Meet Kim Rassou, Head of Discretionary Fund Management (DFM), Symmetry

Kim Rassou has over 20 years of experience in financial services, spanning portfolio management and analysis, investment solutions, manager research, asset allocation, distribution, as well as strategic initiatives. Kim holds a BCom Honours degree in Finance from the University of the Western Cape and an MBA in Finance from Stellenbosch Business School.

How did you get involved in financial services, and was it something you always wanted to do?

I didn’t grow up imagining a career in financial services. I was raised in the Cape Flats and went to Harold Cressy High School in Cape Town. We grew up with very little, and we never spoke about money or long‑term planning at home. My parents had limited opportunities to study further due to apartheid – my dad was incredibly intelligent but became an artisan – so financial literacy simply wasn’t part of our world. I initially studied accounting, and my path into financial services happened more by chance than intention. I grabbed the opportunities that came my way: starting out in back‑office operations at Coronation and later becoming an investment analyst at Satrix. It was during that time that I realised how much of a difference I could make by helping ordinary South Africans make better financial decisions. That sense of purpose pushed me to invest in my own education. I completed a postgraduate degree in Finance and Investments and later an MBA specialising in Finance – strengthening both my technical expertise and my ability to influence strategically. These studies anchored my commitment to helping shape a more inclusive and informed financial future for South Africans.

What was your first investment – and do you still have it?

My first real experience with saving came from a simple BOB T savings account my parents opened for us when we were young. We saved our holiday money, birthday money – whatever small amounts we could. Over time, those little contributions grew enough to help fund my first year at university. That taught me one of the most powerful lessons in finance: small, consistent savings can change your future. I don’t have that account anymore, but I’m still an FNB client today.

What have been your best – and worst – financial moments?

Best: My best financial moment was being able to create stability and opportunity for my family, something my parents never had access to. Building a foundation of generational security from where I started is something I’m incredibly proud of. I remained cautious with money and learnt early in life the importance of saving for a rainy day.

Worst: My toughest financial period was figuring out how to fund my own studies. This taught me grit – the combination of passion, perseverance, and sustained effort toward long‑term goals. With very little support, I had to self‑fund most of my education, studying part‑time while working. Balancing everything was overwhelming at times, but it taught me resilience, discipline, and the importance of creating opportunities even when resources are limited.

What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned in the finance industry? 

A few lessons have stayed with me throughout my journey:

• Education changes outcomes.
• We’re entrusted with investing the hard-earned savings that people rely on for a dignified retirement.
• Start early, even if the amounts are small.
• Time in the market beats timing the market.
• Ignore the noise and stay focused on long‑term goals.
• Compounding is one of the most powerful, and underrated, forces in investing.
• Simplicity often wins.
• Markets will humble you – stay grounded.
• Good advice matters.
• Purpose leads performance.

What makes a good investment in today’s economic environment?

In a volatile market where asset prices have run hard, valuations are stretched, and uncertainty remains elevated, it’s more important than ever to focus on delivering consistent, risk‑adjusted returns. Strong investing rests on sound valuation principles, disciplined risk management, and realistic expectations about future outcomes. Last year was an excellent one for our clients. We had positioned the portfolios with meaningful exposure to South African assets well before sentiment turned, allowing us to benefit from the local market’s 40% rally. But at Symmetry, performance is never about a one‑year wonder. What matters most – and what I’m proudest of – is our top‑quartile performance over 10 years. Our investment process has enabled us to deliver a robust, decade‑long track record while prioritising stability through periods of market stress. In our living annuity solutions, we blend hedge funds and smoothed bonus strategies to deliver meaningful returns with built‑in downside protection – supporting retirees with more stable, dependable income outcomes.

What finance/investment trends and macroeconomic realities are currently on your watchlist?

Some of the key themes we’re watching closely include:

• The ongoing evolution of DFM models and how they support better adviser and client outcomes.
• Growing interest in private and alternative assets. With the shrinking listed universe, more retail investors are seeking inflation‑beating opportunities, but access remains limited due to liquidity constraints – something we are actively exploring at Symmetry.
• The rising use of hedge funds by investors seeking downside protection in case of a market sell‑off.
• Global de‑dollarisation, which is reshaping currency dynamics and long‑term capital flows.
• A highly polarised geopolitical environment, influencing volatility, commodity markets, supply chains, and global risk sentiment.
• The commodity and AI booms – understanding what’s driving them, how sustainable they are, and how long these themes may persist.
• AI’s accelerating impact on financial services, from research to portfolio construction to client engagement.
• Symmetry’s own technology journey, where we’ve invested in digital tools to enhance service delivery, deepen adviser engagement, and scale our capabilities.

What are some of the best books on finance/investing that you’ve read – and why would you recommend them? 

Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb stands out as one of the most influential books I’ve read because it fundamentally reshaped how I think about markets. Taleb highlights how much of what we attribute to ‘skill’ in investing is often the product of randomness, survivorship bias, and sheer luck. The book reinforced the idea that alpha is a blend of skill and luck – and that failing to distinguish the two leads to poor investment decisions. It taught me to think probabilistically when constructing portfolios, to build resilience into portfolio design, and to distinguish signal from noise in a world overloaded with information. Most importantly, it emphasised the value of risk management and downside protection, which are often the true determinants of long-term investment success.