The fund
- has been managing beneficiary fund benefits since 2009
- manages billions in assets for thousands of beneficiaries
The purpose of a beneficiary fund is to manage the assets of both minor and major beneficiaries (who can’t manage their funds) when a member of a pension, provident and risk-only fund dies.
Beneficiaries are the dependants or nominees of deceased employees or retirement fund members who are entitled to death benefits.
The beneficiary can either be:
- MINOR – under the age of 18
- MAJOR – over the age of 18
Benefits paid into the fund
The following benefits can be paid into a beneficiary fund:
- Approved retirement fund benefits: death benefits from retirement funds in terms of section 37C of the Pension Funds Act. Death benefits are payments made from a retirement fund policy or employment-related insurance policy to a deceased employee’s beneficiaries.
- Unapproved benefits: for example, employment-related group life insurance policies.
When trustees of a retirement fund conduct their investigation into how the deceased member’s benefits should be distributed, they can decide to have the benefits paid to a beneficiary fund instead of paying the lump-sum benefit to the guardian or caregiver. The beneficiary fund will then pay a monthly instalment to the guardian or caregiver of the major or minor beneficiary.
Why choose the fund
With our beneficiary fund, you’ll get:
- cost-effective, efficient and practical solutions for distributing death benefits to beneficiaries
- a professional board of trustees who run the fund according to the rules and in the beneficiaries’ best interests
- no fee differentiation
- economies of scale – lower costs because of our size
- an individually managed sub-account
- a Regulation 28 compliant Lifestage model for the investment of funds
- regular communication
- Benefits for Beneficiaries: a digital shopping mall for valuable savings and discounts on everyday products
AF Rewards gives our members valuable discounts on day-to-day goods
This digital shopping mall offers members valuable savings and discounts on everyday products and services. The benefit partners and discounts are updated monthly for a truly dynamic and exciting online shopping experience. One platform, leading brand names, multiple benefits. There is something for everyone and there is no subscription fee.
This is what members get:
- Supermarket coupons (Shoprite, Checkers, Checkers Hyper and Pick n Pay): save on day-to-day necessities with exclusive prices from leading retail chains.
- Wellness coupons (Dis-Chem): stay healthy and save the next time you shop for health and wellness products.
- Travel deals (Randgo): expert agents guiding you to find holiday and travel solutions.
- Airtime deals (Vodacom, Virgin Mobile, Telkom Mobile, Cell C and MTN): access to discounts on airtime and data from South Africa’s leading providers.
More information on the rewards programme.
AF+ (Financial solutions all in one place)
AF+ is a new online platform that will connect you to a wide range of carefully selected (curated) financial solutions – all in one place. The contents of the platform will also change regularly to keep you up to date with the latest products and solutions.
We’ve taken the hard work out of doing your own online research by giving you easy access to products and services that you can trust. AF+ will also help you improve your credit score, compare insurance and home loan quotes, invest digitally, and more.
More information on AF+.
The trustees of the fund
The trustees of the fund collectively have over 100 years of industry experience. They make sure that the fund meets all its financial and legal commitments. Each trustee has an area of expertise to add value to the management of the fund.
- The fund is managed by a board of six trustees made up of:
- three external trustees appointed by the board
- three internal trustees appointed by the sponsor – Alexander Forbes Financial Services (Pty) Ltd
The trustees formally meet four times a year to review the legal, benefit, financial and governance framework of the fund. An annual investment workshop is also held to review the investment framework and consider new developments in the investment industry applicable to retirement funds. Sub-committee meetings are in place to deal with the day-to-day running of the fund.
“Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future”. – John Fitzgerald Kennedy