The AMETF Built for People Who Don’t Want to Time the Market

At the start of the year, when tax planning and long-term investing come back into focus, EasyEquities’ Marketing Officer Carly Esterhuizen sat down with Anthea Gardner, founder and managing partner of Cartesian Capital Asset Management.A familiar face to the EasyEquities community, Anthea has been managing money on the platform for nearly a decade and is also the author of a bestselling personal finance book on building sustainable wealth.

Their conversation explored why timing the market rarely works, why structure often matters more than predictions, and why actively managed ETFs are increasingly resonating with long-term South African investors.

Are Actively Managed ETFs New?

Actively managed ETFs are not new. Globally, what has changed in South Africa is their accessibility and relevance to everyday investors.

• Retirement Annuity
• ZAR Wallet
• Preservation Pension Fund
• Preservation Provident Fund
• Tax-free savings accounts

As David explained in the webinar, passive ETFs laid the foundation for exchange-traded investing over the past 25 years. Actively managed ETFs represent the next evolution: building on that foundation by combining professional decision-making with the transparency and liquidity investors already expect from ETFs.

What Is an Actively Managed ETF?

An actively managed ETF is a fund that trades on the stock exchange, just like a share, but instead of tracking an index, it’s managed by an investment team making ongoing decisions. To learn more, here's an infographic that breaks down the key components of an AMETF. You can also check our courses at EasyAcademy. 

Inside the Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced Actively Managed ETF

The ETF launching on 20 January is the Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced Actively Managed ETF, and its mandate reflects deliberate choices rather than trend-following.

Anthea explained that the decision to launch a balanced fund was closely tied to how people actually invest for long-term goals.

• The portfolio is structured with approximately 60% exposure to equities and 40% to fixed income and property, allowing it to participate in market growth while managing risk through diversification.
  
  
• The intended investment horizon is three to five years, acknowledging that markets are volatile and that trying to time entries and exits consistently is unrealistic. The strategy is designed to stay invested through cycles, not react to them.

Why Use an ETF Structure for Active Management?

Why Investors Are Paying More Attention to Actively Managed ETFs

Many investors want:

• the discipline and oversight of active management

• the transparency and liquidity of an ETF

• flexibility to use the investment across different account types

Actively managed ETFs bring all of this together, offering professional decision-making without opaque structures or delayed pricing.

Why Regulation 28 Compliance Is a Big Deal

Anthea explained that the Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced Actively Managed ETF was deliberately structured as a balanced fund and is Regulation 28 compliant, meaning it can be used in retirement annuities, pension and provident funds, tax-free savings accounts, and discretionary portfolios

She shared that this decision was driven by concern over South Africa’s low savings rate and the growing responsibility individuals have to fund their own retirements. The balanced mandate allows the fund to be used where it matters most, in long-term, tax-efficient investment vehicles.

The portfolio is structured with approximately 60% exposure to equities and 40% to fixed income and property, reflecting Cartesian’s view that equities still offer long-term opportunity, while bonds and income assets play an important role in managing volatility.

Active vs Passive: Why the Real Question Is Risk, Not Cost

The webinar addressed one of the most persistent misconceptions in investing - that active management is only about higher fees.

• Passive funds aim to track the market, which means investors are generally exposed to both market gains and market downturns.
• Active management is about navigating those swings intentionally, even if it means paying for expertise.

She also highlighted the role of boutique fund managers, explaining that smaller teams often have greater flexibility than large institutions. They aren’t forced to hold everything in the market and can act more decisively when opportunities arise. That flexibility doesn’t guarantee outcomes, but it explains why many investors value the approach.

Why This ETF Is Built for Investors Who Don’t Want to Time the Market

Throughout the discussion, one idea remained constant: markets cannot be timed consistently.

This ETF isn’t designed for investors trying to predict the next move or react to every headline. It assumes investors are human, that emotions play a role, and that good structure can support better behaviour.

As Carly noted, many investors using RAs and TFSAs are looking for high-equity exposure with professional oversight because they want confidence in their long-term plan.

The Bigger Picture for Actively Managed ETFs in South Africa

The Cartesian EasyETFs Balanced Actively Managed ETF wasn’t built for investors who want to outsmart the market.

It was built for investors who want to stay invested, across market cycles, tax seasons, and life changes, without feeling like success depends on perfect timing.

Sometimes, the smartest investing decision is choosing a structure that lets you stop watching the clock altogether.

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EasyETFs (RF) (Pty) Ltd (“EasyETFs”) (previously known as the Cloud Atlas (RF) (Pty) Ltd), the registered collective investment scheme manager of the EasyETF scheme (previously known as the Cloud Atlas scheme), which is a collective investment scheme in securities (the “Scheme”) approved by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. The Scheme is an authorised issuer of exchange traded funds (“ETFs”) on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

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