DIY Investing

Plan your savings step by step. Choose between a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), a Retirement Annuity (RA), or a direct investment. Pick your fund, pick your platform, enter your monthly amounts and timeline, and see what your money could be worth in the end.

Step 1: Choose Your Account Type

Before picking an investment, you need to choose the "container" (account) your money lives in. Each has different tax rules and access conditions.

Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA)

How it works: You can invest up to R46 000 per tax year (lifetime limit of R500 000). Exceeding the annual or lifetime TFSA limits triggers a 40% SARS penalty tax on the excess amount.

Taxes: 100% tax-free. You pay zero tax on interest, dividends, or capital gains.

Access: You can take money out anytime, but withdrawals permanently reduce your once-off lifetime allowance.

Best for: Long-term, untouched growth.

Retirement Annuity (RA)

How it works: Built specifically for retirement.

Taxes: Cuts your income tax today. You can deduct contributions from your taxable income (up to 27.5% of earnings, capped at R430 000 per year). Growth inside the fund is tax-free.

Access & Rules: Your money is locked until age 55. By law (Regulation 28), you cannot put all your money in offshore shares; it must be diversified across local equities, bonds, and cash.

Best for: Saving for retirement while lowering your income tax bill.

Direct Investment (Standard Brokerage)

How it works: A standard, flexible investment account.

Taxes: No special tax relief. You pay income tax on interest above the annual exemption and capital gains tax on your profits when you sell.

Access & Rules: Complete freedom. No limits on how much you deposit, no restrictions on which funds you buy, and you can withdraw anytime.

Best for: Investing once your TFSA is full, or if you need full access before age 55.

Step 2: Compare Funds

Different funds serve different goals. Some track an entire index at low cost, while others pay a team of managers to balance risk across multiple asset classes.

(Important: By law, an RA must follow Regulation 28 rules. Pure US equity funds like STX500 and SYG500 cannot be held as a standalone 100% investment inside an RA.)

Fund	Type	Yearly Running Fee (TIC)	YTD Return*	3-Year Return (p.a.)*	5-Year Return (p.a.)*
Sygnia S&P 500 (SYG500)	100% US Shares (Index ETF)	0.19%	9.8%	14.3%%	14.7%
Satrix S&P 500 (STX500)	100% US Shares (Index ETF)	0.25%	9.8%	14.2%%	14.6%
Sygnia Skeleton 70	Multi-Asset (Shares, Bonds, Cash)	0.50%	7.1%	11.4%%	11.8%
Allan Gray Balanced	Multi-Asset (Shares, Bonds, Cash)	1.71% (3-year)	6.6%	15.2%%	14.1%

*Returns are annualised total returns after fund fees, with distributions reinvested, based on recent fund fact sheets (mid-2026). Past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.

Step 3: Compare Direct Platforms

You don't need an intermediary to open these accounts. You can sign up directly online. Here is how these South African platforms compare on running costs:

Sygnia funds cannot be bought on the Allan Gray platform.

EasyEquities

Account types: TFSA, RA, Discretionary Brokerage.

Platform administration fee: 0.00% per year (No ongoing platform fee; charges ~0.25% per trade plus a small monthly platform access fee if trading criteria aren't met).

Best suited for: Low-cost index tracking, fractional shares, and complete DIY control.

Sygnia (Direct)

Account types: TFSA, RA, Unit Trusts.

Platform administration fee: 0.00% to 0.20% per year (Zero platform fee if you invest directly in Sygnia's own funds).

Best suited for: Low-cost index funds, low-cost multi-asset RAs (Skeleton series).

Allan Gray (Direct)

Account types: TFSA, RA, Unit Trusts.

Platform administration fee: 0.00% on Allan Gray's own funds (charges up to 0.50% per year for hosting third-party funds).

Best suited for: Traditional active multi-asset investing directly with the manager.

Herenya Capital

Account types: Direct investment ETFs.

Platform administration fee: 0.00% per year.

Once-off commission: 0.3% premium brokerage to buy ETFs.

Step 4: Model Your Growth

Use this interactive tool to estimate your potential balance based on regular monthly contributions.

Your current age Target withdrawal age Monthly contribution Annual inflation

Assumed annual growth rate

Show values in

Prefilled with the fund's historical return. Adjust this number to test different market conditions.

16.3% a year since 30 October 2017 is already after the 0.19% TIC.

Past performance is not an indicator of future performance. Growth rates shown are purely illustrative and not guaranteed.

Yearly Running Fee (TIC) 0.19%
Platform administration fee 0.00% per year
Once-off commission ~0.25% per trade

Monthly contributions stop once the R500 000 lifetime limit is reached. After that, only compounding continues. Exceeding the annual or lifetime TFSA limits triggers a 40% SARS penalty tax on the excess amount.

Projected Portfolio Value
Total capital you put in

Nominal rands

Projected Portfolio Value R 24 885 448

Total capital you put in R 500 000

Growth from compounding R 24 385 448

(Calculations are for illustrative education only and exclude future tax changes. Contributions rise once a year with the inflation rate. Nominal rands are future money. Real rands are today's buying power.)