng Holdings as a director at Royal Investment Managers.

B.Bus.Sci. (Hons) Finance

Zama has extensive experience in the investment industry and works with Truffle’s distribution team and the Board in its asset raising initiatives within the retail industry. Her asset management career began in 2004 when she joined Coronation Fund Managers as an investment specialist in the retail distribution team. After 10 years, she left to join the Debt Capital Markets distribution team at RMB where she assisted various corporates and SOEs raise debt capital from asset managers in bond auctions and private placements.