Choosing your funds

What funds are available?

Fynbos offers a curated selection of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and unit trusts from reputable providers including 10X Investments, Satrix, Sygnia, 1nvest, Allan Gray, FNB, and Coronation.

• ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds): Low-cost funds that track an index, sector, or asset class

• Unit trusts: Actively or passively managed funds with specific investment mandates

• Money market funds: Lower-risk funds that earn daily interest, used for instant liquidity accounts

The funds available depend on your account type. Tax-Free Savings Accounts and Investment accounts have access to a wide range of ETFs.

Fund types by account

Different account types have access to different funds based on their purpose and regulatory requirements.

Emergency Savings and Savings pots automatically invest in the Allan Gray Money Market Fund for instant liquidity. For other accounts, you choose your own funds.

How to browse available funds

When setting up your investment strategy, you can browse and filter the full list of available funds.

1. Navigate to your Tax-Free Savings or Investment Account

2. Tap Edit strategy or New strategy

3. Browse the list of available funds

Use the filter chips at the top to narrow your search:

• Region: Filter by Domestic (South African) or Foreign (global) funds

• Asset class: Filter by Equity, Bond, Property, Commodity, Multi-asset, Income, or Money market

• Sharia: Show only Sharia-compliant funds

• Selected: Show only funds you've already added to your strategy

Tap any fund to view more details, including its description, performance chart, and fact sheet.

Understanding fund information

Each fund displays key information to help you make an informed decision.

Fund name and symbol

The fund name describes what the fund invests in. The symbol is a short code used to identify the fund (e.g., STXWDM for Satrix MSCI World).

Description

A brief summary of what the fund tracks or invests in. For example:

• 10x Total World: Tracks 9000+ global companies of all sizes

• Satrix MSCI World: Tracks medium to large companies across 23 developed markets

• Sygnia Itrix S&P 500: Tracks the 500 largest companies in the US

Provider

The fund manager responsible for the fund. Fynbos partners with established South African providers like Satrix, Sygnia, 10X, Allan Gray, and FNB.

Performance chart

A visual representation of the fund's price over time. You can view performance over different periods (1M, 3M, 6M, 1Y, 3Y, 5Y, Max) by tapping the period selector.

Important: Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. Use performance data to understand how a fund has behaved historically, not to predict future results.

Understanding fees: TER and TIC

Funds charge fees that are deducted from your returns. These are expressed as percentages per year.

TER (Total Expense Ratio)

The TER represents the annual cost of running the fund, including management fees and administrative costs. It's expressed as a percentage of your investment.

For example, a TER of 0.25% means you pay R25 per year for every R10,000 invested.

TIC (Total Investment Charge)

The TIC includes the TER plus any additional costs like trading fees. It gives a more complete picture of what you'll pay.

What this means for you:

• Lower TER/TIC means more of your returns stay in your pocket

• Passive index funds typically have lower fees than actively managed funds

• Fynbos ETFs range from 0.10% to 1.75% TIC depending on the fund

Reading a fund fact sheet

Every fund has a fact sheet — a document published by the fund provider with detailed information about the fund.

To view a fact sheet:

1. Tap on any fund from the fund list

2. Tap Fund fact sheet at the bottom of the fund detail screen

A typical fact sheet includes:

• Investment objective: What the fund aims to achieve

• Benchmark: The index or target the fund measures itself against

• Holdings: The top companies or assets the fund owns

• Performance: Historical returns over various time periods

• Risk profile: How volatile the fund is expected to be

• Fees: TER, TIC, and any other applicable charges

Fact sheets are updated monthly or quarterly by the fund provider.

Choosing funds for your strategy

When selecting funds for your investment strategy, consider these factors:

Diversification

Don't put all your money in one fund. Spread across different regions, asset classes, and sectors to reduce risk.

Example of a diversified strategy:

• 50% in a global equity fund (e.g., Satrix MSCI World)

• 30% in an emerging markets fund (e.g., Satrix MSCI Emerging Markets)

• 20% in a bond fund (e.g., Satrix SA Bond)

Time horizon

The longer you're investing, the more risk you can typically afford to take.

• Long-term (10+ years): Higher equity allocation is generally suitable

• Medium-term (5-10 years): Balance between equity and bonds

• Short-term (under 5 years): Consider lower-risk options like bonds or money market

Cost

Lower-cost funds tend to outperform higher-cost funds over the long term. Compare TER/TIC when choosing between similar funds.

Simplicity

If you're unsure, a single global equity fund like 10x Total World or Satrix MSCI World gives you exposure to thousands of companies worldwide.

Curated strategies vs custom strategies

Fynbos offers two approaches to setting your strategy:

Curated strategies

Pre-built single-fund strategies from trusted providers. Choose one fund and allocate 100% to it. This is the simplest option for most investors.

Custom strategies

Build your own portfolio by selecting multiple funds and setting your allocation percentages. Available for Tax-Free Savings and Investment accounts.

1. Tap Custom strategy from the curated strategies screen

2. Select the funds you want to include

3. Set the percentage allocation for each fund (must total 100%)

4. Review and confirm your strategy