Fairtree welcomes Hannes van den Berg back to the team

Fairtree is pleased to announce that Hannes van den Berg will be rejoining the business on 1 October 2026, bringing more than 22 years of investment industry experience to the team. 

Hannes returns to Fairtree after more than nine years at Ninety One, where he served as Co-Head of SA Equity & Multi-Asset within the 4Factor team. In this role, he had portfolio management responsibilities across the general equity and balanced strategies, as well as equity hedge funds. 

Hannes previously spent nine years at Fairtree, where he was a portfolio manager and analyst, and established the equities trading desk. 

 “We are very excited to welcome Hannes back to Fairtree. Having worked together before, we know that we share the same values and approach to investing. Over the past two decades, Fairtree has built an established and experienced investment team with a strong track record across all our capabilities. Hannes brings significant investment experience and a deep understanding of our industry, and we look forward to the role he will play as we continue to pursue investment excellence and deliver strong outcomes for our clients,” said Kobus Nel, Fairtree Group CEO. 

He will take on a role as a portfolio manager within Fairtree’s hedge fund capabilities, while also playing a role in Fairtree’s multi-asset strategies. Further details regarding his responsibilities will be communicated at a later stage. 

Hannes will further play a key role in advancing Fairtree’s long-term strategy and supporting the continued growth of its hedge fund capability and multi-asset strategies. He will work alongside Fairtree’s established teams to build on their strong track record and maintain a clear focus on delivering investment excellence for clients, while remaining anchored in the values and culture that define Fairtree. 

About Hannes van den Berg  

Hannes has more than 22 years of experience in the investment industry. He was Co-Head of SA Equity & Multi-Asset within the 4Factor team at Ninety One, where he had portfolio management responsibilities across the general equity and balanced strategies, as well as equity hedge funds. Hannes previously spent nine years at Fairtree, where he was a portfolio manager and also held roles as an analyst and Head of the Equities Trading Desk. Earlier in his career, he held various positions within the Sanlam Group, including as a founding member of MiWay Insurance and a member of the Group Corporate Finance team. He began his career completing his articles at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Hannes holds a Bachelor of Accounting Honours degree and a Master of Accounting degree, both from Stellenbosch University. He is a CA(SA) and a CFA® charterholder.