Discretionary Fund Management (DFM)
The art and science of the portfolio
Why choose our DFM?
Choosing the right investment partner matters. Hollard Investments’ Discretionary Fund Management (DFM) service is built to give financial advisers and their clients a streamlined, expertly managed and fully optimised investment experience.
Smarter portfolio management
In the context of the South African financial planning industry, a DFM is a professional asset manager that provides expert investment services to financial advisers and their clients. A credible DFM blends asset allocation, fund selection, risk management and portfolio construction into cohesive client portfolios, relieving advisers of the time and effort required to research markets, assess managers and continuously rebalance investment exposures. This allows advisers to focus on what they do best: strengthening client relationships and delivering meaningful advice.
Backed by expert oversight
With Hollard’s DFM, advisers gain access to institutional-grade portfolio construction, active oversight and disciplined investment processes designed to deliver consistent, risk-aligned outcomes across market cycles. Our goal is to carry the heavy lifting of investment management while empowering advisers with clarity, confidence and strong alignment to client objectives.
Why Discretionary Fund Management?
A well-designed portfolio is one of the strongest determinants of long-term investment success. As highlighted by Hollard’s investment specialists, portfolio construction is both an art and a science, requiring expert design, robust methodology and a deep understanding of how different return drivers behave in different economic environments.
A DFM allows advisers to outsource these complexities to a dedicated investment team that evaluates asset classes, style factors and market opportunities with discipline and precision. The result is a stronger alignment with stated objectives and a higher likelihood of achieving targeted client outcomes.
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Our approach to portfolio construction
Realistic portfolio settings
We calibrate risk capacity, investment terms and return targets to ensure they remain achievable through various market cycles. Each portfolio is built with clarity and purpose, improving the likelihood of meeting long-term goals.
Quality diversification
Diversification is more than adding more asset classes, managers or investment strategies. To achieve enhanced diversification and all-weather outcomes, we use a multi-strategy, multi-management approach which is underpinned by our forward-looking manager rating process. This approach enables us to make the appropriate manager changes when needed, whilst maintaining an optimal mix of underlying managers.
In designing fund solutions, we first seek to understand the core drivers and dynamics of asset class returns and risks in different valuation and economic scenarios.
Blended active and indexed exposure
We construct our solutions using a deliberate blend of both active and passive/indexed building blocks, ensuring clients benefit from cost‑effective market exposure while still capturing targeted sources of excess return.
Passive components provide efficient, transparent access to broad market indices, helping to keep overall portfolio costs and volatility low. Active managers are introduced where market inefficiencies, specialist insights or differentiated styles can add meaningful long‑term value.
By combining these complementary approaches within a robust, risk‑aware framework, we aim to deliver more consistent, repeatable outcomes across market cycles for clients.
Clarity and consistency in every portfolio
Hollard’s Discretionary Fund Management solutions provide advisers with robust, research-driven portfolios designed to keep clients on track, supported by disciplined processes that stay aligned with investor goals.
Need to get in touch with us?
Call us on 0860 202 202 or email
customercare@hollardinvestments.co.za