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Ninety One Plc

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FY2021 Annual Report · Ninety One Plc
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Investing  
for 30 years

Integrated Annual Report 2021

 
 
 
 
 
Sustainably built over

years

We thank our clients for their support 
over the last thirty years and owe a 
debt of gratitude to the people who have 
been instrumental in building this special 
business. We could not have done this 
without them, our shareholders and  
the communities in which we operate. 
There is much more yet to come.”

---     Hendrik du Toit 

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

+12% AUM CAGR FY09 – FY20

Scaling post crisis phase

Growing  
in a “world  
of change”

.

n
b
9
0
3
1
£

+19%

AUM CAGR FY98 – FY09

Internationalisation phase

+93% AUM CAGR FY92 – FY98

Domestic growth phase

2
9
Y
F

3
9
Y
F

4
9
Y
F

5
9
Y
F

6
9
Y
F

7
9
Y
F

8
9
Y
F

9
9
Y
F

0
0
Y
F

1

0
Y
F

2
0
Y
F

3
0
Y
F

4
0
Y
F

5
0
Y
F

6
0
Y
F

7
0
Y
F

8
0
Y
F

9
0
Y
F

0
1
Y
F

1
1
Y
F

2
1
Y
F

3
1
Y
F

4
1
Y
F

5
1
Y
F

6
1
Y
F

7
1
Y
F

8
1
Y
F

9
1
Y
F

0
2
Y
F

1
2
Y
F

AUM

Profit before tax and exceptional items

Financial years ended 31 March.

This report is printed on paper certified in accordance with the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) and is recyclable and acid-free. 

Designed and produced by Instinctif Partners, www.creative.instinctif.com

Strategic Report
Ninety One at a Glance

4  
6   Our Business Model
8  

 Chairman and Chief Executive 
Officer’s Statement

Tracking our Strategic Progress

12   Our Strategy
14  
16   Our Stakeholders
19   Our People and Culture
24   Our Shareholders
25   Our Clients 

26  Road to 2030

28  Sustainability
30  Net Zero
32  Sustainability Review 
40   Acting Responsibly as a  

Corporate Citizen

41   Non-Financial Information Statement
42   Financial Review
49   Risk Management
52   Principal Risks

Governance

56   Corporate Governance Report
69  

 DLC Nominations and Directors’  
Affairs Committee Report
 DLC Audit and Risk  
Committee Report
 DLC Sustainability, Social and  
Ethics Committee Report
 DLC Human Capital and Remuneration 
Committee Report

72 

78  

82  

103   Directors’ Report
108    Directors’ Responsibility Statement and 
Certificate by the Company Secretary 
of Ninety One Limited

Financial Statements
112  
Independent Auditor’s Report
122   Consolidated Financial Statements
127  

 Notes to the Consolidated 
Financial Statements

160    Annexure to the Consolidated 

162  

Financial Statements
 Ninety One plc Company  
Financial Statements

Additional Information

170  Glossary 
172  Shareholder Information 

Ninety One is an active investment manager 
investing capital on behalf of its clients to help 
them achieve their long-term financial objectives. 

We set up our business in South Africa in 1991. 
Since then, we have built a substantial global 
footprint from our emerging market origins. 

We remain committed to being active and 
responsible investors. 

Our purpose:
Investing for a better tomorrow
Better firm 
We are building a firm that aims to achieve excellence over 
the long term, with a culture that encourages our people  
to reach their highest potential and puts our clients at the 
centre of our business.

Better investing 
Long-term investment excellence is our primary function 
and is non-negotiable. We aim to provide our clients with 
investment outcomes that allow them to achieve their 
financial goals.

Better world 
We are dedicated to building a better world. We are 
responsible citizens of our societies and natural 
environment.

Front cover image
The Quiver tree, or Kokerboom, is a Southern African succulent. Growing 
as tall as nine metres, the tree provides food and cooling shelter for insects, 
mammals and birds. Its roots have helped people with treatment for asthma 
and tuberculosis. Protected by law in South Africa to prevent removal from 
the wild, the tree is listed as vulnerable and under threat from climate change.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Key numbers 1
(as at 31 March 2021)

1

£130.9bn

2020: £103.4bn
Assets under management (“AUM”)

£206.2m

2020: £189.9m
Adjusted operating profit

£204.1m

2020: £198.5m
Profit before tax

£(0.2)bn

2020: £6.0bn
Net flows

82%

2020: 55%
Investment performance 
(3-year)

17.0p

2020: 16.1p
Adjusted earnings per share

16.9p

2020: 16.8p
Basic earnings per share

23%

2020: 21%
Staff ownership 

Other sources of information
This report, together with various other reports and documents (including our 
Annual Sustainability Report and TCFD Report) can be found on our website:

www.ninetyone.com

1. 

 Please refer to explanations and definitions, including alternative performance measures, on page 47 and pages 
170 to 171 respectively.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationStrategic Report

2

 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s Statement

Ninety One at a Glance

4  
6   Our Business Model
8  
12   Our Strategy
14  
16   Our Stakeholders
19   Our People and Culture
24   Our Shareholders
25   Our Clients 

Tracking our Strategic Progress

26  Road to 2030

28  Sustainability
30  Net Zero
32  Sustainability Review 
40   Acting Responsibly as a Corporate Citizen

41   Non-Financial Information Statement
42   Financial Review
49   Risk Management
52   Principal Risks

People have long been fascinated with giraffes, from these majestic animals 
having their own Egyptian hieroglyph, to being depicted in Salvador Dali 
paintings and inspiring scientists to develop suits for astronauts. Today, the 
various subspecies range from vulnerable to critically endangered as their 
habitats shrink and they’re poached for their meat.

 
 
 
 
 
3

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNinety One at a Glance

4

Ninety One is an active investment manager investing capital on behalf 
of its clients to help them achieve their long-term financial objectives. 

What we do

Launched in South Africa in 1991, Ninety One has developed its substantial global footprint from emerging market roots. 
Today it offers a range of specialist and outcomes-oriented strategies covering multiple asset classes and managed by 
teams with several distinct investment skillsets.

Core asset 
class offerings1

Distinct skillsets

Client demand

£62.7bn
––
Equities

£34.0bn
––
Fixed Income

£22.4bn
––
Multi-asset

£3.5bn
––
Alternatives

4Factor

Quality

Value

Multi-asset

Fixed Income

Alternatives

Our offering provides active specialist and outcomes-oriented strategies

1.  Excluding South African fund platform net assets of c.£8.3bn.

Where we operate

UK AUM 
––
£26.3bn

Europe AUM 
––
£16.8bn

Americas AUM 
––
£16.0bn

Africa AUM 
––
£47.6bn

Asia Pacific AUM 
––
£24.2bn

Investments

Client Group

Operations

1,174 staff 
––

21 offices
––

14 countries
––

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Purpose and culture – the essence of Ninety One

5

Our purpose is simple. Investing for a better tomorrow. It guides our culture, values, strategy and our sense of responsibility. 

Culture
We are a people business. We believe the 
strength of our culture is a source of competitive 
advantage, ensuring a healthy environment 
for debate and exchange of views. This is the 
foundation for our pursuit of enduring investment 
performance and outstanding client service.

One of the key elements of our culture is the 
freedom to create, which we refer to as our 
philosophy of success. It is further supported by 
our metrics of success – results and relationships.

We are building a firm that insists on  
results, excellence and ambition,  
but not at the expense of the  
human spirit. We aim to be  
successful and decent at  
the same time.

Strategic Principles

We are a patient, organic, long-term and 
intergenerational business, which is reflected 
in our consistent strategy, focused around our 
three strategic principles: 
 ɽ   We offer organically developed investment 

capabilities over time. 

 ɽ   We operate globally in both the institutional 

and advisor space.

 ɽ    We have an approach to growth that is driven 
by structural medium- to long-term client 
demand and competitive investment 
performance.

These  principles guide our  

strategic priorities. 

ter fir m

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Our Purpose
Investing  
for a better 
tomorrow

Better  w o r l d

More detail on our strategic priorities  
can be found on pages 12 to 13.

Responsible 
Citizens
As an active investment 
manager, we are 
committed to investing 

More detail on our people and culture  
can be found on pages 19 to 23.

Values 

We have one overriding  
value. Do the right thing. 

This refers to how we strive to  
do the right thing for our clients,  
our colleagues, our communities  
and the wider world. 

for a better tomorrow, 
with sustainable development 
forming a key part of our purpose.  
We approach sustainability along three pillars:

 ɽ   Invest – ESG analysis is integrated across our 

investment strategies. We also offer sustainable 
and impact investment solutions.

 ɽ   Advocate – we seek to lead the conversation 

on sustainable investing.

 ɽ   Inhabit – we believe change starts at home.  
We run our business responsibly and act 
sustainably.

More detail on our approach to sustainability can be found  
on pages 28 to 40.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
Our Business Model

Ninety One is an active investment manager for third-party clients.

6

e reinvest

W

W

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Our Clients
We put clients at the 
centre of our business 

We de l i v e r

We develop 
Our business model is based on organically developing 
active investment strategies to achieve our clients’ 
financial objectives. 

We deliver 
The outcomes we generate allow us to earn investment 
management fees, based on a percentage of clients’ AUM, 
which is the main driver of our revenues. We also earn 
performance fees on a limited number of investment strategies. 

We reinvest 
We continuously reinvest in our business, helping to support 
our clients’ changing needs and adding new revenues to  
the business. 

Our ownership culture drives a long-term focus and a 
consistency of strategy. This approach has underwritten  
our successful long-term track record of profitable growth.

Defining characteristics  
of our business model

Owner culture with stable and experienced 
leadership
Our talented and motivated workforce has the 
freedom to create within clear parameters of our 
values, team and strategy. Our employees are 
significant shareholders, which underpins our long-
term focus and alignment with our stakeholders.

Emerging markets heritage 
We are one of the few investment management firms 
to have developed a substantial global footprint from 
emerging market origins. 

Client-centric with global reach and local presence
Our clients come first. We build meaningful, long-term 
relationships with our clients and we serve them locally. 

Diversified offering focused on specialist 
active strategies 
We evolve our offering to anticipate the needs of our 
clients and to ensure that we help them meet their 
financial objectives. The diversified nature of our offering 
supports our business through market cycles. 

Financial strength and cash generation 
We have a long track record of profitable growth, 
driven by AUM growth and cost discipline. We invest 
in our business for the long term and are committed to 
being capital-light. This is a cash-generative business 
focused on shareholder returns. 

How we create value

Our business model is designed to create value for our various stakeholders. 

For clients
Helping clients achieve their long-term 
financial objectives. 

For people
Ensuring our people are proud of where 
they work, enjoy the work they do and 
have the freedom to be themselves, 
within a team context. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
 
How we operate

7

Equities

Fixed Income

Multi-asset

Alternatives

Investments

Investment support

Client Group

Africa

United Kingdom

Asia Pacific

Europe

Americas

Global marketing and client support

Operations

Legal, Compliance and  
Operational Risk

Human  
Capital

Finance

Investment 
Operations

Product  
Management

Information 
Technology

Investments 
We invest across multiple asset classes and our investment 
teams are organised according to specialist skillsets.

This diversity allows the team to focus on the long term and 
to produce desired outcomes for clients through the cycle. 
We have three specialist teams investing in equities on a 
global and regional basis. The 4Factor, Quality and Value 
teams invest according to their own unique style and 
philosophy. The Fixed Income team largely invests in 
emerging market bonds and credit. The Multi-asset team 
benefits from insights across the entire firm, delivering global 
and regional growth, thematic and income strategies. The 
Alternatives offering is made up of specialist and private 
credit.

The investment teams are globally integrated and are 
centrally supported by the Chief Investment Officers’ office, 
performance, risk (including ESG) and dealing teams.

Operations
Ninety One deploys a globally integrated operations platform 
that partners with global service providers across the value 
chain. Our operating model allows for agility and efficiency. 

Client Group
Ninety One operates globally, servicing institutional and 
advisor clients. Client assets are managed on a segregated 
and a pooled basis. 

Five regionally defined Client Groups are responsible for 
all aspects of client engagement, asset raising and client 
service. Having client teams located in key locations across 
the globe facilitates close relationships with our clients and, 
where necessary, enables us to deliver a bespoke service 
that meets specific local requirements. Close cooperation 
across our teams allows us to share best practice and 
ensures that our clients can benefit from a diverse range  
of expertise. 

The Client Groups are supported by a global marketing team 
responsible for branding, client material, events and digital 
engagement.

In South Africa we also have a fund platform for independent 
financial advisers that provides access to investment 
products from both Ninety One and other managers.

For more information on individual locations, see page 4. 

For shareholders
Enabling our shareholders to benefit 
from attractive financial returns. 

For society and the environment
Expecting us to operate with integrity and 
contribute to a more sustainable world. 

How we create value

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationChairman and Chief Executive 
Officer’s Statement

8

The diversity of the Ninety One 
business and the experience of its 
leadership team served us well during 
the past year. This provides a solid 
platform for the years to come.”

–––  Gareth Penny
Chairman

The past financial year was a year of firsts for Ninety One. 
This period will be remembered for the first global pandemic 
in over a century. At the start of the 2020 calendar year, 
COVID-19 spread across the world with devastating 
consequences. For Ninety One it was our first full year as a 
listed company. You may recall that we floated our business 
on the London and Johannesburg Stock Exchanges on  
16 March 2020 in the eye of the storm. This was also the 
first full year in which we operated under the Ninety One 
brand after 29 years as Investec Asset Management and 
where most, and at times all, of our staff worked away from 
the office for protracted periods of time. It was indeed the 
first year in which we served most of our clients remotely 
and primarily via digital communication. 

The past year proved the robustness and resilience of our 
business model. Most importantly, the people of Ninety 
One rose to the challenges of this extraordinary year.  
We navigated change in the operating landscape and, 
consistent with our culture, cared about our clients, 
colleagues and the communities we serve. Our purpose of 
investing for a better tomorrow motivated us. We pursued 
this by attempting to build a better firm, find ways to invest 
better and contribute to a better world. 

When we introduced the Ninety One brand to the world, 
we used the tagline “investing for a world of change”. 
Thinking about, coping with and navigating change to the 
benefit of our clients is what we are about. Even though we 
could never have anticipated the full extent of the changes 
that unfolded over the past year, our readiness to embrace 
change was extremely helpful during this period. At Ninety 
One we engage and negotiate change with open minds but 
from a stable footing and solid foundations. 

Our strong culture, organisational stability, people-centricity, 
talent friendliness and strategic clarity help us to stay 
focused on the challenges and opportunities facing  
us in a calm and rational manner. 

The year commenced with treacherous market conditions. 
Central bank actions supported financial asset price levels. 
During the year, market opportunities broadened significantly. 
Asset owners recommenced their allocations and 
opportunities were created for capable and competitive 
active investment managers. 

For us, the 2021 financial year turned out better than 
we expected at the outset. It was a record year in AUM, 
revenue and profit terms. Our adjusted operating profit 
increased to £206.2 million (2020: £189.9 million). 
Profit before tax increased to £204.1 million (2020: 
£198.5 million). Investment performance recovered 
significantly and the business functioned well while adapting 
to the changed conditions. The new brand was well received 
by our clients and we made significant progress on the 
sustainability front by engaging widely on the importance 
of this topic in the world today. We are disappointed not to 
have achieved net inflows for the year, instead generating 
net outflows of £197 million (2020: net inflows £6.0 billion). 
However, we have turned around the flow momentum in 
the second half of the year and entered the new financial 
year with a healthy pipeline of new business. 

People and culture
These results could not have been achieved without the 
dedication and professionalism of the people who work at 
Ninety One. Our unique owner culture creates a context 
within which a diverse group of talented individuals can 
thrive in a team context. Over the past year we have been 
able to compete effectively for new talent, while retaining 
our best people. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
9

I am grateful for, and humbled 
by, the success of the past  
30 years and we look to the 
future with confidence.”

–––  Hendrik du Toit

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

Firm-wide investment performance 
As at 31 March 2021
%

Since
inception

10-year

5-year

3-year

1-year

Outperformance
Underperformance

85

15

89

11

83

82

17

18

80

20

Mutual fund investment performance1 
As at 31 March 2021 
%

10-year

45

14

36 5

5-year

22

28

22

26

24

29

3-year

1-year

23

20

18

23

24

39

First quartile
Second quartile

Third quartile
Fourth quartile

1. Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

This context creates alignment of interests among our 
people but also with stakeholders. This alignment is further 
enhanced by the growing ownership of the firm by those 
who work in it. Over the past year, the people of Ninety 
One have increased their stake in the firm to 23%  
(31 March 2020: 21%). As owners, we are driven by our 
desire for long-term success. That is why it was very easy 
for us to declare at the beginning of the pandemic that we 
would safeguard the jobs of our people during the 2020 
calendar year. This promise was obviously subject to 
meeting our performance standards. We furloughed no 
one and took no government help, thereby retaining our 
independence to the full.

This environment creates the space for competitive 
long-term investment performance and excellent client 
service. Ninety One is all about people and culture. This 
underpins our people-centric, talent-friendly, organic  
and capital-light business model. 

Strategy and opportunities
Our strategy, as articulated a year ago at listing, remains 
unchanged. 

Our belief in the long-term opportunity for high-quality 
active investment management is unwavering. Over the 
past year, the risk appetite of investors fluctuated, but we 
believe the long-term demand for, and active exposure  
to, risk assets will continue to grow as the world economy 
expands over time, the global population keeps on growing 
and wealth creation continues. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer’s Statement

Net flows by asset class1 
£m

3,586

10

2,510 2,370

751

200 217

269

(153)

(674)

FY20

Equities
Fixed income
Multi-asset

(3,225)

FY21

Alternatives
SA fund platform

Net flows by Client Group1 
£m

2,342

1,835

1,549

1,707

256

66

403

(170)

(653)

FY20

(1,484)

FY21

United Kingdom
Africa
Europe

Americas
Asia Pacific2

Net flows by client type1 
£m

3,666

2,382

1,522

Our capability set remains relevant and competitive. 
Overall, we have balanced the need for focus and 
simplification with adequate revenue and client diversification. 
As ever, we continued to evolve our offering to retain 
market relevance and during the past year, we made 
substantial investments in the expansion of our credit and 
multi-asset platforms. The results of these investments will 
be seen in the years to come. Our main focus remains on 
the delivery of investment performance.

During the pandemic we have been reminded about  
the value of strong domestic market positions and our 
longstanding client relationships. South Africa was a star 
performer. The UK could have done better and we took 
action by injecting fresh leadership. We believe in the 
potential of our business in the Americas and we also  
see significant opportunities in Asia Pacific and remain 
committed to our chosen niches in Europe. 

We have also worked hard to develop the leadership cadre 
and talent pools across the business. Despite being forced 
to conduct many of our interactions virtually in the last 
year, our culture remains intact, healthy and vital. The 
concept of talent density and the importance of building  
a truly intergenerational firm are uppermost in our minds. 

Sustainability and corporate citizenship
We are pleased to report that we have made significant 
progress across the organisation in our efforts to put 
sustainability at the core of our business. We address 
sustainability through our framework of Invest, Advocate 
and Inhabit. Looking ahead, we intend to become signatories 
of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, which supports 
investing that is aligned with the goal of net zero emissions 
by 2050 or sooner. However, we believe in sustainability with 
substance and so we will use our framework to work towards 
a practical transition pathway which is fair and inclusive 
rather than a singular focus on reducing portfolio carbon by 
excluding high-emitting countries and companies from our 
portfolios without considering the consequences. Investors 
should contribute to a practical transition path for the world 
towards a lower carbon- and ultimately net zero-economy 
through responsible ownership and sensible pricing of risk. 
Reducing carbon in portfolios will not necessarily lead to a 
low- or zero-carbon world. We have prioritised climate in our 
sustainability efforts while remaining mindful of the broader 
goal of sustainable development over the long term. 

(1,719)

FY20

FY21

Advisor

Institutional

1. 

 Net inflows of £6.0 billion in financial year 2020 and £(0.2) billion 
in financial year 2021.

2.  Asia Pacific includes Middle East.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202111

We remain committed to our people-centric, talent-
friendly, organic and capital-light business model with 
significant employee ownership. Although cost-conscious, 
we will continue to invest in our future via the cost line, as 
we have done in the past. We will work hard to contribute 
to a more sustainable economic model for humanity 
through our activities, not only as a business, but also as 
an investor of third-party capital. As long-term investors, 
sustainability should be at the centre of what we do. 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our 
stakeholders for their support during this pivotal year. This 
is our 30th year in business and we owe a debt of gratitude 
to the people who have been instrumental in building this 
special business, many of whom remain with the firm. We 
could not have done this without the support of our clients, 
shareholders and the communities in which we operate. 

Gareth Penny  
Chairman 

Hendrik du Toit 
Chief Executive Officer 

The Board and governance 
Ninety One has a strong, committed and well-functioning 
Board. The experience and diversity of its members have 
served us well during the challenging times of the past 
financial year. 

The Board is united in its desire to provide our stakeholders 
with high-quality governance. This starts with regular 
stakeholder engagement, which was maintained virtually 
throughout the reporting period. Details of Board engagement 
during the year are included in the Our Stakeholders 
section from page 16 to 18.

Annual General Meeting
Our first Annual General Meeting (“AGM”), which was held 
virtually, was open to all shareholders. We were pleased to 
receive strong support from our shareholders and are 
looking forward to our next AGM, which will be held in  
a hybrid form, on 4 August 2021. 

Dividend
The Board has considered the strength of the balance 
sheet and has recommended a final dividend of 6.7p per 
share (2020: n.a.) to shareholders at the AGM, resulting  
in the full-year dividend of 12.6p per share (2020: n.a.). 
Subject to shareholder approval, the final dividend will be 
paid on 12 August 2021 to shareholders on the register as  
at 23 July 2021.

Conclusion
Although we are satisfied with the results, we are never 
content. At Ninety One, we always strive to be better. 
There is a great deal of work to do in the coming years, 
because ours is an ambitious organisation with a long-term 
mindset. We intend to continue on our well-established 
organic growth path. For us it is not about size, it is about 
the pursuit of excellence and the creation of an enduring 
organisation which serves its stakeholders to the highest 
possible standards. 

Given that equity markets are at, or near, all-time highs and 
that long-term interest rates remain at historic lows and are 
expected to rise in due course, we need to strike a note of 
caution. In the context of prevailing market conditions and 
our significant investment performance turnaround, we 
look to the future with confidence and relish the chance 
to work towards a continued positive outcome for our 
stakeholders. Although fee pressure and scrutiny remain, 
we believe there are still ample opportunities for active 
managers who execute well. Our pipeline is building and 
we look forward to improvements in flow momentum.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
Our Strategy

Strategic priorities

12

Capture the growth 
inherent in our current 
capability set

Why is this important?

1

Develop differentiated  
strategies, anticipating  
client needs

2

Focus on growth 
in professionally 
intermediated channels 
(advisor and institutional)

3

Ensure sustainability is at the core  

of our business

Continuously invest in  

our people and build an  

intergenerational business

Our clients always come first and are at the centre of what we do as a business. 

We are committed to positioning our business on the right 

We are a people business with a culture that is vital to our 

We align our investment offerings with long-term client demand. 

We take our responsibility as active stewards of client capital 

We want to recruit and retain world-class talent who are 

long-term success.

empowered with the freedom to create, to build a successful, 

long-term and intergenerational business for all our stakeholders. 

side of history. 

seriously. 

We advocate for sustainability across the world by seeking 

to contribute to the conversation on sustainable investing. 

We aim to inhabit our world better by measuring and managing 

the environmental and societal impact from our own business 

activities.

Link to key performance indicators

Our progress in FY 2021

 ɽ Our current product offering remains 
client relevant, with adequate diversity 
across asset classes and investment 
styles to suit varying client needs. It is 
also well-positioned for future client 
demand and growth. 

 ɽ  It was a year of significant change 

with all client engagement happening 
virtually. Despite this, we were able to 
maintain the intensity and quality of 
our client interactions resulting in a 
year of intense and high-quality client 
engagement. Nevertheless, net flows 
were down from the prior year due to 
some changes in client risk appetite 
and past investment performance 
challenges, which increased the rate 
of outflows and mainly affected the 
first half of the year, which saw net 
outflows. In contrast, the second half 
of the year saw improved momentum 
resulting in modest net inflows. 

 ɽ The year’s net flows were 

characterised by:
•  healthy inflows into our fixed income 

strategies; and

•  strong net inflows into our most 

established market of South Africa, 
and into Asia Pacific. However, other 
regions experienced net outflows 
driven by clients de-risking, local 
pension liquidity requirements and 
performance challenges in 
certain strategies. 

 ɽ Investment performance significantly 
improved from the start of the year 
and contributed to growing our AUM 
to record levels. 

 ɽ We have a track record of expanding 
our offering across asset classes to 
meet future client demand. We 
continued with this approach and 
long-term thinking during the year  
by balancing the need for focus  
with adequate revenue and client 
diversification.

 ɽ Over the year, our emerging markets 
credit and quality equity strategies 
continued to expand and gain traction 
with clients. 

 ɽ A number of our recently launched 

investment strategies saw good flow 
momentum in the year, including 
our dedicated global sustainability 
strategy and our credit strategy, 
which attracted meaningful net 
inflows in the period. 

 ɽ In contrast, our Asia equity strategies 
suffered net outflows due to some 
performance challenges and changes 
in client risk appetite during the year. 

 ɽ We have various other strategies 

falling into the categories of thematic 
and income solutions which remain in 
development to cater for accelerating 
client demand in the future. 

 ɽ We continued to maintain a diversified 
asset base across institutional and 
advisor clients. 

 ɽ Over the year, advisor net flows were 
primarily driven by good momentum 
within our South African business 
with support on the ground from our 
new brand. 

 ɽ Institutional inflows were driven from 
healthy and growing flows into the 
North American institutional business, 
particularly in Canada. However, this 
was offset by institutional outflows in 
the UK (driven by de-risking) and in 
Latin America (driven by pension 
liquidity requirements and some 
specific performance challenges) 
resulting in overall net outflows. 

 ɽ There were a number of developments 
in our regional Client Groups, including 
positioning new leadership in the  
UK and establishing a presence in 
Canada as part of our North  
American strategic push.

 ɽ Further progress was made under the “Invest” pillar in  

respect of ESG integration and reporting. This makes us 

better custodians of capital, allowing us to better articulate 

sustainability within portfolios to our clients.

•  Investment Risk process now includes ESG risks. These 

 ɽ During the year, our stable, experienced and highly-skilled 

staff complement showed significant commitment to the  

firm and our clients. 

•  The total staff shareholding in Ninety One increased to  

23% over the year, demonstrating our owner culture.

include Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures 

•  Staff turnover remained at a low level in line with  

(“TCFD”) and carbon tools and data.

historic trends.

•  Further evolution of engagement frameworks and 

playbooks with the investment teams and expansion of 

proxy voting guidelines.

 ɽ Building talent density remained a priority. Furthermore, our 

succession-planning efforts during the year reflected our 

desire to build a truly intergenerational business. 

 ɽ Despite a largely virtual environment, we remained  

a people-centric organisation with regular staff 

communications, staff socials and leadership “offsites”,  

which have all helped preserve and perpetuate the  

unique culture of the business among our people.

•  Delivery against EU Sustainable Finance regulations.

 ɽ Progress was made in our “Advocate” initiatives to proactively 

engage our clients and stakeholders on sustainability, including: 

•  became a signatory to the “Say on Climate” initiative;

•  contributed to the first-ever Net Zero Investment 

Framework, with over 70 other investors; and

•  launched the Climate & Nature Sovereign Index in 

partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (“WWF”). 

 ɽ Progress was made in our “Inhabit” initiatives to run our 

business as responsibly and sustainably as possible and  

to also give back to our communities, including: 

•  carbon neutral on Scope 1, 2 and 3 (category 6) through  

our partnership with BioCarbon Partners (“BCP”);

•  launched a COVID-19 pandemic charity donations matching 

programme; and

South Africa.

•  launched ChangeBlazers, our new bursary scheme in  

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Capture the growth 

inherent in our current 

capability set

Develop differentiated  

strategies, anticipating  

client needs

Focus on growth 

in professionally 

intermediated channels 

(advisor and institutional)

Ensure sustainability is at the core  
of our business

Key

Adjusted EPS

Key employee retention 
and succession planning

Investment performance

Commitment to sustainability

Net flows

Relationships and reputation

Continuously invest in  
our people and build an  
intergenerational business

4

13

5

We are committed to positioning our business on the right 
side of history. 

We are a people business with a culture that is vital to our 
long-term success.

We take our responsibility as active stewards of client capital 
seriously. 

We advocate for sustainability across the world by seeking 
to contribute to the conversation on sustainable investing. 

We aim to inhabit our world better by measuring and managing 
the environmental and societal impact from our own business 
activities.

We want to recruit and retain world-class talent who are 
empowered with the freedom to create, to build a successful, 
long-term and intergenerational business for all our stakeholders. 

 ɽ Our current product offering remains 

 ɽ We have a track record of expanding 

 ɽ We continued to maintain a diversified 

client relevant, with adequate diversity 

our offering across asset classes to 

asset base across institutional and 

meet future client demand. We 

continued with this approach and 

long-term thinking during the year  

by balancing the need for focus  

with adequate revenue and client 

diversification.

 ɽ Over the year, our emerging markets 

credit and quality equity strategies 

continued to expand and gain traction 

with clients. 

 ɽ A number of our recently launched 

investment strategies saw good flow 

momentum in the year, including 

our dedicated global sustainability 

strategy and our credit strategy, 

which attracted meaningful net 

inflows in the period. 

 ɽ In contrast, our Asia equity strategies 

suffered net outflows due to some 

performance challenges and changes 

in client risk appetite during the year. 

 ɽ We have various other strategies 

falling into the categories of thematic 

and income solutions which remain in 

development to cater for accelerating 

client demand in the future. 

advisor clients. 

 ɽ Over the year, advisor net flows were 

primarily driven by good momentum 

within our South African business 

with support on the ground from our 

new brand. 

 ɽ Institutional inflows were driven from 

healthy and growing flows into the 

North American institutional business, 

particularly in Canada. However, this 

was offset by institutional outflows in 

the UK (driven by de-risking) and in 

Latin America (driven by pension 

liquidity requirements and some 

specific performance challenges) 

resulting in overall net outflows. 

 ɽ There were a number of developments 

in our regional Client Groups, including 

positioning new leadership in the  

UK and establishing a presence in 

Canada as part of our North  

American strategic push.

 ɽ Further progress was made under the “Invest” pillar in  

respect of ESG integration and reporting. This makes us 
better custodians of capital, allowing us to better articulate 
sustainability within portfolios to our clients.
•  Investment Risk process now includes ESG risks. These 

include Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures 
(“TCFD”) and carbon tools and data.

•  Further evolution of engagement frameworks and 

playbooks with the investment teams and expansion of 
proxy voting guidelines.

•  Delivery against EU Sustainable Finance regulations.

 ɽ Progress was made in our “Advocate” initiatives to proactively 
engage our clients and stakeholders on sustainability, including: 
•  became a signatory to the “Say on Climate” initiative;
•  contributed to the first-ever Net Zero Investment 

Framework, with over 70 other investors; and

•  launched the Climate & Nature Sovereign Index in 

partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (“WWF”). 

 ɽ Progress was made in our “Inhabit” initiatives to run our 
business as responsibly and sustainably as possible and  
to also give back to our communities, including: 
•  carbon neutral on Scope 1, 2 and 3 (category 6) through  

our partnership with BioCarbon Partners (“BCP”);

•  launched a COVID-19 pandemic charity donations matching 

programme; and

•  launched ChangeBlazers, our new bursary scheme in  

South Africa.

 ɽ During the year, our stable, experienced and highly-skilled 
staff complement showed significant commitment to the  
firm and our clients. 
•  The total staff shareholding in Ninety One increased to  
23% over the year, demonstrating our owner culture.

•  Staff turnover remained at a low level in line with  

historic trends.

 ɽ Building talent density remained a priority. Furthermore, our 
succession-planning efforts during the year reflected our 
desire to build a truly intergenerational business. 
 ɽ Despite a largely virtual environment, we remained  
a people-centric organisation with regular staff 
communications, staff socials and leadership “offsites”,  
which have all helped preserve and perpetuate the  
unique culture of the business among our people.

Why is this important?

Our clients always come first and are at the centre of what we do as a business. 

We align our investment offerings with long-term client demand. 

Link to key performance indicators

Our progress in FY 2021

across asset classes and investment 

styles to suit varying client needs. It is 

also well-positioned for future client 

demand and growth. 

 ɽ  It was a year of significant change 

with all client engagement happening 

virtually. Despite this, we were able to 

maintain the intensity and quality of 

our client interactions resulting in a 

year of intense and high-quality client 

engagement. Nevertheless, net flows 

were down from the prior year due to 

some changes in client risk appetite 

and past investment performance 

challenges, which increased the rate 

of outflows and mainly affected the 

first half of the year, which saw net 

outflows. In contrast, the second half 

of the year saw improved momentum 

resulting in modest net inflows. 

 ɽ The year’s net flows were 

characterised by:

•  healthy inflows into our fixed income 

strategies; and

•  strong net inflows into our most 

established market of South Africa, 

and into Asia Pacific. However, other 

regions experienced net outflows 

driven by clients de-risking, local 

pension liquidity requirements and 

performance challenges in 

certain strategies. 

 ɽ Investment performance significantly 

improved from the start of the year 

and contributed to growing our AUM 

to record levels. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationTracking our Strategic Progress

14

Our key 
performance 
indicators (“KPIs”) 
enable us to monitor 
our progress 
towards our 
strategic priorities.

Methodology
We track our progress using 
three financial KPIs. These are 
key drivers of value creation.

In relation to non-financial KPIs, 
the Board periodically identifies 
non-financial indicators which 
are aligned with Ninety One’s 
short-term and long-term 
objectives. While the specific 
non-financial KPIs may change 
over time, these will always 
emphasise a focus on people 
and culture, risk management 
and conduct, and relationship 
outcomes and reputation.

Key

   Strong achievement

   Expected achievement

   Limited achievement

Adjusted EPS

Investment 
performance 

Net flows

Commitment to 

sustainability

reputation

Relationships and 

Strategic progress

Key employee 

retention and 

succession  

planning

Metric

16.1p

17.0p

14.6p

71%

82%

£6.1bn

£6.0bn

55%

2019

2020

2021

2019

2020

2021

2019

2020

2021

(£0.2bn)

Definition

Profit attributable to ordinary 
shareholders, adjusted to 
remove non-operating items, 
divided by the number of 
ordinary shares in issue.

Why it’s important

Adjusted EPS measures 
the value generated for 
shareholders.

3-year firm-wide investment 
outperformance calculated  
as the sum of the total market 
values for individual portfolios 
that have positive active 
returns on a gross basis, 
expressed as a percentage  
of total AUM.

Investment performance is an 
important indicator for our 
continued investment success 
and demonstrates our 
competitive advantage in 
helping our clients to meet their 
long-term financial objectives.

Progress in FY 2021

 ɽ Adjusted EPS increased by 
6% in the year driven by 
higher performance fees 
and flat costs.

 ɽ The business did not issue 
any new shares during  
the year. 

 ɽ There was a significant 

investment performance 
turnaround during the 
financial year. 

 ɽ This reflects the composure 
and effort of our investment 
teams in extremely 
challenging and fast- 
moving markets.

See the Financial Review 
section on pages 42 to 47 for 
more information. 

New funds from clients less 
funds withdrawn by clients, 
with any duplication removed.

The retention and  

continued development  

of the leadership team.

The progress against objectives 

The achievement of consistent 

identified by the Board from 

time to time under the firm’s 

sustainability framework.

relationship outcomes and 

strengthening.

continued reputation and brand 

by the Board. This could include 

The progress against strategic 

priorities specifically identified 

growth initiatives in respect of 

new products, strategies or 

geographies.

Net flows indicate client 
support and market relevance.

Ninety One is a people business 

From the start, Ninety One has 

The consistent quality of Ninety 

at its core. The stability of its 

leadership team has a direct 

impact on the firm’s ability to 

attract and retain AUM.

been committed to investing 

for a better tomorrow and 

sustainability is a key part of  

our purpose as an active 

investment manager. We are 

a long-term focused business, 

allocating capital on a global 

basis to meet the future needs 

of society. Our enduring 

commitment to sustainability  

is a key differentiator.

One’s relationships, together 

with a culture of good conduct 

and risk management, informs 

our brand and bolsters our 

reputation – which provides us 

with a competitive advantage.

The achievement of our 

strategic objectives will  

drive the future growth  

of Ninety One.

 ɽ Despite intense and 
high-quality client 
engagement, there were 
negative net flows in the 
financial year.

 ɽ This reflects the overall 
effect of the first half of 
the year seeing tougher 
conditions resulting in net 
outflows and a second half 
of improved client sentiment 
and performance resulting in 
marginal net inflows. 

 ɽ Generally, our gross inflows 
were in line with the prior 
year, but gross outflows 
were higher than usual. 

 ɽ Global staff turnover 

remained at low levels and 

there were no senior 

leadership departures. 

This reflects our ability to 

maintain workforce stability 

and retain key employees, 

particularly in a challenging 

year. 

 ɽ We have focused our 

succession planning efforts 

on building the “bench 

strength” within our senior 

leadership, standing us in 

good stead for the future. 

 ɽ The Ninety One total staff 

shareholding increased to 

23%, in line with our owner 

culture and the long-term 

commitment of our people. 

 ɽ Significant progress was 

 ɽ This was a year of intense 

 ɽ Ninety One has strategic 

made under our Invest, 

Advocate and Inhabit 

framework.

have more work to do.

 ɽ We acknowledge that we 

 ɽ Our comprehensive 

client engagement where 

we continued to focus on 

delivering excellent service. 

clarity and has made 

progress against our 

strategic objectives.

response to the COVID-19 

pandemic exemplified how 

Ninety One has put culture 

and purpose at the heart of 

the organisation.

 ɽ A number of Ninety One’s 

regulators conducted 

routine audits and 

inspections during the past 

year without any material 

issues being raised. 

 ɽ We demonstrated resilience 

in navigating the operating 

challenges caused by the 

pandemic. 

 ɽ We simplified the business 

through the sale of Silica 

and the outsourcing of 

the African Private 

Equity business. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Adjusted EPS

Investment 

performance 

Net flows

Key employee 
retention and 
succession  
planning

Commitment to 
sustainability

Relationships and 
reputation

Strategic progress

15

Metric

16.1p

17.0p

14.6p

71%

82%

£6.1bn

£6.0bn

55%

2019

2020

2021

2019

2020

2021

2019

2020

2021

(£0.2bn)

Investment performance is an 

Net flows indicate client 

support and market relevance.

Definition

Profit attributable to ordinary 

shareholders, adjusted to 

remove non-operating items, 

divided by the number of 

ordinary shares in issue.

Why it’s important

Adjusted EPS measures 

the value generated for 

shareholders.

3-year firm-wide investment 

outperformance calculated  

as the sum of the total market 

values for individual portfolios 

that have positive active 

returns on a gross basis, 

expressed as a percentage  

of total AUM.

important indicator for our 

continued investment success 

and demonstrates our 

competitive advantage in 

helping our clients to meet their 

long-term financial objectives.

Progress in FY 2021

 ɽ Adjusted EPS increased by 

 ɽ There was a significant 

6% in the year driven by 

higher performance fees 

and flat costs.

investment performance 

turnaround during the 

financial year. 

 ɽ The business did not issue 

any new shares during  

 ɽ This reflects the composure 

and effort of our investment 

the year. 

teams in extremely 

challenging and fast- 

moving markets.

 ɽ Despite intense and 

high-quality client 

engagement, there were 

negative net flows in the 

financial year.

 ɽ This reflects the overall 

effect of the first half of 

the year seeing tougher 

conditions resulting in net 

outflows and a second half 

of improved client sentiment 

and performance resulting in 

marginal net inflows. 

 ɽ Generally, our gross inflows 

were in line with the prior 

year, but gross outflows 

were higher than usual. 

New funds from clients less 

funds withdrawn by clients, 

with any duplication removed.

The retention and  
continued development  
of the leadership team.

The progress against objectives 
identified by the Board from 
time to time under the firm’s 
sustainability framework.

The achievement of consistent 
relationship outcomes and 
continued reputation and brand 
strengthening.

The progress against strategic 
priorities specifically identified 
by the Board. This could include 
growth initiatives in respect of 
new products, strategies or 
geographies.

Ninety One is a people business 
at its core. The stability of its 
leadership team has a direct 
impact on the firm’s ability to 
attract and retain AUM.

 ɽ Global staff turnover 

remained at low levels and 
there were no senior 
leadership departures. 
This reflects our ability to 
maintain workforce stability 
and retain key employees, 
particularly in a challenging 
year. 

 ɽ We have focused our 

succession planning efforts 
on building the “bench 
strength” within our senior 
leadership, standing us in 
good stead for the future. 
 ɽ The Ninety One total staff 
shareholding increased to 
23%, in line with our owner 
culture and the long-term 
commitment of our people. 

From the start, Ninety One has 
been committed to investing 
for a better tomorrow and 
sustainability is a key part of  
our purpose as an active 
investment manager. We are 
a long-term focused business, 
allocating capital on a global 
basis to meet the future needs 
of society. Our enduring 
commitment to sustainability  
is a key differentiator.

 ɽ Significant progress was 
made under our Invest, 
Advocate and Inhabit 
framework.

 ɽ We acknowledge that we 
have more work to do.

The consistent quality of Ninety 
One’s relationships, together 
with a culture of good conduct 
and risk management, informs 
our brand and bolsters our 
reputation – which provides us 
with a competitive advantage.

The achievement of our 
strategic objectives will  
drive the future growth  
of Ninety One.

 ɽ This was a year of intense 
client engagement where 
we continued to focus on 
delivering excellent service. 

 ɽ Our comprehensive 

response to the COVID-19 
pandemic exemplified how 
Ninety One has put culture 
and purpose at the heart of 
the organisation.

 ɽ A number of Ninety One’s 
regulators conducted 
routine audits and 
inspections during the past 
year without any material 
issues being raised. 

 ɽ Ninety One has strategic 
clarity and has made 
progress against our 
strategic objectives.

 ɽ We demonstrated resilience 
in navigating the operating 
challenges caused by the 
pandemic. 

 ɽ We simplified the business 
through the sale of Silica 
and the outsourcing of 
the African Private 
Equity business. 

See the Sustainability section 
on pages 28 to 40 for more 
information. 

See the Our Strategy section 
on pages 12 to 13 for more 
information. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationOur Stakeholders

16

Our clients

Our people

Our shareholders

Society and environment

Who are they?

We serve institutional and advisor clients who have entrusted 
Ninety One with their money. 

The people who have chosen to work at Ninety One and who 
meet our high standards.

the world. 

Institutional and individual investors in Ninety One from around 

The regions, countries and communities in which Ninety One 

This group ranges from private and public sector pension 
funds, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, insurers, wealth 
managers, private and retail banks and independent advisers. 

Why we engage?

Our clients always come first and are at the centre of what we 
do as a business. 

We are a people business with a culture that is vital to our  
long-term success.

The continued support of our shareholders is important for 

We are committed to positioning our business on the right side  

the progress and delivery of our strategy. 

of history. 

The long-term success of Ninety One depends on our ability 
to respond to our clients’ needs and deliver on their long-term 
financial objectives.

How we engaged in FY 2021

 ɽ Given the circumstances of the year, we had to rapidly and 
meaningfully adapt to virtual client engagement, which 
continued throughout the year.

 ɽ Our focus was on ensuring we maintained a seamless, 

high-quality service for clients and we leveraged the latest 
online technologies for client meetings and kept activity 
levels high. 

 ɽ Engagement in light of COVID-19: 

•  We remained fully operational throughout the year, with  

a seamless transition to remote working. 

•  When required, we provided additional updates to clients 
outside of the usual reporting schedule, and our client 
engagement and service continued uninterrupted. 

•  Looking beyond COVID-19-related market volatility, we also 
took the opportunity to share our “Road to 2030” project, 
which details the major themes driving markets and 
influencing investment outcomes this decade, with our 
clients. 

Our people have an expectation to feel secure and proud of 
where they work, enjoy the work they do, be appropriately 
rewarded for their commitment, and have the freedom to be 
themselves within a team context.

The long-term success of Ninety One depends on our ability to 
attract talent, encourage skills development and talent density, 
and enable our people to remain committed to our clients and 
business. 

 ɽ Our regular staff communication and engagement continued 

throughout the year, including:
•  weekly “CEO letters” to all staff over 16 weeks from listing, 
which coincided with the first phase of the pandemic; and 

•  a first virtual staff update to all staff globally on one call.
 ɽ We held various leadership initiatives during the year to keep 
developing our talent, which involved c.200 of Ninety One’s 
leaders.

 ɽ We delivered all the requirements for the Senior Managers 

and Certification Regime (“SMCR”) in the UK.

 ɽ Engagement in light of COVID-19: 

•  Our main priority has been the care and wellbeing of our 

people and support continued throughout the pandemic. 
This included an Employee Assistance Programme and 
enabling all staff to swiftly work from home.

•  Extensive “within team” engagement across the business 
plus 35 virtual check-ins with staff by the Chief Executive 
Officer, as well as multiple webinars for managers to discuss 
virtual meetings and leadership support.

•  We claimed no furlough support nor made any 

redundancies due to COVID-19. 

See the Clients and Road to 2030 sections on pages 25 to 27 for 
further details.

See the Our People and Culture section on pages 19 to 23 for 
further details. 

operates. This includes regulators, policymakers, competitors, 

suppliers and wider society. 

Our shareholders seek attractive financial returns from 

Our societies and wider environment expect us to operate with 

Ninety One. They also expect robust governance practices 

integrity and contribute to a more sustainable world.

and responsible corporate citizenship.

The long-term success of Ninety One depends on actively 

The long-term success of Ninety One depends on the goodwill 

of the societies in which we operate. We support communities 

engaging and listening to our shareholders’ feedback so that  

and the natural world in line with our wider purpose. 

we can operate more effectively for our wider stakeholders. 

 ɽ The Investor Relations Team and senior management 

conducted more than 60 meetings, reaching over 

70 institutional investors during the year.

 ɽ We continued to conduct our business and operations as 

responsible citizens. This included: 

•  expanding our abilities to assess ESG risks;

 ɽ Significant shareholder engagement ahead of the inaugural  

•  becoming a signatory to the “Say on Climate” initiative and 

AGM resulted in all resolutions being passed. 

making a decision to join the Net Zero Asset Managers 

 ɽ A governance roadshow was held for major institutional 

Initiative;

shareholders. 

•  publishing a first TCFD report; and

 ɽ A total dividend of 12.6 pence for the year was proposed.

•  holding the first virtual Tusk Conservation Awards, attracting 

 ɽ Engagement in light of COVID-19: 

•  Maintained the clarity of our proposition and focus on 

an audience of c.9,000.

 ɽ Engagement in light of COVID-19: 

results.

•  Our strategy remained unchanged and we remained 

sufficiently capitalised. 

•  We successfully released full-year and interim results 

via webcasts and engaged with our main institutional 

shareholders without any delay, using virtual forums.

•  Following the contribution of £2.9m to COVID-19 relief 

efforts in the last financial year, a staff donation matching 

scheme was initiated for this financial year. 

•  We continued to support our suppliers.

•  We contributed more than £240,000 towards a Namibian 

COVID-19 vaccination programme. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021This group ranges from private and public sector pension 

funds, sovereign wealth funds, central banks, insurers, wealth 

managers, private and retail banks and independent advisers. 

Who are they?

Why we engage?

do as a business. 

financial objectives.

continued throughout the year.

 ɽ Our focus was on ensuring we maintained a seamless, 

high-quality service for clients and we leveraged the latest 

online technologies for client meetings and kept activity 

levels high. 

 ɽ Engagement in light of COVID-19: 

•  We remained fully operational throughout the year, with  

a seamless transition to remote working. 

•  When required, we provided additional updates to clients 

outside of the usual reporting schedule, and our client 

engagement and service continued uninterrupted. 

•  Looking beyond COVID-19-related market volatility, we also 

took the opportunity to share our “Road to 2030” project, 

which details the major themes driving markets and 

influencing investment outcomes this decade, with our 

clients. 

The long-term success of Ninety One depends on our ability 

Our people have an expectation to feel secure and proud of 

to respond to our clients’ needs and deliver on their long-term 

where they work, enjoy the work they do, be appropriately 

How we engaged in FY 2021

 ɽ Given the circumstances of the year, we had to rapidly and 

 ɽ Our regular staff communication and engagement continued 

meaningfully adapt to virtual client engagement, which 

throughout the year, including:

rewarded for their commitment, and have the freedom to be 

themselves within a team context.

The long-term success of Ninety One depends on our ability to 

attract talent, encourage skills development and talent density, 

and enable our people to remain committed to our clients and 

business. 

•  weekly “CEO letters” to all staff over 16 weeks from listing, 

which coincided with the first phase of the pandemic; and 

•  a first virtual staff update to all staff globally on one call.

 ɽ We held various leadership initiatives during the year to keep 

developing our talent, which involved c.200 of Ninety One’s 

leaders.

 ɽ We delivered all the requirements for the Senior Managers 

and Certification Regime (“SMCR”) in the UK.

 ɽ Engagement in light of COVID-19: 

•  Our main priority has been the care and wellbeing of our 

people and support continued throughout the pandemic. 

This included an Employee Assistance Programme and 

enabling all staff to swiftly work from home.

•  Extensive “within team” engagement across the business 

plus 35 virtual check-ins with staff by the Chief Executive 

Officer, as well as multiple webinars for managers to discuss 

virtual meetings and leadership support.

•  We claimed no furlough support nor made any 

redundancies due to COVID-19. 

Our clients

Our people

Our shareholders

Society and environment

17

We serve institutional and advisor clients who have entrusted 

The people who have chosen to work at Ninety One and who 

Ninety One with their money. 

meet our high standards.

Institutional and individual investors in Ninety One from around 
the world. 

The regions, countries and communities in which Ninety One 
operates. This includes regulators, policymakers, competitors, 
suppliers and wider society. 

Our clients always come first and are at the centre of what we 

We are a people business with a culture that is vital to our  

long-term success.

The continued support of our shareholders is important for 
the progress and delivery of our strategy. 

We are committed to positioning our business on the right side  
of history. 

Our shareholders seek attractive financial returns from 
Ninety One. They also expect robust governance practices 
and responsible corporate citizenship.

The long-term success of Ninety One depends on actively 
engaging and listening to our shareholders’ feedback so that  
we can operate more effectively for our wider stakeholders. 

Our societies and wider environment expect us to operate with 
integrity and contribute to a more sustainable world.

The long-term success of Ninety One depends on the goodwill 
of the societies in which we operate. We support communities 
and the natural world in line with our wider purpose. 

 ɽ The Investor Relations Team and senior management 
conducted more than 60 meetings, reaching over 
70 institutional investors during the year.

 ɽ Significant shareholder engagement ahead of the inaugural  

AGM resulted in all resolutions being passed. 

 ɽ A governance roadshow was held for major institutional 

shareholders. 

 ɽ A total dividend of 12.6 pence for the year was proposed.
 ɽ Engagement in light of COVID-19: 

•  Maintained the clarity of our proposition and focus on 

results.

•  Our strategy remained unchanged and we remained 

sufficiently capitalised. 

•  We successfully released full-year and interim results 
via webcasts and engaged with our main institutional 
shareholders without any delay, using virtual forums.

 ɽ We continued to conduct our business and operations as 

responsible citizens. This included: 
•  expanding our abilities to assess ESG risks;
•  becoming a signatory to the “Say on Climate” initiative and 

making a decision to join the Net Zero Asset Managers 
Initiative;

•  publishing a first TCFD report; and
•  holding the first virtual Tusk Conservation Awards, attracting 

an audience of c.9,000.

 ɽ Engagement in light of COVID-19: 

•  Following the contribution of £2.9m to COVID-19 relief 

efforts in the last financial year, a staff donation matching 
scheme was initiated for this financial year. 

•  We continued to support our suppliers.
•  We contributed more than £240,000 towards a Namibian 

COVID-19 vaccination programme. 

See the Our Shareholders section on page 24 for further details. 

See the Sustainability section on pages 28 to 40 for further details. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationOur Stakeholders

Section 172 – Board Engagement

18

The Board is fully aware of its duties under s172(1) of the UK’s 
Companies Act 2006 to promote the success of Ninety One 
for the benefit of its shareholders as a whole, while having 
regard to the interests of all Ninety One stakeholders, and 
in doing so having regard (amongst other matters) to:

 ɽ the likely consequences of any decision in the long term; 
 ɽ the interests of the company’s employees; 
 ɽ the need to foster the company’s business relationships 

with suppliers, customers and others; 

 ɽ the impact of the company’s operations on the 

community and the environment; 

 ɽ the desirability of the company maintaining a reputation 

for high standards of business conduct; and 

 ɽ the need to act fairly as between members of the 

company.

The pages that follow detail Ninety One’s Board engagement 
with our key stakeholders over the reporting period.

Further details of the Board’s activities are described in the 
Governance Report on pages 56 to 109.

Details of our relationships with suppliers, regulators and peers  
are included on page 40.

Our stakeholders

Examples of Board engagement

Our clients

 ɽ The Board (and its relevant subcommittees) regularly receives and discusses information on our investment 
performance, client net flows, client engagement activities and related risks. This enables the Board to 
have effective oversight of the experience and service levels received by our clients and identify any 
issues of concern. 

 ɽ The Board received regular feedback from the Executive Directors on client engagement activities 

throughout the year in the interests of ensuring good service standards were maintained despite the 
challenges created by the pandemic and the need for virtual communications. 

Our people

 ɽ The Board (and its relevant subcommittees) regularly receives and discusses information on our people 
developments, including new hires, departures, talent reviews, training, diversity, remuneration and 
people initiatives (including health and wellbeing). This enables the Board to have effective oversight 
of talent development, retention and any concerns relating to staff. 

 ɽ The Board satisfied themselves on the levels of staff support and inclusion over the year, e.g. support 

for working parents and initiatives to promote inclusion. 

 ɽ The Board has reviewed and approved:

•  remuneration for all staff;
•  the diversity principles and policy; and
•  the arrangements for employees to raise concerns and speak up.

Our 
shareholders

 ɽ The Board (and its relevant subcommittees) regularly receives and discusses information on overall 

business performance, including financial results and internal forecasts. In addition, it receives external 
information, including shareholder details, shareholder feedback, analyst views and estimates. This 
enables the Board to have effective oversight of the business’s overall financial performance, stability 
and value-creation potential and to identify any possible areas of concern for shareholders. 

 ɽ The Board has:

•  approved the dividend policy and subsequent declaration and payment of an interim dividend; 
•  engaged with larger shareholders to gather independent feedback; 
•  designed the Executive Directors remuneration policy to align reward with the shareholder experience; 

and 

•  approved disposals of shares in associates or subsidiaries. 

Society and 
environment

 ɽ The Board (and its relevant subcommittees) regularly receives and discusses information on wider 

business activities beyond what is covered above, including details on our wider stakeholder 
engagement, policy obligations, risk assessments and regulatory developments and requirements.  
This enables the Board to have effective oversight of the overall positioning of the business relative  
to the expectations of various important stakeholders encompassing our local communities and the 
wider world. 

 ɽ The Board has reviewed and approved:

•  the Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (“ICAAP”) for the business; 
•  the sustainability framework and principles; 
•  the first TCFD report; and 
•  various COVID-19 relief efforts.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Our People and Culture

We are a people business and our 
culture is a vital element of our 
long-term success. We want our 
people to be proud of Ninety One, 
enjoy the work they do and have 
the freedom to be themselves 
within a team-oriented culture.

Our people around the world

Africa1 
50%
UK & Europe  42%

Asia Pacific  4%
4%
Americas 

1.  Africa figure excludes 510 Silica employees.

Our culture
Our strong culture is the cornerstone of who we are.  
This reflects us as people and defines our organisation. 

We believe the strength of our culture is a source of 
competitive advantage, ensuring a healthy environment for 
debate and the exchange of views. This is the foundation 
for our pursuit of enduring investment outperformance and 
outstanding client service. Above all, our culture embodies 
our overriding value – to do the right thing.

We strive to do the right thing for our clients, our colleagues, 
our communities and the wider world. We believe that 
ambition and care are not mutually exclusive, and our 
culture engenders both. Collectively, we insist on results 
and excellence, but not at the expense of the human spirit. 
We aim to be successful and decent at the same time.

19

Freedom to create
Our philosophy of success
One of the main tenets of our culture and philosophy 
is the concept of freedom to create.

We believe in giving individuals the freedom to be 
themselves. We are creating a culture where we can 
collectively achieve together, as teams, without losing 
the sense of individual identity.

Our people perform best when they’re able to pursue 
their passions and interests. We strive to give people 
the freedom to express their strengths, skills and 
talents within clear parameters pertaining to our 
values, team and strategy. Freedom to create is a 
crucial driver of diversity in our business as it is only 
through the expression of individuality and unique 
potential that we can be truly diverse.

Results and relationships
Our metrics of success
If freedom sits at the core of our culture, relationships 
exist all around it.

Strong relationships foster diversity and an environment 
where all people feel included and respected, 
knowing they have a fair opportunity to develop 
and contribute. We expect people to perform both 
on the results they deliver and the quality of their 
relationships with each other. Results and relationships 
are therefore our core metrics of success. 

Supporting our staff through COVID-19
Over the past year, our main focus has been to keep our 
staff safe, supported and motivated. As various lockdowns 
were imposed all over the world in March and April 2020, 
we advised our employees in line with local guidance. 
We enabled our people to work from home and provided 
various webinars and forums to encourage interaction. 

Throughout the 2021 financial year, we’ve continued  
to support our employees by providing:

 ɽ Comprehensive healthcare in all jurisdictions. 
 ɽ An Employee Assistance Program with an in-house 

clinical psychologist available to all staff.

 ɽ Virtual communities on Microsoft Teams to support our 
various groups: Ninety One Family (our family support), 
Ninety One Together (our community support),  
Ninety One Active (our physical wellbeing support) and 
Ninety One Wellbeing (our overall wellbeing support).

 ɽ A subscription to a mindfulness app and a bi-weekly 

virtual mindfulness group, with more than a third of our 
staff participating in at least one of these initiatives over 
the past year.

 ɽ Virtual Wellbeing webinars covering various topics 

during the year, including nutrition and how to manage 
stress in a virtual world.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationOur People and Culture

20

 ɽ Bespoke support to individuals, as well as providing 
mental health workshops by our in-house clinical 
psychologist focusing on the impact of the pandemic.

 ɽ Our Chief Executive Officer conducted 35 virtual 

check-ins with staff over five weeks at the beginning of 
the pandemic and wrote 16 weekly letters to employees  
to ensure that our people were aware of the factors 
affecting Ninety One along with providing clarity on  
any strategic areas of focus.

 ɽ Various physical wellbeing initiatives and activities to 
all staff, including two virtual challenges, which raised 
more than £91,000 for charity.

As a business, we strive to do the right thing for our people, 
clients and our communities. We are proud of our people, 
who collectively raised c.£300,000 for charities 
worldwide, with Ninety One further matching their 
donations. 

Our Workplace teams also worked hard throughout the 
year to ensure all our offices remained open and available 
(with appropriate COVID-19–compliant measures in place) 
to support staff who required dedicated work spaces and 
resources, away from home. 

Virtual 
challenges

Workforce Engagement and Organisation 
Development 
Our Organisation Development (“OD”) Team is focused  
on the evaluation, assessment and maintenance of  
our culture. This team is responsible for leadership 
development, team development, coaching, offsites  
and bespoke interventions. We use various methods to 
evaluate how engaged and motivated our workforce is. 
While we periodically engage in staff surveys to assess 
specific initiatives, the OD Team is methodical and 
systematic in the mechanisms that are used to assess  
our culture. Some of these include:

 ɽ Team Health Checks: on how a team is functioning  

on the dimensions of leadership strength, team stability, 
performance and alignment to firm priorities.

 ɽ Listening Forums: for employees to share experiences 
and provide support where needed. Specific topics 
over the past year have included parenting, mental 
health and diversity and inclusion.

 ɽ Culture Conversations: to identify how our employees 

experience the culture. 

Our OD and wider Human Capital Team facilitate and 
support these and other methods working with teams to 
continually ensure that Ninety One’s culture is lived and 
shared. This delivers rich and actionable outcomes  
for our people and our business.

Reward 
Competitive benefits and remuneration that reflect the 
performance of employees and the business are important 
to retain people. Remuneration levels at Ninety One mirror 
both our pursuit of excellence and commitment to organic 
business building. We believe that remuneration is important, 
but it’s not the only part of our employee value proposition. 

Remuneration at Ninety One is designed to attract, retain 
and motivate staff, and to reinforce the behaviours needed 
to support our culture and values over the short, medium 
and longer term in a risk-conscious manner. We offer fixed 
remuneration and pension contributions (where applicable), 
as well as other attractive employee benefits to all 
employees. Remuneration may also include a discretionary 
variable component.

As part of our commitment to building a long-term, 
sustainable business and supporting our owner culture, 
Ninety One operates a number of staff share schemes. 
Awards under these plans are subject to deferral periods 
as well as malus and clawback provisions, in line with those 
that apply to deferred bonus awards. 

To further encourage employee ownership of Ninety One, 
we also operate an HMRC-approved share incentive plan, 
which is available to most of our UK employees.

For further information on our remuneration, see page 89.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202121

Talent development
Along with our philosophy of success, our talent-
development programmes are designed to enable 
individuals to express themselves. We seek extraordinary 
performance and require talented people to achieve this. 
Therefore, as an organisation, we encourage personal and 
professional growth through qualifications, training and 
internal collaboration. We have an annual talent process 
supported by the Human Capital Team, which allows team 
leaders to assess the talent within the organisation. This 
ensures that we have appropriate talent through Ninety 
One to deliver performance for our clients, shareholders 
and other stakeholders.

Professional qualifications
We believe continued professional development opportunities 
are key to attracting and retaining high-quality employees. 
Our high retention rates are a testament to this, and result 
in an average tenure of over 14 years for our senior leadership 
group. We expect our employees to drive their individual 
development journeys and encourage them to grow in the 
areas they’re passionate about, and which will also ultimately 
benefit our clients. 

All of our permanent employees and long-term contractors 
are eligible to apply for assistance in their learning and 
development journeys. Employees can attain a range of 
professional qualifications, as well as other professional 
role-related qualifications. We offer a generous study 
leave allocation and continue to expand the qualifications 
available at the request of employees themselves. During 
the course of the financial year 2021, we facilitated 36 CFA 
exams, and 17 IMC exams, as well 33 other professional 
qualifications.

Skills training
Our OD Team is dedicated to providing bespoke training 
to both teams and individuals. In the last year, this has 
included subjects such as leadership in a digital world, 
specific communication training for virtual meetings 
and navigating the pandemic from a team dynamics 
perspective. We support employees who want to gain skills 
externally via seminars and conferences relevant to their 
roles in order to gain more exposure to the wider industry.

Annual performance review
All employees have an annual performance review during 
which they reflect on the past year with their managers, 
and jointly identify training, learning and development 
needs for the forthcoming year. 

Graduate support
We aim to develop talent at all levels of our organisation 
and our various graduate recruitment programmes have 
been designed with that aim in mind. We have partnered 
with various universities and organisations across the 
globe – including Stellenbosch University and the 
University of Cape Town in South Africa, Investment20/20 
and STEM Women in the UK and Girls Who Invest in the US 
– to help build our pipeline of new talent. Over the year, we 
have had 15 full-time graduates join us globally, 5 summer 
interns in the UK and US, and 12 Winter School participants 
in South Africa.

Leadership development
Leadership development at Ninety One is a key input to  
the long-term success of the business. We are focusing  
on developing people at all levels. Our leadership 
development programme is structured over three modules:

 ɽ Emerge: focused on the concept of leading yourself, 
this programme teaches high-potential future leaders 
to learn more about leadership, their impact on others, 
and how to continue developing themselves.

 ɽ Connect: focused on the concept of leading others, 
this programme invites more established leaders to 
explore the concepts that allow teams and individuals 
to perform.

 ɽ Lead: focused on the concept of leading the 

organisation, this programme is a more bespoke 
intervention that sees functional leadership teams in 
the business strengthen the dynamics within their units 
and also work on solving tangible problems they face 
on a day-to-day basis.

In addition to our structured leadership development 
programmes, we believe on-the-job experience and 
exposure allows our leaders to grow into their roles. We also 
believe that ‘learning through doing’ is the primary mode 
of development. Our OD Team provides structured support 
to the next generation of leaders through developmental 
conversations, direct feedback, facilitation at team and 
leadership offsites, coaching sessions and assistance with 
feedback conversations. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationOur People and Culture

22

Diversity and inclusion
Our core value to ‘Do the right thing’ is part of our cultural 
identity and underpins everything we do. We know that 
diversity and inclusion not only makes business sense, but  
it’s also about doing the right thing for all of our stakeholders. 

We are committed to attracting, developing and retaining  
a diverse team of people and creating an inclusive culture 
across all our offices. This includes combating all  
forms of discrimination and approaching our decision- 
making with a diverse set of perspectives. We give fair 
consideration to all applications for employment and for 
the purposes of career progression and development,  
all employees are treated equally. 

We want everyone to have the opportunity to build a 
successful career and feel proud to work for Ninety One, 
regardless of their background, gender, age, race, ethnicity, 
disability or sexual orientation. 

We’ve established our own set of ten diversity principles 
(which are available on our website) and created a 
framework for our ongoing journey, which translates  
into four key areas of focus: 

1) Commitment and accountability
The leaders of our business are committed to creating 
a more balanced organisation and are held accountable 
for making progress. 

2) Enabling change
We have made diversity and inclusion a central 
consideration in all our decision-making. 

3) Measuring progress
We monitor key diversity statistics, so we can measure our 
progress and use this data to devise plans and address 
problems. We share this data with business leaders, to 
empower them to bring about change. 

4) Promoting an inclusive work environment
Our employee networks are essential to create an 
environment where everyone can be themselves. 

Ethnic diversity
Since being established in 1991, our focus on growth, an 
active approach and our underlying philosophy of investing 
for a world of change has contributed to Ninety One playing 
our part in the transformation of South Africa. We believe 
that this commitment and our stability as an employer, 
wealth generator and skills developer has contributed to 
the successful transition to a democratic South Africa.

We work hard to ensure that people of different 
backgrounds, cultures, beliefs and perspectives feel 
comfortable and welcome at Ninety One. We do not 
tolerate racism in our business and believe diversity is 
essential to our firm’s ability to compete, adapt and 
remain relevant. We are taking concrete steps to ensure 
that we are proactively combating racism – conscious 
and unconscious.

With regard to Black Economic Empowerment (“BEE”) in 
South Africa, we are determined to play our part in building 
a country in which the majority of South Africans have a 
fair chance to succeed, and we are creating a firm that 
is representative of the national population. Internally, 
we have substantially transformed the employee profile of 
our organisation and while we do not have racial employee 
statistics dating back to 1991, our black staff representation 
has increased from 50% in 2014 to 61% in 2021. 

Our newly established Employment Equity Forum in  
South Africa is a consultative body constituted through 
nominations and represents all designated groups within 
the business. The main role of the forum is to ensure that 
Ninety One is meeting its Employment Equity requirements 
through the drafting of the Employment Equity plan and 
ensuring its effective implementation.

The Financial Sector Code in South Africa provides a 
benchmark against which we determine our Broad-Based 
Black Economic Empowerment (“B-BBEE”) rating. We are a 
B-BBEE level-2 contributor. Ninety One remains committed 
to BEE and the Financial Sector Code which commits its 
participants to actively promoting a transformed, vibrant 
and globally competitive financial sector that reflects the 
demographics of South Africa.

Encouraging diversity and inclusion forms an integral part of Ninety One’s recruitment, 
development and retention programmes.

Ninety One Inspire enables  
the exchange of knowledge and 
experiences, to improve the 
opportunities and career success 
of Ninety One’s female employees. 

Ninety One Proud is our LGBT+ 
network, which is designed to 
create an internal community  
for our LGBT+ colleagues and  
their allies. 

Ninety One Belong is a grassroots 
employee-led network focused on 
the recruitment, retention and 
representation of black talent. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202123

Mental wellbeing: We proactively promote mental 
wellbeing by aiming to reduce the stigmas associated with 
mental health. We held various mental health workshops 
throughout the year and all staff have access to our 
Employee Assistance Program along with our on-site 
clinical psychologist.

Financial wellbeing: We want to equip our employees 
with the knowledge to retire with dignity. We offer various 
financial workshops covering a range of relevant topics 
throughout the year and provide access to a financial 
wellbeing tool for our employees in the UK. 

Physical wellbeing: We aim to promote work/life 
integration to make it easier for our employees to look 
after their physical wellbeing. Our Ninety One Active team 
regularly organises events to promote physical activity. 
Over the year, the team has facilitated various events, 
including a popular weekly hike in Cape Town and a running 
club in London.

In addition to our wellbeing programmes, we have a range  
of firm-wide policies in place to ensure that our employees 
work in a safe and healthy environment. These include:

 ɽ Our Global Health and Safety Policy: we provide and 
maintain a safe working environment across all our 
offices to promote welfare and mental wellbeing.

 ɽ Our Equality and Dignity at Work policies: we are an 

equal opportunities employer and have policies in place 
to ensure equal and respectful treatment for all our 
employees. This includes additional support for 
disabled employees and their needs.

 ɽ Our Whistleblowing Policy: we encourage employees 

to speak up if they become aware of malpractice, either 
within Ninety One or at any of its counterparties or 
clients via a third-party hotline provider.

Partner organisations
We have partnered with a number of external 
organisations and initiatives to support the 
development and growth of our people, 
including Headspace, Maureen Kark & Associates, 
Investment20/20, nudge, InterInvest and others.

Gender diversity
We are working to create a more balanced organisation 
and are pleased to report a positive trend of women 
progressing through the firm. 

Ninety One is a signatory of the Women in Finance Charter 
and we have committed to achieving a global target of 
30% of women in senior management by 2023. For the  
2020 reporting period, we are pleased to report we have 
increased our female senior management representation 
from 26% to 28% globally. Our senior executives’ pay is 
linked to the delivery of this target. 

We report our UK Gender Pay Gap (“GPG”) annually and 
the latest GPG report is available on our website.

Alongside our target to have 30% of women in  
senior management by 2023, we strive for a diverse 
representation on our boards. Ninety One’s Board  
of Directors currently comprises 50% women.

Ninety One Wellbeing
Ninety One Wellbeing is focused on developing 
an inclusive and supportive work environment that 
encourages growth for the long term by tending to 
the mental, financial and physical wellbeing of all staff.

Gender diversity1

Board

Executive Committee

50%

33%

50%

Senior  management2

All staff

28%

72%

49%

Male

Female

67%

51%

1.    Figures for Ninety One employees, excluding Silica.
2.  Senior Management as per Women in Finance Charter submission.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information24

Our Shareholders 

The Board values the importance 
of an active shareholder 
engagement programme and we 
are thankful for our shareholder 
support over the last year. 

We want to attract shareholders who value the 
characteristics and financial profile of our simple 
and capital-light business.

We actively engage with the market to understand how 
analysts and current and prospective shareholders 
consider Ninety One and help them better understand  
our business.

The Board receives regular updates through briefings and 
reports from the Investor Relations Team, Chief Executive 
Officer and Finance Director on key market developments 
and shareholder feedback.

Ninety One operates under a dual-listed company (“DLC”) 
structure, with shares in Ninety One plc and Ninety One 
Limited having equal economic and voting rights.

Information on the top shareholders in Ninety One plc and Ninety 
One Limited is included in the Directors’ Report section on  
page 106.

Shareholder engagement
The Investor Relations Team has primary responsibility for 
managing and developing relationships with existing and 
potential institutional investors and analysts. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we were unable to hold 
physical meetings with our shareholders in the 2021 
financial year. Instead, we focused on a comprehensive, 
virtual engagement programme during the year, 
participating in conferences, smaller group and  
one-to-one meetings.

The Investor Relations Team and senior management 
conducted more than 60 meetings, reaching over 70 
institutions in South Africa, the UK, Europe and the US.

These meetings were primarily aligned with the release 
of our financial results (in May and November 2020) and 
included discussions on strategic progress, financial 
performance, impact of COVID-19, relationship with 
Investec, our dividend policy and capital management. 

In addition, the Chairman, Senior Independent Director and 
Investor Relations Team conducted a virtual governance 
roadshow (in January and March 2021) where various 
governance-related matters were discussed, including 
Board diversity and skills, implementation of the approved 
Executive Directors remuneration policy, committee 
memberships and ESG matters. 

Shareholder value proposition

Unique employee 
ownership

Organically and 
sustainably built

Emerging market 
heritage underpins 
growth

Distinctive specialist 
active strategies

Superior global 
reach given scale

Sophisticated 
institutional and 
advisor client base

Significant growth 
potential across 
existing skillsets

Attractive profile 
with strong cash 
generation

In September 2020, we held our inaugural AGM in a virtual 
format, which enabled our shareholders to join and raise 
questions during the meeting. Notwithstanding our limited 
opportunity to consult our shareholders ahead of the AGM, 
we were pleased to receive strong shareholder support 
across all resolutions. 

Further detail on Board involvement with shareholders is detailed 
in the Our Stakeholders section on page 18.

Top DLC shareholders 
As at 31 March 2021 

Investec  

Forty Two Point Two 

25.0%

21.9%

Coronation Fund Managers 

 7.7%

Allan Gray 

5.1%

Public Investment Corporation  4.6%

Other 

35.7%

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021  
  
  
  
Our Clients

Putting clients first in  
an extraordinary year.

We work with clients from all over the world, predominantly 
in the institutional and advisor markets. Our institutional 
clients include some of the world’s largest private and 
public sector pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, 
central banks, insurers, corporates and foundations.  
Our advisor clients include wealth managers, private  
and retail banks, as well as independent advisers. 

Our client proposition
Our clients are at the heart of our business – they always 
come first. Our client proposition as active and responsible 
investors is to manage client money to meet their long-term 
financial objectives. If we do this well, we add meaningful 
value and create the opportunity to retain and grow our 
client relationships.

Client engagement
The last financial year has been an extraordinary one for the 
financial markets. We prioritised staying in close touch with 
our clients during the market turbulence, providing additional 
updates outside of our usual reporting schedule as needed, 
and making sure we were available to answer any questions 
or concerns they had about their investments. 

We are extremely grateful to our clients for working 
alongside us to transition to remote engagements. The 
investment in technology we made over the last few years 
helped us to adapt seamlessly to new ways of working.  
We are pleased that our teams, systems and processes 
continued to operate without interruption, enabling us  
to deliver on all of our clients’ reporting and other 
requirements during the year. 

25

Supporting our clients
Our client relationships are centred on actively delivering 
positive investment outcomes. Furthermore, we believe 
that the best long-term relationships go beyond that to 
include outstanding and transparent client service, and the 
capacity to share a meaningful investment dialogue.

As long-term investors, we felt it was particularly important 
to put day-to-day events – however dramatic and unusual 
– into a wider context. To this end, we were pleased to 
share our “Road to 2030” project with clients during the 
year. This firm-wide research exercise maps what we 
believe will be the major themes that drive markets and 
influence investment outcomes this decade.

Read more about our Road to 2030 project on page 26 and 27.

We continue to work with our clients, helping them 
understand and address the portfolio implications of  
the energy transition, and more broadly, our efforts to  
shift the global economy towards a more sustainable 
model. We are aware that this remains a key priority for 
many of our clients. In the past year, we have been working 
to expand the range of dedicated sustainability solutions 
we offer clients, some of which will be launched during  
the 2022 financial year. We continue to further enhance  
the integration of ESG analysis into all of our investment 
capabilities to help investors better manage these risks 
across their entire portfolios. This will remain a key focus  
in the year ahead.

AUM by Client Group

AUM by client type

Africa 

36%

United Kingdom  20%

Asia Pacific 

Europe 

Americas 

19%

13%

12%

Institutional 

Advisor 

68%

32%

AUM as at 31 March 2021.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationRoad to

26

The result is the development of possible investment 
consequences across a range of scenarios, including 
several which we might never normally imagine.

The Road to 2030’s value, we believe, is to create a new 
and useful framework for making investment decisions. 
We are alive to the fact that some of the scenarios will turn 
out to be mistaken. Certainty is not the point. Rather, we try 
to account for “the future that has already happened,” to 
quote Peter Drucker. In other words, to anticipate events 
that have already taken place and that will unfold over a 
period of time. We then ask ourselves in structured ways 
how we might allocate assets in a probabilistic way to 
account for these future developments. This is the most 
thoughtful mechanism we could conceive in our effort  
to look forward – and to search beyond the horizon.

The Road to 2030 (which we invite you to absorb in full via 
the homepage on our website) identifies five key themes 
we think will shape this decade.

Road to 2030 
There is no curiosity greater than the compulsion to 
imagine what lies beyond the horizon. We yearn to know – 
or, at least, to give the mystery our deepest consideration. 
In the early 1500s, a European globemaker etched the 
words hic sunt dracones – “here are dragons” – along the 
southeast coast of Asia on his copper orb.

Today, with almost every part of our planet’s surface 
charted, our methods are more sophisticated and our 
horizons range well beyond the physical, expanding to the 
metaphorical and the consideration of tomorrow’s world 
and its ways.

We know that past events and innovations sometimes echo 
far into the future, fashioning life for millennia. Consider the 
invention of the compass. Or Roman concrete. Or the 
water wheel. Or algebra. Our firm, always active in method 
and approach, seeks to anticipate and adapt as well as to 
learn. So to help us think about possibilities, even those that 
seem remote, the Ninety One Investment Institute created 
a project called The Road to 2030.

The objective is to understand structural and thematic 
influences over time so that we might highlight undiscounted 
change. The initiative tapped the thinking of our investment 
teams in a series of round tables through 2019 and 2020, 
asking many “what if” questions.

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Road to

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The rise of China. Technological disruption. Climate change. Debt. Demographics.

The five themes led us, in turn, to create scenarios to 
help us imagine and plan for the future. We wanted to 
avoid the extremes and the fanciful, so no scenario 
could be “interesting but useless” or “useful but dull.” 
Every scenario includes elements such as plausibility, 
relevance and a way to connect with one’s intuition.

The scenarios flowing from the theme of technological 
disruption, for example, diverge. The first is approaching 
the singularity, where accelerating positive supply 
shocks feed on themselves and, combined with 
institutional reforms, bring us closer to a world of higher 
income, less work, and more individual freedom and 
creativity. The second is uneven diffusion, where the 
status quo of uneven technological progress continues, 
and societies largely cope. The third is a backlash, where 
technology slows due to a social backlash and, as a 
result, living standards stagnate.

The Road to 2030, then, offers an enhanced way to 
understand how our decade may unfold – its possible 
peaks, valleys, and investment opportunities. As a 
committed active investment manager, we will always be 
attuned to our world. This means we don’t merely reflect 
on the past – we navigate the present and try our very 
best to anticipate the future.

Climate 
change

The rise  
of China

Technological 
disruption

Demo- 
graphics

Debt

 ɽ We see a shift eastwards of the economic centre of 
gravity, powering China’s advance. China will project 
ever-greater geopolitical power. 

 ɽ Technological innovation and its disruption will 

continue to fracture industries and yield swathes of 
new products. In our view, technology isn’t a series 
of objects, it’s an enabler. 

 ɽ Climate change is spurring a deepening recognition 
of the need for adaptations to systems of production 
and consumption. This means transition risk for 
industries, but also an opportunity for participation 
in decarbonisation. 

 ɽ Debt in some large countries is becoming 

unsustainable. Monetary and fiscal authorities 
must find ways to respond. 

 ɽ Demographically, higher life expectancies and 

lower birth rates will influence politics and policy 
like never before.

2030

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28

We are committed to investing for  
a better tomorrow. Sustainability  
is at the core of our business.

29

Rhinoceros once roamed large parts of Asia and Africa. They 
were even known to early Europeans, who depicted them in cave 
paintings 10,000 years ago. Able to reach one tonne in weight, 
rhinoceros are herbivores. Under threat from poaching and 
habitat loss, successful conservation efforts range from horn 
removal to protected sanctuaries and even 24-hour guarding.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNet

30

Our approach to net zero 
At Ninety One, we have embarked on what may be our most 
important project since our inception – the quest to help 
curtail disruptive climate change and ensure the long-term 
sustainability of our planet.

Last year, we identified climate as the priority issue for the 
world and for our sustainability efforts. 

This year, we committed to signing the Net Zero Asset 
Managers Initiative. This means we support investing that  
is aligned with the goal of net zero emissions by 2050 or 
sooner.

The commitment complements our support for the Paris 
Agreement and global efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.  
We are also aligned with the 17 specific goals in the United 
Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  
For us, this is not box-ticking or virtue signalling. We  
believe in sustainability with substance. It is about a better 
world, and in the case of climate, avoiding a calamity. 

In joining the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, we have 
also committed ourselves to a special task.

We believe the world needs an inclusive transition plan that 
works for all of its 7.9 billion people. Therefore, a drive to net 
zero that excludes, intentionally or otherwise, any place or 
enterprise, could not result in net zero at all. So, to us, the 
mission to reduce carbon must include the entire world.

The carbon-intensive emerging market economies need 
time, encouragement and resources to adjust. At Ninety 
One, we understand this perhaps better than most. These 
economies are after all not responsible for the bulk of 
emissions to date.

At Ninety One, our task is to make the case not only for  
a transition, but for a fair transition.

In our drive for low-emitting portfolios, we intend  
to do more than reduce “portfolio carbon” by simply 
constructing portfolios that exclude high-emitting 
countries and companies. We believe that if we 
mechanistically apply an exclusionary process to achieve 
net zero targets, a likely consequence will be the creation 
of portfolios concentrated in developed markets and 
asset-light industries, without the transition focus on the 
rest. As a result, we might end up with places and sectors 
abandoned to their own devices.

Instead, we seek to differentiate between the reduction of 
“portfolio carbon” and the reduction of carbon emissions in 
the real world. Currently, companies are incentivised to 
divest carbon-heavy assets to report declining carbon 
intensity. These carbon-heavy businesses continue to 
operate, but often outside the public eye. If excluded, they 
will increasingly operate outside the scrutiny of regulated 
public markets and to the detriment of society. At the same 
time, countries are incentivised to “offshore” carbon 
emissions to other countries without changing domestic 
consumption patterns.

As currently measured, the carbon footprint of our 
portfolios depends far more on the sector and regional 
allocation than on the progress of the underlying 
companies.

A narrow focus on lowering “reported carbon intensity”  
is likely to divert capital out of the developing world. This 
could deny large parts of the world the capital needed  
to build a cleaner, greener economy. It would also deny 
developed-market savers access to the dynamism of 
emerging markets and the potential return opportunity.  
In the past 15 years, exposure to fast-growing emerging 
markets has provided return and diversification benefits  
to developed market savers.

At Ninety One, we believe in active engagement and 
encouragement towards a transition. As a recent paper 
from Imperial College noted, “Not all firms can go green, 
but they can all get engaged in transition.” Instead of risking 
a disorderly exit from carbon-intensive economies, sectors 
or companies with a high carbon footprint, we will, where 
we can exert influence, actively allocate to companies 
and countries that can be encouraged to deliver on 
transition plans.

Our approach should be an expression of our purpose: 
Investing for a better tomorrow.

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31

We will do this within our three-dimensional sustainability framework.

Invest

ESG analysis is integrated across our 
investment strategies. We also offer 
sustainable investment solutions.

Advocate

We seek to contribute to the 
conversation on sustainable investing.

We will endeavour to understand climate risk and 
transition opportunities to the best of our abilities.  
We will price the risk as accurately as possible in all  
our portfolios. We want to drive transparency and 
accountability. We believe that accurately priced risk  
will result in allocations to companies and countries 
working hardest to curb emissions. The interrogation of 
relevant externalities, including emissions, will result in 
the best investment outcomes for clients over time.

We will argue for a realistic, fair and inclusive transition, 
with appropriately ambitious financing arrangements. 
We intend to make the case for continued activity and 
investment in emerging markets on return as well as 
equity considerations. This encompasses engaging with 
countries to engender their commitment to plausible 
transition pathways, as well as engaging with asset 
owners to commit to capital to fund the transition  
in developing and emerging markets.

Inhabit

We believe change starts at home.  
We run our business responsibly and  
act sustainably.

We will be an active and energetic driver of our own 
internal transition, in alignment with the Paris Agreement. 
We are committed to measuring, mitigating and 
managing our emissions. While we are already carbon 
neutral due to our mitigation programme on our known 
and controllable direct footprint, we must go further  
to reduce the footprint itself.

Zero

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationSustainability Review

We believe that the privilege of investing our clients’ capital 
carries with it a responsibility to try to secure a sustainable 
future. We aim to help our clients make a positive difference. 
With our roots in Africa, we know that well-directed 
investment can transform lives for the better. For over a 
decade, we have been investing in economic development 
in Africa, mobilising finance to bring health and prosperity 
to some of the continent’s poorest communities.

We seek to participate in the industry dialogue and 
influence the global direction of various sustainability 
issues through advocacy and thought leadership. 

Finally, we run our business responsibly and act sustainably. 
This includes contributing to preserving the natural world 
through sponsoring wildlife initiatives to managing our 
direct environmental footprint from our offices and travel. 

Our focus for FY 2021
In the period we focussed on:

 ɽ Preparing for a future sustainability regulatory 

environment: TCFD and the EU Sustainable Finance 
Action Plan.

 ɽ Articulating our Sustainability 2.0 approach, which 
embeds sustainability more deeply across the three 
core components of our sustainability framework: 
Invest, Advocate and Inhabit. 

For a full and more detailed review of our sustainability and 
stewardship activities over the past year, please refer to our 
Annual Sustainability Report 2021 on our website at  
www.ninetyone.com/sustainabilityreport.

32

Sustainability highlights from the  
reporting year
 ɽ Review and re-articulation of our sustainability 

framework

 ɽ Reorganisation of the ESG function
 ɽ Update of sustainability governance framework
 ɽ Publication of TCFD report
 ɽ Supporters of ‘Say on Climate’ initiative
 ɽ Launch of Climate & Nature Sovereign Index 

(“CNSI”) in partnership with WWF 

Our key figures

£2.3bn

Managed in sustainable solutions

230

Engagements

17,040

Proxy votes cast 

A+

PRI rating for Strategy and Governance  
and applicable listed asset classes

Carbon Neutral

from a Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 (category 6) 
emissions viewpoint

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Evolution of sustainability at Ninety One 
Our role as investors has always been to invest for a better 
tomorrow to which sustainability is a central concept. More 
recently, we have refreshed our approach to sustainability 
and prioritised climate change. 

Ninety One has been evolving its approach to sustainability 
and ESG integration for more than a decade. The past eight 
years were defined by what we call the ‘ESG 1.0’ phase, 
which focused on laying the foundations for a common 
understanding of ESG and stewardship. This resulted in a 
set of sustainability policies and principles. The ESG Team 
was established to work with the investment teams and 
help build the foundations of robust ESG integration 
processes and active ownership. 

The team also worked closely with clients and advised on  
a broad range of sustainability issues. 

As ESG 1.0 matured, we began working towards our next 
phase – Sustainability 2.0. This phase emphasises the 
importance of our wider sustainability ecosystem (Invest, 
Advocate, Inhabit) as an organisation, and allows for greater 
quality and integrity of our investment efforts as an active 
manager. Under Sustainability 2.0, the investment teams 
are fully responsible for addressing and embedding ESG 
and active ownership considerations and are monitored 
and supported by other functions, including a Sustainability 
Team, Investment Risk Team and an Engagement and 
Voting Team. 

33

DLC Sustainability, Social and Ethics Committee

Executive Committee

Sustainability Committee

Sustainability Team

Invest

Advocate

Inhabit

Investment teams

Investment teams

Human Capital

Investment Risk Team

Investment Institute

Workplace teams

Engagement and Voting Team

Client Group

All Ninety One employees

ESG 1.0

Sustainability 2.0

 ɽ ESG 1.0 began in 2009
 ɽ Adoption of global Stewardship Policy, Voting Policy and 

Investment Governance Committee (“IGC”)

 ɽ Formal ESG Team and foundations to integration and active 

ownership (2011)

 ɽ Bottom-up approach, centrally driven
 ɽ ESG Team accountable to the IGC on behalf of  

investment teams

 ɽ Focus on awareness building, sustainability insights and 
training and accommodating certain clients’ ESG needs

 ɽ Engagement activities largely driven by ESG Team
 ɽ We discharge our responsibilities to sustainability through 

Invest, Advocate, Inhabit

 ɽ Placing sustainability at the core of the business
 ɽ ESG is fully owned and addressed by the investment teams
 ɽ Our investment processes are committed to firm-wide 

integration and an active ownership philosophy and also offer 
specialised sustainability solutions
 ɽ The current ESG Team is divided into:

•  Sustainability Team
•  Engagement and Voting Team

 ɽ The Investment Risk Team oversees and challenges the 

investment process in respect of ESG factors

 ɽ The Sustainability Committee (formerly IGC) oversees the 
overall sustainability effort and direction for Ninety One

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationSustainability

Invest

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Highlights 
 ɽ Transition from ESG 1.0 to Sustainability 2.0
 ɽ Evolved governance structure 
 ɽ Investment Risk process expansion into ESG
 ɽ Internal training on TCFD and carbon tools and data
 ɽ Rated A+ by PRI for Strategy & Governance and 

applicable listed asset classes 

 ɽ Further evolution of engagement frameworks 

with the investment teams

 ɽ Expansion of proxy voting guidelines 
 ɽ Delivery against EU Sustainable Finance 

regulations

Our approach to ‘Invest’
From our beginnings 30 years ago, we have been 
committed to investing for a better tomorrow and pursuing 
substance over form in all aspects of sustainability. 
We believe that active management has a unique role in 
facilitating the allocation of capital to support the shift to  
a more sustainable future; however, achieving an inclusive 
and sustainable future is a big global challenge. Ninety One 
looks to invest for a world of change through inclusive 
capital allocation rather than divestment.

We take on a stewardship role on behalf of our clients’ 
capital, ensuring that our investment teams are challenged 
on, and encouraged to, improve their sustainability 
credentials. This approach of investing sustainably is 
central to our core goal of achieving long-term investment 
excellence for our clients. In focusing on sustainability,  
we seek to position portfolios to benefit from a deep 
understanding of externalities. Over the long term, we 
believe the market will price this into the value of securities. 

As a firm, we do not impose our own corporate values 
on our clients and their portfolios. However, we have a 
firmwide controversial weapons exclusion policy and 
will not invest in companies that are directly involved 
in the manufacture and production of cluster 
munitions, antipersonnel landmines, and biological 
and chemical weapons. This exclusion list is reviewed 
on a regular basis and approved by the Sustainability 
Committee. At the request of clients, we can exclude 
specific securities or sectors from our ESG-
integration portfolios.

Our approach to sustainability is applied to 
our investments in three ways:
1. Integration
We seek high-quality ESG integration standards firmwide 
for all strategies. Our aim is to ensure that robust ESG 
integration processes highlight material sustainability risks 
and opportunities and prompt our investment teams to 
analyse and address them as part of their fundamental 
research and determine an appropriate valuation. 

Our approach is based on the belief that, over time, the 
market will increasingly price negative externalities into the 
value of securities, and that investment outcomes can be 
improved by a deep understanding of material ESG-related 
risks and opportunities and their potential to affect value. 
This way of investing allows us to participate in financing  
a sustainable future, rather than claiming to make a 
contribution by avoiding certain sectors or divesting. 

For further information about the ways we integrate sustainability 
for each asset class and investment approach, please refer to our 
Annual Sustainability Report 2021. 

Ninety One’s investment teams have the ultimate 
responsibility for managing sustainability risks and 
opportunities, as well as their own integration frameworks. 
In this, they are supported by several global functions: 

 ɽ The Sustainability Team, which oversees and supports 

Ninety One’s sustainability ecosystem;

 ɽ the Investment Risk Team, which includes a dedicated 
ESG Risk function that monitors firm- and portfolio-
level sustainability risks; and

 ɽ the Engagement and Voting Team, which provides 
engagement support, guidance and advice to the 
investment teams – while also leading engagement 
action (where required), and assists with and 
coordinates proxy voting.

2. Active ownership
As a business, we are active (not passive or activist) 
investors. We believe that effective boards and 
management that are aligned with our long-term 
objectives should be supported. 

Our global engagement policy is driven by a clear purpose 
to preserve and grow the real value of the assets entrusted 
to us by our clients over the long-term. We seek to engage 
with companies to both challenge and support them on 
their journeys to become more sustainable. 

We take a targeted approach to engagement, prioritising 
strategic engagements where we can influence a business 
to reduce risk. We believe strategic engagements enhance 
our understanding of sustainability risks and can provide 
the opportunity to improve outcomes. Where we believe 
engagement is ineffective or companies are not committed 
to change, we may use the ultimate lever we have as an 
investor, which is to reallocate our capital. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Engagements take place as an integral part of the 
investment process, with the investment teams initiating 
engagements based on their investment processes and 
priorities. Our Engagement and Voting Team provides 
engagement support, guidance and advice to the 
investment teams and leads engagement action  
where required. 

Ninety One votes at shareholder meetings throughout 
the world as a matter of policy and principle. We believe 
that once we become investors (i.e. owners of a 
company) we assume a critical fiduciary responsibility 
on behalf of our clients by consistently exercising our 
proxy voting rights in company general meetings 
through either support or sanction.

During the financial year 2021, we carried out 230 
engagements and cast 17,040 votes.

3. Impact 
A direct way that Ninety One contributes to sustainability  
is through a range of dedicated sustainability focused 
investment solutions. These solutions include a high 
proportion of investments allocated to achieving a 
positive impact on sustainability issues, and they adhere 
to certain requirements in terms of investing and reporting.

Our approach to impact and 
sustainable solutions 
Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond 
integrating it into the way we invest. While all of our 
mainstream investment strategies include ESG 
integration, our sustainability and impact strategies 
focus on positive inclusion and they all have a 
defined impact objective. Our sustainability and 
impact strategies assess ESG externalities 
associated with a country or industry in the context 
of best practice for managing or minimising 
negative externalities, as well as promoting positive 
externalities. 

35

Climate change 
We recognise that climate change poses a significant risk 
to our business, therefore it is a priority issue for Ninety 
One. We address it as part of our holistic approach to 
sustainability. The most significant developments and work 
in this area have been on the investment front as well as the 
delivery of our first TCFD report, which we published in May 
2021. The TCFD report clearly articulates our progress 
against different TCFD recommendations and can be 
found on our website, www.ninetyone.com/TCFDreport.

During the past year, Ninety One decided to join the Net 
Zero Asset Managers Initiative. This means we support 
investing that is aligned with the goal of net-zero emissions 
by 2050 or sooner. Further details can be found on pages 
30 to 31. 

At a policy level, we continue to lean on our climate change 
statement in our Stewardship Policy, which sets out our 
commitment to integration, measurement and engagement. 
Oversight of how we deliver against this policy and the 
climate change statement rests with the Sustainability 
Committee and is reported up to the Ninety One Board. 
On a day-to-day basis, the investment teams continue to 
be responsible for understanding and integrating climate 
risk into their fundamental analysis. They are supported  
by data and portfolio tools developed by, and managed 
through, the Investment Risk Team. Ninety One does not 
operate an exclusion policy with respect to any carbon 
element at present. The investment teams are expected  
to account for the risks they are exposed to and then 
consider engagement with companies to reduce risk and 
ideally enhance value over time. We are strong supporters 
of the need to actively finance a global energy transition 
and, as an emerging market investor, we believe developing 
regions and companies need capital to be able to transition. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information36

Sustainability

Advocate

Highlights
 ɽ Joined the Carbon Disclosure Campaign’s 
(“CDP”) Forests Champion programme 

 ɽ Became one of the first listed asset managers to 
publicly commit to the ‘Say on Climate’ initiative

 ɽ Signed the Business for Nature’s Call to Action
 ɽ Hendrik du Toit, Founder and Chief Executive 

Officer of Ninety One, became an Ambassador  
of the World Benchmarking Alliance 

 ɽ Contributed to the first-ever Net Zero Investment 
Framework, with 70+ other investors, via the 
Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change 

 ɽ Launched the CNSI in partnership with WWF
 ɽ 2021 Global Investor Statement to Governments 

on the Climate Crisis

 ɽ John Green, Chief Commercial Officer, was a 
main platform speaker at the City of London 
Green Horizon Summit

 ɽ Responded to the European Supervisory 

Authorities (“ESA”) consultation on the proposed 
Regulatory Technical Standards on ESG 
disclosures

Our approach to ‘Advocate’
We believe our role as active investors requires a holistic 
approach to sustainability. This includes a commitment 
to advocacy where we can influence clients, stakeholders 
and policymakers. It also includes a commitment to 
continually improve our own sustainability credentials.

As a substantial investor of client capital, Ninety One has a 
voice in the markets. We have the human capital to analyse 
and articulate the urgency of the sustainability challenge. 
We believe it is important to not only manage our clients’ 
assets in a responsible manner, but also to proactively 
engage our clients and stakeholders on the subject of 
sustainability and encourage them on their journey towards 
more sustainable long-term investing. Advocacy takes 
many forms which together engage the business in a 
variety of ways. These include policy, education and 
thought leadership. 

Through our advocacy efforts with relevant bodies, we 
seek to play our part in accelerating the transition to a  
more sustainable way of thinking and acting. We are  
active members and supporters of a number of global 
sustainability initiatives. We select these carefully, based  
on a track record of advocacy effectiveness as well as 
opportunities to play an active role ourselves. We strive to 
contribute meaningfully to the development of frameworks 
for investment and ownership in the jurisdictions in which 
we invest. Where appropriate, we seek to influence policy, 
regulation and laws, aiming to facilitate efficient capital 
markets and favourable environments for shareholder 
rights and interests. We monitor and guide our advocacy 
activities through the Sustainability Committee on an 
ongoing basis. 

Our approach to advocacy, regardless of topic or 
organisation, is anchored around our principle of investing 
for change and inclusive capital allocation, rather than 
avoiding and divesting. A priority for the coming year will 
be the global climate transition and how Ninety One can 
make a positive contribution to that effort across policy, 
investment, research and reporting. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202137

Ninety One Investment Institute
Ninety One’s Investment Institute is an engagement 
platform that delivers strategic investing insights  
and analysis to our clients across asset classes, 
investment strategies and borders. 

We provide in-depth analysis and research on key 
geopolitical, economic and investment trends. Our 
work draws on our firm’s investment capabilities and 
partnerships with leading academics and external 
practitioners, and seeks to empower our clients with 
insight and knowledge. 

With this collaboration, central themes of the 
Investment Institute’s work have been portfolio 
resilience, sustainability and the application of ESG 
principles to investing. These have culminated in the 
publication of annual journals and papers.

We seek to play a full and active role in the global 
conversation on sustainable investing. From aligning  
a portfolio with the decarbonisation growth trend  
to ensuring a fair clean energy transition for all,  
Ninety One’s portfolio managers and analysts  
explore sustainable investing across asset classes 
and investment approaches.

Among recent highlights of our research, our 
firm-wide ‘Road to 2030’ project explored the key 
trends we believe will influence market outcomes in 
the present decade. They include climate change and 
the world’s response to it, which we expect to 
profoundly alter the economy and society. Road to 
2030 examines the multi-faceted impact on 
investments. See pages 26 to 27 for more detail.

For further information about our advocacy efforts and a full list of 
our advocacy memberships and partnerships, please refer to our 
Annual Sustainability Report 2021. 

Industry organisations and initiatives 
Ninety One carefully selects organisations and initiatives 
where their purpose and advocacy goals are aligned with 
those of our investment teams and underlying clients. 
Examples of our advocacy efforts over the past year are  
as follows: 

1.  Climate & Nature Sovereign Index

 In 2020, Ninety One collaborated with WWF to develop 
a pilot CNSI. The index is based on an innovative 
framework, which uses real-time and forward-looking 
indicators to assess long-term risks relating to climate 
change and nature loss at a country level. Such a 
framework should not only help achieve a more robust 
integration of environmental risk in the sovereign  
debt asset class, but also help countries in designing 
appropriate policy and institutional mechanisms to make 
their borrowing more attractive and sustainable in the 
long term.

 Employing the index in combination with new financing 
mechanisms would also help private and public sovereign 
debt investors to engage with countries in the post-
COVID-19 recovery phase, and help them transition to 
a sustainable trajectory that will make their investments 
more resilient to climate, nature-related and other 
risks alike.

2.   EU Sustainable Finance consultation on Regulatory 

Technical Standards
 Together with a wide set of market participants, industry 
organisations and advocacy groups, we submitted an 
independent response to the ESA consultation on the 
proposed Regulatory Technical Standards on ESG 
disclosures for financial market participants, advisers 
and products.

3.  Say on Climate 

 In December 2020, we became one of the earliest  
listed asset managers to publicly support the ‘Say on 
Climate’ initiative. This initiative seeks to facilitate deeper 
engagement between companies and their investors  
on their climate transition plans. 

4.  Carbon Disclosure Campaign

 We are active supporters of the CDP and believe that 
advocating for a greater commitment to, and uptake of, 
carbon reporting is critical. This year, our commitment  
to this long-term challenge involved engagement with 
36 companies of which seven companies reported 
emissions. We will continue contributing to this 
campaign in 2021. We will also be aiming to submit  
our own first report to the CDP as a listed company  
in calendar year 2021. 

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Sustainability

Inhabit

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Highlights
 ɽ Carbon neutral on Scope 1, 2 and 3 (category 6) 
through our partnership with BioCarbon Partners

 ɽ New London office wins Excellent BREEAM rating
 ɽ Launched a COVID-19 pandemic charity 

donations matching programme available to 
all employees

 ɽ Contributed more than £240,000 towards a 
Namibian COVID-19 vaccination programme 

 ɽ Launched ChangeBlazers, our new bursary 

scheme in South Africa

 ɽ Supported the building of a school in the Nyae 

Nyae Conservancy in Namibia through a donation 
of more than £240,000

Our approach to ‘Inhabit’
At Ninety One, we try to inhabit our own ecosystem in a 
manner that ensures a sustainable future for all. This includes 
the way in which we look after our people and the way we 
govern our firm. 

As a long-term investor on behalf of our clients, we are 
aware of our broader responsibility to society. We seek to 
give back through volunteering and by providing financial 
support to charities and community projects. We focus on 
making a positive impact via our corporate social investment 
initiatives, which support local communities and their 
environments. Our main charitable work is directed 
primarily towards conservation, education and community 
development. Our charity-matching programme is aimed 
at amplifying the contribution made by the team at Ninety 
One to a wide range of worthwhile initiatives.

Running our business responsibly 
Our carbon footprint was calculated in accordance with the 
international Greenhouse Gas (“GHG”) Protocol’s Corporate 
Accounting and Reporting Standard (revised edition). 
We continue our endeavours to decouple our company 
growth from our environmental impact by expanding our 
corporate sustainability strategy and finding new ways to 
reduce our direct carbon impact, while encouraging 
behaviour that results in sustainable and positive outcomes. 

We aim to reduce our carbon emissions on a Scope 1 and 2 
emissions basis and are pleased to report that our new 
London headquarters at 55 Gresham Street achieved  
a Building Research Establishment Environmental 
Assessment Method (“BREEAM”) Excellent rating, for the 
fit-out. BREEAM is one of the world’s leading sustainability 
assessment methods for buildings and with an Excellent 
rating we are in the top 10% for commercial buildings globally 
from a sustainability perspective. Our environmental footprint 
will be an integral part of the project plan when we upgrade 
our buildings or look for new offices across the world. 

Our environmental data collection system allows us to 
track and manage our direct operational impacts. Over the 
year, we have improved the accuracy and thoroughness 
of our data. We continuously review and update our data 
based on updated carbon emission factors, improvements 
in our data quality and updates to estimates previously 
applied. Where our carbon emission data has changed 
meaningfully, we restate our figures. For example, the 
Scope 2 emission factors for calendar year 2019 were 
restated in 2020. This reflected updates to our shared 
spaces in the Investec offices, specifically in South Africa,  
a more carbon-heavy location for electricity, along with 
the move to calendar-year reporting.

The Carbon Trust audited and verified our carbon footprint 
under Scope 1, 2 and 3 category 6 (business flights, taxis, 
hotel stays and car rentals). We also monitor our Scope 3 
emissions for paper and waste and continue to implement 
measures to mitigate our Scope 3 emissions. We continue to 
enhance our reported carbon emission disclosures, adding 
hotel stays to our reported carbon footprint this year.

Key carbon numbers (calendar year 2020)
 ɽ Total tCO2 per £ million of adjusted operating revenue, 

our intensity metric, reduced by 67%. 

 ɽ Our Scope 1 emissions, which relate to fuel and 

refrigerant usage, reduced 54% to 105 tCO2e. Most of 
this decline was as a result of our move to a fully electric 
building in London. 

 ɽ The global Scope 2 electricity emissions reduced by 
18% to 2,902 tCO2e. This was as a result of the 
decreased occupation of our offices due to COVID-19 
pandemic. Some 78% of our Scope 2 emissions relate 
to our Southern Africa offices, a more carbon heavy 
location for electricity due to the use of fossil fuels in 
power generation.

 ɽ Our global Scope 3 emissions, which include paper, 

waste and business travel, reduced significantly by 86% 
to 1,107 tCO2e. The majority of this was due to reduced 
business travel (specifically commercial air) as a 
result of the pandemic. In prior years, air travel was 
a significant proportion of our operational carbon 
footprint, given the client-facing, global nature of our 
business. Going forward, we will continue to utilise 
virtual communications to engage with our people and 
clients, which should help to partially reduce our air 
travel from pre-COVID-19 levels, and therefore our 
Scope 3 carbon emissions. 

We also continue to assess viable options for sourcing 
our energy from renewable sources. We recognise our 
responsibility as a global investment manager to play our 
part in reducing our global emissions and support the 
long-term goal of the Paris Agreement to keep the global 
average increase to below 2°C. 

We recently entered into a long-term partnership with BCP 
to mitigate 100% of our Scope 1, 2 and 3 business travel 
carbon emissions. BCP is a for-profit social enterprise 
founded in 2011, working to make forests and wildlife 
valuable to rural communities in Southern Africa. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Total CO2e emissions (tonnes) 
Scope 1 (Fuel) 
Scope 2 (Electricity) 

Scope 3 
Paper 
Waste 
Business travel 

Total GHG emissions 
Energy consumption (kWh) 1

Tonnes CO2e/£m adjusted  
operating revenue 2 

2020

2019

% change 

 UK & Offshore

81
531

Global

105 
2,902 

UK & Offshore 
159
618

Global
227 
3,546 

 UK & Offshore
(49)%
(14)%

620
1
5
614
1,232
 2,715,994

1,107 
7 
19 
1,081 
4,114 
5,450,426 

4,282
18
0
4,264
5,059
3,725,438 

8,010 
31 
22 
7,957 
11,783 
6,868,121

(86)%
(97)%
>100%
(86)%
(76)%
(27)% 

7.0 

21.0

Global
(54)%
(18)% 

(86)% 
(78)% 
(14)% 
(86)% 
(65)% 
(21)% 

(67)% 

39

1.   Energy consumption in kWh for Scope 1 and 2. 

2.   Adjusted operating revenue for the 12 months to 30 September 2020 and 2019 respectively. Carbon footprint data is calendar year data. 

Seeking to give back to our communities 
We focus on making a positive impact via our corporate social 
investment initiatives, which support local communities and 
their environments. Our main charitable work is primarily 
directed towards conservation, education and community 
development. Our charity-matching programme aims to 
amplify the contributions made by the people at Ninety One 
to a wide range of worthwhile initiatives and over the year to 
31 March 2021, we were able to match over £300,000 to 
projects supported by our staff.

We believe in creating a lasting and positive impact in 
the societies in which we live and work. Our work with 
communities is pragmatically arranged under four pillars.

Conservation
Ninety One proudly partners with the Tusk Trust on the 
annual Tusk Conservation Awards. We created these 
awards in 2013 with Tusk to celebrate the extraordinary 
people who work with wildlife and communities in Africa 
to protect the continent’s irreplaceable natural assets. 

We have also worked with BCP, who develops and  
sells carbon offsets in partnership with local communities 
and landowners to address deforestation in wildlife rich 
areas of Zambia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Education
During the year, we launched our South African bursary 
scheme, Changeblazers, offering both undergraduate and 
postgraduate research bursaries. For the 2021 academic 
year, we are supporting 33 students who will attend their 
first year at a South African university. The postgraduate 
bursaries are focused on research projects in the areas 
of healthcare and water and sanitation. 

Our partnership with Songo.info, enables this sports and 
education charity, to provide its development programme 
to more children in the township of Kayamandi in the 
Western Cape.

We are supporting the building of a school in the Nyae Nyae 
Conservancy in Namibia through a donation of more than 
£240,000. This donation will assist with the preservation of 
the Ju/’hoansi language and culture, one of the few remaining 
integrated hunter-gatherer communities on the planet. 

Community
We continue our partnership with JL Zwane Community 
Centre in Gugulethu, an impoverished township in  
Cape Town. This facility serves the needs of the entire 
community, providing services including education, adult 
literacy and HIV/Aids counselling and care. Our continued 
commitment to JL Zwane includes partnering with the 
Living Maths initiative, which provides maths lessons to 
more than 140 learners every year. 

Black Economic Empowerment (“BEE”) spend and 
initiatives are overseen and approved by our African 
Management Committee. A significant portion of our BEE 
spend goes towards education and skills development 
within South Africa. Some of these have included Promaths 
bursaries (a programme aimed at improving Maths, Science 
and English for disadvantaged communities), the Ikusasa 
Student Financial Aid Programme and Fundisa (a unit  
trust with a special tertiary educational focus).

As part of our spend on socio-economic development  
in South Africa for the 2021 financial year, we have 
supported the construction of boreholes and a solar-
powered water pump system in Thembisa, a rural village  
in Mpumalanga. The project will provide access to  
clean water to a community of 3,800 residents. 

Charity matching and support
At Ninety One, we have continued to conduct our  
business and operations as responsible citizens. We have 
contributed £2.9 million to COVID-19 relief efforts and 
initiated a staff donation matching scheme which has 
continued into 2021. We have continued to support our 
suppliers, while demanding they act in the spirit of solidarity 
towards their people.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationSustainability

Acting Responsibly  
as a Corporate Citizen

40

At Ninety One, we are committed to acting responsibly, and 
we have a number of policies in place to ensure we continue 
to operate in a socially responsible and compliant manner.

Our approach to anti-bribery and anti-corruption 
At Ninety One, we are committed to the highest standards 
of integrity and ethical behaviour. This is reflected in our 
culture and our values which focus on doing the right thing.  
We demand integrity in all internal and external dealings, 
consistently displaying the moral strength of the firm and 
our employees, and behaviour which promotes trust. We 
have a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and corruption. 
Our employees undertake training to ensure they 
understand their responsibilities and are aware of the 
consequences of the failure to comply with anti-bribery 
and anti-corruption policies in all the jurisdictions in which 
we operate.

Ninety One has regional compliance teams responsible  
for reviewing and updating internal policies to enable  
our business and employees to manage the legal and 
reputational risks associated with bribery and corruption.

The primary Ninety One policies established to mitigate 
bribery and corruption risks are the Anti-Bribery and 
Corruption Policy, the Anti-Money Laundering Policy, the 
Whistleblowing Policy, the Third Party Benefits Policy, the 
Prevention of Tax Evasion Policy and the Conflicts of 
Interest Policy. The key elements of these policies are also 
codified within our firm’s Global Code of Ethics, which all 
staff members attest to annually, and in respect of which 
they receive training.

Our approach to human rights
Support for, and protection of, human rights is embedded 
in our core values. Ninety One is committed to ensuring 
that our supply chain is free of any slavery and/or human 
trafficking. We evaluate third-party relationships with these 
issues in mind and further expect that all organisations that 
we deal with, who fall within the ambit of the UK’s Modern 
Slavery Act, are fully committed to the principles embodied 
therein. We will not knowingly support and/or do business 
with any third party who is involved in slavery and/or 
human trafficking.

Our Modern Slavery Act Statement is published on our 
website and includes details on the due diligence and 
procedures we take to mitigate modern slavery and human 
rights risks in our business dealings.

Data Protection and Privacy Policy
Our Data Protection and Privacy Policy promotes sound 
practices for the collection and processing of personal 
data to ensure that Ninety One acts in accordance with 
global data protection and privacy regulations, in addition 
to our fiduciary responsibilities towards our clients and 
employees. Our policy was further enhanced over the 
year and our people are aware of their data protection 
responsibilities and receive the appropriate training. The 
appetite statements and limits in respect to data privacy 
and security are included in our Risk Appetite Policy, which 
is approved by the Board. Adherence to risk appetite is 
monitored by the risk management teams and reported 
to the DLC Audit and Risk Committee.

Our relationships with regulators and peers
Ninety One is a DLC, with listings on the LSE and the JSE, 
and with regulatory obligations in the many jurisdictions in 
which we operate. We maintain constructive and proactive 
working relationships with our regulators around the world, 
as this enables us to conduct our business to the standards 
expected by our clients, our shareholders, our employees, 
our regulators, and the communities in which we operate.

We participate actively in industry forums, alongside our 
peers, in the markets in which we operate, with the intention 
of constructive development of policy and regulation. 

Our Board and our DLC Audit and Risk Committee are 
comprehensively engaged in the material regulatory 
matters and policy initiatives that Ninety One deals with.

Working with our suppliers
At Ninety One, we rely on external service providers to 
provide goods and services to supplement our own 
infrastructure. We value the relationships we have built  
with our suppliers over the years and recognise the  
value they provide to our business. 

To ensure that the suppliers who provide us with  
critical services adhere to the same high standards and 
behaviours we uphold across Ninety One, we have a  
high level of oversight in place, focused on the selection, 
onboarding, monitoring and reporting across our supply 
chain. We review their compliance with human rights 
legislation, ethical sourcing, bribery and corruption, living 
wages, and diversity and inclusion. Our procedures are 
reviewed bi-annually to ensure that our approach remains 
appropriate and that the existing relationships continue to 
add value to our own infrastructure.

This year has been particularly hard for some of our suppliers, 
so we continued to provide our support to them. In keeping 
with our principle of “doing the right thing”, we not only 
ensured that our suppliers were paid promptly, we continued 
to pay them, even when they weren’t able to supply their 
services due to COVID-19 restrictions. We are particularly 
grateful to our third-party cleaning staff, who have worked 
extremely hard over the year to continue to keep our offices 
open and safe, in line with local COVID-19 protocols. 

Our global approach to tax
At Ninety One, we are committed to complying with all our 
tax obligations wherever we operate. We seek to do this in 
a manner consistent with both the spirit and the letter of 
the law. In practice, this means we seek to ensure that we 
comply with our tax reporting and payment obligations 
in a timely manner and keep tax authorities up to date on 
major changes within our business. Where a tax authority 
has questions, or we disagree about a tax treatment, we 
engage with those tax authorities in a cooperative and 
transparent way.

Our Group Tax Strategy sets out the framework for managing 
taxes, including information on our tax risk management 
and governance. This is reviewed and approved by the 
Board annually and is published on our website.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Sustainability

Acting Responsibly  

as a Corporate Citizen

Non-Financial Information Statement

(sections 414CA and 414CB of the UK Companies Act 2006)

Ninety One aims to comply with the non-financial reporting requirements contained in sections 414CA and 414CB of the  
UK Companies Act 2006. The below information is intended to help stakeholders better understand how we address key 
non-financial matters and guide them to where the relevant non-financial information can be viewed.

41

Reporting requirements

Supporting information 

Where to find necessary information

Environmental matters

Sustainability

TCFD Report

Sustainability is available on pages 28  
to 39 and also our website

www.ninetyone.com 

Employees

People and Culture

See pages 19 to 23

Global Code of Ethics

See page 40

Whistleblowing Policy

See pages 23 and 40

Equality Policy

Dignity at Work Policy

See page 23

See page 23

Diversity and Inclusion

See pages 22 to 23

Global Health and Safety Policy

See page 23

Personal Account Dealing Policy

See page 104

Global Code of Ethics

See page 40

Prevention of Tax Evasion Policy

See page 40

Conflicts of Interest Policy

See page 40

Data Protection and Privacy Policy

See page 40

Suppliers 

Sustainability

See page 40

See pages 28 to 39

The Modern Slavery Act Statement

See page 40

Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy

See page 40

Anti-Money Laundering Policy

Third Party Benefits Policy

Business model

Non-financial KPIs

Principal risks

See page 40

See page 40

See pages 6 to 7

See pages 14 to 15

See pages 52 to 55

Group Tax Strategy

See page 40

Social matters

Human rights

Anti-corruption and  
anti-bribery matters

Other matters

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Review

42

Ninety One delivered record 
financial results after a 
challenging year, proving the 
resilience of our business. 
Capital discipline also remains 
core to our strategy.”

–––  Kim McFarland

Finance Director

Financial results 

£ million (unless stated otherwise)

Closing AUM (£ billion)
Net flows (£ billion)
Average AUM (£ billion)
Management fees
Performance fees
Foreign exchange (loss)/gain
Other income/(loss)

Adjusted operating revenue
Adjusted operating expenses
Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted net interest income
Silica profit

Profit before tax and exceptional items
Exceptional items 
Ninety One share scheme implementation
Other exceptional items

Profit before tax
Tax expense

Profit after tax

Average fee rate (bps)
Adjusted operating profit margin 
Full-time employees

2021

130.9
(0.2)
119.9
561.0
45.4
(6.3)
3.4
603.5
(397.3)
206.2
2.2
1.7
210.1

–
(6.0)
204.1
(49.5)
154.6

46.8
34.2%
1,174 

2020
103.4
6.0
118.3
565.7
21.5
2.1
(1.3)
588.0
(398.1)
189.9
4.5
1.9
196.3

13.1
(10.9)
198.5
(42.5)
156.0

47.8
32.3%
 1,165 

Change %
27
n.m.
1
(1)
111
n.m.
n.m.
3
(0)
9
(51)
(11)
7

n.m.
(45)
3
16
(1)

n.m.
n.m.
1

Note: Please refer to explanations and definitions, including alternative performance measures, on page 47 and pages 170 to 171 respectively.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
Ninety One’s first full year as a listed company was 
challenged by a global pandemic, disrupted markets and 
political uncertainty. Ninety One has delivered a strong set 
of financial results. Our adjusted operating profit increased 
9% to £206.2 million (2020: £189.9 million). Adjusted 
operating profit margin of 34.2% increased on the 
comparative period (2020: 32.3%), principally due to 
higher performance fees earned and COVID-19 related 
expense savings. Profit before tax and exceptional items 
increased 7% to £210.1 million (2020: £196.3 million).

Assets under management 
Ninety One saw net outflows of £0.2 billion (2020: net 
inflows £6.0 billion). Our total AUM increased by 27% to 
£130.9 billion (31 March 2020: £103.4 billion), supported 
by positive market movements. The market and foreign 
exchange impact for the period was positive £27.7 billion 
(2020: negative £14.0 billion). 

The average AUM increased marginally by 1% to 
£119.9 billion (2020: £118.3 billion), as a result of the 
lower AUM for a large portion of the financial year. 

Adjusted operating revenue
Management fees decreased 1% to £561.0 million (2020: 
£565.7 million), against the 1% increase in average AUM, 
predominantly driven by a decline in average fee rate of 
1.0bp to 46.8bps (2020: 47.8bps) mainly reflecting a higher 
weighting of lower fee portfolios. This is an industry-wide 
trend that we aim to manage through centralised, 
disciplined processes around pricing decisions.

We saw a significant increase in performance fees to 
£45.4 million (2020: £21.5 million) reflecting relative 
investment outperformance in a selection of strategies, 
particularly in South African equities. 

Foreign exchange loss of £6.3 million (2020: gain of 
£2.1 million) were mainly due to US dollar asset translations 
where pound sterling strengthened against the US dollar. 
The year-end exchange rate moved from 1.23 in 2020 to 
1.38 in 2021.

Other income of £3.4 million was higher compared to the 
comparative period (2020: losses of £1.3 million), due to  
an increase in items such as research and development 
credits and seed capital (including private equity) mark- 
to-market revaluations. 

Adjusted operating expenses
Adjusted operating expenses marginally decreased to 
£397.3 million (2020: £398.1 million), largely driven by a 
reduction in travel and promotional expenses and mostly 
offset by an increase in staff expenses. The decrease in 
travel and promotional costs is linked to COVID-19 imposed 
restrictions, which resulted in minimal business travel and 
fewer client events in the year. 

43

Adjusted operating expenses
£m

12.5

398.1

(11.5)

(0.6)

(1.2)

397.3

425

415

405

395

385

375

365

0
2
0
2
Y
F

s
e
s
n
e
p
x
e

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e

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s
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e
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a
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r
e
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s
e
s
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e
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e

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2
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s
e
s
n
e
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e

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o
i
t
a
d
o
m
m
o
c
c
A

Staff expenses
Ninety One is a people business and staff expenses 
represent the largest portion of the expense base. Total 
staff expenses (excluding Silica and the deferred employee 
benefit scheme) increased 5% to £271.3 million (2020: 
£258.8 million), driven by an average headcount increase 
of 2% to 1,168 (2020: 1,148) along with inflation and 
market-related adjustments. 

Over 50% of our staff expenses are variable and fluctuate 
in line with adjusted operating profit, ensuring alignment 
with financial performance. We have invested in the quality 
and depth of our teams, and will continue to do so.

Non-staff expenses
Non-staff expenses decreased 10% to £126.0 million 
(2020: £139.3 million). This largely reflects the significant 
savings on travel and promotional costs in the period. 
Client and retail fund administration expenses reduced 
mainly due to the impact of the weaker South African  
rand on South African based costs. Systems expenses 
increased in line with the continued investment to support 
long-term growth. Accommodation costs were relatively 
flat following the completion of the move to a new office 
building in London. The end of the duplicate rental expenses 
was offset by moves to new and more expensive offices in 
Hong Kong and New York. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
 
 
 
Financial Review

44

Adjusted net interest income
Adjusted net interest income decreased to £2.2 million 
(2020: £4.5 million) as a result of lower interest rates. 
Adjusted net interest income excludes interest expense  
on lease liabilities of £3.7 million (2020: £3.0 million),  
which has been included in adjusted operating expenses.  
Interest expense on lease liabilities increased due to the 
new office rentals in Hong Kong and New York. 

Silica 
Silica was our transfer agency business in South Africa. 
Its profits were not material to Ninety One, as they were 
typically reinvested into Silica’s core operational platforms.

During the year, we took a strategic decision to dispose 
of Silica, further simplifying our business. The sale, which 
completed on 30 April 2021, will allow Silica to work with 
a strong and strategically-aligned partner. Ninety One 
recognised a one-off after-tax profit on disposal of 
£11.1 million. We remain a client of Silica. 

Exceptional items
Other exceptional items of £6.0 million (2020: £10.9 million) 
are expenses related to the demerger from Investec in 
March 2020, and the subsequent listing on the London and 
Johannesburg Stock Exchanges. These demerger expenses 
related mainly to promotional and rebranding activities in the 
current year. In the prior year, income of £13.1 million was 
included in exceptional items due to the net impact of 
implementing a new share scheme. All costs relating to the 
various employee related schemes are now expensed in 
adjusted operating expenses.

Profit before tax 
Our profit before tax increased 3% to £204.1 million 
(2020: £198.5 million), while adjusted operating profit 
increased 9% to £206.2 million (2020: £189.9 million). 

Effective tax rate
The effective tax rate for the twelve months to 31 March 
2021 was 24.3% (2020: 21.4%) against a headline UK 
corporation tax rate of 19.0% (2020: 19.0%) and a headline 
South Africa corporation tax rate of 28.0% (2020: 28.0%). 
The increase in the effective tax rate was largely due to a 
higher proportion of profits being made in South Africa.

Earnings per share

£ million (unless stated otherwise)

Profit after tax
Profit attributable to non-controlling interests

Profit attributable to ordinary shareholders
Ninety One share scheme implementation
Exceptional items
Gain on disposal of associate
Adjusted net interest income
Silica profit
Tax on adjusting items

Adjusted earnings attributable to ordinary shareholders

Weighted average number of ordinary shares (m) – basic
Weighted average number of ordinary shares (m) – diluted
Number of ordinary shares (m)

Earnings per share (p)
– Basic
– Diluted
Headline earnings per share (p)
– Basic
– Diluted
Adjusted earnings per share (p)

2021

154.6
(0.2)
154.4
–
 6.0 
(0.2)
 (2.2)
(1.7)
0.2
156.5

912.7
916.8
922.7

16.9
16.8

16.9
16.8
17.0

2020
156.0
(0.6)
155.4
(13.1)
 10.9 
–
 (4.5)
 (1.9)
2.0
148.8

922.5
922.5
922.7

16.8
16.8

16.8
16.8
16.1

Change %
(1)
(67)
(1)
n.m.
(45)
–
(51)
(11)
(90)
5

(1)
(1)
–

1
–

1
–
6

Note: Please refer to explanations and definitions, including alternative performance measures, on page 47 and pages 170 to 171 respectively. 

Basic earnings per share (“Basic EPS”) and basic headline EPS (“Basic HEPS”) increased 1% to 16.9p (2020: 16.8p). Diluted 
EPS and diluted HEPS were flat at 16.8p (2020: 16.8p). There was no change in the number of shares in issue. The impact 
of the investment in own shares held by Ninety One as part of the new share scheme had a small impact on the weighted 
average number of ordinary shares. 

Adjusted EPS grew 6% to 17.0p (2020: 16.1 p), broadly consistent with the growth in adjusted operating profit and more 
reflective of the core operating performance of Ninety One.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Summary balance sheet 

£ million
Non-current assets
Current assets

Linked investments backing 
policyholder funds
Cash and cash equivalents
Other current assets

Total current assets

Total assets
Non-current liabilities
Current liabilities 

Policyholder investment contract liabilities
Other current liabilities

Total current liabilities

Total liabilities
Equity 

Total equity and liabilities

31 March 2021

31 March 2020

Policyholders

Shareholders

Total IFRS

–

155.0

155.0

Policyholders
–

Shareholders
145.2

Total IFRS
145.2

45

9,063.9
–
51.0
9,114.9
9,114.9
28.8

9,033.6
52.5
9,086.1
9,114.9
–
9,114.9

–
337.5
297.2
634.7
789.7
146.6

–
389.8
389.8
536.4
253.3
789.7

9,063.9
337.5
348.2
9,749.6
9,904.6
175.4

9,033.6
442.3
9,475.9
9,651.3
253.3
9,904.6

6,988.5
–
67.3
7,055.8
7,055.8
5.6

7,002.8
 47.4
7050.2
7,055.8
–
7,055.8

–
194.5
255.8
450.3
595.5
140.1

–
304.3
304.3
444.4
151.1
595.5

6,988.5
194.5
323.1
7,506.1
7,651.3
145.7

7,002.8
351.7
7,354.5
7,500.2
151.1
7,651.3

Ninety One undertakes investment-linked insurance 
business through one of its South African entities, Ninety 
One Assurance, and does not take on any insurance risk in 
respect of such business. The policyholders hold units in 
a pooled portfolio of assets via linked policies issued by 
the insurance entity. The assets are beneficially held by 
the insurance entity and the assets are reflected on its 
statement of financial position. Due to the nature of a 
linked policy, our liability to the policyholders is equal to 
the market value of the assets underlying the policies, less 
applicable taxation. The increase in policyholder assets is 
largely due to foreign exchange gains and improved 
markets. The commentary below only covers the 
shareholders’ amounts. 

Total assets increased to £789.7 million (31 March 2020: 
£595.5 million), largely due to cash and cash equivalents 
which increased to £337.5 million (31 March 2020: 
£194.5 million). The cash and cash equivalents balance  
was lower last year due to the settlement of dividends 
ahead of the year-end, following the demerger from 
Investec.

Ninety One has limited seed investments. Seed capital for 
mutual funds was £3.1 million (31 March 2020: £1.7 million) 
and co-investments in private equity and real estate funds 
totalled £8.2 million (31 March 2020: £9.3 million). 

Total liabilities increased to £536.4 million (31 March 
2020: £444.4 million). There is no debt financing on 
the balance sheet.

Equity increased to £253.3 million (31 March 2020:  
£151.1 million), reflecting the profits for the year, net of 
the payment of the interim dividend. 

During the prior year, we established employee benefit 
trusts for the purpose of purchasing shares and satisfying 
the share-based payment awards granted to employees. 
Throughout the year, 4.6 million shares were purchased 
through these trusts, resulting in a total of 11.0 million shares, 
representing 1.2% of Ninety One’s 922.7 million total shares 
in issue.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information46

Financial Review

Capital and regulatory position

£ million
Equity
Non-qualifying assets

Qualifying capital
Dividends proposed
Estimated regulatory requirement

Estimated capital surplus

31 March 2021 31 March 2020
151.1
(12.7)
138.4
–
(94.4)
44.0

253.3
(13.3)
240.0
(61.7)
(104.4)
73.9

Note: The above table represents the amalgamated position across Ninety One 
plc and its subsidiaries and Ninety One Limited and its subsidiaries, which for 
regulatory capital purposes are separate groups. Both groups had an estimated 
capital surplus at 31 March 2021 and 31 March 2020.

Estimated regulatory capital increased to £104.4 million  
(31 March 2020: £94.4 million). This provides us with an 
expected capital surplus of £73.9 million (31 March 2020: 
£44.0 million), which is consistent with our commitment 
to a capital-light balance sheet, while maintaining a 
reasonable buffer. The capital requirements for all Ninety 
One companies are monitored throughout the year. 

Dividends 
The Board has considered the strength of the balance 
sheet. In line with the stated dividend policy, it has 
recommended a final dividend of 6.7 pence per share.  
Of this, 4.4 pence per share represents 50% of profit after 
tax and 2.3 pence per share represents after-tax earnings 
after ensuring we have sufficient capital to meet current or 
expected changes in the regulatory capital requirements 
and investment needs, as well as a reasonable buffer  
to protect against fluctuations in those requirements.  
Subject to approval at the AGM, the final dividend will be 
paid on 12 August 2021 to shareholders included on the  
share registers on 23 July 2021 and will result in a  
full-year dividend of 12.6 pence per share. 

There are no plans to increase the current number  
of shares in issue.

Liquidity
Ninety One’s liquidity position comprises cash and cash 
equivalents of £337.5 million (31 March 2020: £194.5 million). 
We maintain a consistent cash management model, with 
requirements monitored carefully against its existing and 
longer-term obligations. Ninety One diversifies its cash and 
cash equivalents across a range of suitably credit-rated 
corporate banks and money funds.

Foreign currency 
The financial information is prepared in British pound 
sterling. The results of operations and the financial 
condition of individual companies are reported in the local 
currencies of the countries in which they are domiciled, 
including South African rand and US dollar. These results 
are then translated into pound sterling at the applicable 
foreign currency exchange rates for inclusion in the 
consolidated financial statements. The following table sets 
out the movement in the relevant exchange rates against 
pound sterling for the twelve months ended 31 March 2020 
and 2021.

31 March 2021

31 March 2020

Year-end

Average

Year-end

Average

South African 
rand
US dollar

20.39
1.38

21.35
1.31

22.16
1.23

18.78
1.27

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Alternative performance measures 
Ninety One uses non-IFRS measures to reflect the manner 
in which management monitors and assesses its financial 
performance. In particular, they exclude Silica as it is not 
core to Ninety One’s asset management activities and as at 
30 April 2021 has been divested. These non-IFRS measures 
are considered additional disclosures and in no case are 
intended to replace the financial information prepared in 
accordance with the basis of preparation detailed in the 
consolidated financial statements. Moreover, the way in 
which Ninety One defines and calculates these measures 
may differ from the way in which these or similar measures 
are calculated by other entities. Accordingly, they may not 
be comparable to measures used by other entities in Ninety 
One’s industry.

These non-IFRS measures are considered to be pro forma 
financial information for the purpose of the JSE Listings 
Requirements and are the responsibility of Ninety One’s 
Board. Due to their nature, they may not fairly present the 
issuer’s financial position, changes in equity, results of 
operations or cash flows. 

The non-IFRS financial information has been prepared 
with reference to the JSE Guidance Letter: Presentation 
of pro forma financial information, dated 4 March 2010 
and in accordance with paragraphs 8.15 to 8.33 in the JSE 
Listings Requirements, the Revised SAICA Guide on Pro 
Forma Financial Information (issued September 2014) and 
International Standard on Assurance Engagement 3420 
– Assurance Engagements to Report on the Compilation of 
Pro Forma Financial Information included in a Prospectus, 
to the extent applicable given the Non-IFRS Financial 
Information’s nature. This pro forma financial information 
has been reported on by KPMG Inc in terms of ISAE 3420 
and their unmodified report is available for inspection on 
Ninety One’s website (www.ninetyone.com). 

These non-IFRS measures, including reconciliations to their 
nearest consolidated financial statements equivalents, are  
as follows:

47

2021
625.1

2020
 609.9 

£ million
Net revenue

Adjustments

Silica third-party revenue
Foreign exchange (loss)/gain 
Net gain/(loss) on investments
Deferred employee benefit  
scheme (gain)/loss 
Share of profit from associates
Other income
Rounding 

Adjusted operating revenue
Of which management fees
Of which performance fees
Of which foreign exchange  
(loss)/gain 
Of which other income/(loss)

£ million
Operating expenses

Adjustments

Silica net expenses
Deferred employee benefit  
scheme (gain)/loss
Interest expense on lease liabilities
Rounding

(18.9)
(6.3)
15.6

(14.2)
0.6
1.6
–

603.5 
561.0
45.4

(6.3)
3.4

2021
425.0

(17.2)

(14.2)
3.7
–

Adjusted operating expenses

397.3

£ million
Adjusted operating revenue
Adjusted operating expenses

Adjusted operating profit
Adjusted operating profit margin

£ million
Net interest (expense)/income 

Adjustments

Silica interest income
Interest expense on lease liabilities
Other interest expense

Adjusted net interest income

2021
603.5
 (397.3)

206.2
34.2%

2021
(1.5) 

–
 3.7 
–

2.2 

 (21.2) 
2.1 
(4.2)

 1.0 
–
0.2
0.2
 588.0 
565.7
21.5

2.1
(1.3)

2020
413.4

(19.4)

1.0
3.0
 0.1 
398.1

2020
588.0
 (398.1)
189.9
32.3%

2020
1.7 

 (0.1)
 3.0 
(0.1)
4.5 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationFinancial Review

48

Statement of viability
In accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, 
the Directors have assessed the current position and 
prospects of the Group over a three year period to 
31 March 2024. The Directors’ assessment has been 
made with reference to Ninety One’s current position and 
strategy, the Board’s risk appetite, Ninety One’s financial 
plans and forecasts, and its principal and emerging risks 
and how these are managed, as detailed in the Strategic 
Report. Consideration of the risks arising from the 
COVID-19 pandemic has also been included in this 
assessment. 

Ninety One uses a three-year period in assessing viability, 
consistent with the minimum period used in the Group’s 
internal capital adequacy assessments and financial 
projections. The financial projections incorporate both 
the Group’s strategy and principal risks, and are reviewed 
by the Board at least annually. These formal approval 
processes are underpinned by regular Board discussions 
about strategy and risks, in the normal course of business. 
Throughout the year, the Board assesses progress 
by reviewing forecasts compared to the budget, and  
longer-term projections compared to the financial plan. 
The current year forecast and longer-term financial 
projections are regularly updated as appropriate and 
consider Ninety One’s profitability, cash flows, dividend 
payments and other key internal and external variables.

The Board regularly assesses the amount of capital that the 
Group is required to hold to cover its principal risks and 
scenario analysis is performed as part of both the financial 
planning and internal capital assessment processes. These 
scenarios evaluate the potential impact of severe but 
plausible occurrences which reflect Ninety One’s risk profile.

Scenarios modelled included:

 ɽ Market stress: the effect of a reoccurence of the 

financial crisis of 2007/08. 

 ɽ Shock event: a one-time event that led to an 

immediate reduction in AUM at the higher end of the 
falls calculated in the Market stress scenario and 
aligned to the risk appetite limit for clients at risk.

 ɽ Operational risk event: the effect of an idiosyncratic 
operational risk event. The event modelled was that 
representing the greatest single operational risk capital 
charge included in the capital assessment process.

 ɽ Net outflows: the effects of experiencing net outflows 
equivalent to the lowest proportion of net flows in 
relation to opening AUM experienced by the Group.

 ɽ A combination of the Market stress, Net outflows and 

Operational risk event scenarios.

The internal capital assessments are conducted separately, 
but in a consistent manner for each of the two groups: 
Ninety One plc and its subsidiaries, and Ninety One Limited 
and its subsidiaries, as for regulatory capital purposes 
these are considered to be separate groups. 

Having reviewed the results of the stress tests, the 
Directors have concluded that the Group would have 
sufficient capital and liquid resources in the respective 
scenarios and that the Group’s ongoing viability would be 
sustained. It is possible that a stress event could be more 
severe and have a greater impact than we have determined 
plausible. Actions are available that may reduce the impact 
of more severe scenarios, but these have not been 
considered in this viability statement.

The Directors confirm, based on information known today, 
that they have a reasonable expectation that Ninety One 
will continue to operate, meet its liabilities as they fall due, 
and maintain sufficient regulatory capital over the three-
year-period to 31 March 2024.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Risk Management

The DLC Board of Directors has ultimate responsibility for risk 
management. It approves Ninety One’s risk framework and 
appetite annually and oversees the operation of the framework. 

49

Ninety One’s risk management framework is not designed 
to eliminate risk entirely, but to reduce uncertainty by 
identifying and managing current and emerging risks to 
acceptable levels and to harness risk management tools 
and techniques to optimise performance and inform 
business decisions.

Creating and nurturing good culture  
and conduct
The concept of “doing the right thing” is a key cultural 
attribute at Ninety One and our culture and values 
permeate throughout the organisation.

Ninety One takes great care to hire the right people who 
share our values and nurture an environment where good 
behaviours are demonstrated. This culture is displayed in the 
actions of employees and the construction of our policies 
and processes, as well as the design of our products.

Ninety One operates a risk-aware, open culture where  
all employees contribute to effective risk management.

Approach to risk management
Risk appetite
Risk appetite sets the “tone from the top” and provides 
parameters within which the business can operate. Risk 
appetite provides a mechanism for treating risks that 
exceed appetite and ensuring the DLC Board of Directors 
(“the Board”) and key committees are appropriately 
informed. Risk appetite considers qualitative and 
quantitative impacts affecting all stakeholders. Ninety 
One’s risk appetite is approved annually by the Board.

Risk governance
The Board has delegated the responsibility for risk 
oversight to the DLC Audit and Risk Committee (“ARC”). 
The ARC is supported by a Management Audit Committee, 
Management Risk Committee and specialised risk 
subcommittees, comprising subject matter experts from 
across the business. This model ensures that material risks 
are escalated to the ARC (or Board, where appropriate), 
and any relevant levels of that risk are regularly and formally 
evaluated.

Ninety One risk governance structure

DLC Board of Directors

DLC Audit and Risk Committee

Chief Executive  
Officer

Management  
Audit Committee

Management  
Risk Committee 

Executive  
management

Specialised risk subcommittees

Key:

  Independent
  Executive
  Management

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information50

Risk Management

The “three lines model”
Combined assurance is about effectively coordinating 
the three lines of defence through the encouragement 
of collaboration and development of a holistic view of 
Ninety One’s risk universe to most effectively and 
efficiently manage risk. Ninety One has implemented a 
Governance Risk and Compliance (“GRC”) technology 
solution that is used by all three lines of defence. The GRC 
is a single repository of risks and controls from which each 
team’s own risk assessments are administered, evaluated 
and challenged. GRC facilitates a more structured and 
cohesive approach to managing risk within the business.

Ninety One’s employees are the first line of defence 
against risk
Ninety One believes that good risk management is 
achieved by empowering its employees to identify risk. 
Individual risk management responsibilities also form a key 
part of the annual employee performance review process. 
Line managers are the first point of escalation, as their 
detailed understanding of Ninety One’s processes make 
them best placed to assess and manage risk in line with 
Ninety One’s risk appetite.

COVID-19 response

Coordination
Ninety One’s Continuity and Resilience steering  
group coordinated our response to the pandemic. 
This included overseeing the switch to remote 
working, ensuring regional guidance is considered 
and communicated, reviewing business status reports  
and key indicators, overseeing communication and 
employee welfare efforts. The group met daily initially, 
reducing as the environment stabilised.

Technology
Ninety One’s technology architecture is designed  
to facilitate the global, mobile nature of our business 
so we were well prepared for remote working. All 
business processes can be performed remotely 
without compromising key control structures or 
compliance obligations, including recording and 
monitoring of business communications (as 
appropriate). Our technology has performed as 
expected and no disruption has been suffered.

People
A key focus during the COVID-19 pandemic was  
to keep our staff safe, supported and motivated.  
We have advised our employees in line with local 
guidance, have enabled them to work from home  
and provided funding to improve their home working 
environment. We have also provided a COVID- 
secure workspace for those requiring space away 
from home. In addition, we are continuing to provide 
ongoing support teams as outlined in the ‘Our People 
and Culture’ section.

The second line of defence comprises the 
risk management and compliance teams
Ninety One’s risk management teams design the risk 
management framework and are trusted partners who 
advise on risk management matters and challenge the first 
line’s assessment of risk. Risk management separates into 
two specialist areas tasked with assessing and overseeing 
investment risks (within portfolios) and operational risks, 
respectively. Regulatory risk is overseen by a dedicated 
Compliance Team.

The third line of defence is an independent Internal 
Audit Team
Internal Audit operates a risk-based audit review 
programme to provide independent assurance to the 
Board (via the ARC) that the risk management framework 
and control environment are suitability designed and 
properly operated and governed.

Markets and products
Ninety One’s Liquidity Management Committee 
established a working group to oversee the impacts 
of market volatility on our products, investment 
activities, and trading counterparties, and to ensure 
regulatory communications and interactions were 
monitored and coordinated. None of Ninety One’s 
emergency liquidity management mechanisms 
needed to be invoked. The group met daily initially, 
reducing as we became more comfortable with the 
environment.

Communication
Ninety One understands that communication  
with stakeholders is critical at times of disruption. 
Throughout the pandemic, we have followed our 
established communication strategy to ensure all  
of our stakeholders – internal and external – are  
kept informed as we navigated the global impacts.

Key third parties and outsourced partners
Throughout the pandemic, Ninety One has increased 
management interaction with third parties to ensure 
they have sufficient business continuity arrangements 
to safeguard continuity of our services. No material 
disruptions were identified during the period. We 
continue to work closely with third parties operating in 
or exposed to regions with a heightened state of alert 
such as India.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Risk management framework
The risk management framework is utilised across all 
categories of risk within Ninety One and employs tools 
including risk assessments, key indicators, stress and 
scenario tests and learnings from internal and external 
events. This informs business decisions, including the 
deployment of resources, and helps to ensure that Ninety 
One is appropriately capitalised. Current and emerging 
risks are evaluated against risk appetite to aid prioritisation 
and determine appropriate treatment and escalation.

Ninety One is exposed to risks from internal factors, such as 
poor control design or operation, inadequate technology 
or development and inadequate resourcing or poor 
product design; these are deemed “controllable” risks. 
Ninety One is also exposed to external factors such as 
market behaviour and other macroeconomic factors, 
changes in regulation and investor sentiment – these are 
deemed “uncontrollable” risks. Different risk management 
techniques (“treatments”) are employed.

51

e
t
i
t
e
p
p
a
k
s
R

i

Capital adequacy  
assessment process

Business decisions  
and resource planning

Inherent risk

Risk management

Residual risk

Risk intelligence

Key indicators
Quantitative measures 
with prescribed 
thresholds relative to 
risk appetite.

Risk assessments
Qualitative 
assessments of current 
and emerging risks 
using subject matter 
expertise to identify 
and measure risk 
relative to risk appetite.

Events
Internal and external 
events that have 
occurred, or can be 
reasonably foreseen 
(e.g. emerging events), 
assessed relative to risk 
appetite.

Stress tests 
and scenarios
Quantitative 
assessments of 
operational, business 
model, or investment 
strategy sensitivity  
to different events.

Risk management process

Risk treatment approaches

1. Identify

2. Evaluate

Reduce likelihood

Reduce impact

Risks are identified 
through continuous 
assessment and 
monitoring of changes 
in the internal and 
external environment.

Risks are evaluated 
in line with risk 
appetite and actions 
agreed with the 
appropriate authority.

4. Monitor and 
escalate

Risks are evaluated 
against risk appetite 
and reported via the 
governance structure 
as appropriate.

3. Manage

Treatments are agreed 
to and monitored to 
completion. These may 
be tactical changes 
such as new controls or 
more strategic projects.

Where risks are deemed 
“controllable”, efforts 
are made to reduce the 
likelihood of occurrence 
through a robust internal 
control environment.

Where risks cannot be 
controlled, measures 
may be taken to 
reduce the impact of 
the risk, e.g. through 
diversification or 
hedging techniques.

Transfer

Eliminate

Where more efficient or 
cost effective, or the risk 
is too great to accept, it 
may be “transferred” to 
third parties with more 
capacity or specific 
skill sets.

Where risks are deemed 
or anticipated to breach 
risk tolerance, the risk 
must be eliminated.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Risk Management

Principal Risks

52

The Board has carried out 
a robust assessment of the 
Group’s risks, as set out below:

Key:
Risk profile change over the 
financial year

   Risk status has improved

   Risk status has remained stable

   Risk status has deteriorated

Business and strategic risks
Business and strategic risk is the risk that Ninety One fails to deliver our strategy, or to achieve good stakeholder outcomes. Business and 
strategic risks can manifest through a failure to foresee and respond to the changing needs of our clients and other stakeholders, lack of 
resilience and ability to adapt to changes in our operating environment, or an inability to attract or retain the right talent to deliver good 
stakeholder outcomes.

Risk

Risk management

Financial year update

1. Failure to devise and implement strategy 

Strategic priorities: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 

Risk profile: 

Ninety One faces risks associated with the 
implementation of its strategy, owing to 
internal or external factors which may delay 
or inhibit progress on its strategic priorities.

The Board, with executive management, 
agree the strategy for the business and 
ensure the right structures are in place  
to achieve success.

Ninety One adopts a long-term approach to 
the development and delivery of its strategy, 
and its strategic principles and priorities 
remain unchanged from the prior year. 

Executive management regularly reviews 
and monitors progress against Ninety 
One’s strategic objectives. Where factors 
arise which may impede (or accelerate) 
the execution of these priorities, they 
are carefully considered and appropriate 
action is taken.

The Board is kept abreast of progress on 
Ninety One’s strategy, including material 
developments which may arise, so they 
may opine on new developments,  
including risks.

A key focus area has been climate risk, 
specifically ensuring it is appropriately 
considered and embedded into our  
decision-making processes.

Progress was made in a number of areas and 
the business remains on track to deliver  
on its strategic priorities over the long term  
(see further detail in Our Strategy on pages 
12 to 13).

2. Failure to plan for and adapt to macro events

Ninety One’s AUM and profitability are 
exposed to volatility in global financial 
markets and to other adverse financial, 
economic, political and market factors that 
affect investor sentiment and the operating 
environment.

Ninety One is subject to the risk of adverse 
changes in the laws and regulations in the 
markets in which it operates.

Fluctuations in exchange rates can also 
impact financials.

Ninety One offers a diverse mix of 
investment strategies in various asset 
classes and regions, which reduces the risk 
profile of the firm in normal circumstances. 
Similarly, a global and diversified client  
base enables lower client concentration 
risk. A focus on research-led innovation 
ensures that Ninety One adapts timeously 
to the changing market conditions in which  
it operates.

The business’s cost base is closely 
monitored and the balance sheet is 
conservatively positioned with no debt.

Strategic priorities: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 

Risk profile: 

Since inception, Ninety One has gained 
substantial experience in the management 
of macroeconomic and geopolitical risk. This 
includes the global financial crisis of 2008, 
various emerging market crises and the UK’s 
withdrawal from the EU following the Brexit 
referendum in 2016.

Most recently, the global impact of the 
COVID-19 pandemic has significantly 
impacted financial markets and economic 
prospects.

Ninety One maintained good engagement 
with its clients over the period, but was 
impacted by higher outflows than normal.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Business and strategic risks continued

Risk

Risk management

Financial year update

53

3. Product offerings do not meet client needs or provide value

Strategic priorities: 1, 2, 3, 4 

Risk profile: 

Ninety One requires appropriate and 
relevant product offerings to succeed in 
this competitive industry. Diversity and 
innovation protects Ninety One against 
changes in client demand patterns.

Ninety One has a clear product focus, 
offering a diverse mix of organically 
developed investment capabilities and 
differentiated strategies to meet current, 
and anticipate future changes in, client 
needs. 

A dedicated team of client-facing 
professionals are in close contact with 
clients to ensure that the business can 
react to changes in their needs, or to any 
concerns they may have. 

Ninety One’s Client Groups work closely 
with the investment teams, product 
specialists and the Product Development 
Team to ensure that Ninety One’s offerings 
continue to anticipate changes in client 
expectations and demands.

Ninety One continually seeks ways to 
improve product offerings to clients. Value 
assessments for our UK-domiciled open-
ended fund range found they delivered value 
and met investor needs; only minimal changes 
to offerings resulted. 

A broader product review saw offerings 
including the Vitality Funds range and 
Temple Bar Investment Trust rationalised 
or transitioned. Conversely, Ninety One 
increased its footprint in the US Separately 
Managed Account market – a growing market 
segment – with new products launched. 

4. Inability to attract or retain talent

Ninety One is a people business. Being 
able to retain and attract the best talent 
is key to our ability to continue to provide 
competitive product offerings and to 
service our clients and prospects in a 
unique and differentiated way.

A comprehensive approach to the 
recruitment, development and retention of 
people is adopted through the mechanisms 
of leader and team development, 
remuneration, culture and employee 
ownership. These mechanisms have been 
consistently applied for many years and are 
embedded into our firm. The approach to 
talent is therefore holistic and integrated 
into the culture, rather than a single analysis 
or process.

Strategic priorities: 5 
Risk profile: 

Ninety One made a number of notable 
senior hires in the period across the business, 
demonstrating that we remain an attractive 
destination for top talent. 

Conversely, we have not seen an increase in 
unexpected departures and have maintained 
an appropriate level of turnover (as noted in 
the Remuneration Report). 

We also believe that the manner in which we 
have dealt with the physical, psychological 
and social aspects of remote working through 
COVID-19 have contributed to stability and 
even enhanced our position as a positive and 
attractive place for talent.

Investment risks
Investment risk is the risk that we do not achieve clients’ investment objectives, or that portfolios are exposed to inappropriate levels of risk 
in pursuit of achieving their objectives. Investment risks can manifest through portfolio positioning, portfolio construction, stock selection 
or inappropriate benchmarking.

5. Failure to meet client investment objectives

Poor investment performance relative to 
clients’ stated benchmarks or outcomes 
could mean Ninety One fails to meet 
clients’ investment objectives.

Ninety One has a relentless commitment 
to achieving and exceeding portfolio 
expectations. We implement this using 
a number of structures and processes. 
Portfolio performance is measured by 
an independent team and governance 
processes are in place to monitor and 
assess portfolio performance for all 
strategies. Poor relative investment 
performance could trigger a review of 
portfolio composition or investment 
process to help improve performance.

Strategic priorities: 1, 2, 3, 4 

Risk profile: 

Financial markets were badly impacted by the 
effects of COVID-19 in early 2020, but staged 
a strong recovery which has continued into 
2021. Performance across Ninety One’s 
various investment strategies was impacted 
by lower market levels in the short term, but 
subsequently recovered well such that long-
term overall track records remain satisfactory. 
All investment strategies performed broadly 
as expected given the market conditions.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationRisk Management – Principal Risks

54

Investment risks continued

Risk

Risk management

Financial year update

6. Failure to effectively manage risk in client’s portfolios

Strategic priorities: 1, 2, 3, 4 

Risk profile: 

Risk limits
Poor management of investment risks 
within portfolios or funds may lead to poor 
client outcomes through excessive or 
insufficient risk-taking.

An independent investment risk team 
monitors various risk measures to ensure 
portfolio risk is appropriate and that risk 
budgets are effectively used.

Market volatility materially increased in 2020, 
also increasing volatility in client portfolios. 
However, overall portfolio risks have remained 
within acceptable parameters throughout 
and market conditions are now normalising.

Liquidity
Poor liquidity management could result 
in clients being unable to withdraw assets 
when needed at prevailing market prices, 
and this could impact the value of clients’ 
investments or the performance of their 
portfolios.

The Investment Risk Team measures 
liquidity for all portfolios to ensure 
liquidity obligations can be met. Given 
the redemption commitments of pooled 
vehicles, particular focus is given to these 
portfolios.

The Liquidity Management Committee 
oversees the development of appropriate 
liquidity. The most important mitigant for 
liquidity risk remains the education of 
clients on the potential liquidity risks in 
products/strategies.

Market liquidity across asset classes was 
impacted in the short term by the effects of 
COVID-19. Ninety One was able to manage 
market exposure and service subscriptions 
and redemptions without disruption or any 
intervention throughout this period. Market 
liquidity conditions have now significantly 
improved.

Operational risks

Operational risk results from poor design or execution of controls. It can result in a poor client experience through sub-standard servicing 
(including errors or omissions) or disruption to the provision of services. Operational risk can also result from external threats such as 
attacks on technology defences or failings at key third parties. Operational risk can inconvenience clients and damage Ninety One’s 
reputation. Operational risks can also expose clients and Ninety One to financial losses.

7. Failure to meet regulatory or contractual obligations

Ninety One could fail to meet its regulatory 
or contractual obligations of its clients, 
including adherence to clients’ investment 
management agreements.

This could result in poor client outcomes  
or regulatory censure.

Ninety One has dedicated legal 
and compliance teams with local 
representation in key operating 
jurisdictions. These teams work closely 
with executive management and global 
regulators (where required) to ensure 
regulatory and contractual obligations 
are identified, understood and properly 
controlled.

Strategic priorities: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 

Risk profile: 

During the period, Ninety One implemented 
structures to support the SMCR. Resourcing 
focus areas have been preparations for 
the transition away from LIBOR and the 
implementation of various regulations relating 
to climate change and sustainable finance.

8. Failure to design or operate an effective control environment

Strategic priorities: 1, 2, 3 

Risk profile: 

Internal control environment 
A breakdown in Ninety One’s controls could 
result in a poor client experience or have a 
material financial impact on Ninety One.

Ninety One operates a robust control 
framework that continuously evolves 
through a proactive risk management 
process and the three lines model. The 
firm’s operating model benefits from 
automation and utilises competent and 
reliable outsourcing partners, which 
together improve efficiency and scalability, 
and reduce human errors.

Ninety One’s control environment operated 
effectively throughout the period. Key 
controls and management oversight were 
largely unaffected by remote working and 
productivity remained at normal levels. We did 
not experience an increase in error rates and 
controls monitoring programmes remained 
unaffected. However, some on-site due 
diligence visits had to be conducted virtually.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Operational risks continued

Risk

Risk management

Financial year update

55

Key outsourcing partners 
Ninety One utilises an outsourcing model 
to support core areas of its operations. 
Poor service levels or controls could 
weaken Ninety One’s own internal control 
environment, resulting in errors or a poor 
client experience.

Dedicated teams oversee Ninety  
One’s outsourced service providers.  
A governance and escalation structure 
ensures comprehensive due diligence at 
the point of take-on and on an ongoing 
basis to ensure any service deterioration/
disruption is quickly identified and 
remediated to limit any impact to  
service provision.

Ninety One’s core outsourcing providers 
operated with minimal disruption despite 
restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 
pandemic. This reflects the resilience of 
providers selected, which is a key attribute 
of our due diligence process. In addition, 
Ninety One has continued to work closely 
with core outsourcing providers to ensure 
the continuous improvement of our service.

Technology or cyber defences
Ninety One is dependent upon the proper 
and continued functioning of its IT systems 
and may be vulnerable to attacks on, or 
breaches of, its security systems.

Ninety One has a well-defined IT strategy, 
underpinned by established governance 
and monitoring processes. A dedicated 
Information Security function is supported 
by specialist co-sourcing security partners.

9. Lack of operational resilience or continuity planning

Ninety One’s cyber defences have remained 
robust and were unaffected by any of the high 
profile attacks reported in the media during 
the year. While we observed an increase 
in attacks on smaller firms, including third 
party service providers, Ninety One’s core 
operations were not impacted. 

Ninety One’s technology has provided the 
backbone of a successful response to working 
arrangements resulting from COVID-19-related 
restrictions, with all functions being able to 
work on a fully remote basis as needed. 
Early in the year, we increased our suite of 
collaboration tools to support remote 
working and client engagements.

Strategic priorities: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 

Risk profile: 

Internal or external events may cause 
disruptions to Ninety One’s operations or 
render its systems or offices inaccessible. 
This could result in Ninety One being unable 
to meet client or regulatory obligations, or 
to service the needs of other stakeholders.

Ninety One has developed a dynamic 
crisis management plan designed to adapt 
operations in response to disruptive events.  
A focused team of senior individuals makes 
up Ninety One’s Resilience and Continuity 
Steering Group and ensures that an effective 
plan can be quickly developed and deployed 
should a disruptive event occur.

Ninety One’s operations continued 
seamlessly despite restrictions resulting 
from the global response to the COVID-19 
pandemic. Our advanced remote working 
capabilities delivered uninterrupted 
operations across the organisation without 
any impact to key controls or regulatory 
obligations.

Emerging risks
In addition to the Principal Risks detailed above, Ninety 
One’s risk framework also monitors the environment for 
‘emerging risks’. Emerging risks, while also foreseeable, are 
not an immediate threat, but are likely to have an impact 
on Ninety One’s business in the medium to long term. 
Emerging risks may include those expected to result from 
foreseeable business, regulatory or environmental 
changes, which Ninety One monitors and will react to 
accordingly. Emerging risks, by nature, may be associated 
with a greater degree of uncertainty.

The Strategic Report was approved by the Board and 
signed on its behalf by:

Hendrik du Toit  
Chief Executive Officer 

Kim McFarland
Finance Director

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Governance

56

56   Corporate Governance Report
69  

 DLC Nominations and Directors’  
Affairs Committee Report
 DLC Audit and Risk  
Committee Report
 DLC Sustainability, Social and  
Ethics Committee Report
 DLC Human Capital and 
Remuneration Committee Report

72 

78  

82  

103   Directors’ Report
108    Directors’ Responsibility Statement 

and Certificate by the Company 
Secretary of Ninety One Limited

Elephants have an iconic place in our imaginations. As the largest 
land animals on Earth, they’re also endearing – more so because of 
traits such as their steadfast bonds among family and friends, and 
not being ambidextrous but having a preference for the left or right 
tusk. While the threats of habitat loss and the illegal ivory trade have 
caused a decline in numbers, there are areas where conservation 
efforts are working and populations are thriving.

57

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance Report
Board of Directors

58

Gareth Penny 
Independent Non-Executive 
Director and Chairman 

Appointed: 2019

Hendrik du Toit 
Chief Executive Officer

Appointed: 2019

Appointed as an independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman 
on 19 November 2019.

Appointed to the Board in October 2019. Hendrik is the Founder and 
Chief Executive Officer of Ninety One. 

Skills and experience: For his contribution to improvements in 
corporate governance, Gareth was awarded Russian Chairman  
of the Year in 2016. Gareth was previously Chairman of the Edcon  
Group, a private fashion retailer in Southern Africa, and served as  
a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Remuneration 
Committee at Julius Bär Group. For 22 years, Gareth was with  
De Beers and Anglo American, the last five of which he was  
Group Chief Executive Officer of De Beers. 

External appointments: Gareth is the Chairman of Norilsk Nickel,  
or Nornickel, Russia’s largest diversified mining and metals company 
listed on the Moscow Exchange. 

Skills and experience: Hendrik joined Investec group in 1991. He 
served as Joint Chief Executive Officer of the group from October 
2018 until the demerger from Investec and listing of Ninety One in 
March 2020. 

Previously, Hendrik served as a Non-Executive Director of the 
Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa. He also served 
on the advisory boards of the Sustainable Development Solutions 
Network, the Expert Board of HM Treasury’s Belt and Road Initiative, 
the UN Business and Human Security Initiative, the Impact Investing 
Institute, and as commissioner of the Business and Sustainable 
Development Commission. 

External appointments: Hendrik is a Non-Executive Director of 
Naspers Limited and its European subsidiary, Prosus. He is also a  
World Benchmarking Alliance Ambassador. 

Kim McFarland 
Finance Director 

Appointed: 2019

Colin Keogh 
Senior Independent Director 

Appointed: 2019

Appointed to the Board in October 2019. Kim is Finance Director at 
Ninety One. 

Appointed as an independent Non-Executive Director and DLC Human 
Capital and Remuneration Committee Chair on 19 November 2019. 

Skills and experience: Kim joined Investec Asset Management in 
1993 as its Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer. She 
served as an Executive Director of Investec plc and Investec Limited 
from October 2018 until the demerger and listing of Ninety One in 
March 2020. 

Skills and experience: Colin has spent his career in financial 
services, principally at Close Brothers Group plc, where he worked  
for 24 years and was Chief Executive Officer from 2002 until 2009. 
Previously, he was a Non-Executive Director of M&G Group Limited 
and Virgin Money Holdings (UK) plc.

Prior to joining Investec, Kim qualified as a Chartered Accountant  
at Price Waterhouse and was the Finance and Operations Manager  
at two South African life insurance companies. 

External appointments: Kim is a Non-Executive Director of  
The Investment Association. 

External appointments: Colin is Senior Independent Director and 
chairs the Remuneration Committee of Hiscox Limited. He is also 
Chairman of Premium Credit Limited, the specialist financial services 
business. 

Committee key

 Committee Chair
 DLC Audit and Risk
 DLC Disclosure
 DLC Human Capital and Remuneration
 DLC Nominations and Directors’ Affairs
 DLC Sustainability, Social and Ethics

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
 
 
 
Busisiwe Mabuza 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed: 2019

Idoya Basterrechea  
Aranda 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed: 2019

59

Appointed as an independent Non-Executive Director and DLC 
Sustainability, Social and Ethics Committee Chair on 19 November 2019. 

Appointed as an independent Non-Executive Director on  
19 November 2019. 

Skills and experience: Busisiwe has held many non-executive 
directorships, including appointments as Chair of the board of  
Airports Company South Africa Limited and the Central Energy Fund 
Proprietary Limited. She was also previously a partner at Ethos Private 
Equity Proprietary Limited.

External appointments: Busisiwe is the Chair of the Board of 
Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, the largest 
development finance institution in Sub-Saharan Africa. She is also 
Lead Independent Director of Tsogo Sun Gaming Limited, a South 
African gaming and entertainment group listed on the JSE. 

Skills and experience: Prior to joining the Board of Ninety One, Idoya 
was a founding member, Chief Investment Officer and Deputy General 
Director of Norbolsa SVB (the investment arm of the Basque Savings 
Banks) from 1989 to 2013, a member of the international equity sales 
team at Swiss Bank Corporation and Legal Counsel in the Basque 
Government. Idoya has been a member of the Bizkaia Bar Association 
since 1984. 

External appointments: Idoya is a Senior Adviser at Bestinver SA,  
an independent asset manager headquartered in Madrid, Spain, and  
a Director of Sociedad Rectora De La Bolsa De Valores De Bilbao, 
S.A.U., the Bilbao Stock Exchange.

Victoria Cochrane 
Independent Non-Executive Director

Appointed: 2019

Fani Titi 
Non-Executive Director 

Appointed: 2019

Appointed as an independent Non-Executive Director and DLC Audit 
and Risk Committee Chair on 19 November 2019. 

Skills and experience: Victoria previously served as a Non-Executive 
Director at Gloucester Insurance Limited and Perpetual Income & 
Growth Investment Trust plc and was a Senior Adviser to Bowater 
Industries Limited.

Victoria started her career as a solicitor and spent 10 years in private 
practice. She joined Ernst & Young as their first UK General Counsel in 
1991. She was a partner for 20 years and for the last five, she was a 
global executive board member and global managing partner for risk.

External appointments: Victoria currently serves as Senior 
Independent Director at Integrafin Holdings plc, Non-Executive 
Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Euroclear Bank SA/NV 
and Senior Independent Director at the HM Courts & Tribunals 
Service. 

Appointed as a Non-Executive Director on 19 November 2019. 

Skills and experience: Prior to the demerger, Fani was Joint Chief 
Executive Officer of Investec alongside Hendrik du Toit. Previously  
he served on the boards of Investec Asset Management Holdings 
Proprietary Limited and Investec Asset Management Limited until  
May 2019.

Fani was a founding member of the private investment group Kagiso 
Trust Investments Limited (now Kagiso Tiso Holdings), and later 
cofounder of Kagiso Media Limited where, as Chief Executive Officer, 
he led the public offering on the JSE. Fani was subsequently the 
founding Executive Chairman of the private investment firm the  
Tiso Group until 2008, which subsequently merged with Kagiso  
Trust Investments to form Kagiso Tiso Holdings.

External appointments: Fani is the Group Chief Executive Officer  
of Investec, where he has served as a board member since 2004. 

Paula Watts
Ninety One plc Company Secretary

Appointed: 2020

Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited 
Ninety One Limited Company Secretary

Appointed: 2020

Appointed as Company Secretary of Ninety One plc on 
29 January 2020. 

Appointed as Company Secretary of Ninety One Limited on 
24 February 2020.

Paula joined Ninety One in June 2019 and is a seasoned Company 
Secretary with over 25 years of experience working mainly in public 
limited companies. She has spent the last 12 years working in the 
financial services sector in both senior permanent and interim 
Company Secretary roles. Her most recent publicly listed company 
role was as Interim Company Secretary for Hargreaves Lansdown plc.

Paula is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and 
Administrators. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
 
Corporate Governance Report

Chairman’s Introduction

Diversity
We want to make sure that when it comes to diversity, our 
Board and workforce accurately represents the countries 
and the societies in which we operate. We believe this 
approach provides a diverse perspective in our decision- 
making and forms an integral part of our firm’s recruitment, 
development and retention strategy. Furthermore, we 
believe that diversity can be a competitive advantage in 
helping us to achieve the best outcomes for our clients, 
our colleagues and the communities in which we work.

We are working towards a more balanced organisation  
and acknowledge that this requires a broad and sustained 
effort. Updates on our progress can be found in the 
Strategic Report on pages 22 and 23. 

Section 172 and stakeholder engagement
The Board recognises the importance of our stakeholders 
and takes its responsibilities and duty to them under 
section 172 of the UK Companies Act 2006 very seriously. 
Our Stakeholders Section on pages 16 to 18 explains who 
our key stakeholders are, why and how we engaged with 
them, and how we’ve considered their interests in our 
decision-making throughout the year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, all meetings 
and presentations over the year were virtual, including  
our 2020 AGM. We now look forward to the lifting of 
restrictions and being able to meet our wider stakeholders 
in person.

Gareth Penny 
Chairman

60

Dear shareholders
I am pleased to introduce our governance report for the 
financial year 2021 – Ninety One’s first full year operating  
as an independent dual-listed business. 

This report sets out how the Board and our committees 
operated during this unprecedented year. It details the 
governance framework for Ninety One plc and its 
subsidiaries and Ninety One Limited and its subsidiaries 
(together, “Ninety One” or the “Group”), and how we’ve 
applied the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance 
Code (the “UK Code”) and the South African King IV Code 
on Corporate Governance (“King IV”). 

The COVID-19 pandemic brought a big change to the way 
we work, with all Board meetings during the year conducted 
remotely. I am pleased to note that the Board has adapted 
well, making sure we continued to govern Ninety One to 
the benefit of all our stakeholders. Effective corporate 
governance is an integral part of our efforts to build a 
better firm and contribute to a better world, in line with  
our corporate purpose.

Governance structure
Ninety One operates as a dual-listed company (“DLC”) 
under a DLC structure. The DLC structure comprises 
Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited. Ninety One plc  
is a public company incorporated in the UK, with a primary 
listing on the London Stock Exchange (“LSE”) and a 
secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange 
(“JSE”). Ninety One Limited is a public company incorporated 
in South Africa and listed on the JSE. The DLC structure 
ensures that the shareholders of Ninety One plc and Ninety 
One Limited are in substantially the same position as if they 
held shares in a single unified economic enterprise.

The Board of Directors of Ninety One plc and Ninety One 
Limited (together the “Board”) are identical in terms of their 
composition, with board meetings held jointly and a single 
committee structure being constituted. 

Board effectiveness
The Board carried out its first board effectiveness review 
during the year, looking at the composition of the Board, its 
committees and the depth of skills, experience, knowledge 
and performance of each individual Director. I’m pleased to 
confirm that the Board continues to work effectively and 
has the right skills and experience required to support 
the activities of the business. Details about the review, 
including the main findings, are set out on pages 67 and 68.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
Board Leadership and Purpose

The Board’s primary role is to provide leadership to the 
Group, to set Ninety One’s long-term strategic objectives 
as well as its purpose and values, and to develop robust 
corporate governance and risk management practices. 

In February each year, senior management presents the 
proposed strategic plan to the Board. This forms part of an 
annual strategic off-site and allows the Board to critically 
assess the proposed strategy with management before 
considering its approval. The budget discussions also take 
place in February each year to ensure that we have the 
right resources to deliver the agreed strategy. This year,  
the strategy off-site was held remotely. Under normal 
circumstances, Directors would meet in person, but the 
virtual off-site was structured efficiently and discussions 
productive. 

The Board has ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the 
Group is managed effectively and in the best interests of 
Ninety One’s clients, people, shareholders and other 
stakeholders. Further information on culture and stakeholder 
engagement can be found in the Stakeholder Section of the 
Strategic Report on pages 16 to 18. The Board operates 
within a formal framework set out in the Board Charter, 
which includes a schedule of matters reserved and can be 
found on our website (www.ninetyone.com). The Board 
Charter and the schedule of matters reserved are reviewed 
by the Board on an annual basis.

The Board is scheduled to meet at least quarterly, or  
as required, and provides direction, oversight, review  
and challenge of Ninety One’s business. Where the  
Board delegates specific powers for some matters to 
committees, the outputs from each committee meeting  
are reported to the Board, ensuring the necessary 
oversight. More detail on the committees and their work  
is described in the section headed Board Committees.

Meeting attendance

Director
Gareth Penny
Hendrik du Toit
Kim McFarland
Colin Keogh
Idoya Basterrechea Aranda
Victoria Cochrane
Busisiwe Mabuza
Fani Titi

Key: attended/eligible to attend

Ninety One plc
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8

Ninety One 
Limited
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8
8/8

61

Group subsidiary governance
Ninety One is subject to regulation by various regulatory 
bodies in the jurisdictions in which it operates. The nature 
and extent of applicable regulation varies between 
jurisdictions, but typically requires Group companies 
carrying out specified activities to obtain and maintain 
authorisation from one or more regulators to carry on 
those activities and, consequently, to comply with various 
prudential and conduct of business rules, among other 
requirements. Regulators also require the persons who 
control authorised firms to obtain and maintain approval to 
act as a controller. The Group’s Executive Directors and a 
number of senior executives from the senior management 
team serve as Directors on the boards of Group companies 
and are duly authorised to do so by the appropriate regulator.

Meetings and attendance
The Board and its principal committees meet regularly 
according to a schedule of key events in Ninety One’s 
corporate calendar. The Chairman meets with the 
independent Non-Executive Directors on a regular basis, 
without the other Directors present. Ad-hoc meetings are 
also arranged to consider matters requiring review and 
decision outside the normal schedule. Each scheduled 
meeting is normally held over two days, with Board 
committee meetings taking place on the first day.  
All meetings are structured to allow open discussion. 
Comprehensive agendas and packs are circulated 
beforehand so that Directors have the opportunity to 
consider the issues to be discussed, and detailed minutes 
and any actions are documented.

DLC Nominations 
and Directors’ 
Affairs Committee
3/3
3/3

DLC Audit and 
Risk Committee

DLC 
Sustainability, 
Social and Ethics 
Committee
4/4
4/4

DLC Human 
Capital and 
Remuneration 
Committee

3/3

7/7
7/7
7/7

6/6
6/6

6/6

4/4

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance Report – Board Leadership and Purpose

62

Board activities
The Board held eight virtual meetings in the year, including 
its usual strategy review. All meetings were held as 
teleconferences in line with government guidelines after 
COVID-19 health-protection measures were imposed.

Key activities

Key outcomes

The following examples of key Board activities during the 
year provide an insight into the Board’s discussions and 
how the Directors promoted the success of Ninety One. 

Strategy
 ɽ Performance 
 ɽ Strategic and corporate 
development initiatives

 ɽ Sustainability

 ɽ Approved strategy to promote long-term sustainable success and 

oversight of delivery

 ɽ Disposed of Silica, our transfer agency business in South Africa
 ɽ Approved sustainability strategy
 ɽ Oversight of Ninety One’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial 

Disclosures (“TCFD”)

 ɽ Oversight of business performance against targets, budget  

and strategy

 ɽ Approved annual budget
 ɽ Approved Integrated Annual Report and interim financial 

statements

Key stakeholders

 ɽ Clients
 ɽ Our people
 ɽ Shareholders
 ɽ Society

 ɽ Clients
 ɽ Our people
 ɽ Shareholders

Operational and 
financial performance
 ɽ Business updates
 ɽ Operational performance
 ɽ Budgeting and annual 

reporting

Governance and 
stakeholders
 ɽ Review of Board and 

committee effectiveness

 ɽ Investor relations
 ɽ Stakeholder engagement
 ɽ Review of policies

 ɽ Reinforced Board and Directors effectiveness
 ɽ Oversight of engagement with stakeholders, including our clients, 

people, shareholders and society

 ɽ Approved updated policies including Anti-Bribery and Corruption 

Policy, Anti-Fraud Policy, Anti-Money Laundering Policy and 
Whistleblowing Policy, DLC Share Dealing and DLC Market 
Communication and Disclosure Policy

 ɽ Clients
 ɽ Our people
 ɽ Shareholders
 ɽ Society

Risk management
 ɽ COVID-19-related risks
 ɽ Cyber and information security 

risks

 ɽ Fraud and financial crime risks
 ɽ Risk framework and taxonomy

 ɽ Oversight of risk and approved Risk Appetite Policy
 ɽ Oversight of operational resilience as our offices moved 

to remote working

 ɽ Oversight of IT strategy
 ɽ Oversight of anti-bribery and corruption controls
 ɽ Confirmed adequacy of internal controls and risk management

People and culture
 ɽ Employee engagement
 ɽ COVID-19 response
 ɽ Diversity and inclusion
 ɽ Workforce remuneration

Regulatory
 ɽ Listing rules
 ɽ Market Abuse Regulation
 ɽ Directors’ duties and 

responsibilities

 ɽ Embedding the Group’s culture
 ɽ Oversight of our people’s health and wellbeing
 ɽ Reviewed COVID-19 relief efforts
 ɽ Aligned incentives and rewards with culture
 ɽ Reviewed and approved Board Diversity Policy and Group  

diversity principles

 ɽ Oversight of regulatory engagement and the meeting of regulatory 

requirements

 ɽ Approved the ICAAP
 ɽ Reinforced Board and Director effectiveness

 ɽ Clients
 ɽ Our people
 ɽ Shareholders
 ɽ Society

 ɽ Clients
 ɽ Our people
 ɽ Shareholders
 ɽ Society

 ɽ Clients
 ɽ Our people
 ɽ Shareholders

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202163

The Investor Relations Team regularly seeks investor 
feedback, directly or via corporate brokers, which is then 
communicated to the Board. The Board also receives 
updates on the investor relations programme through the 
investor relations report, which is produced for each board 
meeting and summarises share register composition,  
share price performance and information on shareholder 
engagement over the period. The Chairman is responsible 
for ensuring effective communication with shareholders 
and other stakeholders.

The Board also regard Ninety One’s AGM as an important 
opportunity for our shareholders to engage directly with 
the Board. Due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 
pandemic, we had to hold our first AGM virtually, choosing 
a platform that allowed all shareholders to participate and 
raise questions as required. All Directors were in 
attendance at the 2020 AGM. 

Despite a limited opportunity to engage with our shareholders 
prior to the 2020 AGM, we were pleased to receive strong 
support from our shareholders. COVID-19 restrictions and 
government advice are likely to limit large gatherings and 
prevent shareholders attending the AGM in person again 
this year. Consequently, we intend to hold the Ninety One 
Limited 2021 AGM electronically, and the Ninety One plc 
2021 AGM will be held as a combined physical and 
electronic meeting. Shareholders of Ninety One plc  
are encouraged to participate in the Ninety One plc  
2021 AGM electronically.

Relationship with major shareholder
On listing of its shares on the LSE and the JSE in March 
2020, Ninety One entered into a relationship agreement 
with Investec, who remains the largest shareholder. The 
agreement gives Investec (among other things) the right to 
appoint a Non-Executive Director to the Board. Currently, 
Fani Titi is Investec’s appointee. 

The Directors believe that the terms of the relationship 
agreement enable Ninety One to carry on its business 
independently of the major shareholder.

Conflicts of interest
All Directors have a duty to avoid situations that may give 
rise to a conflict of interest and to disclose to the Board any 
outside interests which may pose a conflict with their duty 
to act in the best interests of Ninety One. The Board has a 
formal system to record potential conflicts and, if 
appropriate, to authorise them. Directors are also required 
to declare any new appointments or changes in their 
commitments and, on an annual basis, to confirm that they 
are not aware of any circumstances which may affect their 
fitness and propriety and therefore their ability to continue 
to serve on the Board.

Related parties
Ninety One has processes and policies in place to govern 
the review, approval and disclosure of related-party 
transactions entered into with Directors, management and 
staff. The Nominations and Directors’ Affairs Committee 
updated the policy and reviewed key related-party 
transactions during the year, ensuring that the appropriate 
policies had been complied with.

Shareholder engagement
The Board believes it’s important to maintain an open and 
constructive relationship with shareholders and for them  
to have opportunities to provide feedback to the Board. 
Ninety One has a comprehensive investor relations 
programme to ensure that current and potential 
shareholders, as well as financial analysts, are kept 
informed of Ninety One’s performance and have 
appropriate and regular access to management to 
understand Ninety One’s business and strategy.

Notwithstanding, care is exercised to ensure that any 
price-sensitive information is released at the same time  
to all shareholders, in accordance with the requirements  
of the UK Market Abuse Regulations and South African 
Financial Markets Act 2012. 

The Investor Relations Team, reporting to the Chief 
Executive Officer, has primary responsibility for managing 
Ninety One’s relationships with institutional shareholders. 
The team runs a structured programme of meetings, calls 
and presentations throughout the year. Detail on this year’s 
activities can be found in the Strategic Report on page 24. 

The Chairman and/or other Non-Executive Directors are 
available to meet with major shareholders to discuss 
matters relating to corporate governance, the Board’s 
strategic oversight and succession planning. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance Report 

Division of Responsibilities

64

Governance structure
Ninety One operates under a DLC structure. The nature of 
the DLC structure, the identical composition of the boards 
and single committee structure enables the effective 
management of the dual-listed companies as a single 
unified economic enterprise with due consideration being 
given to the interests of ordinary shareholders of both 
Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited.

Governance framework

The governance framework of the DLC structure, as set  
out below, has been derived from, and is aligned to the 
requirements of the UK Code and King IV.

Ninety One plc

Ninety One Limited

Single unified economic enterprise

DLC Board of Directors

Board Committees

DLC Audit and Risk Committee
Oversees financial reporting, corporate governance, 
internal controls and risk management.

DLC Human Capital and Remuneration Committee
Determines and develops policies for remuneration  
of the Chairman, the Executive Directors and senior 
executives. 

DLC Nominations and Directors’ Affairs Committee
Oversees appointments and succession planning for 
Board and senior executive positions. 

DLC Sustainability, Social and Ethics Committee
Oversees sustainability, social and ethical 
commitments, targets and performance. 

DLC Disclosure Committee
Responsible for overseeing the prompt disclosure  
of inside information.

Chief Executive Officer
Responsible for managing the business of the Group on a 
day-to-day basis in accordance with the strategy approved 
by the Board.

Executive management
Supports the Chief Executive Officer in managing and 
developing the business and delivering on the Board’s 
approved strategy.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
65

Board committees
The Board has established four common committees  
under the DLC structure: Audit and Risk, Nominations and 
Directors’ Affairs, Human Capital and Remuneration,  
and Sustainability, Social and Ethics. The Chair of each 
committee reports to the Board and all committees have 
access to independent expert advice and the services of 
the Company Secretary. The terms of reference for each  
of the committees, including their objectives and the 
authority delegated to them by the Board, are reviewed 
annually. You can find the current terms of reference on 
Ninety One’s website at www.ninetyone.com.

The Board also has a DLC Disclosure Committee, which  
is responsible for monitoring, evaluating and enhancing 
Ninety One’s disclosure controls and procedures, ensuring 
the accurate and timely disclosure of information to the 
market to meet Ninety One’s obligations under the Market 
Abuse Regulations.

The Board delegates daily management responsibility  
for Ninety One to the Chief Executive Officer, who is 
supported by executive management. The Chief Executive 
Officer has established a number of other management 
committees to assist with managing the Group’s business. 
These committees are responsible for risk and audit 
matters across Ninety One. Further details regarding  
the structure of these committees are set out in the Risk 
Management Section of the Strategic Report on page 49.

Roles and responsibilities
The roles of the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer 
are separate, clearly defined in writing and have been 
agreed by the Board. Their roles and the roles of the 
Finance Director, the Senior Independent Director, the 
Non-Executive Directors and Company Secretary are 
described as follows:

Chairman
The Chairman, Gareth Penny, is responsible for leadership 
of the Board, ensuring its effectiveness in all aspects of its 
role as well as being responsible for its governance. He  
sets the tone for the Group and ensures that relationships 
between the Board, management and shareholders are 
strong. Setting the agenda for the Board, Gareth ensures 
that sufficient time is allocated to important matters.

The key responsibilities of the Chairman are:

 ɽ Chairing the Board and DLC Nominations and Directors’ 
Affairs Committee, and being a member of the DLC 
Disclosure Committee and DLC Sustainability, Social 
and Ethics Committee;

 ɽ leading the Board, ensuring its effectiveness on all 

aspects of its role in directing the Group;

 ɽ ensuring that the Directors receive accurate, timely and 

clear information;

 ɽ ensuring effective communication with shareholders;
 ɽ acting on the results of the Board’s performance 

evaluation by recognising the strengths and addressing 
the weaknesses of the Board and, where appropriate, 
proposing that new members be appointed to the 
Board, or seeking the resignation of Directors; and

 ɽ facilitating the effective contribution of Non-Executive 
Directors and ensuring constructive relations between 
Executive and Non-Executive Directors.

Chief Executive Officer
The Chief Executive Officer, Hendrik du Toit, is responsible 
for developing the business and delivering against the 
strategy approved by the Board, as well as for ensuring the 
effective management of day-to-day operations, and risk 
and internal control mechanisms – including that of its 
regulated and non-regulated subsidiary boards. Alongside 
the Chairman, he provides leadership of Ninety One.  
He’s also accountable to and reports to the Board.

The Chief Executive Officer’s key responsibilities are:

 ɽ Chairing the DLC Disclosure Committee, being a 
member of the Sustainability, Social and Ethics 
Committee;

 ɽ leading the Executive Directors and executive 

management in the day-to-day running of Ninety One 
in accordance with the Board’s approved strategy;

 ɽ reviewing the strategic direction and operational 

performance of Ninety One; and

 ɽ ensuring that appropriate systems of risk management 
and internal control mechanisms are in place and 
operating effectively.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance Report – Division of Responsibilities

66

Finance Director
The Finance Director, Kim McFarland, is responsible for 
finance and governance across Ninety One, reporting 
directly to the Chief Executive Officer.

The Finance Director’s key responsibilities are: 

 ɽ All aspects of financial and capital reporting and 

governance;

 ɽ supporting and advising the Chairman and the Chief 
Executive Officer in the execution of the strategy; and

 ɽ ensuring the Non-Executive Directors have regular  
and timely access to management and the relevant 
documentation.

Senior Independent Director
The Senior Independent Director (“SID”), Colin Keogh,  
acts as a sounding board to the Chairman and if necessary, 
serves as an intermediary between the other Directors. 
He’s available to shareholders if they have concerns when 
the normal channels via the Chairman, Chief Executive 
Officer and other Executive Directors, are not available.

The SID’s key responsibilities are:

 ɽ Chairing the DLC Human Capital and Remuneration 
Committee and being a member of the DLC Audit  
and Risk Committee;

 ɽ chairing the DLC Nominations and Directors’ Affairs 
Committee when considering the succession of the 
Chairman of the Board;

 ɽ developing effective working relationships with both 
Executive and Non-Executive Directors, while having  
an awareness of any issues or concerns individual 
Directors may have; and

 ɽ leading the annual performance evaluation of the 

Chairman, considering the views of both Executive and 
Non-Executive directors and providing appropriate 
feedback to the Chairman.

Non-Executive Directors
The Non-Executive Directors are independent of 
management. Their role is to advise and challenge 
management, along with monitoring their success in 
delivering the agreed strategy within the risk appetite  
and control framework set by the Board. They are  
also responsible for determining appropriate levels  
of remuneration for the Executive Directors.

Company Secretary
All Directors have access to the advice and services of the 
company secretaries of Ninety One plc and Ninety One 
Limited (together the “Company Secretary”) in relation to 
the discharge of their duties. The Company Secretary is 
responsible for working with the Chairman to develop the 
agendas of the Board and committees to ensure that all 
procedures of the Board are complied with. In addition, the 
Company Secretary supports the Chairman in the design 
and delivery of the Non-Executive Director induction 
programme. The Company Secretary is the secretary for 
the Board and its committees. The Company Secretary 
also advises the Board on corporate governance matters, 
applicable rules and relevant regulatory matters. The Board 
also obtains advice from professional advisors as and when 
required. The removal and appointment of the Company 
Secretary is a matter reserved for the Board’s approval. 
The Board confirms the competence, qualification and 
experience of the Company Secretary annually. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Composition, Succession  
and Evaluation

Board composition, skills and experience
While building the Board in readiness for listing, the skills 
and expertise required for the listed Board beyond the 
demerger were assessed and a careful search and 
recruitment process was undertaken, supported by  
the Human Capital Team. The experience required for 
committee chairs and for the SID was considered in 
particular, and we looked across sectors and backgrounds 
to bring the right perspectives and relevant knowledge. 

When considering any vacancy in future, the Board will 
look to a diverse pool of candidates and appointments 
will be made based on merit, with a regard to the skills, 
competencies and experience of the candidate.

The Board currently comprises a Non-Executive Chairman, 
Chief Executive Officer, Finance Director and five Non-
Executive Directors. The Board believes that diversity, and 
the right combination of skills, knowledge and experience, 
are vital elements for an effective board, and these were 
monitored, reviewed and discussed throughout the year. 
The Board also considers that there is an appropriate 
combination of Executive and Non-Executive Directors  
on the Board, such that no individual or small group of 
individuals can dominate the Board’s decision-making. 

Each member of the Board has had access to all information 
relating to Ninety One, and to the advice and services of the 
Company Secretary, who is responsible for ensuring that 
Board procedures are followed.

Biographical details of all Directors are provided on pages 58 and 59.

Board balance, independence and time 
commitment
The UK Code recommends that at least half the board of 
directors of a UK-listed company, excluding the Chairman, 
should comprise Non-Executive Directors determined by 
the Board to be independent in character and judgement 
and free from relationships or circumstances which may 
affect, or could appear to affect, the Director’s judgement. 
The Board regards the Chairman and all of the Non-
Executive Directors, other than Fani Titi, as “independent 
Non-Executive Directors” within the meaning of the UK 
Code and free from any business or other relationship  
that could materially interfere with the exercise of their 
independent judgement.

67

On his appointment as Chairman, Gareth Penny satisfied 
the independence criteria. However, following his 
appointment, he is assumed, in accordance with the UK 
Code, not to be independent. The Board, while recognising 
the reasoning behind this assumption, has concluded  
that the Chairman is independent, being independent  
in character and judgement and being free from any 
relationships or circumstances which are likely to  
affect, or could appear to affect, his judgement.

Appointments to the Board are the responsibility of the full 
Board. On joining the Board, the Non-Executive Directors 
receive a formal appointment letter, which identifies the 
time commitments expected of them. The terms and 
conditions of appointment of the Non-Executive Directors 
and service contracts of Executive Directors are available 
to shareholders for inspection at the Group’s registered 
office during normal business hours.

Board effectiveness
In line with the requirements of the UK Code and King IV, 
the Board, led by the Chairman, undertook a self-
evaluation of the performance of the Board, its committees 
and individual Directors during the year. The Chairman’s 
evaluation was undertaken by the SID, Colin Keogh. This 
was the first full year of the Board’s two-year review cycle. 
In line with this cycle, this year’s Board evaluation was 
conducted internally using an online questionnaire. The 
Board will be evaluated by an external agent next year,  
and at least every two years after that.

The results of the evaluation, including Board members’ 
comments in each area, were presented to the Board at its 
February 2021 meeting, where the results were considered 
and discussed. The Board concluded that it operates 
effectively and it is satisfied that all Directors seeking 
re-election contribute effectively and demonstrate 
commitment to their roles. The following is a summary  
of the themes the Board focused on for enhancement  
in 2021, and some of the action points it will be tracking 
throughout the year.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationCorporate Governance Report – Composition, Succession and Evaluation

In addition to the ongoing programme of development, 
which is available to all members of the Board, appropriate 
training will be provided to any newly appointed Director. 

Directors are also encouraged to devote an element of 
their time to self-development such as attending external 
seminars on areas relevant to their role. This is in addition 
to any guidance that may be given by the Company 
Secretary, when required.

Diversity 
Encouraging diversity and inclusion forms an integral part 
of Ninety One’s recruitment, development and retention 
strategy and the Board is committed to improving diversity 
in its membership. While new appointments will be based 
on skill, experience and knowledge, careful consideration 
will also be given to diversity in line with the DLC Board 
Diversity Policy. A diverse Board will include and make good 
use of differences in the skills, regional and industry 
experience, cultural background, race, gender and other 
distinctions between its members. Information on Board 
appointments can be found in the DLC Nominations and 
Directors’ Affairs Committee report on pages 69 to 71 and 
information on Ninety One’s approach more generally  
can be found on pages 22 and 23.

Compliance with the UK Code and King IV
For the year ended 31 March 2021, the Board applied the 
principles and applicable requirements of the UK Code and 
King IV, except for the below:

 ɽ In relation to principles 8 and 10, King IV recommends 
that the nomination committee’s members are all 
Non-Executive Directors, with the majority being 
independent and that the Chief Executive Officer  
shall not sit on the nomination committee. However, 
throughout the year, Hendrik du Toit has been a member 
of Ninety One’s DLC Nominations and Directors’ Affairs 
Committee. See our explanation in the committee 
report on page 70.

The UK Code is published by the Financial Reporting 
Council and can be found on its website (www.frc.org.uk). 
King IV is issued by the Institute of Directors in South Africa 
(www.iodsa.co.za).

Theme

Summary actions

68

Board composition  Continue work to enhance the mix  

of skills and succession planning.

Board development

Strategy and 
challenges 

Engage further in Board development in 
areas such as industry knowledge; business 
strategy; environmental, social and 
governance; cybersecurity; and  
regulatory developments.

Supporting Ninety One on its journey  
to invest in a more sustainable future, while 
at the same time recognising the potential 
challenges ahead.

People and culture  Develop further opportunities for 

interaction with senior management.

Gain further insight into the culture of 
the business through direct workforce 
engagement, in a post-COVID-19 
environment.

Continue to work on bedding down  
the workings and the practices of the 
Board, given its relatively short tenure.

Board processes

Re-election
In line with the UK Code and Ninety One’s Articles of 
Association and Memorandum of Incorporation, all Directors 
with the exception of Fani Titi, who will be stepping down 
from the Board, will offer themselves for re-election at the  
AGM. The Board believes that its performance continues  
to be effective and that re-election is consistent with the 
evaluation of the Board’s size, structure and composition. 
The Board explains the reasons why it believes each Director 
should be re-elected in the notice of meeting for the AGM. 

Induction and professional development
As a newly formed Board, all members were provided with  
a comprehensive and tailored induction. Regular updates 
on Group projects and activities, and legal and regulatory 
developments, are provided at each Board meeting and 
presentations on key matters are held on a rolling basis. 

During the year, dedicated Directors’ development 
sessions included briefings on:

 ɽ Risk Appetite Policy and the risk management 

framework; 

 ɽ internal controls and policies including Anti-Bribery  
and Corruption Policy, Anti-Fraud Policy, Anti-Money 
Laundering Policy and Whistleblowing Policy;

 ɽ the ICAAP;
 ɽ a post-pandemic view on global politics and 

economics;

 ɽ Ninety One’s approach to social media; and
 ɽ the sustainability framework at Ninety One,  

and the TCFD.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021DLC Nominations and Directors’  
Affairs Committee Report 

This report sets out an overview of the 
committee’s role and responsibilities  
and its key activities during the year.

69

The committee was pleased to note that the Board had 
more than met the target of having at least 33% female 
directors. For the first time this year, the Board is also 
required to report on the gender balance of those in senior 
management and their direct reports; further details can  
be found on page 23 of the Strategic Report. 

The committee’s role and responsibilities, including details 
of the committee’s activities throughout the year, are set 
out in this report. The committee’s terms of reference were 
also reviewed and approved by the Board and are available 
at www.ninetyone.com. 

Gareth Penny
Chair of the DLC Nominations and Directors’ Affairs 
Committee

Dear shareholders
This committee’s main focus this year has been to ensure 
that the Board has the right balance of skills, knowledge, 
experience and diversity required to operate effectively in 
overseeing the implementation of Ninety One’s strategic 
objectives in the interest of promoting its long-term 
success. 

The membership of the committee, as well as that of the 
Board, remained unchanged throughout the financial year. 
During the year, the committee has overseen the Board’s 
annual effectiveness review which included an evaluation 
of the Board, its committees and individual Directors, 
details of which can be found on page 67. In respect of this 
committee, I can report that it is considered to be operating 
effectively, its members have a good mix of skills and 
experience and received sufficient information in a timely 
manner. Through this process, the committee identified 
potential areas where more focus and time was required, 
such as succession planning and the need to spend more 
time getting to know the below-Board leadership. The 
committee will look to engage more in these areas, as well 
as overseeing the implementation of the actions stemming 
from the Board effectiveness review over the course of the 
financial year 2022.

The committee was not required to make any 
recommendations on new appointments over the last  
year. However, it is fully aware of its ongoing responsibility 
to ensure that robust succession plans are in place both  
at Board and executive management levels, when required. 
In May 2021, the committee reviewed its own membership 
and recommended to the Board that Busisiwe Mabuza 
replace Hendrik du Toit as a member of the committee  
to ensure full compliance with the UK Code and King IV.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationEach member of the Board is entitled to attend any 
committee meeting as an observer. The Finance Director, 
the Head of Human Capital and General Counsel will be 
invited to attend all meetings of the committee on a regular 
basis. Other non-members may be invited to attend all or 
part of any meeting as appropriate or necessary.

Meeting attendance 
Under the terms of reference, the committee is required to 
meet at least three times a year. Meeting attendance is set 
out on page 61. 

70

DLC Nominations and Directors’ Affairs Committee Report

Role and responsibilities
The committee’s key role is to lead the process for 
appointments, ensure plans are in place for the orderly 
succession to both the Board and senior executive 
positions, and to oversee the development of a diverse 
pipeline for succession. The committee is responsible for 
ensuring that the Board has the right composition in terms 
of a balance of skills, knowledge, experience and 
independence to carry out its duties effectively. The 
committee is also responsible for promoting a policy of 
diversity and inclusion and ensuring there is appropriate 
gender balance amongst the senior executive and their 
direct reports. In addition, the committee is responsible 
for overseeing the Board evaluation process and that its 
outcomes are actioned. The committee’s responsibilities 
are set out in its terms of reference. The committee ensures 
that the Board is informed of its activities and the Chair 
provides an update to the Board after every committee 
meeting. 

Committee membership and  
regular attendees
The committee comprises three members: two independent 
Non-Executive Directors, Gareth Penny, who is the Chair  
of the committee and Chairman of the Board and Idoya 
Basterrechea Aranda; and Hendrik du Toit, the Chief 
Executive Officer. The Company Secretary acts as 
secretary to the committee. 

The UK Code recommends that a majority of the members 
of the nomination committee should be independent 
Non-Executive Directors. King IV recommends that all 
members of the nomination committee should be Non-
Executive Directors and that the Chief Executive Officer 
should not sit on the nomination committee. Membership 
of Hendrik du Toit was considered important during the first 
year since listing, given his experience, continuity and the 
corporate memory that he brings to the role as a founder of 
the business. The committee has reviewed its membership 
over the year and recommended to the Board that 
Busisiwe Mabuza replace Hendrik du Toit as a member  
of the committee, effective from 18 May 2021. As a result, 
Ninety One is now compliant with all its corporate 
governance obligations. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Key activities in the financial year 2021
In discharging its responsibilities and in accordance with the duties set out in the committee’s terms of reference, the 
committee has engaged in the following key activities set out below. 

71

Responsibilities

Key activity

Board and board 
committee 
composition

 ɽ Reviewed the structure, size and composition of the Board and considered it to be appropriate 

for the DLC structure;

 ɽ reviewed the knowledge, skills and experience of each of the Directors and concluded that they 

were appropriate for the responsibilities and activities undertaken by each Director;

 ɽ agreed that each of the Directors should stand for re-election at the 2021 AGM;
 ɽ reviewed the membership and composition of each Board committee and recommended that 

changes be made to the composition of this committee;

 ɽ considered the skills of the members of the DLC Audit and Risk Committee and confirmed that 

they were sufficiently qualified and experienced; and

 ɽ considered the appointment of potential new Directors to the Board and determined that no 

changes are required to the current composition.

Independence of  
the non-executive 
directors

 ɽ Considered the independence of the Non-Executive Directors with regard to:

•  the Directors’ contribution at Board meetings and whether they demonstrated independent 

challenge; and

•  other factors that might hinder their independence; and

 ɽ confirmed that Fani Titi was not independent due to his appointment as a Director of a 

significant shareholder.

Succession planning

 ɽ Discussed and considered the succession plans for the Board and executive management; and
 ɽ considered the pipeline for senior executives, noting the efforts to nurture and develop an 

internal pool of talented and accomplished individuals.

Diversity

 ɽ Reviewed the diversity of the Board, noting that leading professional women made up half of its 

membership; 

 ɽ reviewed the diversity of executive management, which supports the Chief Executive Officer, 

noting that 33% were women; and

 ɽ reviewed and approved the DLC Board Diversity Policy. 

Directors’ development

 ɽ Noted the extensive training and development programme undertaken throughout the financial 

year; and 

 ɽ considered the key subject areas for Directors’ development for the financial year 2022.

Board effectiveness 
review

 ɽ In line with the requirements of the UK Code and King IV and under the direction of the Chair, 

the committee was responsible for facilitating and overseeing the annual Board effectiveness 
review, which was an internal, questionnaire-based process. Details of the process and 
outcomes can be found on pages 67 to 68.

Committee evaluation

 ɽ Reviewed the outcome and agreed the actions from the committee evaluation as set out on 

page 69. 

Priorities for the financial year 2022
Looking forward, the key priorities for the committee for 2022 
include:

 ɽ continue to keep the composition of the Board and its 

committees under review to ensure that Directors have  
the required level of expertise and relevant skills;

 ɽ continue to work on succession planning;

 ɽ engage more with below-Board leadership;
 ɽ continue to be mindful of the need to ensure diversity, including 
gender, race, skills and experience at all levels across Ninety 
One; and

 ɽ monitor the development of the internal talent pool to ensure 
that they are given the appropriate opportunities and support 
to develop. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDLC Audit and Risk  
Committee Report 

72

The report sets out an overview of the 
committee’s main activities and areas  
of focus during the year, as well as the 
priorities established for the financial  
year 2022, including an increased focus  
on TCFD and sustainability reporting.

Dear shareholders
The committee performs an important governance 
function for Ninety One, exercising independent  
oversight of, and reporting to the Board on, the integrity  
of Ninety One’s financial statements and the adequacy  
and effectiveness of its systems of internal control and  
risk management. The committee reviewed Ninety One’s 
current risk management framework, its principal risks, its 
Risk Appetite Policy and its capital adequacy. In particular, 
given the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 
committee kept under review Ninety One’s control 
environment with a view to monitoring any changes or 
additional risks associated with the impact of COVID-19. 

In addition, during the financial year 2021, the committee 
completed the tender process for the appointment of a 
new auditor, as required by audit rotation legislation in both 
the UK and South Africa. Following a recommendation by 
the committee, the Board approved PwC’s appointment  
as Ninety One’s auditor for the financial year 2023.

As required by the UK Code, the Board undertook an 
annual effectiveness review which included an evaluation 
of the committee. The review did not highlight any specific 
areas of concern. I am also pleased to report that the 
committee is considered to be operating effectively,  
has a good balance of skills, knowledge and experience 
and received sufficient information to provide the 
necessary independent challenge to the Executive 
Directors. In addition, the members were assessed to  
have the required competence to oversee the financial 
reporting and risk management controls required for 
Ninety One. Details of the Board’s effectiveness review 
process and outcomes can be found on pages 67 to 68. 

The committee reviewed the Integrated Annual Report 
2021 and recommended to the Board that it is fair, 
balanced and understandable and provides the necessary 
information for all our stakeholders to assess the Group’s 
position, prospects, business model and strategy. Details  
of the review process are set out on pages 75-76. 

The committee’s role and responsibilities, including details 
of the committee’s activities throughout the year are set 
out in this report. The committee’s terms of reference were 
also reviewed and approved by the Board and are available 
at www.ninetyone.com.

Victoria Cochrane
Chair of the DLC Audit and Risk Committee

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202173

Role and responsibilities
The committee’s role is to assist the Board in discharging 
its duties and responsibilities for overseeing the financial 
reporting, corporate governance, systems of internal 
control and risk management. It fulfils its oversight 
responsibilities by monitoring the integrity of the financial 
statements, reviewing significant judgements contained in 
them, reviewing the appropriateness and consistency of 
the accounting policies, the systems of internal control  
and the risk management and compliance management 
frameworks. The committee is responsible for overseeing 
the relationship with the external auditor, including the 
tender process for any new appointment, recommending 
the external auditor’s re-appointment to the Board and 
the scope of its fees. In addition, the committee oversees 
the work of internal audit and approves the annual internal 
audit plan. The committee ensures that the Board is 
informed of its activities and the Chair provides an  
update to the Board after every committee meeting. 

Committee membership and regular 
attendees
The committee is constituted as a statutory committee as 
required under the Companies Act 2008 of South Africa.  
It comprises solely of independent Non-Executive 
Directors; Victoria Cochrane, the Chair of the committee, 

Idoya Basterrechea Aranda and Colin Keogh. There have 
been no changes to the committee’s composition during 
the year. The Company Secretary acts as secretary to the 
committee. The committee’s composition complies with 
the UK Code and King IV. 

Every member of the Board is entitled to attend any 
committee meeting as an observer. The Chief Executive 
Officer, Finance Director, Head of Finance, Head of  
Internal Audit, external auditor, senior risk and compliance 
representatives and General Counsel are invited to attend 
committee meetings. Other non-members may be invited 
to attend all or part of any meeting as appropriate or 
necessary. 

Meeting attendance 
Under its terms of reference, the committee is required to 
meet at least four times a year. Meeting attendance is set 
out on page 61. 

Outside of the formal meetings, the committee Chair 
engaged on a regular basis with the Finance Director and 
Head of Finance. The committee also met privately with the 
external auditor, the Head of Internal Audit, the Head of 
Operational Risk and General Counsel in order to discuss 
any matters which these parties may wish to raise in 
confidence. 

Key activities in the financial year 2021
In discharging its responsibilities and in accordance with the duties set out in the committee’s terms of reference, the 
committee has engaged in the following key activities set out below.

Responsibilities

Key activity

Annual report and 
financial statements

 ɽ Reviewed the integrity of the financial disclosures, the annual and interim financial statements, 

including the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant accounting 
policies, noting consistency of approach with prior years;

 ɽ reviewed significant judgements made by management and other accounting and governance 

matters; 

 ɽ assessed Ninety One’s financial reporting procedures and satisfied itself that those procedures 

were sound and reasonable; 

 ɽ considered and agreed that Ninety One’s Integrated Annual Report is fair, balanced and 

understandable;

 ɽ reviewed the going concern and viability assessments and statements;
 ɽ reviewed and approved the pillar 3 disclosures; and
 ɽ reviewed and confirmed that Ninety One’s financial statements were compliant with the 

requirements of the JSE’s latest report from its proactive monitoring process.

Internal controls and 
risk management

 ɽ Reviewed the adequacy and effectiveness of the systems of internal control and risk 

management framework; and

 ɽ reviewed and approved the internal control and risk management statements in the Integrated 

Annual Report.

Tax

 ɽ Reviewed and approved the global tax strategy and policy noting Ninety One’s global 

operations and exposure to various jurisdictions. The tax strategy is publicly available on  
Ninety One’s website at www.ninetyone.com.

Finance Director

 ɽ Reviewed the expertise of the Finance Director and satisfied itself that the Finance Director has 

the appropriate expertise and experience.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDLC Audit and Risk Committee Report 

74

Key activities in the financial year 2021 continued

Responsibilities

Key activity

External audit

 ɽ Received and reviewed on a regular basis detailed reports from the external auditor related  
to the interim and annual financial statements for the financial year, including its findings and 
management’s responses;

 ɽ reviewed the objectivity and independence of the external auditor and satisfied itself as to  

the continued suitability of its appointment;

 ɽ reviewed and approved the terms and fees of the external auditor;
 ɽ reviewed the audit quality of the external audit partners and satisfied itself as to their work, 

qualifications and expertise;

 ɽ reviewed and confirmed the effectiveness of the external auditor;
 ɽ reviewed the policy and provision of non-audit services and approved the non-audit fees;
 ɽ considered the tenure of the external auditor and the external audit partners; and
 ɽ undertook an audit tender process for a new external auditor for the financial year 2023.

Internal audit

 ɽ Reviewed and approved the internal audit charter and annual internal audit plan;
 ɽ received updates on the progress and status of internal audit reviews; and
 ɽ reviewed the effectiveness of the Internal Audit Team.

Risk and compliance

 ɽ Reviewed and approved the principal risks;
 ɽ approved the Risk Appetite Policy, risk tolerances and strategy and reviewed reports thereon; 
 ɽ reviewed and approved the risk management framework; 
 ɽ reviewed reports from the management risk committee;
 ɽ reviewed the compliance management framework and monitoring plan;
 ɽ reviewed the internal capital adequacy assessments (known in the UK as the ICAAP and in 

South Africa as the ORSA);

 ɽ reviewed the wind-down plan and liquidity risk management framework;
 ɽ reviewed regulatory compliance updates;
 ɽ reviewed and approved the compliance charter;
 ɽ reviewed the adequacy and security of the Ninety One’s arrangements for whistleblowing, 

bribery, fraud, anti-money laundering and compliance monitoring; and received regular updates 
on the impact of COVID-19 on the business.

Committee 
effectiveness review

 ɽ Reviewed the outcome and agreed the actions from the committee evaluation with the detail 

set out on page 72.

Priorities for the financial year 2022
Looking forward, the committee considered that in addition to 
continuing to discharge its delegated responsibilities, it would 
focus on specific areas in particular:

 ɽ the Group’s IT strategy and the evolving risks and mitigants  

in relation to cybersecurity;

 ɽ the continued impact of COVID-19;

 ɽ the operational resilience of the business;
 ɽ ensuring the effective transition of the new external auditor; 

and

 ɽ building stronger working relationships with the business.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202175

Going concern and viability statement
The committee has considered the assumptions relating  
to the status of Ninety One as a going concern. The 
committee has also reviewed Ninety One’s financial 
resilience over a three-year period to 31 March 2024, 
taking into account Ninety One’s current financial position 
and strategy, the Board’s risk appetite, Ninety One’s 
financial plans and forecasts and its principal risks and  
how these are managed. 

The committee has considered the impact that the 
COVID-19 pandemic has had on the financial sustainability 
and operational resilience of Ninety One, and reviewed the 
additional stress testing completed as part of the going 
concern and viability assessments. The committee is 
satisfied that Ninety One is in a strong position to face  
the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee reviewed the statements made in the 
Integrated Annual Report to ensure that they comply  
with disclosure requirements. Based on the committee’s 
review and assessment, it advised the Board that it was 
reasonable for the Integrated Annual Report to be 
prepared on a going concern basis and that the viability 
statement and the three-year period of assessment were 
appropriate. The statement appears on page 48, together 
with details of the processes, assumptions and risks that 
underpin it.

Fair, balanced and understandable
The committee has considered on behalf of the Board 
whether the Integrated Annual Report 2021, taken as a 
whole, is fair, balanced and understandable, and whether 
the disclosures are appropriate. As part of that process, 
and in justifying this statement, the committee considered 
the process in place, led by the Investor Relations Team 
with material input from the Finance, Company Secretarial, 
Legal, Risk and Marketing Teams. In forming their opinion, 
the committee received and assessed drafts of the 
Integrated Annual Report, including the financial 
statements and discussed with management the 
processes in place around the preparation of the report  
to ensure consistency of the narrative throughout  
the report. In addition, the committee considered the 
information provided to it and the Board throughout the 
year and that this was consistent with the statements  
being made in the Integrated Annual Report.

Significant accounting estimates  
and judgements
The committee has reviewed and discussed the financial 
disclosures made in the Integrated Annual Report together 
with the letters of representation and reports from the 
external auditor. The committee also reviewed whether 
suitable accounting policies have been adopted and 
considered the significant accounting estimates and 
judgements applied as part of this process as set out 
below.

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements 
requires management to make judgements, estimates and 
assumptions that affect the application of policies and 
reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and 
expenses.

Ninety One has not identified any significant judgements  
and estimates at the end of the reporting period. However, 
the areas that include judgement and/or estimates include  
basis of consolidation, exceptional items, leases, pension 
schemes and fair value measurements, which are  
all explained in the notes to the financial statements. 
Management does not expect changes in assumptions to 
lead to a material adjustment in future periods. Areas of 
either estimation or judgement not considered to be 
significant, but which were reviewed by the committee in 
respect of the 31 March 2021 financial statements, are set 
out below. Each of these areas is assessed by the committee 
based on reports prepared by the Finance Team. The 
external auditor considered each estimate and judgement 
and presented its conclusions to the committee. 

Basis of consolidation
The committee considered the principles of consolidation 
detailed in note 1(b) to the financial statements and is 
satisfied that appropriate consolidation principles have 
been applied in preparing the 31 March 2021 financial 
statements in accordance with IFRS.

Exceptional items
Exceptional items are defined as income or expenses that 
arise from events or transactions that are distinct from the 
ordinary activities of Ninety One and are therefore not 
expected to recur frequently or regularly. Such items are 
separately presented to enable a better understanding of 
the Group’s operating performance. For the financial year 
2021, the exceptional item related to rebranding costs.

The committee agreed that this cost met the principles  
for treatment as an exceptional item.

Alternative performance measures (“APMs”)
APMs have been separately presented on page 47 to 
enable a better understanding of Ninety One’s operating 
performance.

The use and disclosure of APMs in the Integrated Annual 
Report was reviewed by the committee and was found to 
be appropriate, with clear definitions and explanations.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDLC Audit and Risk Committee Report 

76

On the basis of its review and the processes in place, the 
committee recommended to the Board that the Integrated 
Annual Report is fair, balanced and understandable and 
provides the necessary information for shareholders to 
understand Ninety One’s business model and strategy,  
and to assess its financial position and performance.

Risk management and internal control
The Board has overall responsibility for Ninety One’s 
systems of internal controls, the ongoing monitoring of  
risk and internal control systems and for reporting on any 
significant failings or weaknesses. The systems of internal 
control are designed to manage rather than eliminate the 
risk of failure to achieve Ninety One’s strategic objectives 
and can only provide reasonable assurance against material 
misstatement or loss. The Board has delegated responsibility 
to the committee for monitoring and reviewing the 
effectiveness of the risk and internal controls framework.

The internal controls framework is based on the three  
lines model. Risk management is the responsibility of the 
employees who constitute the first line. Oversight and 
guidance are provided by the second line through the  
Risk and Compliance Teams. Independent oversight of  
the systems of internal control for the business is the 
responsibility of the third line, the Internal Audit Team.

Ninety One performs a number of audits during the year 
covering the adequacy of controls and compliance with 
regulation. Results from these assurance activities are 
reported to the management risk committee, this 
committee and to the Board, and are shared for action  
with the relevant operational teams. To ensure that 
Ninety One has an adequate and effective systems of 
internal control, and risk management, and taking into 
account the assurance provided by Risk, Compliance 
and Internal Audit Teams, the committee:

 ɽ reviewed the adequacy and effectiveness of the 
systems of internal control, financial controls, risk 
management framework and infrastructure, as well as 
the internal control statements in the Integrated Annual 
Report;

 ɽ considered reports on a range of factors to determine 
the key risks and uncertainties faced by Ninety One. 
These included assessments of Ninety One’s capital 
position and process for the production of Ninety One’s 
internal capital adequacy assessments. Further 
information can be found in the Risk Management 
section of the Strategic report set out on pages  
49 to 55; and

 ɽ reviewed the effectiveness of the Anti-Money 

Laundering, Anti-Bribery and Corruption, Anti-Fraud 
and Whistleblowing policies, IT control risks and 
compliance monitoring reporting.

The committee was content with the effectiveness of 
Ninety One’s processes governing financial and regulatory 
reporting and controls, as well as its culture, ethical 
standards and relationship with regulators. The committee 
was also satisfied with the appropriateness and adequacy 
of the risk management arrangements and supporting risk 
management systems, including the risk monitoring 
processes, internal controls framework and the three  
lines model.

Internal audit 
The committee is responsible for the appointment and 
removal of the Head of Internal Audit who reports directly  
to the committee. The committee is also responsible for  
ensuring that the Internal Audit Team is appropriately 
resourced, and annually reviews and satisfies itself as to its 
effectiveness and independence within the business. The 
committee satisfied itself through its regular meetings with 
the Head of Internal Audit that the Ninety One Internal Audit 
Team comprises well-qualified, experienced staff and has 
unfettered access to any specialist skills that may be 
required to ensure that the function has the continued 
competence to meet Ninety One’s reporting requirements. 
Internal audit is also subject to an independent quality 
assurance review every five years. 

The committee approves and regularly reviews the annual 
risk-based audit plan compiled by internal audit, which is 
assessed and validated by management to ensure that it 
remains relevant and responsive to changes in the industry 
and the regulatory and operating environment. During the 
year internal audit completed 25 audits in line with the 
approved audit plan. No changes were required to be  
made to accommodate working from home as a result of 
COVID-19 measures.

The committee has assessed the effectiveness of internal 
audit and is satisfied with its performance, progress and 
effectiveness during the year.

Regulation and compliance
The committee is responsible for overseeing Ninety One’s 
compliance with all its legal and regulatory obligations in 
each of its jurisdictions. The risk of being found non-
compliant could have a detrimental effect on customer 
relations, lead to reputational damage and potentially 
expose Ninety One to financial penalties and impact its 
ability to operate out of certain jurisdictions. 

The committee receives regular reports from General 
Counsel on Ninety One’s legal and regulatory compliance 
and the committee is satisfied that the key compliance 
controls are effective in managing any risks. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202177

External auditor
The committee is responsible for overseeing the relationship 
with the external auditor, KPMG, as well as ensuring its 
independence and objectivity. The committee approved 
the external auditor’s engagement letter, audit fee and 
audit plan, including materiality levels. The committee also 
reviewed arrangements for ensuring the external auditor’s 
independence and objectivity, including the external 
auditor’s fulfilment of the agreed audit plan. 

The committee reviewed the key audit findings, as well as 
recommendations for improvements to processes and 
management’s responses to those recommendations. 
KPMG did not identify any material control weaknesses.  
A full assessment of the quality and effectiveness of 
KPMG’s financial year 2021 audit was considered by way  
of a questionnaire completed by key stakeholders in 
accordance with guidance on assessing audit quality 
issued by the UK Financial Reporting Council (“UK FRC”). 

The findings from the questionnaire were presented to  
the committee in May 2021. The committee also received  
and discussed the periodic UK FRC’s and South Africa’s 
Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors’ audit quality 
review findings, performed during the ordinary course of 
business, and root cause analysis performed by KPMG. 
Jatin Patel is the lead partner for the UK and Gawie Kolbé is 
the lead partner for South Africa. They have demonstrated 
that they have the appropriate qualifications and expertise 
and have remained independent of the Group. 

On the basis of its review the committee concluded that 
the external audit and the external audit process were 
effective, the committee was able to recommend the 
re-appointment of KPMG for the financial year 2022  
to the Board. 

Tender for audit services
The Statutory Audit Services for Large Companies Market 
Investigation (Mandatory Use of Competitive Tender 
Processes and Audit Committee Responsibilities) Order 
2014 in the UK and the rules of South Africa’s Independent 
Regulatory Board of Auditors’ prescribe that FTSE 350 
companies in the UK and public interest entities in South 
Africa must undertake a mandatory tendering for audit 
services. 

During the year, the committee commenced a tender 
process for the appointment of an external auditor for the 
financial year ending 31 March 2023. The tender process 
was undertaken for the corporate audit and assurance 
reviews of Ninety One. Four audit firms were asked to 
prepare and present proposals to members of the 
committee. The incumbent auditor was not eligible  
to tender under the South African rules.

The committee held discussions with a number of firms 
who were judged against objective criteria determined in 
advance of the process, together with the findings and 
conclusions of published audit quality inspection reports 
on the tendering firms and a review of independence. 
Following a comprehensive review and further discussions 
with the two strongest candidates, the committee was able 
to conclude which firm it would recommend to the Board 
for appointment as Ninety One’s external auditor. The 
committee reported to the Board in December 2021 and 
recommended that PwC be appointed as the Group’s 
auditor for the financial year ending 31 March 2023. 

Non-audit fees
The committee reviewed and approved the non-audit 
services policy, noting that it was Ninety One’s intention 
to not utilise KPMG for the provision of non-audit services, 
other than in rare circumstances, which would require 
approval by the Finance Director and the committee Chair. 
Going forward, KPMG as a firm has taken the decision not 
to engage in non-audit services for any of the FTSE 350 
entities they audit. However, the committee noted that 
there were exceptions to this in that certain services 
provided by the auditors were classed as non-audit, but 
were not considered to impact on their independence  
as they are closely linked to their statutory audit 
responsibilities. These exceptions include the audit of 
the interim financial statements, the Dual AAF 01/06 and 
ISAE 3402 controls reporting, and regulatory reporting 
(including the FCA’s Client Money and Asset Rules, where 
KPMG would continue to provide these services). It  
was also noted that fund audits were separate and not 
considered to be part of this assessment. KPMG fees for 
non-audit work during the year amounted to £627,314. 
Fees for the statutory audit for the year were £952,911.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDLC Sustainability, Social  
and Ethics Committee Report 

78

The committee, on behalf of the Board,  
oversees and monitors Ninety One’s approach  
to sustainability, corporate social responsibility  
and ethics, and its ability to contribute towards  
creating a sustainable future for our stakeholders.

Dear shareholders
The committee provides guidance in relation to Ninety 
One’s sustainability framework, its policies and strategy, 
ensuring they are aligned to Ninety One’s long-term 
commitment to sustainable growth. The committee 
understands that sustainability remains an evolving part of 
Ninety One’s strategy, adapting to the needs of our society 
to protect our environment, and responding to regulatory 
changes. The committee approved the evolution of Ninety 
One’s sustainability framework encompassing its three key 
pillars of Invest, Advocate and Inhabit, which reflects Ninety 
One’s approach to sustainability. The committee also 
reviewed Ninety One’s strategy on the implementation of 
the TCFD. 

The committee reviewed and approved Ninety One’s 
short-term sustainability objectives for the financial year 
2021, confirming that these were designed to support 
Ninety One’s long-term sustainability objectives. Details of 
Ninety One’s approach to corporate sustainability, social 
and ethics can be found on pages 32 to 40.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that our main 
priority this year was the safety and wellbeing of our people 
and their families. The committee received regular updates 
on various engagements and initiatives that were 
established to support our people during these difficult 
times. The committee also received regular updates on 
Ninety One’s initiatives to support the wider society, 
including the charity matching schemes and ongoing 
support for our small business suppliers. 

During the year, the committee recognised the contribution 
Ninety One makes to promoting a non-biased and safe 
working environment for all our people through the launch 
of various initiatives, including a third party whistleblowing 
service and the active promotion of various internal 
networks to foster the exchange of ideas and healthy 
debate. The committee considered social economic 
development, in particular the B-BBEE targets and strategy, 
the diversity principles, corporate responsibility, health, 
safety and the environment and stakeholder engagement. 

Ninety One is committed to improving its practices around 
a fair, diverse and inclusive working environment. In this 
regard, the committee welcomes the regular attendance 
and contributions of the Senior Independent Director, who 
is the employee engagement representative on the Board. 

Another key priority for the committee has been wider 
stakeholder engagement. The committee assisted the 
Board in the review of Ninety One’s stakeholder framework 
and the engagement activities undertaken during the year. 
Further information on how Ninety One engages with its 
key stakeholders, including the section 172 statement,  
can be found on page 18.

As required by the UK Code, the Board undertook an 
annual effectiveness review which included an evaluation  
of the committee. I am pleased to report that the review  
did not highlight any specific areas of concern and the 
committee is considered to be operating effectively, has a 
good mix of skills and experience and received sufficient 
information to provide the necessary independent 
challenge to the Executive Directors. Given the importance 
of ESG matters and the increased regulatory reporting 
within this area, the committee and the Board consider it 
vitally important that they continue to provide regular input 
and challenge management’s efforts to ensure that we 
continue to strive in our quest to put sustainability at the 
heart of our business and contribute to a better world. 

The committee’s role and responsibilities, including details 
of the committee’s activities throughout the year, are set 
out in this report. The committee’s terms of reference were 
reviewed and approved by the Board and are available at 
www.ninetyone.com.

Busisiwe Mabuza 
Chair of the DLC Sustainability, Social and Ethics 
Committee

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Role and responsibilities
The committee’s role is to oversee Ninety One’s 
sustainability, social and ethical commitments, targets 
and performance. The committee also provides 
guidance in relation to Ninety One’s sustainability 
framework, its policies and strategies.

The committee has a revolving schedule of topics to 
focus on at each meeting. These topics are based on 
a comprehensive matrix of matters relating to the 
committee’s areas of responsibility. The resulting matrix 
is a key tool to ensure that the committee meets its 
ongoing monitoring obligations.

The committee’s responsibilities are set out in its terms 
of reference. The committee ensures that the Board is 
informed of its activities and the Chair provides an 
update to the Board after every committee meeting. 

Meeting attendance 
Under the terms of reference, the committee is required 
to meet at least four times a year. Meeting attendance is 
set out on page 61.

79

Committee membership and  
regular attendees
The committee is constituted in accordance with the 
Companies Act No. 71 of 2008 read with Regulation 43  
of the Companies Regulations, 2011 and the 
recommendations of King IV. 

The committee comprises three members: two independent 
Non-Executive Directors, Busisiwe Mabuza, the Chair of 
the committee; Gareth Penny, the Chairman of the Board; 
and Hendrik du Toit, the Chief Executive Officer. The 
Company Secretary acts as secretary to the committee. 
The committee’s composition complies with King IV. 

Every member of the Board is entitled to attend any 
committee meeting as an observer. The Finance Director, 
the Head of Human Capital and General Counsel are 
invited to attend all meetings of the committee on a regular 
basis. Other non-members may be invited to attend all or 
part of any meeting as appropriate or necessary.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDLC Sustainability, Social and Ethics Committee Report 

80

Key activities in the financial year 2021
In discharging its responsibilities and, in accordance with the duties set out in the committee’s terms of reference, the 
committee has engaged in the key activities set out below.

Responsibilities

Key activity

Sustainability

 ɽ Reviewed Ninety One’s global sustainability framework and strategy:

•  Invest: integrating ESG analysis across all our strategies and offering sustainable investment 

solutions;

•  Advocate: seeking to lead the conversation on sustainable investing; and
•  Inhabit: running the business responsibly and acting sustainably;

 ɽ reviewed Ninety One’s TCFD strategy and report; 
 ɽ reviewed and agreed to continue monitoring Ninety One’s disclosures in relation to greenhouse 

emissions under Scope 3;

 ɽ noted Hendrik du Toit’s appointment as Ambassador for the World Benchmarking Alliance; and
 ɽ noted Ninety One’s alliances with the Transition Pathway Initiative, the UNPRI Just Transition 

Statement and the Global Investor Statement to Governments on Climate Change.

Social and economic 
development

 ɽ Reviewed Ninety One’s standing in terms of the goals and purposes of the 10 principles set out 

under the United Nations Global Compact Principles and noted its commitment to these 
principles with respect to human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption;

 ɽ reviewed and approved Ninety One’s UK Modern Slavery Act Statement; and
 ɽ reviewed Ninety One’s position in relation to the Organisation of Economic Co-Operation  

and Development recommendations regarding corruption.

The South African 
Employment Equity Act

 ɽ Reviewed Ninety One’s compliance with the relevant legislation, and noted progress made 
against employment equity plans, including detailed information on the establishment of  
an Employment Equity Forum; 

 ɽ reviewed diversity and inclusion efforts across Ninety One and considered any regulatory 

developments in this regard; and

 ɽ reviewed and satisfied itself that appropriate measures were in place to ensure Ninety One 

complies with the relevant employment equity legislation.

 ɽ Reviewed detailed information on recent developments with respect to compliance with the 

relevant legislation, regulations and industry codes; 

 ɽ reviewed Ninety One’s empowerment rating and noted that Level 2 had been attained; and
 ɽ reviewed the social and community engagements and initiatives undertaken by Ninety One.

 ɽ Reviewed the various initiatives and elements of good corporate citizenship across Ninety  
One, including the promotion of equality, prevention of unfair discrimination and reduction  
of corruption, including transformation policies and strategies;
 ɽ noted Ninety One’s sponsorships, donations and charitable giving;
 ɽ approved the Executive Directors’ short-term sustainability objectives for the year which 

support Ninety One’s long-term sustainability objectives; and

 ɽ reviewed Ninety One’s initiatives for the safety and wellbeing of employees and stakeholders  

in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 ɽ Reviewed Ninety One’s health and safety report; and
 ɽ reviewed Ninety One’s performance relating to CO2 emissions and carbon-based energy 

consumption.

 ɽ Reviewed and reported to the Board on Ninety One’s engagement with stakeholders within the 

committee’s remit, noting the section 172 requirements.

The South African 
Broad-Based Black 
Economic 
Empowerment Act

Corporate citizenship

Health, safety and 
environment

Stakeholder 
relationships

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Key activities in the financial year 2021 continued

Responsibilities

Key activity

81

Labour, employment 
issues and workforce 
engagement

 ɽ Reviewed Ninety One’s position in terms of the International Labour Organisation Declaration 

on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work;

 ɽ noted Ninety One’s leadership development programme;
 ɽ reviewed the reports from the Senior Independent Director responsible for workforce 

engagement, in compliance with the requirements of the UK Code; and 
 ɽ received and reviewed updates on the workforce engagement programme.

Culture and ethics

Whistleblowing

Committee 
effectiveness review

 ɽ Reviewed and satisfied itself that Ninety One’s culture and ethical values had a positive impact 
on the success of Ninety One and the wellbeing of local communities, the environment and on 
overall macroeconomic stability; and

 ɽ noted the joint working relationship between the Ninety One Institute and Imperial College 

London on assessing company culture.

 ɽ Reviewed the Whistleblowing Policy and process for staff to raise issues or concerns. 

 ɽ Reviewed the outcome and agreed on the actions from the committee evaluation with the detail 

set out on page 78. 

Priorities for the financial year 2022
Looking forward, the key priorities for the committee for 
2022 include:

 ɽ continue to provide guidance and support in relation to Ninety 
One’s key sustainability objectives and policies, ensuring that 
they are aligned with Ninety One’s long-term commitment to 
sustainable growth; and

 ɽ oversee and monitor progress in relation to the integration of 

sustainability into the business strategy, including Ninety One’s 
strategy on the implementation of the TCFD and the actions 
required to ensure a carbon neutral and ultimately a net zero 
business. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information  
DLC Human Capital and Remuneration 
Committee Report

82

The Directors’ Remuneration Report sets 
out our approach to remuneration for 
Ninety One’s people and Directors  
for the financial year 2021.

Dear shareholders
The operating environment in this year presented 
unprecedented challenges for the business, with the 
fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic and the responses 
of governments around the world impacting investor 
confidence and resulting in significant market volatility. 

In the face of these challenging operating conditions, 
Ninety One remained focused on maintaining operational 
stability while continuing to serve our clients and deliver 
strong investment performance. Our investment in people 
and technology over many years allowed for a seamless 
shift to virtual client engagement and a remote-working 
operating model. The effectiveness with which Ninety One 
has navigated this challenging period is a testament to our 
long-standing client relationships, diverse investment 
offering, our owner culture and the visionary stewardship  
of the leadership team.

Overview of executive remuneration for the 
financial year 2021
Notwithstanding the challenging environment, both 
financial and non-financial results were strong. Notable 
performance highlights include:

 ɽ Strong financial performance in the context of the 
economic environment, including Adjusted EPS of  
17.0p (2020: 16.1p);

 ɽ weighted investment outperformance of 82% over 

the three financial years 2019–2021;

 ɽ strong share price performance and a maiden 

dividend declared;

 ɽ execution of Ninety One’s dual-listing during a period 
of considerable market instability and successful 
establishment of Ninety One over its first full operating 
year as an independent dual-listed business; 

 ɽ implementation of a full governance framework in 
compliance with the dual-listing requirements;

 ɽ development and well-received launch of the Ninety 

One brand;

 ɽ significant progress towards long-term strategic 

priorities (see page 94 for further details); 

 ɽ thoughtful and wide-ranging response to the COVID-19 
pandemic and maintaining stability in our operating 
regions (see page 93 for further details); and 

 ɽ no recourse to any government support programmes, 
no employees furloughed and no COVID-19-related 
redundancies.

Against the backdrop of this very strong performance, the 
committee determined that the formulaic outcome under 
the Executive Incentive Plan (“EIP”) scorecard was 86.3% 
of the maximum award opportunity for each of the 
Executive Directors. 

The committee gave careful consideration to the formulaic 
outcome, alongside the performance achieved, the relative 
performance of Ninety One’s peers, and the shareholder, 
client and wider workforce experience over the period. 
Notwithstanding the record earnings achieved, the 
committee acknowledged that because the performance 
targets for the real annual growth in Adjusted EPS metric 
under the EIP scorecard had been set during a period of 
significant market volatility in the midst of the COVID-19 
pandemic, these targets were not as challenging as initially 
anticipated. In addition, the committee recognised the 
wider economic context in this year. 

For these reasons, the committee exercised its discretion 
to reduce both the overall non-financial scorecard 
outcome and the overall formulaic outcome under the EIP 
scorecard. This represented 7.3% of the maximum award 
opportunity, amounting to a total reduction of £718,000. 

As a result, the awards to the Executive Directors represent 
79% of the maximum award opportunity, recognising an 
exceptional level of achievement in an exceptional year. 
The Executive Directors acknowledged the context and 
reasons for these reductions, and fully supported them. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202183

Role and responsibilities
The committee is responsible for determining, developing 
and overseeing the operation of the group’s policies for 
remuneration of the Chairman of the Board, the Executive 
Directors and senior executives. This includes determining 
appropriate targets and incentive outcomes for the 
Executive Directors and engaging with shareholders in this 
regard. In respect of the wider workforce, the committee 
also reviews and approves the overall variable remuneration 
pool for the group, incorporating risk and compliance 
considerations. The committee also reviews and approves 
various required remuneration-related disclosures and 
approves annually the remuneration of individuals who may 
have a material impact on the risk profile of Ninety One, 
including any applicable subsidiaries and funds. In carrying 
out these responsibilities, the committee will have regard 
to the need to attract, retain and motivate Directors and 
senior executives of the quality required to run the group 
successfully in a way that promotes its strategy and 
long-term success. 

Committee membership and regular 
attendees 
The committee is chaired by Colin Keogh, and the members 
are Idoya Basterrechea Aranda and Busisiwe Mabuza, 
who are all independent non-executive directors. The 
Company Secretary of Ninety One plc acts as secretary 
to the committee. 

Every member of the Board is entitled to attend any 
committee meeting as an observer. In addition, the Chief 
Executive Officer, the Finance Director, the Head of Human 
Capital and external advisors may be invited by the committee 
to attend all or part of any meeting, as and when appropriate 
or necessary. Notwithstanding this, no person shall be 
involved in any decisions as to their own remuneration.

The committee is constituted in accordance with the 
JSE Listings Requirements, the UK Code and King IV. The 
committee’s composition complies with the UK Code and 
King IV. Furthermore, the committee is a DLC committee 
of the Board in respect of other duties assigned to it by 
the Board.

Half of these awards were deferred into shares in Ninety 
One plc, further increasing the shareholder alignment 
that already exists by virtue of the Executive Directors’ 
participations in the Marathon Trust. The remainder of 
the awards were paid in cash. The deferred elements 
of the EIP awards were granted after the 2021 financial 
results had been announced and will be subject to 
vesting and mandatory retention periods as prescribed 
under the Directors’ Remuneration Policy (“the Policy”). 

A full disclosure of the financial and non-financial 
outcomes relative to targets and metrics is provided 
on pages 94 to 96.

Overview of executive remuneration for 
the financial year 2022 
There are no changes proposed to the remuneration 
arrangements for the Executive Directors for the 
financial year 2022, other than revised financial and 
non-financial performance targets and metrics. There 
are no increases in fixed remuneration, benefits and 
pension arrangements for the Executive Directors for 
the financial year 2022. These are described in more 
detail on pages 85 to 87.

2020 AGM and the Policy 
The Policy was approved by shareholders at the 2020 
AGM and we were pleased to receive strong support 
from shareholders, with 91.57% in favour of the Policy. 
I would like to take this opportunity to thank 
shareholders for their support. We have included a 
summary of the Policy on pages 85 to 90.

Overall, I am pleased that the Policy has operated well 
in what has been an extremely challenging year. The 
committee believes that our arrangements will continue 
to incentivise the Executive Directors over both the long 
and short term, which will support the continuity of 
Ninety One’s long-term strategy and ultimately deliver 
value for shareholders. The committee is committed to 
maintaining an ongoing dialogue with shareholders on 
the issues of remuneration and welcomes feedback at 
any time.

We look forward to your support on the resolutions 
relating to our Directors’ remuneration at the AGM on 
4 August 2021.

Colin Keogh
Chair of the DLC Human Capital and Remuneration 
Committee

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDLC Human Capital and Remuneration Committee Report

84

Key activities in the financial year 2021
During the financial year 2021, the committee’s key activities included reviewing and where applicable approving the following:

Key activity

 ɽ The Directors’ Remuneration Report for inclusion in the Integrated Annual Report 2020;
 ɽ shareholder feedback following the AGM and governance roadshows;
 ɽ performance targets for financial measures under the EIP;
 ɽ non-financial measures and metrics under the EIP; 
 ɽ EIP Rules; 
 ɽ Pillar 3 remuneration disclosures;
 ɽ developments in market practice and corporate governance relating to remuneration;
 ɽ Material Risk Taker methodology and lists;
 ɽ wider workforce fixed and variable remuneration;
 ɽ compliance and risk reports;
 ɽ remuneration policy for the wider workforce and remuneration policy statement; and
 ɽ remuneration committee terms of reference.

Priorities for the financial year 2022
In addition to the key activities conducted in financial year 2021, 
the committee will continue to consider relevant developments 
regarding executive remuneration and regulatory requirements 
within the industry. 

The committee will ensure that the executive incentivisation 
arrangements remain competitive and are aligned with 
shareholder interests. 

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Summary of the Policy  
– Executive Directors 

This section provides an overview of the key remuneration 
elements currently in place for the Executive Directors.  
We have not made any changes to the Policy this year and 
so the Policy approved at the AGM held on 3 September 
2020 continues to apply. In line with SA Company Law 
requirements, the Policy will be subject to an advisory vote 
by shareholders at the 2021 AGM. The principles of King IV 
and the JSE Listings Requirements requires a listed 
company to table its remuneration policy and implementation 
report for separate non-binding advisory votes at the 
annual general meeting.

Full details of the approved Policy are included within 
our Integrated Annual Report 2020, which is available  
at www.ninetyone.com. 

In line with corporate governance requirements, the Policy 
supports the long-term success of our business by 
adhering to the following principles:

 ɽ It is simple, fair and transparent, with clear links 

between Ninety One’s strategy and remuneration 
outcomes.

 ɽ It is designed to promote our culture and values, with an 

emphasis on risk management and conduct.

 ɽ It aligns the interests of the Executive Directors with 

those of shareholders and clients.

 ɽ It emphasises the importance of non-financial drivers 

for Ninety One’s long-term success.

 ɽ The remuneration levels reflect our pursuit of 

excellence for our clients and our commitment to 
organic business building.

Element and link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity

Performance 

85

Fixed remuneration

Fixed remuneration reflects the 
relative skills and experience of, and 
contribution made by, the individual.

Fixed remuneration is delivered in 
cash (base salary), with a portion 
sacrificed to fund benefits. 

Fixed remuneration is set at levels 
that allow us to attract and retain 
executives with the necessary skills 
and experience to deliver strategic 
objectives. 

Fixed remuneration will be reviewed 
annually. Factors considered in any 
review would include: the size and 
scope of the role, business and 
individual performance, affordability, 
increases for the wider workforce 
and peer comparisons. 

Fixed remuneration adjustments 
would typically be effective from  
1 April.

Pension

Individual 
performance 
will be taken into 
consideration 
when awarding any 
increase in fixed 
remuneration.

For the 2021 financial year, fixed 
remuneration for the Chief Executive 
Officer is £666,000 per annum and 
£533,000 per annum for the Finance 
Director.

There is no overall maximum 
opportunity or increase. However, 
in awarding any increase, the 
committee will be mindful of any 
relevant factors, which may include 
increases for the wider workforce or 
changes in scope of role. 

The current Executive Directors are not entitled to any pension benefits. Any new Executive Directors may be entitled to pension benefits 
in line with those generally offered to the wider workforce in the location in which they are employed.

Benefits

To provide a market-competitive level 
of fixed remuneration that allows us 
to attract and retain executives with 
the necessary skills and experience. 
Benefits reflect local market practice 
and support health and wellbeing.

Ninety One offers a range of 
benefits, which currently includes 
private medical insurance, disability 
insurance and life cover. These are 
the benefits generally offered to all 
Ninety One employees in the UK. 

The benefits provided may be subject 
to amendment from time to time by 
the committee within this Policy.

Not applicable

These benefits are funded by each of 
the Executive Directors sacrificing a 
portion of their fixed remuneration.

The value of benefits is dependent on 
each Executive Director’s individual 
circumstances. The committee 
has therefore not set a maximum 
monetary value for this component 
of fixed remuneration, save that 
the aggregate of cash and benefits 
will not exceed the value of fixed 
remuneration.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Remuneration Report – Summary of the Policy – Executive Directors

Element and link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity

Performance 

86

EIP

The committee will 
set the long-term 
and short-term 
performance 
measures annually 
to reflect the 
key financial and 
strategic priorities 
for Ninety One. 
The measures may 
therefore vary from 
year to year. 

Further detail 
on performance 
measures are set out 
in the Annual Report 
on Remuneration.

Awards granted in respect of each 
financial year will be capped at 800% 
of fixed remuneration (subject to 
treatment in a change of control 
event).

Performance will be measured 
relative to threshold, target and 
stretch achievement levels. Award 
outcomes as a percentage of the 
maximum award opportunity will be 
as follows:

 ɽ Threshold: 25%
 ɽ Target: 50%
 ɽ Stretch: 100%

Award outcomes will be determined 
on a straight-line basis for 
performance between these levels.

Award outcomes will be set out 
in the relevant Annual Report on 
Remuneration.

Annual single incentive award which 
rewards the delivery of key financial 
and non-financial objectives which 
are consistent with Ninety One’s 
strategy and are measured over both 
long-term and short-term periods.

The EIP will reward performance, 
assessed against financial/
quantitative and non-financial/
qualitative measures, over the 
current year and the preceding 
three-year period. 

Enhances the Executive Directors’ 
alignment with shareholders via 
appropriate performance measures 
and through deferral into Ninety One 
shares.

The committee will set the long-
term and short-term performance 
measures, targets and the weighting 
annually to reflect the key financial 
and strategic priorities for Ninety 
One. Performance conditions will be 
determined and set subject to the 
following parameters:

 ɽ Not less than 75% of the overall 
award will be based on financial 
performance measures, and
 ɽ Not less than 55% of the overall 

award will be based on long-term 
performance.

Award outcomes will be assessed 
annually following year-end, and will 
be based on a formulaic application 
of the Policy, with the committee 
retaining discretion to consider 
performance holistically and adjust 
formulaic outcomes to ensure that 
final remuneration awards are aligned 
with the sustainable performance 
of Ninety One and our purpose to 
deliver value over the long term. 

Up to 50% of each award will be paid 
in cash, with the remaining amount 
(being at least 50% of the award) 
deferred into an award of Ninety 
One shares, which will be entitled 
to receive dividends or dividend 
equivalents. Deferred awards will 
vest in full three years after award. 
Following vesting, deferred awards 
will normally be subject to a further 
two year holding period, with 50% 
released four years after award and 
50% released five years after award. 

Malus and clawback provisions will 
apply, as described in our Integrated 
Annual Report 2020.

Share Incentive Plan (‘SIP’)

To increase the alignment of the 
Executive Directors’ interests with 
shareholders. 

Executive Directors are eligible to 
participate in Ninety One’s HMRC-
approved SIP, on the same terms as 
other employees.

Participation in the Ninety One SIP 
is subject to maximum limits set by 
HMRC. This is currently £1,800 per 
year for partnership shares.

Not applicable

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Element and link to strategy

Operation

Opportunity

Performance 

Shareholding requirement

87

Not applicable

Not applicable

To maintain the alignment of the 
Executive Directors with the long-
term interest of Ninety One and our 
stakeholders.

Executive Directors are expected 
to build and maintain an interest in 
Ninety One shares, and to retain a 
portion of this interest for a period 
after ceasing to be an Executive 
Director. 

Requirements for current 
Executive Directors
While serving as an Executive 
Director:

 ɽ 1,000% of fixed remuneration for 
the Chief Executive Officer; and 

 ɽ 800% of fixed remuneration for 

the Finance Director.

Each of the current Executive 
Directors exceeds this requirement 
by virtue of their respective 
participation in the Marathon Trust. 

For a period of two years from 
ceasing to be an Executive Director, 
the following will normally apply:

 ɽ 500% of fixed remuneration for 
the Chief Executive Officer; and 
 ɽ 400% of fixed remuneration for 

the Finance Director.

Requirements for new Executive 
Directors
The level of interests in Ninety One 
shares required will be considered 
by the committee at the time of 
appointment, having due regard to 
the scope of the role.

This requirement will need to 
be attained within a reasonable 
timeframe (expected to be no longer 
than five years from appointment), 
but having regard to any existing 
share interests.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Remuneration Report – Summary of the Policy – Executive Directors

88

Remuneration scenario charts
The following charts illustrate the potential range of remuneration outcomes for each of the Executive Directors under the 
Policy. The following scenarios are presented:

Below threshold
Threshold

Target

Stretch

Fixed remuneration

Variable remuneration

Deferral of variable 
remuneration

Total fixed remuneration for 
the financial year, consisting 
of base salary plus benefits.

Nil
Value of single incentive awarded 
if threshold performance is 
achieved, which is 25% of the 
maximum opportunity.
Value of single incentive awarded 
if on-target performance is 
achieved, which is 50% of the 
maximum opportunity.
Value of single incentive awarded 
if stretch performance is achieved, 
which is 100% of the maximum 
opportunity.

Up to 50% of any single 
incentive will be paid in cash, 
with the remainder deferred 
into Ninety One plc shares. 
These scenarios assume a 
50% deferral rate.

Chief Executive Officer

Below threshold

100% £666,000

Threshold

33.3%

33.3%

33.3%

£1,998,000

Target

Stretch

20%

11.1%

40%

40%

£3,330,000

44.4%

3m

4m

5m

6m

44.4%

£5,994,000

£

0

1m

2m

Finance Director

Below threshold

100% £533,000

Threshold

33.3% 33.3% 33.3%

£1,599,000

Target

20%

40%

40%

£2,665,000

Stretch

11.1%

44.4%

44.4%

£4,797,000

£

0

1m

2m

3m

4m

5m

6m

Fixed

Variable – cash element

Variable – deferred element

These scenarios do not assume any change in share price between the dates of award and vesting. A 50% increase in share 
price between these dates would increase the value of the deferred variable remuneration in the stretch scenarios, such 
that total remuneration would be £7.3 million for the Chief Executive Officer and £5.9 million for the Finance Director. A 50% 
decrease in share price between these dates would decrease the value of the deferred variable remuneration in the stretch 
scenarios, such that total remuneration would be £4.7 million for the Chief Executive Officer and £3.7 million for the Finance 
Director.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202189

Simplicity, clarity and alignment with existing 
remuneration philosophy
Ninety One strives to attract and retain the highest- 
calibre individuals who enjoy a sense of responsibility and 
ownership. In support of this objective, Ninety One has 
long-standing remuneration structures in place for the 
wider workforce, which are clear and simple, and which 
also promote and protect Ninety One’s unique employee 
ownership and culture. These structures have been 
designed and implemented to align employee interests with 
those of shareholders and clients, while supporting the 
long-term sustainability of the business, and our culture  
of good conduct and risk management. 

We attach considerable importance to simplicity and 
clarity and believe it is important that the Policy is aligned 
with Ninety One’s existing remuneration philosophy. To  
this end, the Policy includes only two components,  
namely fixed remuneration and a single annual variable 
remuneration award. Variable remuneration under the 
Policy incorporates both financial and non-financial 
performance targets, which reflect the key financial and 
strategic priorities for Ninety One. The committee’s 
assessment of non-financial performance specifically 
incorporates risk management and cultural alignment 
factors. Furthermore, the malus and clawback provisions 
that apply to the EIP awards ensure an appropriate 
mechanism for risk adjustment. The range of potential 
remuneration outcomes for the Executive Directors is  
set out in the remuneration scenario charts below.

Wider workforce context and engagement
The wider workforce receives fixed remuneration, which 
includes base salary, pension contributions (where 
applicable) and other local employee benefits. Variable 
remuneration typically takes the form of an annual 
discretionary award, which may comprise both cash  
and deferred elements. Deferred elements are normally 
invested in a combination of Ninety One shares and funds, 
which cliff vest after three years and are subject to malus 
and clawback provisions consistent with those applicable 
to the Executive Directors. Remuneration levels at Ninety 
One reflect both our pursuit of excellence and commitment 
to organic business building. In setting remuneration levels, 
truly exceptional contributions are rewarded and individual 
variable remuneration awards are not capped for the wider 
workforce. Aggregate variable remuneration is however 
subject to affordability considerations. In exceptional 
cases, retention-related share awards may also be granted 
to employees other than the Executive Directors.

Approach to recruitment remuneration
Remuneration for new Executive Directors will be 
consistent with the Policy, including maximum variable 
remuneration opportunities. In setting fixed remuneration 
levels, the Committee will consider the size and scope of 
the role, the skills and experience of a candidate, and their 
existing levels of fixed remuneration. 

Where applicable, awards may be granted to replace 
awards or amounts forfeited from a previous employer. In 
such cases, the committee retains the discretion to grant 
awards on a comparable basis to the forfeited award(s) 
taking into account the time horizons and performance 
conditions that applied. For internal candidates, unvested 
deferred awards granted in respect of the prior role would 
continue to vest as per the original terms. These may be 
adjusted at the discretion of the committee.

Although the intention would be to offer any new Executive 
Director benefits as set out in the Policy table on page 85, 
the Committee reserves the discretion to offer a new 
Executive Director additional benefits such as to cover 
relocation expenses in order to facilitate their appointment.

To facilitate any buyout awards outlined above, the 
committee may grant awards to a new Executive Director, 
relying on the exemption in the applicable Listing Rules, 
which allows for the grant of awards (including under any 
other appropriate Ninety One incentive plan) to facilitate,  
in unusual circumstances, the recruitment of an Executive 
Director, without seeking prior shareholder approval.

The fees payable to a new Chairman or Non-Executive 
Director would be in accordance with the Policy. 

Link to strategy and long-term alignment 
with shareholders
The Policy for Executive Directors has been formulated  
by the committee to closely align with the overall 
remuneration philosophy at Ninety One, while recognising 
shareholder expectations for a listed company. The reason 
for selecting a single incentive model over the more widely 
used long-term and short-term incentive structure is the 
considerable alignment that already exists between the 
Executive Directors and shareholders, principally through 
their significant equity exposure to Ninety One via their 
participations in the Marathon Trust which exceed the 
minimum shareholding requirements under the Policy. 

Ninety One is committed to profitably growing and 
continuing to create long-term shareholder value  
through the consistent quality of our client servicing and 
differentiated investment offering. The committee will 
select measures and targets which are aligned with our 
strategic priorities, in order to incentivise the Executive 
Directors in a way that will deliver value over the long term, 
in line with our purpose. The committee has created this 
long-term incentivisation by setting the lifespan of any one 
award at eight years, being the period from the start of the 
performance period through to the end of the required 
holding period for that award.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Remuneration Report – Summary of the Policy – Executive Directors

90

In formulating the Policy, the committee was mindful of the 
Ninety One remuneration policy, which applies to the wider 
workforce, although employees were not directly consulted 
in the Policy’s development. Both of these policies are 
aligned with Ninety One’s remuneration philosophy. This 
ensures that all employees, including the Executive 
Directors, are incentivised in a similar way. The Policy 
contains some differences to the wider workforce policy, 
notably that Executive Director variable remuneration 
opportunities are capped and determined in a formulaic 
manner, subject to committee discretion. All discretionary 
variable remuneration awards, including those for the 
Executive Directors, are funded from the same variable 
remuneration pool.

Ninety One’s Non-Executive Director responsible for 
workforce engagement is also the Chair of the committee. 
In this capacity, he is able to engage regularly with 
members of Ninety One’s Human Capital team and other 
members of the wider workforce. He receives regular 
invitations to company-wide events and also has access  
to Ninety One’s virtual employee engagement platform.

Policy on payments for loss of office
In the event of the termination of an Executive Director’s 
employment, any payments will be determined in accordance 
with the Policy, and will be in line with the relevant Executive 
Director’s service contract and the rules of any relevant 
incentive plans. Detail of payments for loss of office of  
the Executive Directors, and applicable notice period 
payments for the Non-Executive Directors, is included  
in the Integrated Annual Report 2020.

Non-Executive Directors fee policy
Non-Executive Directors fees are industry competitive and 
reflect the skills, experience and time required to undertake 
their roles. The fees cover the dual roles that the directors 
perform in relation to Ninety One plc and Ninety One 
Limited. Fees for the Chairman are determined by the 
committee, while fees for other Non-Executive Directors 
are determined by the Board. Please refer to the Integrated 
Annual Report 2020 which sets out further detail on Ninety 
One’s policy in relation to Non-Executive Directors’ fees.

Use of benchmarks
Variable remuneration opportunities under the Policy are 
capped at 800% of fixed remuneration, and in setting this 
cap the committee specifically considered historical 
remuneration levels of the Executive Directors at Ninety 
One, industry benchmarks for both listed and unlisted 
peers and remuneration levels of other senior management 
at Ninety One.

For the purposes of obtaining relevant peer reference 
points to assist the committee in setting appropriate award 
opportunities, the committee commissioned a bespoke 
remuneration survey from an independent benchmark 
provider. The survey covered a broad range of Ninety One’s 
global competitors, including both listed and unlisted asset 
management firms. The committee also received peer 
analysis from Ninety One’s independent remuneration 
advisors, Deloitte LLP.

The selection of a relevant peer group is never perfect. No 
two businesses have precisely the same clients, products, 
distribution channels, people and culture. Nor do they  
face the same set of growth opportunities and business 
challenges. Notwithstanding, the committee believes that 
the independent survey data covering key industry peers is 
the most relevant external information. While this peer data 
is informative, it is not the only factor the committee used 
when setting the remuneration opportunities.

The committee has deliberately not sought to use the 
remuneration data from either the FTSE 100, 250 or 350. 
This is due to the wide range of industries covered in these 
indices, each with their own remuneration dynamics, which 
are not comparable to an asset management business 
where variable remuneration is most emphasised.

Consideration of shareholder views
In designing the Policy, the committee proactively sought 
input from significant shareholders and their feedback  
was taken into consideration. The committee welcomes 
feedback from all shareholders at any time and is committed 
to ongoing dialogue with shareholders and other interested 
stakeholders on this important topic.

During the year, the committee engaged extensively with 
major shareholders regarding the Policy and its future 
implementation. While the views among shareholders are 
not always aligned, the one consistent theme in the  
course of these engagements was the importance of the 
committee exercising its discretion to ensure a clear  
link between remuneration outcomes and performance 
achieved, while also reflecting the shareholder experience.

The committee agrees with this principle and recognises 
the importance of appropriate application of its discretion 
under the Policy. It has duly applied its discretion in respect 
of the financial year 2021 EIP outcomes for the Executive 
Directors – please see further detail set out on page 94. 
The committee believes the resulting remuneration 
outcomes are a fair reflection of both performance  
and the wider shareholder experience.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Annual Report on Remuneration

This section of the Directors’ Remuneration Report sets out the remuneration paid to the Executive Directors and  
Non-Executive Directors of Ninety One in respect of the financial year 2021.

Sections which are subject to audit are indicated as such.

91

Single figure of remuneration (audited)
The table below sets out the total remuneration received by the Directors in respect of the financial year 2021, as well as the 
financial year 2020 (in £’000).

2021
Executive Directors3
Hendrik du Toit
Kim McFarland

Total
Non-Executive Directors4
Gareth Penny
Colin Keogh
Idoya Basterrechea Aranda
Victoria Cochrane
Busisiwe Mabuza
Fani Titi5

Total

2020
Executive Directors3
Hendrik du Toit
Kim McFarland

Total
Non-Executive Directors4
Gareth Penny
Colin Keogh
Idoya Basterrechea Aranda
Victoria Cochrane
Busisiwe Mabuza
Fani Titi5

Total

Salary/
fees

Benefits

Total fixed 
remuneration

Formulaic 
outcome

Discretionary 
adjustment

Cash
award1

Deferred
award2

Total variable 
remuneration

Total 
remuneration

EIP single incentive

655
523

1,178

175
120
100
95
95
70

655

11
10

21

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

666
533

1,199

175
120
100
95
95
70

655

4,598
3,680

8,278

(398)
(320)

2,100
1,680

2,100
1,680

(718) 3,780

3,780

4,200
3,360

7,560

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

4,866
3,893

8,759

175
120
100
95
95
70

655

Salary/
fees

Benefits

Total fixed 
remuneration

Annual 
variable 
remuneration

Total variable
remuneration 

Total 
 remuneration

54
43

97

64
44
37
35
35
26

241

1
1

2

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

55
44

99

64
44
37
35
35
26

241

500
400

900

500
400

900

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

–
–
–
–
–
–

–

555
444

999

64
44
37
35
35
26

241

1.  The cash EIP award in respect of the financial year 2021.

2.  The deferred EIP award in respect of the financial year 2021.

3.   Hendrik du Toit and Kim McFarland entered into new service contracts in respect of their roles within Ninety One, which took effect from 1 March 2020, prior to the 
listing on 16 March 2020. The Chief Executive Officer and Finance Director have 30 and 27 years of service respectively with Ninety One and Investec. The 2020 
figures in the table show remuneration awarded in respect of their service to Ninety One between 1 March and 31 March 2020. Annual variable remuneration for 2020 
relates to the one-off variable remuneration awards in respect of the financial year 2020. 

4.  All of the Non-Executive Directors were appointed as Directors of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited on 19 November 2019.

5.  Fees paid to Fani Titi in financial years 2021 and 2020 were paid directly to Investec.

Notes to the table (audited)
Fixed remuneration
No changes were made to fixed remuneration for the financial year 2021. 

Pension 
The Executive Directors are not entitled to any pension benefits. 

Benefits
For the financial year 2021, benefits for the Executive Directors included private medical insurance, disability insurance and 
life cover, which are the benefits generally offered to all Ninety One employees in the UK. These benefits are funded by 
sacrificing a portion of their fixed remuneration. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Remuneration Report – Annual Report on Remuneration

92

EIP
The graphic below illustrates the operation of the EIP for the award granted in respect of the financial year 2021.

Long-term element measured on trailing 
basis over the three years up to and 
including the performance year

Short-term element measured annually  
at the end of the performance year

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Real growth in 
adjusted EPS

Real growth in 
adjusted EPS

Real growth in 
adjusted EPS

%
5
5

Investment 
performance

Investment 
performance

Investment 
performance

Net flows

Net flows

Net flows

%
0
2

%
5
2

Annual financial 
performance 
– above measures

Annual 
non-financial 
performance

Short- and 
long-term 
targets are 
measured  
to determine 
the value of 
the award

Up to 50% 
of the 
award  
is paid  
in cash 

Maximum 
award 800% 
of fixed 
remuneration

50% 
cash

50% 
deferred 
over  
three  
years

At least 50% of the award would be delivered as forfeitable  
shares deferred for a period of three years. A further two-year 
holding period would apply with shares being released 50% at  
the end of years four and five respectively 

FY 2022

FY 2023

FY 2024

FY 2025

FY 2026

50% 
released

50% 
released

Lifespan of a single award extends over eight years

Awards under the EIP in respect of the financial year 2021
The following section sets out the EIP targets and measures and the committee’s assessment of outcomes for the financial 
year 2021. The EIP for the financial year 2021 operated in line with the Policy.

Financial performance – three years

Measure
Real annual growth in Adjusted EPS1
Investment performance2
Net flows3

Financial performance – one year

Measure
Real annual growth in Adjusted EPS1
Investment performance2
Net flows3

Threshold
-5.0%
50.0%
1.0%

Target
0.0%
62.5%
2.5%

Stretch
5.0%
75.0%
4.0%

Actual 
performance 
3.6%
66.2%
3.7%

Outcome as % of 
the maximum 
award 
opportunity 
86.4%
64.8%
90.0%

Threshold
-20.0%
50.0%
1.0%

Target
-15.0%
62.5%
2.5%

Stretch
-10.0%
75.0%
4.0%

Actual 
performance 
4.4%
82.1%
-0.2%

Outcome as % of 
the maximum 
award 
opportunity 
100.0%
100.0%
0.0%

Weighting 
36.6%
9.2%
9.2%
55.0%

Weighting 
13.4%
3.3%
3.3%
20.0%

1. 

 Adjusted EPS is the primary measure of Ninety One’s financial performance. Our long-term objective is to grow adjusted earnings consistently, recognising the 
potential significant impact of market volatility on financial results. Measured as per the definition of Adjusted EPS on page 170. Real growth adjusted for UK CPI.

2.   As an active investment manager, investment outperformance is critical to delivering value to our clients. Our objective is to deliver investment outperformance in the 
long run. As such, performance is measured over multiple time periods, with higher weightings for longer time periods. Measured as the proportion of firm-wide AUM 
outperforming basic benchmarks on an asset weighted basis, weighted over one (20% weighting), three (30% weighting) and five (50% weighting) years.

3.   The achievement of net flows is a key driver of value. Our long-term objective is to grow and diversify our asset and client base by consistently generating positive net 

flows. The torque ratio will be the metric used to measure success.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Non-financial performance – holistic assessment of performance over one year

Assessment

Weighting

Summary of achievements

93

Measure

Key 
employee 
retention  
and 
succession 
planning

Relationships 
and 
reputation

Global staff 
turnover

Senior global 
leadership 
team turnover

Succession 
planning

Annual 
Organisation 
Development 
(“OD”) led 
culture and 
diversity and 
inclusion 
initiatives

25%

Reputational 
and regulatory 
issues

Commitment 
to 
sustainability

Progress with 
respect to 
objectives 
agreed by the 
Board

Global staff turnover remained at a low level (6.7%) in line with historic 
trends at Ninety One. Most notably, there was no turnover at a senior 
leadership level. These outcomes reflect Ninety One’s ability to 
maintain workforce stability and retain key employees in an otherwise 
challenging environment. 

We have focused our succession planning efforts on building the 
“bench strength” within Ninety One’s senior leadership group. This 
has been achieved by providing intentional developmental exposure 
and experience to this group. By following this “intentional optionality” 
approach, Ninety One has created flexibility for changes in the firm's 
leadership requirements going forward.

Our thoughtful and wide-ranging response to the COVID-19 pandemic 
exemplified how Ninety One has put culture and purpose at the heart 
of the organisation. We are proud of our efforts in engaging with our 
employees over the course of the year, whether through global senior 
leadership offsites or the Chief Executive Officer’s virtual check-ins 
with global teams. 

These activities ensured our employees were part of a unified team 
notwithstanding the regional lockdowns and sudden remote working 
arrangements. These were further complemented by a host of wide-
ranging engagement and community support initiatives,  
which included:

 ɽ Virtual wellbeing webinars available for all staff;
 ɽ physical wellbeing initiatives and activities available to all 

employees including two virtual challenges, where we raised  
over £91,000 for charity; and

 ɽ supporting our wider community and contribution to COVID relief 

efforts across the globe. This included a newly established 
employee donation matching scheme to match our employees’ 
financial contributions to community COVID-19 relief efforts.

This was a year of intense client engagement where we continued to 
focus on delivering excellent client service. 

Ninety One’s relationships with regulators around the globe remain 
healthy and constructive, with a number of them conducting routine 
audits and/or inspections during the past year. These were concluded 
without any material issues being raised. The committee reviewed 
matters considered by the DLC Audit and Risk Committee during the 
year, and was comfortable that the mitigation responses to these matters 
were satisfactory and they had been well managed during the year. 

Ninety One is committed to putting sustainability at the heart of our 
business. In this regard, we successfully published our inaugural TCFD 
Report (available on our website), a rigorous process which included 
the development of a tool to profile all of Ninety One’s funds. During 
the year, Ninety One also successfully migrated all of its historic 
Scope 1 sustainability data from Investec following the demerger. 
Finally, Ninety One has made significant strides in expanding our 
sustainability product offering over the year, including the launch of 
several sustainability-focused funds and hiring key talent in this space.

Notwithstanding the strong achievements documented above, the 
committee recognises that Ninety One is in the early stages of our 
sustainability journey. There will be future opportunities for Ninety 
One, in our role as a responsible steward of clients’ capital, to engage 
further with investee companies and advocate for them to accelerate 
their transitions to carbon neutrality. Ninety One made good progress 
on this front during the year, but our ambition remains that Ninety One 
will play a leading role in these engagement and advocacy activities in 
the future.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Remuneration Report – Annual Report on Remuneration

94

Measure

Strategic 
progress

Assessment 

Weighting

Summary of achievements

25%

Progress with 
respect to 
objectives 
agreed by 
the Board

The 2021 financial year was characterised by excellent progress 
against the strategic objectives set by the Board. In particular, Ninety 
One was successfully established as an independent dual-listed 
company with a distinctive brand, including the timely implementation 
of all required governance structures.

We have proved ourselves to be a resilient business through our 
successful navigation of the challenging operating environment 
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have maintained employee 
stability, achieved a seamless transition to a remote working model 
and actively supported our communities in our various operating 
regions. Ninety One did not make use of any government support 
schemes. We did not furlough any employees, nor did we make any 
COVID-19-related redundancies.

Further highlights in relation to long-term strategic achievements 
included meeting our objectives around simplifying Ninety One’s 
business structure through the sale of the Silica business and the 
outsourcing of the Africa Private Equity business. In addition, we 
selectively expanded our offering, and pursued organic growth  
within the firm’s existing capabilities.

Outcome for non-financial element

Total formulaic EIP outcome

Committee discretionary adjustment factor

Final EIP outcome

Explanation of discretionary adjustment and final awards
Under the Policy, the committee retains discretion to 
consider performance holistically and adjust formulaic 
outcomes to ensure that the final EIP awards are aligned 
with the sustainable performance of Ninety One and our 
purpose to deliver value over the long term.

In determining the level of awards under the EIP, the 
committee gave careful consideration to the formulaic 
outcome, focusing in particular on whether this was 
appropriate, and a fair reflection of the underlying 
performance of the business. In this regard, the  
committee took into account the following:

 ɽ the actual performance and the context in which this 

was achieved;

 ɽ the relative performance of Ninety One’s peers; and
 ɽ the shareholder, client and wider workforce experience 

over the period, taking into account the wider 
economic context.

While Ninety One achieved Adjusted EPS of 17.0p for 
the financial year (2020: 16.1p), top quartile investment 
performance, strong share price performance and 
declared a maiden dividend, the committee concluded that 
because the performance targets for the real annual growth 
in Adjusted EPS metrics under the EIP scorecard had been 
set during a period of significant market volatility in the midst 
of the COVID-19 pandemic, these targets were not as 
challenging as initially anticipated. In addition, the committee 
recognised the wider economic context in this year. 

90%

86.3%

(7.3%)

79.0%

For these reasons, the committee exercised its discretion  
to both reduce the overall non-financial scorecard outcome 
and the overall formulaic outcome under the EIP scorecard. 
This reduction represented 7.3% of the maximum award 
opportunity, amounting to a total reduction of £718,000.  
The Executive Directors acknowledged the context and 
reasons for these reductions, and fully supported them.

The committee’s final decision was therefore that each of 
the Executive Directors be granted an EIP award of 79% 
of the maximum award opportunity, resulting in EIP awards 
of £4.2 million and £3.4 million for the Chief Executive 
Officer and Finance Director, respectively. 

The committee believes that these awards are aligned 
with the performance achieved over the period (including 
performance relative to peers), whilst being appropriate 
in the context of the experience of our shareholders, 
employees and Ninety One’s other stakeholders. 

Half of these EIP awards were deferred into shares in Ninety 
One plc, further increasing the significant shareholder 
alignment that already exists by virtue of the Executive 
Directors’ participations in the Marathon Trust. The 
remainder of the awards were paid in cash. The deferred 
elements of the EIP awards were granted after the 2021 
financial results had been announced and will be subject  
to vesting and mandatory retention periods as prescribed 
under the Policy.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
Statement of Directors’ shareholdings and share interests (audited)
Breakdown of share interests 
The Directors and their associates/connected persons owned the following ordinary shares and held the following share 
scheme interests in Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited ordinary shares as at 31 March 2021. 

95

The legacy share scheme interests listed below were granted to Hendrik du Toit, Kim McFarland and Fani Titi in their capacity 
as executive directors of Investec. For the Executive Directors, these awards are conditional on continued service with 
Ninety One. 

No other share scheme interests were granted during the financial year 2021. The first awards to be granted under the EIP,  
in respect of financial year 2021, will be granted after the financial year end. The first vesting under the EIP is scheduled to 
take place in 2024, and therefore there were no vestings under the EIP in financial year 2021.

No Directors hold any scheme interests other than those listed below as at 31 March 2021. 

Shares owned outright

Ninety One 
plc
215,890
107,987
30,829
20,000

Ninety One 
Limited
302,370
3,772
–
–

10,081

–

141,603,188

60,017,591

Legacy share scheme interests4

Investec 
deferred STI 
– 2019

Investec 
deferred STI 
– 2020

Ninety One 
plc
18,451
7,220
18,451
–

Ninety One 
plc
15,906
12,448
–
–

Investec LTI 
– 2019

Investec LTI 
– 2020

Total share scheme interests  
and shares owned outright3

Ninety One 
plc
139,040
55,637
139,040
–

Ninety One 
plc
139,176
111,383
–
–

Ninety One 
plc
528,463
294,675
188,320
20,000

Ninety One 
Limited
302,370
3,772
–
–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

10,081

–

141,603,188

60,017,591

141,987,975 60,323,733

44,122

28,354

333,717

250,559 142,644,727 60,323,733

Hendrik du Toit
Kim McFarland
Fani Titi
Colin Keogh
Victoria 
Cochrane
Forty Two  
Point Two2
Total1

Notes to the table
1.  No other Directors held any interests in Ninety One shares as at 31 March 2021.

2.     Forty Two Point Two is a company wholly-owned by the Marathon Trust, both of which are associates/connected persons 
of Hendrik du Toit and Kim McFarland. The Marathon Trust is a long-term share ownership vehicle which was established to 
enable key employees of Ninety One, including Hendrik du Toit and Kim McFarland, to collectively participate in an indirect 
equity shareholding in Ninety One. Participatory interests in the Marathon Trust are not interests in an employee share 
scheme. Forty Two Point Two’s acquisition of its shareholding in Ninety One has been, and future share acquisitions are 
expected to be, funded by personal capital provided by the participants in the Marathon Trust and/or third-party debt-
funding assumed by Forty Two Point Two. A portion of the Ninety One shares held by Forty Two Point Two are pledged in 
terms of the third party debt-funding arrangements. Voting rights in relation to the shares pledged remain with Forty Two 
Point Two. At 31 March 2021, the Executive Directors’ Marathon participations equated to an indirect equity shareholding  
of 2.04% in the case of Hendrik du Toit and 1.33% for Kim McFarland. Neither of the Executive Directors carried out any 
transactions in relation to their respective Marathon participations during the financial year. On 28 May 2021, Hendrik du  
Toit made a further subscription in the Marathon Trust, acquiring an indirect equity shareholding of 0.05%.

3.    Between 31 March and 14 June 2021 (being the last practicable date prior to the finalisation of this report), Hendrik du Toit 

acquired 739 partnership shares in Ninety One plc under the Ninety One SIP. In addition, the share scheme interests under 
the ‘Investec deferred STI – 2019’ vested to each of Hendrik du Toit, Kim McFarland and Fani Titi. Fani Titi also disposed of 
49,280 Ninety One plc shares to settle tax liabilities arising from the vesting of previous Investec share awards. Finally, 50% 
of the share scheme interests under the ‘Investec deferred STI – 2020’ vested to each of Hendrik du Toit and Kim McFarland. 
Unless otherwise disclosed above, there were no other movements in the share interests of the Directors or their 
associates/connected persons between 31 March and 14 June 2021.

4.  Details of the legacy share scheme interests are as follows:

Share scheme

Details

Investec 
deferred STI – 
2019

These awards are not subject to any further performance conditions. These awards vest equally over a period of two 
years and are subject to a 12-month retention period after each vesting date.

Vesting date
Tranche 1 – 29 May 2020
Tranche 2 – 29 May 2021

Vesting %
50%
50%

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Remuneration Report – Annual Report on Remuneration

Share scheme

Details

96

Investec 
deferred STI – 
2020

Investec LTI – 
2019

These awards are not subject to any further performance conditions. These awards vest equally over a period of two 
years and are subject to a 12-month retention period after each vesting date.

Vesting date
Tranche 1 – 07 June 2021
Tranche 2 – 06 June 2022

Vesting %
50%
50%

These awards are subject to the following Investec performance conditions.

Investec performance condition

Financial measures
Growth in net tangible asset value per share
Return on risk-weighted assets

Threshold
(0% 
vesting)

Target 
(100% 
vesting)

Stretch 
(150%
vesting)1

Weighting

40%
35%

15%
1.4%

30%
1.6%

45%
1.8%

Non-financial measures2
Culture and values
Franchise development
Governance and regulatory and shareholder relationships
Employee relationship and development

4%
13%
4%
4%

0
0
0
0

4
4
4
4

6
6
6
6

1. 

If stretch levels of performance for all measures are achieved, the vesting of the awards will be capped at 135% of target.

2.  Non-financial measures are assessed against a seven-point scale, with scores between 0 and 6 awarded.

These awards vest equally over a period of five years and are subject to a 12-month retention period after each  
vesting date.

Vesting date
Tranche 1 – 29 May 2022
Tranche 2 – 29 May 2023
Tranche 3 – 29 May 2024
Tranche 4 – 29 May 2025
Tranche 5 – 29 May 2026

Vesting %
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%

Investec LTI – 
2020

These awards are subject to the following Ninety One performance conditions.

Ninety One performance condition
Real growth in Adjusted EPS2 
Investment performance3
Net flows4

Threshold
(0% 
vesting)
2% p.a.
50%

Target 
(100% 
vesting)
4% p.a.
62.5%
1% p.a. 2.5% p.a.

Stretch 
(150%
vesting)1
6% p.a.
75%
4% p.a.

Weighting
67%
16.5%
16.5%

1. 

If stretch levels of performance for all measures are achieved, the vesting of the awards will be capped at 135% of target.

2.  Measured as per the definition of Adjusted EPS on page 170. Real growth adjusted for UK CPI.

3.   Measured as the proportion of firm-wide AUM outperforming basic benchmarks on an asset weighted basis, weighted over one (20% 

weighting), three (30% weighting) and five (50% weighting) years.

4.  Measured as the torque ratio.

These awards vest equally over a period of five years and are subject to a 12-month retention period after each  
vesting date.

Vesting date
Tranche 1 – 05 June 2023
Tranche 2 – 05 June 2024
Tranche 3 – 05 June 2025
Tranche 4 – 05 June 2026
Tranche 5 – 05 June 2027

Vesting %
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Shareholding guidelines
To ensure the alignment of the financial interests of Executive Directors with those of shareholders, the Executive Directors 
are required to maintain an interest in Ninety One shares. This requirement is equivalent to 1,000% of fixed remuneration for 
the Chief Executive Officer and 800% of fixed remuneration for the Finance Director. Each of the Executive Directors 
currently exceeds this requirement by virtue of their participation in the Marathon Trust. 

97

The Chief Executive Officer will be required to maintain a minimum interest in shares in Ninety One equivalent to 500% of 
fixed remuneration for a period of two years after the termination of his employment. The Finance Director will be required to 
maintain a minimum interest in shares in Ninety One equivalent to 400% of fixed remuneration for a period of two years after 
the termination of her employment. Participations in the Marathon Trust will count towards this requirement.

Payments to past directors (audited)
There were no payments to past directors in the financial year 2021. 

Payments for loss of office (audited)
There were no payments to Directors for loss of office in the financial year 2021. 

Total shareholder return (“TSR”) performance
The graph below shows Ninety One’s TSR performance from admission to 31 March 2021 relative to the TSR performance  
of the FTSE 250 excluding Investment Trusts. This index has been chosen because it is a broad equity market index, and 
Ninety One is a constituent of this index.

TSR performance

180

160

x
e
d
n

i

R
S
T

140

120

100

80

March
2020

April
2020

May
2020

June
2020

July
2020

August
2020

Sept
2020

Oct
2020

Nov
2020

Dec
2020

Jan
2021

Feb
2021

March 
2021

Ninety One

FTSE 250 (exc. Investment Trusts)

Source: Thomson Reuters Datastream, April 2021

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
Directors’ Remuneration Report – Annual Report on Remuneration

Chief Executive Officer historic remuneration
The following table sets out the Chief Executive Officer’s total and variable remuneration since 1 March 2020.

98

Total single figure (£’000)
EIP awards (% of the maximum)

20201
555
N/A

2021
4,866
79%

1. 

 Remuneration awarded in respect of the Chief Executive Officer’s service to Ninety One between 1 March and 31 March 2020. The EIP applies for the first time in 
respect of financial year 2021. For the financial year 2020, the committee decided to make a one-off variable remuneration award to the Chief Executive Officer, 
payable in cash, in recognition of his material time and effort devoted to the Ninety One business in addition to his commitments as an Executive Director of Investec. 

Percentage change in directors’ remuneration
As the Directors held office for only a short part of financial year 2020, the committee concluded that a like-for-like comparison  
of the percentage change in their remuneration relative to the average change in the remuneration of employees was not 
possible. As such, no comparison is presented for financial year 2021. The comparison will be included in the Directors’ 
Remuneration Report for financial year 2022, as data for two full years of remuneration will be available at that time.

Relative importance of spend on pay
The following graphs illustrate Ninety One’s profit after tax, employee remuneration and dividends for 2021 and 2020.

Profit after tax (£’m) 

2020

2021

0

50

100

Total employee remuneration (£’m)1 

156.0

154.6

150

2020

2021

200

250

300

272.0

284.4

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Dividends (£’m)2 

2020

2021

118.4

115.6

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Notes to the graphs
1.   For more information see note 3(a) in the Financial Statements on page 135.
2.  Interim dividend paid and final dividend recommended.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
Chief Executive Officer pay ratio
The table below shows the ratio of the single total figure of remuneration for the Chief Executive Officer relative to the 25th, 
50th and 75th percentile annual remuneration of full-time equivalent UK employees. These total remuneration percentiles 
have been calculated based on fixed remuneration at 31 March 2021 and annual variable remuneration awarded in respect  
of the financial year 2021. Where an identified employee was part-time or only employed for part of the year, their annual 
remuneration figures have been converted to a full-time annual equivalent. 

99

Financial year
2021
20201

Option
A
A

25th 
percentile
53 : 1
38 : 1

50th 
percentile
35 : 1
24 : 1

75th 
percentile
20 : 1
13 : 1

1. 

 The Chief Executive Officer was appointed on 1 March 2020, one month before the end of the financial year 2020, meaning the Chief Executive Officer pay ratio using 
actual remuneration outcomes for the financial year 2020 did not reflect a consistent comparison to the full-time equivalent total remuneration of UK employees. The 
Chief Executive Officer pay ratio for 2020 therefore uses normalised remuneration for the Chief Executive Officer, assuming on-target performance levels. 

UK regulations require this disclosure, and provide three options in relation to the methodology used to calculate the ratio, 
termed Options A, B and C. Ninety One has chosen to calculate the Chief Executive Officer pay ratio using Option A. This 
method was chosen because it is statistically the most accurate and it should provide, as far as possible, a like-for-like 
comparison between employee and Chief Executive Officer pay. This method entails calculating the total remuneration of  
all UK employees, employed as at the end of the financial year 2021, to identify the total remuneration at the 25th, 50th and 
75th percentiles. The total remuneration value for the employees at the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles was £92,375, 
£137,868 and £246,268 respectively, of which the salary component was £61,111, £95,000 and £150,000 respectively. 

Ninety One has a group-wide remuneration policy which applies to all staff globally, including those in the UK. The Directors’ 
Remuneration Policy has been formulated using the same principles which underpin the group-wide remuneration policy. 
The committee recognises that the Chief Executive Officer pay ratio will fluctuate from year to year due to the variety of 
factors, which will influence this ratio, specifically the fact that the Executive Directors will be measured exclusively on 
group-wide performance. The committee therefore does not target a specific pay ratio, but will consider trends in the 
movement of the ratio over time. 

Since the financial year 2020 pay ratio was calculated using target total remuneration for the Chief Executive Officer, the 
increase in this ratio is attributable to the 2021 remuneration outcome being above target, based on performance during  
the year. Changes in wider employee pay in the UK are negligible and the committee is satisfied that these are reflective of 
underlying individual performance and contributions. As such, these outcomes are consistent with Ninety One’s pay and 
reward policies. 

Implementation of the Policy in the financial year 2022
Fixed remuneration
The Executive Directors’ fixed remuneration is unchanged for the financial year 2022. Fixed remuneration is inclusive of 
benefits, which are funded by sacrificing a portion of fixed remuneration.

Hendrik du Toit
Kim McFarland

Fixed remuneration 
as at 1 April 2021
£666,000
£533,000

EIP
In line with the Policy, the maximum opportunity for EIP awards to be granted to the Executive Directors for the financial year 
2022 will be 800% of fixed remuneration. The EIP will reward the achievement of financial and non-financial targets assessed 
over the one-year and trailing three-year period ending 31 March 2022. 

Performance will be measured relative to threshold, target and stretch achievement levels for financial/quantitative and 
non-financial/qualitative measures. Award outcomes as a percentage of the maximum award opportunity will be as follows:

 ɽ Threshold: 25%
 ɽ Target: 50%
 ɽ Stretch: 100%

For performance between the above levels, the award outcome will be determined on a straight-line basis.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Remuneration Report – Annual Report on Remuneration

The performance measures and weightings will remain unchanged for the financial year 2022, and are as follows:

100

Performance measure 

Financial/quantitative measures
Real annual growth in Adjusted EPS1
Investment performance2
Net flows3

Non-financial/qualitative measures
Key employee retention and succession planning
Relationships and reputation
Commitment to sustainability
Strategic progress

Weighting

Measurement 
period

75%
50%
12.5%
12.5%

one and 
three years4

25%

one year

1. 

 Adjusted EPS is the primary measure of Ninety One’s financial performance. Our long-term objective is to grow adjusted earnings consistently, recognising the 
potential significant impact of market volatility on financial results. Measured as per the definition of Adjusted EPS on page 170. Real growth adjusted for UK CPI.

2.   As an active investment manager, investment outperformance is critical to delivering value to our clients. Our objective is to deliver investment outperformance in the 
long run. As such, performance is measured over multiple time periods, with higher weightings for longer time periods. Measured as the proportion of firm-wide AUM 
outperforming basic benchmarks on an asset-weighted basis, weighted over one (20% weighting), three (30% weighting) and five (50% weighting) years.

3.   The achievement of net flows is a key driver of value. Our long-term objective is to grow and diversify our asset and client base by consistently generating positive net 

flows. The torque ratio will be the primary metric to monitor success.

4.   75% of the award will be determined based on performance relative to financial/quantitative measures. The torque ratio will be the metric used to measure success.

Financial/quantitative targets
The committee devoted significant energy to identifying a range of performance and remuneration outcomes that would 
ensure that the Executive Directors continue to be incentivised to deliver long-term value for shareholders. The committee 
considered Ninety One’s historical performance together with the absolute and relative performance of Ninety One’s peers 
over the long term. The committee believes the targets set in this way are sufficiently challenging.

Notwithstanding the targets set, the committee retains discretion under the Policy to apply its judgement when determining 
final remuneration outcomes, to ensure that these are clearly linked to performance achieved and also reflect the shareholder 
experience.

Long-term performance will be measured relative to the following three financial/quantitative targets for the financial year 
2023.

Measure
Real annual growth in Adjusted EPS
Investment performance
Net flows

Threshold
-5.0% p.a.
50.0%
1.0% p.a.

Target
0.0% p.a.
62.5%
2.5% p.a.

Stretch
5.0% p.a.
75.0%
4.0% p.a.

Long-term performance will be measured relative to the following three financial/quantitative targets for the financial  
year 2024.

Measure
Real annual growth in Adjusted EPS
Investment performance
Net flows

Threshold
2.0% p.a.
50.0%
1.0% p.a.

Target
4.0% p.a.
62.5%
2.5% p.a.

Stretch
6.0% p.a.
75.0%
4.0% p.a.

Given the performance periods remaining for the 2022 EIP awards, the Adjusted EPS and net flows targets for the short- 
and long-term performance period ending 31 March 2022 are considered to be commercially sensitive and are therefore 
not disclosed here. The investment performance targets for these periods are as per the tables above. The committee will 
report on the relevant targets set and provide a description of the achievement levels and outcomes against these 
measures in the Integrated Annual Report 2022.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Non-financial/qualitative targets
The committee has set objectives for the non-financial measures for the financial year 2022, all of which are fundamental to 
the long-term success of Ninety One. 

101

Measure

Metric

Why it’s important

Key employee 
retention and 
succession planning

The retention and continued development of the 
senior global leadership team. 

Ninety One is a people business at its core. The 
stability of its leadership team has a direct impact on 
the firm’s ability to attract and retain assets under 
management.

Relationships and 
reputation

The achievement of consistent relationship 
outcomes and continued reputation and brand 
strengthening. 

Commitment to 
sustainability

The progress against objectives identified by 
the Board from time to time under Ninety One’s 
sustainability framework. 

Strategic progress

The progress against strategic priorities specifically 
identified by the Board from time to time. This 
could include growth initiatives in respect of new 
products, strategies or geographies. 

The consistent quality of Ninety One’s relationships, 
together with a culture of good conduct and risk 
management, informs our brand and bolsters our 
reputation, and is a source of competitive advantage.

From the start, Ninety One has been committed to 
investing for a better tomorrow and sustainability is a 
key part of our purpose as an active asset manager. 
We are a long-term focused business, allocating 
capital on a global basis to meet the future needs of 
society. Our enduring commitment to sustainability  
is a key differentiator.

The achievement of strategic priorities will drive the 
future growth of Ninety One.

Chairman and Non-Executive Director fees
The Non-Executive Directors’ annual fees are unchanged for the financial year 2022 and are as follows: 

Chairman fee (inclusive of the Non-Executive Director basic fee)
Senior Independent Director fee (inclusive of the Non-Executive Director basic fee)
Non-Executive Director basic fee
Chairs of the Audit and Risk and Human Capital and Remuneration committee additional fee
Chairs of the Nominations and Directors’ Affairs and Sustainability, Social and Ethics committee additional fee
Committee member supplementary fee

£
150,000
85,000
70,000
25,000
15,000
10,000

Directors’ service contracts
The Executive Directors have entered into rolling service contracts with Ninety One. These contracts are terminable by either 
party on six months’ written notice.

Non-Executive Directors have not entered into service contracts with Ninety One. They operate under a letter of appointment 
under which their appointment can be terminated by either party on three months’ written notice except where the Director 
is not reappointed by shareholders, in which case termination is with immediate effect.

The Human Capital and Remuneration Committee 
The committee’s role 
The committee’s terms of reference were reviewed and approved on 1 February 2021 and can be viewed on our website at 
www.ninetyone.com. 

The committee is responsible for determining and developing the group’s policies for remuneration of the Chairman of the 
board, the Executive Directors and senior executives. In determining such policies, the committee will have regard to the need 
to attract, retain and motivate directors and senior executives of the quality required to run Ninety One successfully, in a way 
that promotes our strategy and long-term success. It will also consider all factors including relevant legal and regulatory 
requirements which it deems necessary. This includes the FCA Listing Rules, the UK Corporate Governance Code, the King 
IV Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa, 2016, the Listings Requirements issued by the JSE Limited and where 
relevant FCA Remuneration Codes covering AIFMD, UCITS, CRD III and MiFID II, as well as all associated guidance.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Remuneration Report – Annual Report on Remuneration

102

The committee is also responsible for reviewing all employee pay arrangements, to ensure that they are aligned with the 
strategy, culture and values of Ninety One and the health and wellbeing of all employees. It also monitors and reviews  
Ninety One’s compliance with good corporate governance in respect of human capital matters including the application  
of King IV and the Companies Act requirements in South Africa. Lastly, the committee reviews the engagement levels  
of all employees and ensures that management takes appropriate action to ensure the highest possible levels of 
engagement. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the committee will work with other Board committees as appropriate.

Committee advisors
Deloitte LLP were appointed advisor to the committee for the financial year 2021, having been formally appointed during the 
year. Deloitte attend the committee meetings as appropriate, and provide advice on executive remuneration, best practice 
and market updates. 

The committee has formally reviewed the work undertaken by Deloitte and is satisfied that the advice they’ve received has 
been objective and independent. 

Fees paid to Deloitte for executive remuneration consulting during the financial year 2021 were £60,045. Deloitte did not 
provide any other services to Ninety One during the financial year 2021.

Voting at the 2020 AGM
The following table sets out the outcomes in respect of the most recent AGM votes on the Annual Report on Remuneration 
and the Directors’ Remuneration Policy, held on 3 September 2020. 

Resolution 
To approve the directors’ remuneration report, for the year ended 31 March 2020
To approve the directors' remuneration policy

% Votes for 
94.07
91.57

% Votes 
against 
5.93
8.43

% Votes 
withheld 
1.03
0.06

Colin Keogh
Chair of the DLC Human Capital and Remuneration Committee

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Directors’ Report

The Directors present their report  
for the year ended 31 March 2021.

103

The Strategic Report, the Governance Report and the 
Annual Report on Remuneration, which form part of this 
Integrated Annual Report include information that would 
otherwise need to be included in this Directors’ Report. 
Forward-looking statements are referenced on page 172 
of this Integrated Annual Report.

Requirements of Listing Rule 9.8.4  
of the UK Listing Rules
Information to be included in the annual report and financial 
statements under Listing Rule 9.8.4, where applicable, can 
be found as follows:

Principal activities and performance
Ninety One is an active investment manager, serving its 
clients from around the world. Our business model is 
described on pages 6 to 7 of the Strategic Report. Ninety 
One has 21 offices worldwide, with head offices in London 
and Cape Town and branches in Italy, Germany and 
Sweden. Details of our subsidiaries can be found in  
note 27 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Details of Ninety One’s development and performance in 
the financial year 2021, and likely future developments,  
are included in the Strategic Report on pages 2 to 55.

Our approach to stakeholder engagement, including our 
section 172 statement, can be found in the Stakeholders 
section on pages 16 to 18.

Disclosures relating to employment practices, including 
with respect to disabled persons, the number of women  
in senior management roles, employee engagement and 
policies are included in the Our People and Culture section 
of the Strategic Report on pages 19 to 23.

Disclosures relating to Ninety One’s approach to the 
environment and sustainability, including disclosures on 
Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions, can be found in 
the Sustainability section of the Strategic Report on pages 
28 to 40.

Details of Ninety One’s policy on risk management in relation 
to the use of financial instruments and its exposure to 
financial, market, and liquidity risks are included in note 22  
to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Information concerning Directors’ contractual arrangements 
and entitlements under share-based remuneration 
arrangements is given in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Policy and Annual Report on Remuneration on pages  
85 to 102.

Section Description

Location

(2)

(4)

Publication of unaudited 
financial information

Details of long-term 
incentive schemes 
required by Listing  
Rule 9.4.3

(12)

Shareholder waivers of 
dividends

(13)

Shareholder waivers of 
future dividends

The results announcement 
on 19 May 2021 was not 
audited and is available  
on Ninety One’s website.

Annual Report on 
Remuneration pages  
91 to 102.

The trustee of the Ninety 
One Guernsey Employee 
Benefit Trust will waive 
dividends on any shares it 
holds in trust. This will not 
apply to shares it holds as 
nominee.

The trustee of the Ninety 
One Guernsey Employee 
Benefit Trust will waive 
dividends on any shares it 
holds in trust. This will not 
apply to shares it holds as 
nominee.

Corporate governance
The Governance Report is found on pages 56 to 109 and  
it, together with this report of which it forms part, fulfils  
the requirements of the corporate governance statement  
for the purpose of the Financial Conduct Authority’s 
Disclosure and Transparency Rules Sourcebook (“DTR”).

Market abuse regulations
Ninety One has its own internal dealing rules which apply to 
all staff and which encompass the requirements of the UK 
Market Abuse Regulations and the South African Financial 
Markets Act.

The effectiveness of Ninety One’s policies will be reviewed 
through the annual cycle of activities and Board and 
committee meetings.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Report

104

Directors
The names and details of the current Directors, together 
with their biographical details are set out on pages 58 
to 59.

Directors’ guarantees
There are no guarantees provided by Ninety One plc  
or Ninety One Limited for the benefit of the Directors.

Directors’ interests
Information on interests in Ninety One’s share capital at  
31 March 2021 is included in the Directors’ Remuneration 
Policy and Annual Report on Remuneration on page 95.

During the year, no Director had any interest in any 
transaction which was unusual in its nature or conditions  
or was significant to the business of Ninety One, and  
which was effected by any Group company in the current 
financial year or which remains in any respect outstanding 
or unperformed.

The UK and South African Companies Acts require 
Directors to disclose any direct or indirect material interest 
they have in contracts, including proposed contracts, 
which are of significance to the Group’s business. Directors 
are required to make these disclosures at Board meetings, 
and all disclosures made are recorded in the minutes of 
those meetings.

Conflicts of interest
Statutory duties with respect to Directors’ conflicts of 
interest exist under the UK and South African Companies 
Acts. In accordance with these Acts and the Articles  
of Association (“Articles”) of Ninety One plc and the 
Memorandum of Incorporation (“MOI”) of Ninety One 
Limited, the Board may authorise any matter which would 
or might otherwise constitute or give rise to a breach of the 
duty of a Director to avoid a situation in which they have, or 
can have, a direct interest that conflicts, or possibly may 
conflict, with the interest of the Group. The Board has 
adopted a procedure, as set out in the Articles and MOI, 
that includes a requirement for Directors to notify the 
Board of any actual or potential conflict for consideration, 
and if appropriate, approval.

External directorships
Outside business interests of Directors are closely 
monitored and we are satisfied that all of the Directors  
have sufficient time to effectively discharge their duties.

Directors’ dealings
Directors’ dealings in the securities of Ninety One plc and 
Ninety One Limited are subject to a policy based on the  
DTR and the JSE Listings Requirements. All Directors’ and 
Company Secretaries’ dealings require the prior approval  
of the Compliance Team and the Chairman.

Dealings in securities
Dealings in securities by staff are subject to Ninety One’s 
Personal Account Dealing Policy. The policy is based on 
regulatory guidance and industry practice and is updated  
periodically to ensure compliance with applicable 
regulations and industry best practice. The policy is 
designed to discourage speculative trading and highlight 
potential conflicts of interest between employees and 
Ninety One or any of its clients, shareholders or potential 
shareholders. 

The UKLA’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules 
require Ninety One to disclose transactions in shares and 
related securities by all persons discharging management 
responsibilities and their “connected persons”. These 
include Directors and senior executives of Ninety One. 
Staff are prohibited from dealing in all listed Ninety One 
securities during closed periods.

Directors’ indemnity and insurance
Ninety One’s Articles and MOI respectively permit the 
provision of indemnities to the Directors. Each of the 
Directors is entitled to rely on, and has the benefit of, the 
indemnity against Directors’ liability set out in the Articles 
and MOI respectively.

In addition, Ninety One maintains directors’ and officers’ 
liability insurance cover in respect of legal actions brought 
against the Directors and officers. No amounts have been 
paid under this insurance policy.

Related parties
Ninety One has processes and policies in place to govern 
the review, approval and disclosure of related party 
transactions entered into with Directors, management  
and staff.

Powers of the Board
The Board may exercise all powers conferred on it by the 
Articles and MOI which may only be amended by special 
resolution of the shareholders at a general meeting. Copies  
of the Articles and MOI are available on Ninety One’s 
website www.ninetyone.com.

Ordinary resolutions were passed at the AGM on 
3 September 2020 authorising the Board to allot shares 
and other securities up to certain limits. Renewal of these 
authorities will be sought at the AGM on 4 August 2021.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021105

Share capital
Full details of Ninety One’s share capital can be found  
in note 13 to the consolidated financial statements.

Issued share capital
The Ninety One plc shares are denominated in pound 
sterling and trade on the London Stock Exchange  
(“LSE”) in pound sterling and on the Johannesburg Stock 
Exchange (“JSE”) in South African rand. The issued nominal 
share capital of Ninety One plc is £92,271.41 comprising: 
(i) 622,624,622 Ninety One plc ordinary shares of £0.0001 
each; (ii) 300,089,454 Ninety One plc special converting 
shares of £0.0001 each; (iii) one UK DAS share of £0.0001; 
(iv) one UK DAN share of £0.0001; (v) one Ninety One plc 
special voting share of £0.0001; and (vi) one Ninety One 
plc special rights share of £0.0001, all of which were fully 
paid or credited as fully paid.

The Ninety One Limited shares are denominated, and trade 
on the JSE, in South African rand. The issued share capital 
of Ninety One Limited comprises: (i) 300,089,454 Ninety 
One Limited ordinary shares; (ii) 622,624,622 Ninety One 
Limited special converting shares; (iii) one SA DAS share; 
(iv) one SA DAN share; (v) one Ninety One Limited special 
voting share; and (vi) one Ninety One Limited special rights 
share, all of which were issued at no par value. 

Rights and obligations
The rights attaching to the Ninety One plc shares are 
uniform in all respects and they form a single class for  
all purposes, including with respect to voting and for all 
dividends and other distributions declared, made or paid on 
the ordinary share capital of Ninety One plc. Subject to the 
provisions of the UK Companies Act, any equity securities 
issued by Ninety One plc for cash must first be offered to 
the holders of Ninety One plc shares in proportion to their 
holdings. The UK Companies Act and the UK Listing Rules 
allow for disapplication of pre-emption rights which may be 
waived by a special resolution of Ninety One plc, whether 
generally or specifically, for a maximum period not 
exceeding five years.

The rights attaching to the Ninety One Limited shares are 
uniform in all respects and they form a single class for all 
purposes, including with respect to voting and for all 
dividends and other distributions thereafter declared, 
made, or paid on the ordinary share capital of Ninety One 
Limited. Subject to the provisions of the JSE Listings 
Requirements, any equity securities issued by Ninety One 
Limited for cash must first be offered to the holders of 
Ninety One Limited shares in proportion to their holdings. 
The JSE Listings Requirements allow for disapplication of 
pre-emption rights which may be waived by a special 
resolution of Ninety One Limited, whether generally or 
specifically, for a fixed period of time.

In respect of resolutions of each company which is  
the issuer of such shares, on a show of hands, every 
shareholder who is present in person shall have one vote 
and, on a poll, every shareholder present in person or  
by proxy shall have one vote per share held.

Under the terms of the DLC Agreements, any joint 
electorate action will effectively be voted upon by the 
holders of both Ninety One plc shares and Ninety One 
Limited shares acting together as a single decision-making 
body. Furthermore, under the terms of the DLC Agreements, 
any class rights action would require the prior approval  
of the ordinary shareholders in the other companies  
voting separately and the approval of its own ordinary 
shareholders voting separately. Joint electorate actions 
and class rights actions are together expected to cover  
the majority of the resolutions to be voted upon by the 
shareholders.

The shares do not carry any rights to participate in a 
distribution (including on a winding-up) other than those 
that exist under the UK and South African Companies Acts. 
The Ninety One plc shares will rank pari passu in all respects 
and the Ninety One Limited shares will rank pari passu in  
all respects.

Restrictions on transfer
The shares are freely transferable and there are no restrictions 
on transfer. The Ninety One plc shares will have full 
transferability between the LSE and the JSE as well as the 
UK share register and South African branch share register.

Authority to issue shares
The Directors require authority from shareholders in 
relation to the issue of shares. Whenever shares that 
constitute equity securities are issued, these must be 
offered to existing shareholders pro rata to their holdings 
unless the Directors have been given authority by 
shareholders to issue shares without offering them first to 
existing shareholders. Ninety One will seek authority from 
its shareholders on an annual basis to issue shares up to  
a maximum amount, of which a defined number may be 
issued without pre-emption. Disapplication of statutory 
pre-emption procedures is also sought for rights issues. 
Relevant resolutions to authorise share capital issuances 
will be put to shareholders at the 2021 AGM.

Authority to purchase own shares
The Board requires authority from shareholders in relation 
to the purchase of Ninety One’s own shares. Ninety One 
will seek authority by special resolution on an annual basis 
for the buyback of its own shares in accordance with 
applicable law, regulation and other related guidance.  
A special resolution will be put to shareholders at the  
2021 AGM. Full details of Ninety One’s purchases of  
own shares are set out in note 13(b).

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information106

Directors’ Report

Beneficial owners of shares with “information rights”
Beneficial owners of shares who have been nominated by 
the registered holder of those shares to receive information 
rights under section 146 of the UK Companies Act are 
required to direct all communications to the registered 
holder of their shares rather than to the company’s UK 
registrar, Computershare Investor Services plc, or to  
Ninety One directly.

Shares held in Ninety One employee benefit trusts
There are three employee benefit trusts which have been 
established to facilitate the acquisition of shares in Ninety 
One plc or Ninety One Limited under employee share plans 
for the benefit of employees of the Group.

The Ninety One South Africa Employee Benefit Trust (the 
“SA EBT”) holds ordinary shares in Ninety One Limited for 
the benefit of employees based in Africa, while the Ninety 
One Guernsey Employee Benefit Trust (the “GSY EBT”) 
holds ordinary shares in Ninety One plc for the benefit of 
employees based outside of Africa. In addition, Ninety One 
has established an HMRC-approved Share Incentive Plan 
(“SIP”) for the benefit of employees in the UK. The SIP 
shares are held in trust (“SIP Trust”).

Terra Nova Trustees (Pty) Ltd, Zedra Trust Company 
(Guernsey) Limited and Yorkshire Building Society are the 
respective trustees for the SA EBT, GSY EBT and SIP Trust 
(the “Trustees”). Where the Trustees have allocated shares 
in respect of specific awards granted under Ninety One’s 
share plans, the holders of such awards may recommend 
to the Trustees as to how voting rights relating to such 
shares should be exercised. In respect of shares for  
which no participant recommendation is made, it is 
recommended that the Trustees vote in favour of the 
relevant resolutions. As at 31 March 2021 the SA EBT held 
0.8% of the issued share capital of Ninety One Limited, the 
GSY EBT held 1.3% of the issued share capital of Ninety 
One plc, and the SIP Trust held 0.1% of the issued share 
capital of Ninety One plc.

Dividends
Ninety One Limited
An interim dividend of 119.0 cents per share was declared 
to shareholders registered on 11 December 2020 and was 
paid on 23 December 2020.

A final dividend of 133.0 cents per share has been 
recommended by the Board payable to shareholders 
registered on 23 July 2021 and to be paid on 12 August 2021.

Ninety One plc
An interim dividend of 5.9 pence per share was declared  
to shareholders registered on 11 December 2020 and was 
paid on 23 December 2020.

A final dividend of 6.7 pence per share has been 
recommended by the Board payable to shareholders 
registered on 23 July 2021 and to be paid on  
12 August 2021.

Shareholder analysis
Major shareholders
Ninety One Limited
Based on the Ninety One Limited share register as at  
31 March 2021, the Directors are aware of the following 
shareholders directly holding 5% or more of the issued 
shares of Ninety One Limited:

Shareholder
Investec Investments
Forty Two Point Two
Coronation Fund Managers
Public Investment Corporation
Allan Gray

Number  
of shares
80,619,508
60,017,591
38,234,429
19,461,215
17,819,594

%  
of shares
26.87
20.00
12.74
6.49
5.94

Between 31 March and 14 June 2021 (being the last 
practicable date prior to the finalisation of this report), 
Coronation Fund Managers increased their shareholding in 
Ninety One Limited to 13.59%, holding 40,783,040 shares.

Ninety One plc
Based on the Ninety One plc share register as at 31 March 
2021, the Directors are aware of the following shareholders 
directly holding 3% or more of the issued shares of Ninety 
One plc:

Shareholder
Investec plc
Forty Two Point Two
Coronation Fund Managers
Allan Gray
Public Investment Corporation

Number  
of shares
150,059,010
141,603,188
33,186,730
29,365,782
22,669,884

%  
of shares
24.10
22.74
5.33
4.72
3.64

Between 31 March 2021 and 14 June 2021 (being the last 
practicable date prior to the finalisation of this report),  
Allan Gray increased their shareholding in Ninety One plc 
to 6.03% holding 37,513,382 shares and Coronation Fund 
Managers increased their shareholding in Ninety One plc  
to 5.77%, holding 35,952,637 shares.

Public and non-public shareholding1
Ninety One Limited

Shareholder
Public
Non-public

Investec Investments2
Forty Two Point Two
Investec employee share scheme3
Ninety One employee share 
scheme
Directors4 and any associates

Number of 
Ninety One 
Limited shares
147,434,380
152,655,074

80,619,508
60,017,591
9,207,074

2,484,537
326,364

%  
of shares
49.13
50.87

26.87
20.00
3.07

0.83
0.11

Total

300,089,454

100.00

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021107

Ninety One plc

Shareholder
Public
Non-public

Number of 
Ninety One plc 
shares
311,309,431
311,315,191

Investec plc2
150,059,010
Forty Two Point Two
141,603,188
Investec employee share scheme3 10,802,957
Ninety One employee share 
schemes
Directors4 and any associates

8,431,159
418,877

%  
of shares
50.00
50.00

24.10
22.74
1.74

1.35
0.07

Total

622,624,622

100.00

1.  As required by JSE Listings Requirements. Analysis as at 31 March 2021.

2.   At 31 March 2021, Investec Investments, Investec plc and Forty Two Point Two 
held 10% or more of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited, and as such are 
regarded as non-public shareholders under the JSE Listings Requirements.

3.   Certain Directors and employees of Ninety One are beneficiaries of these 
schemes and as such they are regarded as non-public shareholders under 
the JSE Listings Requirements.

4.  Including any Directors of major subsidiaries.

Events after the reporting date
Details of post-balance sheet events are set out in note 26 
to the consolidated financial statements.

Political donations
Ninety One does not make political donations.

Going concern, longer-term prospects  
and viability statement
As described in the Viability Statement on page 48, the 
Directors have assessed the viability of Ninety One over a 
period that exceeds the 12 months required by the going 
concern provision. The Board has also performed  
an assessment of the principal and emerging risks facing 
Ninety One, including the assessment of the risks arising 
from the COVID-19 pandemic. The details of this assessment 
can be found in the Principal Risks section of the Strategic 
Report on pages 52 to 55.

The Board has concluded that it remained appropriate to 
adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing 
the consolidated financial statements as it believes Ninety 
One will continue to be in business, with neither the intention 
nor the necessity of liquidation, ceasing of trading or 
seeking of protection from creditors pursuant to laws or 
regulations for at least 12 months from the date of approval 
of Ninety One’s financial statements.

Appointment of auditor
Resolutions to appoint KPMG LLP and KPMG Inc. (together 
“KPMG”) as auditors of Ninety One plc and Ninety One 
Limited respectively were passed at the AGM held on  
3 September 2020. 

During the year, the DLC Audit and Risk Committee 
undertook a thorough audit tender process, detailed on 
page 77, to appoint a new external auditor for the 2023 
financial year. The Committee recommended PwC to the 
Board as the most suitable firm to serve the Group. The 
appointment of PwC has the support of the Board and 
resolutions to appoint PwC will be proposed at the 2022 
AGM with a view to the selected firm auditing the financial 
statements for the year ending 31 March 2023. KPMG  
have expressed their willingness to continue as auditors 
until then and the DLC Audit and Risk Committee has 
recommended to the Board that resolutions to reappoint 
KPMG for the year ending 31 March 2022 be proposed  
at the forthcoming AGM.

Note 3(b) to the financial statements and page 77 sets  
out the auditors’ fees both for audit and non-audit work.

Disclosure of information to auditor
Having made the requisite enquiries, the Directors in office 
on the date of this report and financial statements have 
each confirmed that:

 ɽ So far as they are aware, there’s no relevant audit 
information of which Ninety One’s auditors are 
unaware; and

 ɽ each Director has taken all the steps that they ought  

to have taken as a Director in order to make themselves 
aware of any relevant audit information and to establish 
that Ninety One’s auditors are aware of that information.

2021 Annual General Meeting
All shareholders are invited to participate in the AGM which 
will take place on 4 August 2021 and will have the opportunity 
to put questions to the Board. 

Details of all resolutions to be proposed at the 2021 AGM 
will be set out in the Notice of AGM, which will be published 
ahead of the meeting.

By order of the Board.

Paula Watts
Company Secretary Ninety One plc

Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited
Company Secretary Ninety One Limited

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationDirectors’ Responsibility Statement

108

Statement of Directors’ responsibilities in respect  
of the Integrated Annual Report.

The Directors are responsible for the preparation and fair 
presentation of the Integrated Annual Report and the 
Group and the Ninety One plc (the “Parent Company”) 
financial statements in accordance with applicable law  
and regulations.

Company law requires the Directors to prepare Group and 
Parent Company financial statements for each financial 
year. Under these laws they are required to prepare the 
Group financial statements under international accounting 
standards in conformity with the requirements of the 
Companies Act 2006 in the UK, International Financial 
Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued by the International 
Accounting Standards Board and, under the DTR, in 
accordance with IFRS adopted pursuant to Regulation  
(EC) No 1606/2002 as it applies in the European Union 
(“IFRS as adopted by the EU”). Under UK law, the Directors  
have elected to prepare the Parent Company financial 
statements under international accounting standards in 
conformity with the requirements of the Companies  
Act 2006.

Under UK company law, the Directors must not approve the 
financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give 
a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Group and 
Parent Company and of their profit or loss for that period.

In preparing each of the Group and Parent Company 
financial statements, the Directors are required to:

 ɽ Select suitable accounting policies and then apply 

them consistently;

 ɽ make judgements and estimates that are reasonable, 

relevant and reliable;

 ɽ state that the Group financial statements have been 

prepared in accordance with international accounting 
standards in conformity with the requirements of the 
Companies Act 2006 in the UK, IFRS as issued by the 
International Accounting Standards Board and IFRS  
as adopted by the EU; 

 ɽ state that the Parent Company financial statements 

have been prepared in accordance with international 
accounting standards in conformity with the 
requirements of the Companies Act 2006 in the UK;

 ɽ assess the Group’s and Parent Company’s ability to 

continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, 
matters related to going concern; and

 ɽ use the going concern basis of accounting, unless  

they either intend to liquidate the Group or the Parent 
Company or to cease operations or have no realistic 
alternative but to do so.

The Directors are responsible for keeping an effective 
system of risk management, and for maintaining adequate 
accounting records that sufficiently show and explain the 
Group and Parent Company’s transactions – as well as 
disclose, with reasonable accuracy, at any time, the 
financial position of the Group and Parent Company,  
and enable them to ensure that its financial statements  
comply with the Companies Act 2006 in the UK and the 
Companies Act of South Africa. They are responsible for 
such internal controls as they determine are necessary to 
enable the preparation of financial statements that are free 
from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, 
and have general responsibility for taking such steps as are 
reasonably open to them to safeguard the assets of the 
Group, and prevent and detect fraud and other irregularities.

Under applicable law and regulations, the Directors are  
also responsible for preparing a Strategic Report, 
Directors’ Report, Directors’ Remuneration Report and 
Corporate Governance Report that comply with that  
law and those regulations.

The Directors are responsible for the maintenance  
and integrity of the corporate and financial information 
included on Ninety One’s website. Legislation in the UK 
governing the preparation and dissemination of financial 
statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Responsibility statement of the Directors
We confirm that to the best of our knowledge:

 ɽ The financial statements, prepared in accordance with 
the applicable set of accounting standards, present 
fairly and give a true and fair view of the assets, 
liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the 
Parent Company and the undertakings included  
in the consolidation taken as a whole; and

 ɽ the Directors’ Report and Strategic Report include a 

fair review of the development and performance of the 
business and the position of the Parent Company and 
the undertakings included in the consolidation taken  
as a whole, together with a description of the principal 
risks and uncertainties that they face.

We consider the Integrated Annual Report, taken as a 
whole, to be fair, balanced and understandable, and believe 
it provides the information necessary for shareholders to 
assess the Group’s position and performance, business 
model and strategy.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Certificate by the Company Secretary  
of Ninety One Limited
In terms of section 88(2)(e) of the South African Companies 
Act, we hereby certify that, to the best of our knowledge 
and belief, Ninety One Limited has lodged with the South 
African Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, 
for the financial year ended 31 March 2021, all such returns 
and notices as are required in terms of the Act and that all 
such returns and notices are true, correct and up to date.

109

Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited
Company Secretary Ninety One Limited

Approval of the annual financial statements
The Directors’ Report and the Consolidated Financial 
Statements of the Group and the Parent Company 
Accounts, which appear on pages 103 to 107 and 122  
to 167 respectively, were approved by the Board on  
15 June 2021.

The Directors, whose names are stated below, hereby 
confirm that: 

 ɽ The annual financial statements set out on pages 122  

to 167 fairly present in all material respects the financial 
position, financial performance and cash flows of the 
issuer in terms of IFRS; 

 ɽ no facts have been omitted or untrue statements made 
that would make the annual financial statements false 
or misleading; 

 ɽ internal financial controls have been put in place to 

ensure that material information relating to the issuer 
and its consolidated subsidiaries have been provided  
to effectively prepare the financial statements of the 
issuer; and 

 ɽ the internal financial controls are adequate and effective 
and can be relied upon in compiling the annual financial 
statements, having fulfilled our role and function within 
the combined assurance model pursuant to principle 15 
of King IV in South Africa. Where we are not satisfied, we 
have disclosed to the Audit and Risk Committee and the 
auditors the deficiencies in design and operational 
effectiveness of the internal financial controls and any 
fraud that involves Directors and have taken the 
necessary remedial action.

On behalf of the Board

Hendrik du Toit 
Chief Executive Officer 

Kim McFarland
Finance Director

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information 
 
 
 
Financial Statements

110

112  
Independent Auditor’s Report
122   Consolidated Financial Statements
127  
 Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
160    Annexure to the Consolidated Financial Statements
 Ninety One plc Company Financial Statements
162  

*  The DLC Audit and Risk Committee Report forms part of the 

Annual Financial Statements and can be found on pages 72 to 77.

Preparation of Annual Financial Statements 
These are the annual financial statements of Ninety One DLC  
for the year ended 31 March 2021. They have been prepared  
by management under the supervision of the Finance Director,  
Kim McFarland CA(SA).

The gemsbok is the largest and best known of the four species of oryx, 
or straight-horned antelope. The animal is native to Southern Africa’s 
arid regions and will dig as deep as a meter to find roots and tubers. From 
its metabolism to its blood temperature, the gemsbok is one of the best 
desert-adapted large mammals able to survive in waterless wastelands. 

111

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationIndependent Auditor’s Report

to the Members of Ninety One plc

Overview

Materiality:  
financial statements 
as a whole

£8.6m (2020: £9.8m)  
4.2% (2020: 5.0%) of  
Group profit before tax

Key audit matters

Recurring risks

vs 2020

Group risk:  
Revenue recognition

Parent Company risk: 
recoverability of parent 
Company’s investment 
in subsidiaries

2.  Key audit matters: our assessment 
of risks of material misstatement

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional 
judgement, were of most significance in the audit of the 
financial statements and include the most significant 
assessed risks of material misstatement (whether or not 
due to fraud) identified by us, including those which had 
the greatest effect on: the overall audit strategy; the 
allocation of resources in the audit; and directing the 
efforts of the engagement team.

We summarise below the key audit matters, in decreasing 
order of audit significance, in arriving at our audit opinion 
above, together with our key audit procedures to address 
those matters and our findings from those procedures in 
order that the Company’s members, as a body, may better 
understand the process by which we arrived at our audit 
opinion. These matters were addressed, and our findings 
are based on procedures undertaken, in the context of, and 
solely for the purpose of, our audit of the financial 
statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, 
and consequently are incidental to that opinion, and we do 
not provide a separate opinion on these matters.

We previously reported a key audit matter in respect of 
the consolidation of Ninety One plc. The key audit matter 
was driven by the group reorganisation prior to the listing 
in the previous financial year. Whilst the consolidation 
continues to be applied on the basis of the same 
agreements that existed in the prior year, we have not 
assessed this as one of the most significant risks in our 
current year audit and, therefore, it is not separately 
identified in our report this year.

112

1. Our opinion is unmodified
We have audited the financial statements of Ninety One  
plc (“the Group”) for the year ended 31 March 2021 which 
comprise the Consolidated Income Statement, the 
Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income,  
the Consolidated and Company Statement of Financial 
Position, the Consolidated and Company Statement  
of Changes in Equity, the Consolidated and Company 
Statement of Cash Flows and the related notes, including 
the accounting policies in note 1 to the Group financial 
statements and notes to the Company financial 
statements.

In our opinion:
 ɽ the financial statements give a true and fair view of  

the state of the Group’s and of the parent Company’s 
affairs as at 31 March 2021 and of the Group’s profit  
for the year then ended;

 ɽ the Group financial statements have been properly 

prepared in accordance with international accounting 
standards in conformity with the requirements of the 
Companies Act 2006 and International Financial 
Reporting Standards adopted pursuant to Regulation 
(EC) No 1606/2002 as it applies in the European Union;

 ɽ the parent Company financial statements have been 
properly prepared in accordance with international 
accounting standards in conformity with the 
requirements of, and as applied in accordance with  
the provisions of, the Companies Act 2006; and

 ɽ the financial statements have been prepared in 

accordance with the requirements of the Companies 
Act 2006 and, as regards the Group financial 
statements, Article 4 of the IAS Regulation to the 
extent applicable.

Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International 
Standards on Auditing (UK) (“ISAs (UK)”) and applicable law. 
Our responsibilities are described below. We believe that 
the audit evidence we have obtained is a sufficient and 
appropriate basis for our opinion. Our audit opinion is 
consistent with our report to the DLC Audit and Risk 
Committee.

We were first appointed as auditor by the directors when 
Ninety One plc was set up as part of the demerger from 
Investec plc and then re-appointed by shareholders during 
an AGM held on 3 September 2020. The period of total 
uninterrupted engagement is for the two financial years 
ended 31 March 2021. We have fulfilled our ethical 
responsibilities under, and we remain independent of  
the Group in accordance with, UK ethical requirements 
including the FRC Ethical Standard as applied to public 
interest entities. No non-audit services prohibited by  
that standard were provided.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Group risk:  
Revenue recognition

Refer to page 130 (accounting 
policy) and page 134 (financial 
disclosures).

The risk

Our response

Data capture and calculation error
Revenue is the most significant item in 
the Consolidated Income Statement 
and represents an area that had the 
greatest effect on overall group audit. 
Revenue largely comprises of recurring 
management fee income which results 
from the business activities of the Group. 
The two key components to management 
fee calculations are fee rates to be 
applied and the amount of assets under 
management.

Our procedures included:

113

Procedures in relation to fee rates:
 ɽ Control design and operation: We tested the design 

and operating effectiveness of controls over the 
integrity of system data for fee rates and over new 
and amended fee agreements.

 ɽ Test of details: We agreed a selection of fee rates 

used in the system calculation to the original 
investment management agreements, fee letters  
or fund prospectuses outlining the latest effective  
fee rates.

The following are identified as the key risks 
for recurring fee income:

Procedures in relation to AUM:
 ɽ Control design and operation: For institutional 

 ɽ Risk in relation to fee rates: There is a 

risk that fee rates have not been entered 
appropriately into the fee calculation 
and billing systems when new clients 
are on boarded or agreements are 
amended.

 ɽ Risk in relation to assets under 

management (“AUM”): There is a risk 
that AUM data from the third-party 
service providers and other in-house 
systems is not complete or/and 
accurate.

 ɽ Risk in relation to calculation of 

management fee income: There is 
a risk that management fee income 
is incorrectly calculated.

Parent Company risk: 
recoverability of parent 
Company’s investment in 
subsidiaries

(£915.3 million; 
2020: £915.3 million)

Refer to page 133 (accounting 
policy) and page 165 (financial 
disclosures).

Low risk, high value
The carrying amount of the parent 
Company’s investments in subsidiaries 
represents 99.3% (2020: 99.5%) of the 
parent Company’s total assets. Their 
recoverability is not at a high risk of 
significant misstatement or subject to 
significant judgement. However, due 
to their materiality in the context of the 
parent Company financial statements, 
this is considered to be the area that had 
the greatest effect on our overall parent 
Company audit.

recurring management fees, we tested the design 
and operating effectiveness of controls over the 
production of AUM valuations used in calculating 
recurring management fees.

 ɽ For retail recurring management fees, we inspected 

the internal controls reports prepared by the 
outsourced service organisations (in particular State 
Street) to check whether the key controls over the 
production of AUM valuations used in calculated 
recurring management fees were designed and 
operating effectively.

General procedures:
 ɽ Test of details: We independently recalculated 100% 

of in scope recurring fee income and agreed the 
recalculated fees to the general ledger records.
 ɽ Assessing transparency: We considered the 
adequacy of the disclosures made in respect of 
revenue against the relevant accounting standards.

Our findings:
 ɽ We found no errors in the Group’s calculation of its 

Management fee income (2020: no errors).

We performed the tests below rather than seeking 
to rely on any of the Group’s controls because the 
nature of the balance is such that we would expect to 
obtain audit evidence primarily through the detailed 
procedures described.

Our procedures included:

 ɽ Test of details: We compared the carrying amount 
of the investment balances to audited net assets of 
the respective subsidiaries to identify whether their 
net assets, being an approximation of their minimum 
recoverable amount, were in excess of their carrying 
amount and inspected that the subsidiaries had 
historically been profitmaking.

Our findings
 ɽ We found the parent Company’s conclusion that 

there is no impairment of its investments in 
subsidiaries to be acceptable (2020: acceptable).

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationIndependent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Ninety One Plc

Group profit before tax
£204.1m (2020: £198.5m)

Group materiality
£8.6m (2020: £9.8m)

£8.6m
Whole financial 
statements materiality
(2020: £9.8m)

£6.8m
Range of materiality 
at 2 components 
(£6.0m – £6.8m) 
(2020: £5.9m – £7.8m)

£0.43m
Misstatements reported 
to the DLC Audit and 
Risk Committee 
(2020: £0.49m)

Profit before tax 

Group materiality

Group net revenue

Group profit before tax

100%

100%

Group total assets

Group total expenses

100%

100%

Full scope for group audit purposes 2021 and 2020

114

3.  Our application of materiality and an 
overview of the scope of our audit

Materiality for the Group financial statements as a whole 
was set at £8.6 million (2020: £9.8 million), determined 
with reference to a benchmark of Group planning profit 
before tax as at June 2020, of which it represents 5%. 
This materiality represents 4.2% (2020: 5.0%) of the 
Group profit before tax as at the year end. Materiality for 
the parent Company financial statements as a whole was 
set at £0.92 million (2020: £0.92 million) for Ninety One plc, 
determined with reference to a benchmark of the parent 
Company’s total assets, of which it represents 0.1% 
(2020: 0.1%).

Performance materiality for the Group and parent Company 
was set at 75% (2020: 75%) of materiality for the financial 
statements as a whole, which equates to £6.4 million 
(2020: £7.4 million) for the Group and £0.69 million  
(2020: £0.69 million) for the parent Company.

We applied this percentage in our determination of 
performance materiality because we did not identify  
any factors indicating an elevated level of risk. 

We agreed to report to the DLC Audit and Risk Committee 
any corrected or uncorrected identified misstatements 
exceeding £0.43 million (2020: £0.49 million), in addition  
to other identified misstatements that warranted reporting 
on qualitative grounds.

In addition, we applied materiality of £39 million (2020:  
£38 million) to the unit-linked assets and liabilities balances 
in the consolidated balance sheet and related notes, 
determined with reference to a benchmark of total assets 
as at June 2020, of which it represents 0.5% (2020: 0.5%).

This materiality represents 0.4% (2020: 0.5%) of the Group 
total assets as at the year end. This materiality was applied 
solely for our work on matters for which a misstatement is 
likely only to lead to a reclassification between line items 
within assets and liabilities, in accordance with FRC Practice 
Note 20 The Audit of Insurers in the United Kingdom.

We agreed to report to the DLC Audit and Risk Committee 
any corrected or uncorrected classification misstatements 
in unit-linked assets and liabilities exceeding £1.69 million 
(2020: £1.9 million).

All audit procedures are completed by the UK and South 
African component teams. Of the Group’s two reporting 
components, we subjected both to audits for Group 
reporting purposes. These audits covered 100% (2020: 
100%) of Group net revenue; 100% (2020: 100%) of Group 
profit before tax; 100% (2020: 100%) of total Group assets; 
and 100% (2020: 100%) of total Group expenses. All audit 
procedures are completed by the Group audit team in  
the UK and the South African component team. All audit 
procedures were performed remotely including using video 
and telephone conference meetings on account of travel 
restrictions (2020: the same).

The audit of the parent company was performed by the 
Group team in the UK.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021115

4. Going concern
The directors have prepared the financial statements on 
the going concern basis as they do not intend to liquidate 
the Group or the parent Company or to cease its 
operations, and as they have concluded that the Group’s 
and the parent Company’s financial position means that 
this is realistic.

They have also concluded that there are no material 
uncertainties that could have cast significant doubt over  
its ability to continue as a going concern for at least a year 
from the date of approval of the financial statements  
(“the going concern period”).

We used our knowledge of the Group, its industry and 
operating model, and the general economic environment 
to identify the inherent risks to its business model and 
analysed how those risks might affect the Group’s and the 
parent Company’s financial resources or ability to continue 
operations over the going concern period. The risk that we 
considered most likely to adversely affect the Group’s and 
parent Company’s available financial resources over this 
period was the impact of significant adverse market 
movements on assets under management.

We considered whether reasonable, but plausible 
downside assumptions over asset under management 
levels could result in insufficient financial resources being 
available to settle financial obligations as they fall due for a 
period of at least 12 months from the date of the approval 
of these financial statements.

We considered whether the going concern disclosure in 
note 1 to the financial statements gives a full and accurate 
description of the directors’ assessment of going concern. 
We assessed the completeness of the going concern 
disclosure.

Our conclusions based on this work:

 ɽ we consider that the directors’ use of the going 

concern basis of accounting in the preparation of  
the financial statements is appropriate:

 ɽ we have not identified, and concur with the directors’ 
assessment that there is not, a material uncertainty 
related to events or conditions that, individually or 
collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Group’s 
or the parent Company’s ability to continue as a going 
concern for the going concern period;

 ɽ we have nothing material to add or draw attention to  
in relation to the directors’ statement in note 1 to the 
financial statements on the use of the going concern 
basis of accounting with no material uncertainties that 
may cast significant doubt over the Group and the 
parent Company’s use of that basis for the going 
concern period, and we found the going concern 
disclosure in note 1 to be acceptable; and

 ɽ the related statement under the Listing Rules set out 
on page 103 is materially consistent with the financial 
statements and our audit knowledge.

However, as we cannot predict all future events or 
conditions and as subsequent events may result in 
outcomes that are inconsistent with judgements that  
were reasonable at the time they were made, the above 
conclusions are not a guarantee that the Group or  
the parent Company will continue in operation.

5.  Fraud and breaches of laws and 
regulations – ability to detect

Identifying and responding to risks of material 
misstatement due to fraud
To identify risks of material misstatement due to fraud 
(“fraud risks”) we assessed events or conditions that  
could indicate an incentive or pressure to commit fraud  
or provide an opportunity to commit fraud. Our risk 
assessment procedures included:

 ɽ Enquiring of directors, the DLC Audit and Risk 

Committee, internal audit and legal counsel and 
inspection of policy documentation as to the Group’s 
high-level policies and procedures to prevent and 
detect fraud, including the internal audit findings, and 
the Group’s channel for “whistleblowing”, as well as 
whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected 
or alleged fraud.

 ɽ Reading Board and DLC Audit and Risk Committee 

minutes.

 ɽ Considering remuneration incentive schemes and 

performance targets for management.

 ɽ Using analytical procedures to identify any usual or 

unexpected relationships.

We communicated identified fraud risks throughout the 
audit team and remained alert to any indications of fraud 
throughout the audit.

As required by auditing standards and taking into account 
our overall knowledge of the control environment, we 
perform procedures to address the risk of management 
override of controls, in particular the risk that management 
may be in a position to make inappropriate accounting 
entries. On this audit we do not believe there is a fraud risk 
related to revenue recognition because there is considered 
to be a limited opportunity for fraudulent revenue to be 
recorded given the high level of automation and simple 
nature.

We did not identify any additional fraud risks.

In determining the audit procedures, we took into account 
the results of our evaluation and testing of the operating 
effectiveness of some of the Group-wide fraud risk 
management controls.

We also performed procedures including:

 ɽ Identifying journal entries and other adjustments to test 
based on risk criteria and comparing the identified 
entries to supporting documentation. These included 
those posted by senior finance management, those 
posted to unusual accounts, and those with 
descriptions containing key high-risk wording.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationIndependent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Ninety One Plc

116

Identifying and responding to risks of material 
misstatement due to non-compliance with laws and 
regulations
We identified areas of laws and regulations that could 
reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the 
financial statements from our general commercial and 
sector experience , and through discussion with the 
directors (as required by auditing standards), and from 
inspection of the Group’s regulatory and legal 
correspondence and discussed with the policies and 
procedures regarding compliance with laws and 
regulations.

As the Group is regulated, our assessment of risks involved 
gaining an understanding of the control environment 
including the entity’s procedures for complying with 
regulatory requirements, how they analyse identified 
breaches and assessing whether there were any 
implications of identified breaches on our audit.

We communicated identified laws and regulations 
throughout our team and remained alert to any indications 
of non- compliance throughout the audit. This included 
communication from the Group audit team to component 
audit teams of relevant laws and regulations identified at 
the Group level, and a request for component auditors to 
report to the Group team any instances of non-compliance 
with laws and regulations that could give rise to a material 
misstatement at the Group.

The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the 
financial statements varies considerably.

Firstly, the Group is subject to laws and regulations that 
directly affect the financial statements including financial 
reporting legislation (including related companies 
legislation), distributable profits legislation and taxation 
legislation and we assessed the extent of compliance with 
these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on 
the related financial statement items.

Secondly, the Group is subject to many other laws and 
regulations where the consequences of non-compliance 
could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in 
the financial statements, for instance through the 
imposition of fines or litigation or the loss of the Group’s 
license to operate. We identified the following areas as 
those most likely to have such an effect: the Listing Rules 
and Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules, specific 
areas of regulatory capital and liquidity, conduct including 
Client Assets, money laundering, market abuse regulations 
and certain aspects of company legislation recognising the 
financial and regulated nature of the Group’s activities and 
its legal form.

Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to 
identify non-compliance with these laws and regulations to 
enquiry of the directors and inspection of regulatory and 
legal correspondence, if any. Therefore, if a breach of 
operational regulations is not disclosed to us or evident 
from relevant correspondence, an audit will not detect that 
breach.

Context of the ability of the audit to detect fraud 
or breaches of law or regulation
Owing to the inherent limitations of an audit, there is an 
unavoidable risk that we may not have detected some 
material misstatements in the financial statements, even 
though we have properly planned and performed our audit 
in accordance with auditing standards. For example, the 
further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations 
is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial 
statements, the less likely the inherently limited procedures 
required by auditing standards would identify it.

In addition, as with any audit, there remained a higher risk 
of non-detection of fraud, as these may involve collusion, 
forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the 
override of internal controls. Our audit procedures are 
designed to detect material misstatement. We are not 
responsible for preventing non-compliance or fraud and 
cannot be expected to detect non-compliance with all 
laws and regulations.

6.  We have nothing to report on the other 

information in the Integrated Annual Report

The directors are responsible for the other information 
presented in the Integrated Annual Report together with 
the financial statements. Our opinion on the financial 
statements does not cover the other information and, 
accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion or,  
except as explicitly stated below, any form of assurance 
conclusion thereon.

Our responsibility is to read the other information and,  
in doing so, consider whether, based on our financial 
statements audit work, the information therein is materially 
misstated or inconsistent with the financial statements or 
our audit knowledge. Based solely on that work we have 
not identified material misstatements in the other 
information.

Strategic Report and Directors’ Report
Based solely on our work on the other information:

 ɽ we have not identified material misstatements in the 

Strategic Report and the Directors’ Report;

 ɽ in our opinion the information given in those reports  
for the financial year is consistent with the financial 
statements; and

 ɽ in our opinion those reports have been prepared in 

accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021117

Based on those procedures, we have concluded that each 
of the following is materially consistent with the financial 
statements and our audit knowledge:

 ɽ the directors’ statement that they consider that the 
Integrated Annual Report and financial statements 
taken as a whole is fair, balanced and understandable, 
and provides the information necessary for 
shareholders to assess the Group’s position and 
performance, business model and strategy;

 ɽ the section of the Integrated Annual Report describing 
the work of the DLC Audit and Risk Committee, including 
the significant issues that the DLC Audit and Risk 
Committee considered in relation to the financial 
statements, and how these issues were addressed; and

 ɽ the section of the Integrated Annual Report that 
describes the review of the effectiveness of the 
Group’s risk management and internal control systems.

We are required to review the part of the Corporate 
Governance Statement relating to the Group’s compliance 
with the provisions of the UK Corporate Governance Code 
specified by the Listing Rules for our review. We have 
nothing to report in this respect.

7.  We have nothing to report on the other 

matters on which we are required to report 
by exception

Under the Companies Act 2006, we are required to report 
to you if, in our opinion:

 ɽ adequate accounting records have not been kept by 

the parent Company, or returns adequate for our audit 
have not been received from branches not visited by 
us; or

 ɽ the parent Company financial statements and the part 
of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited 
are not in agreement with the accounting records and 
returns; or

 ɽ certain disclosures of directors’ remuneration specified 

by law are not made; or

 ɽ we have not received all the information and 

explanations we require for our audit.

We have nothing to report in these respects.

Directors’ Remuneration Report
In our opinion the part of the Directors’ Remuneration 
Report to be audited has been properly prepared in 
accordance with the Companies Act 2006.

Disclosures of emerging and principal risks and 
longer- term viability
We are required to perform procedures to identify whether 
there is a material inconsistency between the directors’ 
disclosures in respect of emerging and principal risks and 
the viability statement, and the financial statements and 
our audit knowledge.

Based on those procedures, we have nothing material to 
add or draw attention to in relation to:

 ɽ the directors’ confirmation on page 52 that they have 
carried out a robust assessment of the emerging and 
principal risks facing the Group, including those that 
would threaten its business model, future performance, 
solvency and liquidity;

 ɽ the Principal Risks disclosures describing these risks 
and how emerging risks are identified, and explaining 
how they are being managed and mitigated; and

 ɽ the directors’ explanation in the statement of viability of 
how they have assessed the prospects of the Group, 
over what period they have done so and why they 
considered that period to be appropriate, and their 
statement as to whether they have a reasonable 
expectation that the Group will be able to continue in 
operation and meet its liabilities as they fall due over the 
period of their assessment, including any related 
disclosures drawing attention to any necessary 
qualifications or assumptions.

We are also required to review the statement of viability, set 
out on page 48 under the Listing Rules. Based on the above 
procedures, we have concluded that the above disclosures 
are materially consistent with the financial statements and 
our audit knowledge.

Our work is limited to assessing these matters in the 
context of only the knowledge acquired during our 
financial statements audit. As we cannot predict all future 
events or conditions and as subsequent events may result 
in outcomes that are inconsistent with judgements that 
were reasonable at the time they were made, the absence 
of anything to report on these statements is not a 
guarantee as to the Group’s and parent Company’s 
longer-term viability.

Corporate governance disclosures
We are required to perform procedures to identify whether 
there is a material inconsistency between the directors’ 
corporate governance disclosures and the financial 
statements and our audit knowledge.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationIndependent Auditor’s Report to the Members of Ninety One Plc

118

8. Respective responsibilities
Directors’ responsibilities
As explained more fully in their statement set out on page 
108, the directors are responsible for: the preparation of 
the financial statements including being satisfied that they 
give a true and fair view; such internal control as they 
determine is necessary to enable the preparation  
of financial statements that are free from material 
misstatement, whether due to fraud or error; assessing  
the Group’s and the parent Company’s ability to continue 
as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters 
related to going concern; and using the going concern 
basis of accounting unless they either intend to liquidate 
the Group or the parent Company or to cease operations, 
or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about 
whether the financial statements as a whole are free from 
material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and 
to issue our opinion in an auditor’s report. Reasonable 
assurance is a high level of assurance, but does not 
guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with 
ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it 
exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are 
considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they 
could reasonably be expected to influence the economic 
decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial 
statements.

A fuller description of our responsibilities is provided on the 
FRC’s website at www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities.

9.  The purpose of our audit work and to 
whom we owe our responsibilities

This report is made solely to the Company’s members,  
as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the 
Companies Act 2006 and the terms of our engagement by 
the Company. Our audit work has been undertaken so that 
we might state to the Company’s members those matters 
we are required to state to them in an auditor’s report  
and further matters we are required to state to them in 
accordance with the terms agreed with the Company, and 
for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, 
we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other 
than the Company and the Company’s members, as a 
body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions 
we have formed.

Jatin Patel (Senior Statutory Auditor) 
for and on behalf of KPMG LLP, Statutory Auditor 
Chartered Accountants 

15 Canada Square  
London E14 5GL

15 June 2021

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Independent Auditor’s Report

to the Shareholders of Ninety One Limited

Report on the audit of the consolidated 
financial statements
Opinion
We have audited the consolidated financial statements 
of Ninety One Limited (the “Group” as defined in the notes 
to the consolidated financial statements) set out on pages 
122 to 161, which comprise the Consolidated Statement of 
Financial Position at 31 march 2021, and the Consolidated 
Income Statement, Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive 
Income, the Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity 
and the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the  
year then ended, and Notes to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements, including a summary of significant accounting 
policies, the annexure to the consolidated financial 
statements and the specified remuneration disclosures marked 
as audited included in the Annual Report on Remuneration.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present 
fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial 
position of Ninety One Limited at 31 March 2021, and its 
consolidated financial performance and consolidated  
cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with 
International Financial Reporting Standards and the 
requirements of the Companies Act of South Africa.

119

Basis for opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International 
Standards on Auditing (“ISAs”). Our responsibilities under 
those standards are further described in the Auditor’s 
responsibilities for the audit of the consolidated financial 
statements section of our report. We are independent of 
the Group in accordance with the Independent Regulatory 
Board for Auditors’ Code of Professional Conduct for 
Registered Auditors (“IRBA Code”) and other independence 
requirements applicable to performing audits of financial 
statements in South Africa. We have fulfilled our other 
ethical responsibilities in accordance with the IRBA Code 
and in accordance with other ethical requirements 
applicable to performing audits in South Africa. The IRBA 
Code is consistent with the corresponding sections of the 
International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants’ 
International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants 
(including International Independence Standards).  
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is 
sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Key audit matters
Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the 
consolidated financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the 
consolidated financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion 
on these matters.

Revenue Recognition
Refer to significant accounting policies note 1(e)(ii) and note 2 to the consolidated financial statements

Key audit matter

How the matter was addressed in our audit

 Revenue is the most significant balance in the consolidated 
income statement. Revenue largely comprises of recurring 
management fee income which results from the business 
activities of the Group.

The two key components to management fee income are the 
agreed percentages (“fee rates”) that are applied to the assets 
under management (“AUM”).

The following are identified as the key risks for recurring fee income:

 ɽ There is a risk that fee rates have not been entered into the fee 

calculation and billing systems when new clients are on boarded 
or agreements are amended.

 ɽ There is a risk that AUM data from the third-party service 

providers and other in-house systems is not complete or/and 
accurate.

 ɽ There is a risk that management fee income is incorrectly 

calculated.

Due to the work effort required by the audit team, revenue 
recognition was determined to be a key audit matter.

Our procedures included:

Procedures in relation to fee rates:
 ɽ We tested the design and operating effectiveness of key controls 
over the integrity of system data for fee rates and over new and 
amended fee agreements.

 ɽ We agreed a selection of fee rates used in the system calculation 
to the original investment management agreements, fee letters  
or fund prospectuses outlining the latest effective fee rates.

Procedures in relation to AUM:
 ɽ For institutional recurring management fees, we tested the 
design and operating effectiveness of key controls over the 
production of AUM valuations used in calculating recurring 
management fees.

 ɽ For retail recurring management fees, we inspected the  

internal controls reports prepared by the outsourced service 
organisations to understand if the key controls over the 
production of AUM valuations used in calculating recurring 
management fees were designed and operating effectively.

General procedures:
 ɽ We independently recalculated the recurring management fee 
income and agreed the recalculated fees to the management 
fees recognised.

 ɽ We considered the adequacy of the disclosures made in respect 
of revenue in accordance with IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts 
with Customers.

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120

Other information
The directors are responsible for the other information.  
The other information comprises the information included 
in the document titled “Ninety One Integrated Annual 
Report 2021”, which includes the Directors’ Report, the 
DLC Audit and Risk Committee Report and the Certificate 
by the Company Secretary as required by the Companies 
Act of South Africa, but excludes the specified 
remuneration disclosures marked as audited included in  
the Annual Report on Remuneration. The other information 
does not include the consolidated financial statements  
and our auditor’s report thereon.

Our opinion on the consolidated financial statements does 
not cover the other information and we do not express an 
audit opinion or any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the consolidated financial 
statements, our responsibility is to read the other information 
and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is 
materially inconsistent with the consolidated financial 
statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or 
otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If, based on 
the work we have performed, we conclude that there is  
a material misstatement of this other information, we are 
required to report that fact. We have nothing to report  
in this regard.

Responsibilities of the directors for the consolidated 
financial statements
The directors are responsible for the preparation and fair 
presentation of the consolidated financial statements  
in accordance with International Financial Reporting 
Standards and the requirements of the Companies Act of 
South Africa, and for such internal control as the directors 
determine is necessary to enable the preparation of 
consolidated financial statements that are free from 
material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the consolidated financial statements, the 
directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s ability 
to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, 
matters related to going concern and using the going 
concern basis of accounting unless the directors either 
intend to liquidate the Group or to cease operations, or 
have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the 
consolidated financial statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about 
whether the consolidated financial statements as a whole 
are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud 
or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our 
opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, 
but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in 
accordance with ISAs will always detect a material 
misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from 
fraud or error and are considered material if, individually  
or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected  
to influence the economic decisions of users taken on  
the basis of these consolidated financial statements.

As part of an audit in accordance with ISAs, we exercise 
professional judgement and maintain professional 
scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

 ɽ Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement  
of the consolidated financial statements, whether due 
to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures 
responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence 
that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis  
for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material 
misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for  
one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, 
forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations,  
or the override of internal control.

 ɽ Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant  
to the audit in order to design audit procedures that  
are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the 
purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness 
of the Group’s internal control.

 ɽ Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies 

used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates 
and related disclosures made by the directors.

 ɽ Conclude on the appropriateness of the directors’  
use of the going concern basis of accounting and 
based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a 
material uncertainty exists related to events or 
conditions that may cast significant doubt on the 
Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we 
conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are 
required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to  
the related disclosures in the consolidated financial 
statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to 
modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the 
audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s 
report. However, future events or conditions may cause 
the Group to cease to continue as a going concern.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Report on other legal and regulatory 
requirements
In terms of the IRBA Rule published in Government Gazette 
Number 39475 dated 4 December 2015, we report that 
KPMG Inc. has been the auditor of Ninety One Limited for 
two years.

121

KPMG Inc.
Registered Auditor 

Per GS Kolbé
Chartered Accountant (SA) 
Registered Auditor 
Director

The Halyard 
4 Christaan Barnard Street 
Foreshore 
Cape Town 
8001 
South Africa

15 June 2021

 ɽ Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content 
of the consolidated financial statements, including the 
disclosures, and whether the consolidated financial 
statements represent the underlying transactions and 
events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

 ɽ Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding 
the financial information of the entities or business 
activities within the Group to express an opinion on the 
consolidated financial statements. We are responsible 
for the direction, supervision and performance of the 
Group audit. We remain solely responsible for our 
audit opinion.

We communicate with the directors regarding, among 
other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit 
and significant audit findings, including any significant 
deficiencies in internal control that we identify during 
our audit.

We also provide the directors with a statement that 
we have complied with relevant ethical requirements 
regarding independence, and communicate with them 
all relationships and other matters that may reasonably 
be thought to bear on our independence, and where 
applicable, related safeguards.

From the matters communicated with the directors, we 
determine those matters that were of most significance in 
the audit of the consolidated financial statements of the 
current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We 
describe these matters in our auditor’s report unless law or 
regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or 
when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that 
a matter should not be communicated in our report 
because the adverse consequences of doing so would 
reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest 
benefits of such communication.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationConsolidated Income Statement

For the year ended 31 March 2021

122

Revenue
Commission expense

Net revenue

Operating expenses

Net gain/(loss) on investments
Foreign exchange (loss)/gain
Share of profit from associates
Other income

Operating profit

Net interest (expense)/income

Profit before tax and exceptional items

Exceptional items
Financial impact of group restructures
Ninety One share scheme implementation

Profit before tax

Tax expense

Profit after tax

Profit attributable to:
Shareholders
Non-controlling interests

Earnings per share (pence)
Basic 
Diluted

Notes

2

3

4

6(a)

6(b)

5

7(a)

7(a)

2021

£’m

755.9
(130.8)
625.1

2020

£’m
761.0
(151.1)
609.9

(425.0)

(413.4)

15.6
(6.3)
0.6
1.6
211.6

(1.5)
210.1

(6.0)
—
204.1

(49.5)
154.6

154.4
0.2
154.6

16.9
16.8

(4.2)
2.1
—
0.2
194.6

1.7
196.3

(10.9)
13.1
198.5

(42.5)
156.0

155.4
0.6
156.0

16.8
16.8

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Consolidated Statement of 
Comprehensive Income

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Profit after tax

Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the year

Items that will not be reclassified to profit or loss:
Net remeasurements on pension fund obligation
Deferred tax on revaluation of pension fund obligation
Deferred tax on share options vested

Items that may be reclassified subsequently to profit or loss:
Exchange differences on translation of foreign subsidiaries
Exchange differences on translation of related assets and liabilities classified as held for sale

Other comprehensive income/(loss) for the year

Total comprehensive income for the year

Total comprehensive income attributable to:
Shareholders
Non-controlling interests

2021

£’m

154.6

2020

£’m
156.0

123

1.1
(0.2)
0.1

5.1
0.3
6.4

(1.8)
0.4
0.1

(10.2)
—
(11.5)

161.0

144.5

160.8
0.2
161.0

143.9
0.6
144.5

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationConsolidated Statement of 
Financial Position

At 31 March 2021

124

Assets

Investments
Investment in associates
Property and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Deferred tax assets
Other receivables

Total non-current assets

Investments
Linked investments backing policyholder funds
Income tax recoverable
Trade and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents

Assets classified as held for sale

Total current assets

Total assets

Liabilities

Other liabilities
Lease liabilities
Pension fund obligation
Deferred tax liabilities

Total non-current liabilities

Policyholder investment contract liabilities
Other liabilities
Lease liabilities
Trade and other payables
Income tax payable

Liabilities classified as held for sale

Total current liabilities

Equity

Share capital
Own share reserve
Other reserves
Retained earnings
Shareholders’ equity excluding non-controlling interests
Non-controlling interests

Total equity

Total equity and liabilities

Notes

11

8
18(a)
9

11
10

12

21

15
18(a)
20

9

14

15

18(a)

16

21

13(a)

13(b)

13(c)

2021

£’m

5.5
0.7
30.7
90.3
24.8
3.0
155.0

76.8
9,063.9
5.9
253.3
337.5
9,737.4
12.2
9,749.6

2020

£’m

4.8
0.3
18.0
90.7
25.2
6.2
145.2

72.3
6,988.5
4.4
246.4
194.5
7,506.1
—
7,506.1

9,904.6

7,651.3

39.6
106.1
0.7
29.0
175.4

9,033.6
40.0
4.3
381.6
8.8
9,468.3
7.6
9,475.9

441.2
(19.5)
(338.4)
169.9
253.2
0.1
253.3

39.3
98.9
1.8
5.7
145.7

7,002.8
37.6
2.7
304.3
7.1
7,354.5
—
7,354.5

441.2
(9.9)
(351.6)
71.0
150.7
0.4
151.1

9,904.6

7,651.3

The consolidated financial statements were approved by the Board on 15 June 2021 and signed on its behalf by:

Hendrik du Toit 
Chief Executive Officer 

Kim McFarland
Finance Director

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
 
 
Consolidated Statement of  
Changes in Equity

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Share 
capital

Own share 
reserve

Total other 
reserves

Retained 
earnings

Total 
shareholders’ 
equity

Non- 
controlling 
interests

Total equity

Notes

£’m

441.2

£’m

(9.9)

£’m

(351.6)

At 1 April 2020

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income

Transactions with shareholders 
Share-based payment transactions 
related to Ninety One share scheme
Own shares purchased
Repurchase of non-controlling 
interests
Dividends paid

Total transactions with 
shareholders

Other movement

At 31 March 2021

At 1 April 2019 

Profit for the year
Other comprehensive loss

Total comprehensive income

Transactions with shareholders 
Share-based payment transactions 
related to Ninety One share scheme
Own shares purchased
Repurchase of non-controlling 
interests
Dividends paid

Total transactions with 
shareholders

Other movement

At 31 March 2020

13(c)(iv)

13(b)

13(d)

13(c)(iv)

13(b)

13(d)

—
—
—

—
—

—
—

—

—
441.2

441.2

—
—
—

—
—

—
—

—

—
441.2

125

£’m

71.0

154.4
1.0
155.4

—
—

(1.2)
(53.9)

£’m

150.7

154.4
6.4
160.8

7.8
(9.6)

(1.2)
(53.9)

£’m

0.4

0.2
—
0.2

—
—

£’m

151.1

154.6
6.4
161.0

7.8
(9.6)

(0.1)
(0.1)

(1.3)
(54.0)

—
—
—

—
(9.6)

—
—

—
5.4
5.4

7.8
—

—
—

(9.6)

7.8

(55.1)

(56.9)

(0.2)

(57.1)

—
(19.5)

—
(338.4)

(1.4)
169.9

(1.4)
253.2

(0.3)
0.1

(1.7)
253.3

—

—
—
—

—
(9.9)

—
—

(9.9)

—
(9.9)

(346.1)

100.0

195.1

—
(10.2)
(10.2)

155.4
(1.3)
154.1

4.7
—

—
—

—
—

—
(183.1)

155.4
(11.5)
143.9

4.7
(9.9)

—
(183.1)

0.6

0.6
—
0.6

—
—

195.7

156.0
(11.5)
144.5

4.7
(9.9)

—
(0.8)

—
(183.9)

4.7

(183.1)

(188.3)

(0.8)

(189.1)

—
(351.6)

—
71.0

—
150.7

—
0.4

—
151.1

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationConsolidated Statement of Cash Flows

For the year ended 31 March 2021

126

Cash flows from operations – shareholders
Cash flows from operations – policyholders

Cash flows from operations

Interest received
Interest paid in respect of lease liabilities
Other interest paid
Income tax paid

Net cash flows from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities
Net disposal/(acquisition) of investments
Additions to property and equipment
Net acquisition of linked investments backing policyholder funds1
Net cash flows from investing activities1

Cash flows from financing activities
Principal elements of lease payments
Payment for acquisition of subsidiary’s interests in non-controlling interests
Purchase of own shares 
Dividends paid

Net cash flows from financing activities

Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April1
Net change in cash and cash equivalents1
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March1

Notes

23(a)

4

4

8

10

13(b)

2021

£’m

268.6
238.7
507.3

2.4
(1.2)
(0.2)
(48.9)
459.4

8.6
(19.4)
(397.9)
(408.7)

(4.0)
(1.3)
(9.6)
(54.0)
(68.9)

436.6
(18.2)
28.6
447.0

2020

£’m
196.4
667.5
863.9

4.8
(0.6)
(0.1)
(54.4)
813.6

(3.6)
(13.4)
(568.3)
(585.3)

(5.7)
—
(9.9)
(183.9)
(199.5)

424.6
28.8
(16.8)
436.6

Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March consist of:
Cash and cash equivalents available for use by the Group

Cash and cash equivalents presented within other assets
Cash and cash equivalents presented within linked investments backing policyholder funds1
Cash and cash equivalents presented within assets classified as held for sale
Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March1

12

10

21

337.5

194.5

106.0
3.5
447.0

242.1
—
436.6

1. 

 The comparative amounts have been re-presented to now include within the consolidated statement of cash flows, the cash 
and cash equivalents of £242.1 million that are included in the linked investments backing policyholder funds as set out in note 10.  
The changes are considered to be an enhanced disclosure which provides further cash flow information of the Group.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Notes to the Consolidated  
Financial Statements

For the year ended 31 March 2021

Introduction
Ninety One operates as a dual-listed company (“DLC”) under a DLC structure. The DLC structure comprises Ninety One plc, 
a public company incorporated in England and Wales under the UK Companies Act 2006 and Ninety One Limited, a public 
company incorporated in South Africa under the South African Companies Act 71 of 2008. Under the DLC structure, Ninety 
One plc and Ninety One Limited, together with their direct and indirect subsidiaries, effectively form a single economic 
enterprise (the “Group”) in which the economic and voting rights of ordinary shareholders of the companies are maintained 
in equilibrium relative to each other. The Group, previously the asset management business of Investec (the “Ninety One 
Business”), was demerged from Investec on 13 March 2020 (the “Date of Demerger”) and listed on the London and 
Johannesburg Stock Exchanges on 16 March 2020 (the “Admission Date”). Investec has retained a minority stake in  
the Group.

127

1. Basis of preparation and accounting policies
1(a) Basis of preparation
The Group’s financial statements are prepared in accordance with international accounting standards in conformity with the 
requirements of the Companies Act 2006 in the UK and International Financial Reporting Standards adopted pursuant to 
Regulation (EC) No 1606/2002 as it applies in the European Union, and with International Financial Reporting Standards as 
issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) (collectively “IFRS”), since the latter is identical in all 
material respects. They are also prepared in accordance with the interpretations adopted by the IASB, the South African 
Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Financial Reporting Guides and Financial Reporting Pronouncements as issued by the 
Financial Reporting Standards Council, and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 in the UK and the Companies Act 
of South Africa.

The consolidated financial statements of the Group comprise the consolidated statement of financial position at 31 March 
2021, and the consolidated income statement, consolidated statement of comprehensive income, consolidated statement 
of changes in equity and consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 March 2021 and a summary of 
significant accounting policies and the notes thereto.

The insertion of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited as the ultimate holding companies of the Group via a share-for-share 
exchange with the original stakeholders of the Ninety One Business (the “Demerger Transactions”) constitute “transactions 
under common control” in which merger accounting is applied. Accordingly, the consolidated financial statements are 
prepared as if the Group had already existed before the start of the earliest period presented. 

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost basis with the exception of linked investments backing 
policyholder funds, policyholder investment contract liabilities, investments and the pension fund obligation. The 
presentation currency of the Group is Pound Sterling (“£”), being the functional currency of Ninety One plc. The functional 
currency of Ninety One Limited is South African Rand. All values are rounded to the nearest million (“£m”), unless otherwise 
indicated.

Foreign operations are subsidiaries and interests in associated undertakings of the Group, the activities of which are based 
in a functional currency other than that of the reporting entity. The functional currency of an entity is determined based on 
the primary economic environment in which the entity operates. Foreign currency transactions are translated into the 
functional currency of the entity in which the transactions arise, based on rates of exchange ruling at the date of the 
transactions.

The separate financial statements of Ninety One plc are included in the Group’s financial statements in accordance with  
the requirement of UK Listing Rules. The separate financial statements of Ninety One plc are prepared in accordance with 
the Group’s accounting policies, other than for investments in subsidiary undertakings, which are stated at cost less 
impairments in accordance with IAS 27 Separate Financial Statements. The separate financial statements of Ninety One 
Limited are published on the Group’s website as a separate document.

Going concern
The board of directors have considered the resilience of the Group, taking into account its current financial position, the 
principal risks facing the business and the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic, and its associated events, has had on  
the Group. The board of directors have considered the impact of the pandemic by applying various stressed scenarios, 
including plausible downside assumptions, about the impact on assets under management, profitability of the Group  
and known commitments. All scenarios show that the Group would continue to operate profitably for a period of at least  
12 months from the date of approval of the consolidated financial statements. The consolidated financial statements have 
therefore been prepared on a going concern basis.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information128

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

1. Basis of preparation and accounting policies continued
1(b) Basis of consolidation
Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited operate under a DLC structure as a result of legally binding agreements that were 
executed at the Date of Demerger. The effect of the DLC structure is that Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited and their 
direct and indirect subsidiaries and associates operate together as a single economic entity, with neither assuming a 
dominant role. Accordingly, they are reported as a single reporting entity under IFRS. IFRS does not specifically provide 
guidance on how to account for such structures and therefore, judgement is required in applying the consolidation 
principles set out in IFRS 10 Consolidated Financial Statements. The board of directors of Ninety One plc and Ninety One 
Limited, having assessed the legal agreements referred to above and the requirements of IFRS 10, have concluded that  
the Group’s consolidated financial statements represent the consolidation of the assets, liabilities and the results of Ninety 
One plc and Ninety One Limited and their direct and indirect subsidiaries and associates. Subsidiaries are those entities 
controlled by the Group. Subsidiaries are consolidated from the date the Group obtains control and are excluded from 
consolidation from the date which the Group loses control.

The Group also uses judgement to determine whether its interests in investment funds and trusts constitute controlling 
interests. The Group has interests in funds through its role as fund manager and through its proprietary investments in funds. 
In conducting the assessment, the Group considers substantive contractual rights as well as de facto control. De facto 
control of an entity may arise from circumstances where the Group does not have more than 50% of the voting power,  
but has the practical ability to direct the relevant activities of the entity. If the Group has the ability to direct the relevant 
activities of the entity and is also exposed to variable returns of the entity, they are consolidated after considering the 
magnitude of, and variability associated with, the Group’s economic interest relative to the returns expected from the 
activities of the entity. Economic interest includes management fees and performance fees received from the entity,  
rights to profits or distributions, as well as the obligation to absorb losses of the entity.

On consolidation, the results and financial position of foreign operations are translated into the presentation currency of  
the Group, as follows:

 ɽ Assets and liabilities are translated at the closing rate at the reporting date within the consolidated statement of financial 

position;

 ɽ income and expense items are translated at exchange rates ruling at the date of the transactions;
 ɽ all resulting exchange differences are recognised in other comprehensive income (foreign currency translation reserve), 
which is recognised in profit or loss within the consolidated statement of comprehensive income on disposal of the 
foreign operation; and

 ɽ cash flow items are translated at the exchange rates ruling at the date of the transactions.

All intra-group balances, income and expenses arising from transactions between companies belonging to the Group were 
eliminated when preparing the consolidated financial statements. In addition, the investments of the holding companies in 
the Group were eliminated against the equity of the respective subsidiaries. The share capital of the Group is an aggregation 
of the share capitals of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited.

1(c) Accounting judgements and estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management to make judgements, estimates and 
assumptions that affect the application of policies and reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. The 
estimates and underlying assumptions are based on historical experience and various other factors that are believed to be 
reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis of making the judgements about carrying values of 
assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates. These 
estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised 
in the period in which the estimate is revised if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future 
periods if the revision affects both current and future periods.

The Group has not identified any significant judgements and estimates at the end of the reporting period. However, the key 
areas that include judgement and/or estimates are set out in the following notes: 

 ɽ Note 1(b) Basis of consolidation;
 ɽ Note 6 Exceptional items;
 ɽ Note 18 Leases;
 ɽ Note 20 Pension scheme;
 ɽ Note 22(g) Fair value measurements.

Management do not expect changes in assumptions to lead to a material adjustment in future periods.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 20211(d) Forthcoming standards applicable to the Group
There are new or revised accounting standards and interpretations in issue that are not yet effective. These include the 
following amendments that are applicable to the Group:

129

 ɽ Amendment to IFRS 16 Leases “COVID-19-related rent concessions” allows a lessee to bypass the need to evaluate 

whether certain qualifying COVID-19-related rent concessions are a “lease modification” and instead account for those 
rent concessions as if they were not a lease modification. The practical expedient applies only to rent concessions 
occurring as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and only if all the conditions as set out in the amendment 
are met. The practical expedient applies to rent concessions for which any reduction in lease payments affects solely 
payments originally due on or before 30 June 2021. The amendment is effective for annual periods beginning on or after 
1 June 2020. In March 2021, the IASB has further extended the practical expedient by 12 months – i.e. permitting lessees 
to apply it to rental concessions for which any reduction in lease payments affect solely payments originally due on or 
before 30 June 2022. This further amendment is effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 April 2021;

 ɽ Amendments to IFRS 3 Business combinations “Reference to the conceptual framework” update the reference to the 

latest version of Conceptual Framework issued in March 2018, and add an exception to the requirement for an entity to 
refer to the Conceptual Framework to determine what constitutes an asset or a liability. The amendments are effective 
for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2022; and

 ɽ Amendments to IAS 1 Presentation of financial statements “Classification of liabilities as current or non-current” clarify 
the requirements on determining if a liability is current or non-current, in particular, the determination over whether an 
entity has the right to defer settlement of the liability for at least 12 months after the reporting period. The amendments 
are effective for annual periods beginning on or after 1 January 2023.

The Group is in the process of assessing what the impact of these amendments is expected to be in the period of initial 
application. So far, the Group has concluded that the adoption of these amendments is unlikely to have a significant impact 
on the consolidated financial statements.

1(e) Significant accounting policies
The accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently throughout the periods presented in the consolidated 
financial statements, unless indicated otherwise.

(i) Consolidation and related policies 
Subsidiaries
Subsidiaries are those entities over which the Group has control. The Group controls an entity if the Group has all of 
the following:

 ɽ Power over the investee;
 ɽ exposure or rights to variable returns from its involvement with the investee; and
 ɽ the ability to use its power over the investee to affect its returns.

Subsidiaries are fully consolidated from the date on which control is transferred to the Group. They are deconsolidated from 
the date that control ceases.

Inter-company transactions, balances, income and expenses on transactions between companies within the Group are 
eliminated. Profits and losses resulting from intercompany transactions that are recognised in assets are also eliminated.

Associates
Associates are all entities over which the Group has significant influence but not control or joint control, through 
participation in the financial and operating policy decisions. Investments in associates are accounted for using the equity 
method of accounting. Under the equity method of accounting, investments are initially recognised at cost and thereafter 
the Group recognises its share of the investee’s post-acquisition profits or losses in its consolidated income statement. 
Dividends received or receivable from the investee are recognised as a reduction in the carrying amount of the investment. 
The carrying amount of equity-accounted investments is tested for impairment in accordance with the policy described in 
“Impairment of non-financial assets” in these accounting policies.

Merger accounting for common control combinations
Merger accounting is used by the Group for common control transactions, which are transactions between entities that  
are ultimately controlled by the same party or parties. This method treats the merged entities as if they had been merged 
throughout the current and comparative accounting periods.

The net assets of the combined entities or businesses represent the existing book values from the controlling parties’ 
perspective. No amount is recognised in consideration for goodwill or excess of the acquirers’ interest in the net fair value  
of acquiree’s identifiable assets, liabilities and contingent liabilities over cost at the time of the common control combination, 
to the extent of the continuation of the controlling parties’ interest. The excess of the acquiree’s share capital and share 
premium over the cost of investment is represented as a reserve in equity in the consolidated statement of financial position.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

130

1. Basis of preparation and accounting policies continued
1(e) Significant accounting policies continued
(i) Consolidation and related policies continued
Transaction costs, including professional fees, registration fees, costs of furnishing information to shareholders, costs or 
losses incurred in combining operations of the previously separate businesses etc., incurred in relation to the common 
control combination that are to be accounted for by using merger accounting, are recognised as expenses in the year  
in which they are incurred.

Non-controlling interests
Non-controlling interests represent the equity in a subsidiary not attributable directly or indirectly to the Group, and in 
respect of which the Group has not agreed any additional terms with the holders of those interests which would result in  
the Group as a whole having a contractual obligation in respect of those interests that meets the definition of a financial 
liability. The Group can elect to measure any non-controlling interests, either at fair value or at the non-controlling interests’ 
proportionate share of the subsidiary’s net identifiable assets, at initial recognition. Thereafter, non-controlling interests are 
measured using the proportionate share method. Non-controlling interests are presented in the consolidated statement of 
financial position within equity, separately from equity attributable to the equity shareholders of the Group. Non-controlling 
interests in the results of the Group are presented on the face of the consolidated statement of comprehensive income as 
an allocation of the total profit or loss and total comprehensive income for the year between non-controlling interests and 
the equity shareholders of the Group. Changes in the Group’s interests in a subsidiary that do not result in a loss of control 
are accounted for as equity transactions, whereby adjustments are made to the amounts of controlling and non-controlling 
interests within consolidated equity to reflect the change in relative interests, but no adjustments are made to goodwill and 
no gain or loss is recognised.

(ii) Other significant accounting policies
Revenue
The Group recognises revenue when or as it satisfies a performance obligation by transferring promised services to the 
customers in an amount to which the Group expects to be entitled in exchange for those services. The Group includes 
variable consideration in revenue when it is no longer highly probable of significant reversal. Generally, the Group is deemed 
to be the principal in the contracts because the Group controls the promised services before they are transferred to 
customers, and accordingly, presents the revenue gross of related costs.

i) 

 Management fees are recognised as the services are performed over time and are primarily based on agreed 
percentages of the net asset values of the investment funds and segregated mandates.

ii)   Performance fees are recognised on the crystallisation date (at a point in time) and are calculated on a percentage of  

the appreciation in the net asset value of investment funds and segregated mandates above a defined hurdle, taking into 
consideration the relevant basis of calculation for investment funds and segregated mandates, and it is highly probable 
that they will not be subject to significant reversal.

iii)   Silica’s revenue includes fee income for third-party administration outsourced services and project income for client 

system development and implementation. Fee income for third-party administration outsourced services is recognised 
as the services are rendered. Project income for client system development and implementation is recognised on a stage 
of completion basis.

Management fees and performance fees are both forms of variable consideration, however, there is no significant judgement 
or estimation involved as the transaction price is equal to the amount determined at the end of each measurement period or 
on the crystallisation date, and is equal to the amount billed to the customer as per contractual agreements. Fees received 
from customers are generally not subject to returns or refunds.

All components of the Group’s revenue are revenue from contracts within the scope of IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts 
with Customers. The Group uses the output method to recognise revenue, applying the practical expedient that allows an 
entity to recognise revenue in the amount to which the entity has a right to invoice if that consideration corresponds directly 
with the value to the customer of the entity’s performance completed to date.

Interest income
Interest income is recognised on an accrual basis using the effective interest method in accordance with the requirements 
of IFRS 9 Financial instruments.

Commission expenses
Commissions and similar expenses payable to intermediaries are recognised when services are provided.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Leases
The Group leases various offices for business purposes. Lease terms are negotiated on an individual basis and contain a 
wide range of different terms and conditions. The lease agreements do not impose any covenants, but leased assets may 
not be used as security for borrowing purposes.

131

Leases are recognised as a right-of-use asset with a corresponding liability at the date which the leased asset is available  
for use by the Group. Assets and liabilities arising from a lease are initially measured on a present value basis.

Lease liabilities include the net present value of lease payments. The lease payments are discounted using the entity’s 
incremental borrowing rate, being the rate that the entity would have to pay to borrow the funds necessary to obtain an 
asset of similar value to the right-of-use asset in a similar economic environment with similar terms, security and conditions. 
Lease payments are allocated between the principal and finance cost. The finance cost is charged to profit or loss over the 
lease period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the remaining balance of the liability for each period.

Right-of-use assets are measured at cost comprising the following:

 ɽ The amount of the initial measurement of lease liabilities;
 ɽ any lease payment made at or before the commencement date less any lease incentives; 
 ɽ any initial direct costs; and
 ɽ restoration costs.

Right-of-use assets are generally depreciated over the lease term on a straight-line basis.

Property and equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment losses. 
Depreciation is provided for on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of property and equipment as follows:

Computer equipment 

Fixtures and fittings 

3 years

5 years

Leasehold improvements  Shorter of term of lease or useful economic life

The residual values, depreciation methods and useful lives are reassessed annually. 

Income tax
Current tax is the expected tax payable on the taxable income for the year, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted 
at the reporting date, and any adjustment to tax payable in respect of previous years.

Deferred tax is provided using the statement of financial position method, providing for temporary differences between  
the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for taxation purposes. 
The amount of deferred tax provided is based on the expected manner of realisation or settlement of the carrying amount  
of assets and liabilities, using tax rates enacted or substantively enacted at the reporting date. A deferred tax asset is 
recognised to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profits will be available against which the asset can be  
utilised. Deferred tax assets are reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that the related tax benefit will be  
realised. Deferred tax assets are offset against deferred tax liabilities if they relate to income taxes levied by the same 
taxation authority on the same taxable entity.

Income taxes of the Group were determined based on the assumption that the individual entities were separate taxable 
entities. Therefore, the current and deferred income taxes of all subsidiaries of the Group are calculated separately and  
the recoverability of the deferred tax assets is also assessed accordingly.

Financial instruments
Recognition and derecognition of financial instruments
Financial instruments are initially recognised on the statement of financial position when, and only when, the Group 
becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the particular instrument. On initial recognition, financial assets are 
measured at fair value plus, for financial assets not measured at fair value through profit or loss, transaction costs that are 
directly attributable to the acquisition or issue of the financial assets. Initial recognition of financial liabilities is at fair value 
less directly attributable transaction costs. Financial assets are derecognised when the Company transfers substantially all 
risks and rewards of ownership. In addition, financial assets are derecognised when the contractual rights to the cashflows 
from the financial asset expire or the Company transfers the rights to receive the contractual cashflows in a transaction in 
which the Company neither transfers nor retains substantially all of the risks and rewards of ownership and it does not retain 
control of the financial asset. Financial liabilities are derecognised when, and only when, the obligations under the contract 
are discharged, cancelled or expire.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

132

1. Basis of preparation and accounting policies continued
1(e) Significant accounting policies continued
Financial instruments continued
Classification and measurement of financial assets and financial liabilities
Financial assets are classified into three principal classification categories: measured at amortised cost, at fair value through 
other comprehensive income and at fair value through profit or loss (“FVTPL”). The classification of financial assets is based 
on the business model under which the financial asset is managed and its contractual cash flow characteristics. The Group’s 
financial assets are either classified as measured at FVTPL or amortised cost.

Financial assets measured at amortised cost
Financial assets are measured at amortised cost when their contractual cash flows represent solely payments of principal 
and interest and they are held within a business model designed to collect cash flows. It typically applies to the Group’s cash 
and cash equivalents and trade and other receivables. The carrying amount of financial assets measured at amortised cost 
is adjusted for expected credit losses (“ECLs”) under the ECL model.

In measuring ECLs, the Group takes into account reasonable and supportable information that is available without undue 
cost or effort. This includes information about past events, current conditions and forecasts of future economic conditions.

The ECLs amount depends on the specific stage that the financial instrument has been allocated to within the ECL model, 
which depends on whether there has been a significant increase in credit risk since initial recognition of the financial 
instrument, it is in default, or is considered to be credit impaired. For financial instruments with external credit ratings, the 
Group assumes that credit risk on these financial instruments has increased significantly since initial recognition if the credit 
rating has been significantly deteriorated. ECL allowances are measured on either i) 12-month ECL: that result from possible 
default events within the 12 months after the reporting date; or ii) Lifetime ECLs: that result from all possible default events 
over the expected life of a financial instrument. The Group considers a financial asset to be in default when: i) the borrower  
is unlikely to pay its credit obligations to the Group in full, without recourse by the Group to actions such as realising security 
(if any is held); or ii) the financial asset is more than 90 days past due without reasonable expectation of recovery. The Group 
applies the simplified approach in determining ECLs for trade receivables.

The Group considers a trade receivable to be credit impaired when one or more detrimental events have occurred, such  
as significant financial difficulty of the client or it becoming probable that the client will enter bankruptcy or other financial 
reorganisation.

Trade receivables are written off when they are considered credit impaired or there is no reasonable expectation of 
recovery. Indicators that there is no reasonable expectation of recovery include, among others, the failure of a debtor to 
engage in a repayment plan with the Group after the contractual payment has been past due. The Group has not written  
off any trade receivables for the years ended 31 March 2021 and 2020.

Financial assets measured at FVTPL
Financial assets measured at FVTPL consist of linked investments backing policyholder funds, holdings in pooled vehicles as 
part of the deferred compensation plan (explained further below), seed capital investments and the investment in unlisted 
investment vehicles. These investments do not meet the classification criteria of measuring at amortised cost and fair value 
through other comprehensive income and therefore, they are initially recognised at fair value and subsequently measured at 
FVTPL, with gains and losses recognised in the consolidated income statement in the period in which they arise. Contracts 
related to linked investments backing policyholder funds issued by the Group do not qualify as insurance contracts as 
defined in IFRS 4 Insurance Contracts as there is no transfer of insurance risk. Therefore, these contracts are accounted as 
financial instruments under IFRS 9. Gains and losses from assets and liabilities of these contracts are attributable to third 
party investors in linked investments backing policyholder funds. As a result, any gain or loss is offset by a change in the 
obligation to investors and is not included in the Group’s net gain/loss on investments.

When available, the Group measures the fair value of an instrument, such as interest-bearing investments, listed investments 
and investments in collective investment schemes and mutual funds, using the quoted price in an active market. If there is no 
quoted price in an active market, such as derivatives and unlisted investments, the fair value of these investments is 
determined by applying a generally accepted valuation technique.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Financial liabilities
Financial liabilities comprise policyholder investment contract liabilities, other liabilities which include deferred compensation 
liabilities and trade and other payables. All financial liabilities, excluding policyholder investment contract liabilities and 
deferred compensation liabilities, are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. Policyholder 
investment contract liabilities and deferred compensation liabilities are measured at fair value through profit or loss with 
movements in fair value recognised in the consolidated income statement. Policyholder investment contract liabilities are 
designated at fair value so as to avoid a mismatch in profit or loss between the policyholder investments linked to investment 
contracts and the policyholder investment contract liabilities.

133

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash at bank and on hand and money market funds that are readily convertible to a 
known amount of cash and are subject to an insignificant risk of changes in value.

Impairment of non-financial assets
The carrying amounts of the Group’s assets are reviewed at each reporting date to determine whether there is any indication 
of impairment. If any such indication exists, the asset’s recoverable amount is estimated. At the reporting date, there was no 
indication of impairment of any assets.

Retirement benefit obligation
The Group operates a defined benefit scheme where it has an obligation to provide participating employees with pension 
payments that represent a specified percentage of their final salary for each year of service. 

Defined benefit pension obligation is calculated using the projected unit credit method. The net charge to the consolidated 
statement of comprehensive income mainly comprises the service cost and the net interest on the net defined benefit asset 
or liability, and is presented in administrative expenses.

Remeasurements of the net defined benefit asset or liability, which comprise actuarial gains or losses, return on plan assets 
excluding interest and the effect of the asset ceiling (if any), are recognised in other comprehensive income.

The net defined benefit asset or liability represents the present value of defined benefit obligation reduced by the fair value 
of plan assets, after applying the asset ceiling test, where the net defined benefit surplus is limited to the present value of 
available refunds and reductions in future contributions to the plan.

The Group also contributes to a number of defined contribution pension schemes, the assets of which are held in separate 
trustee-administered funds, for the benefit of its employees. The Group’s contribution to an employee’s pension is measured 
as, and limited to, a specified percentage of salary. Once the contributions have been paid, the Group, as the employer, 
does not have any further payment obligations. The Group’s contributions are charged to the consolidated income 
statement in the reporting period to which they relate and are included in staff costs.

Share-based payments
The Group operates a number of share incentive plans for its employees. These plans, which are on an equity- settled basis, 
involve an award of shares or options in the Group to selected employees. The vesting conditions of the awards can be 
performance and/or service conditions and vary between different types of awards. The fair value of employee services 
received, measured by reference to the grant date fair value of the awards adjusted by the estimate of the likely levels  
of forfeiture and achievement of performance criteria, is recognised as an expense over the vesting period with a 
corresponding credit to the share-based payment reserve in the equity of the Group’s consolidated financial statements. 
The vesting period for these plans may commence before the legal grant date if the employees have started to render 
services in respect of the award before the legal grant date, where there is a shared understanding of the terms and 
conditions of the arrangement.

At each period end, the Group reassesses the number of equity instruments expected to vest, and recognises any difference 
between the revised and original estimate in the consolidated income statement with a corresponding adjustment to the share-
based payment reserve in equity. Failure to meet a vesting condition by the employee is not treated as a cancellation, and the 
amount of expense recognised for the award is adjusted to reflect the number of awards expected to vest.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

134

1. Basis of preparation and accounting policies continued
1(e) Significant accounting policies continued
Long-term employee benefits
The obligation in respect of long-term employee benefits, other than retirement benefits, is the amount of future benefit that 
employees have earned in return for their service in the current and prior periods. This future benefit relates to deferred 
compensation provided by the Group to its employees, which the Group invests in pooled vehicles managed by entities 
within the Group. At the end of the specified vesting period, employees are entitled to an amount equal to the value of the 
investments held by the Group. It is management’s view that the most relevant measure of the employee benefit liability  
is therefore the fair value of the investments held by the Group. The investments do not qualify as plan assets and are 
presented separately in the statement of financial position. The accounting policy for investments designated at fair value 
addresses the accounting treatment of these investments. As the nature of the scheme is that of an annual bonus award,  
the charge is booked in full in profit or loss at the time of the award.

Assets and liabilities held for sales
Assets (and disposal groups) are classified as held for sale if their carrying amount will be recovered through a sales 
transaction rather than through continuing use. This condition is regarded as having been met only when the sale is highly 
probable and the asset (or disposal group) is available for immediate sale in its present condition. Management must be 
committed to the sale, which should be expected to qualify for recognition as a completed sale within one year of the date of 
classification. Assets and liabilities held for sale are presented separately in the consolidated statement of financial position. 

Assets and liabilities (and disposal groups) classified as held for sale are measured at the lower of their carrying amount and 
their fair value less costs to sell. When an asset (or disposal group) ceases to be classified as held for sale, the individual 
assets and liabilities cease to be shown separately in the statement of financial position at the end of the period in which  
the classification changes. Comparatives are not restated.

Interests in structured entities
A structured entity is an entity that has been designed so that voting or similar rights are not the dominant factor in deciding 
control, such as when any voting rights relate to administrative tasks only, or when the relevant activities are directed by 
means of contractual arrangements. The interests in unconsolidated structured entities are described in note 25.

2. Segmental reporting
As an integrated global investment manager, the Group operates a single-segment investment management business.  
All financial, business and strategic decisions are made centrally by the chief operating decision maker (the “CODM”)  
of the Group. The CODM is the Chief Executive Officer of the Group from time to time. Reporting provided to the CODM is  
on an aggregated basis which is used for evaluating the Group’s performance and the allocation of resources. The CODM 
monitors operating profit for the purpose of making decisions about resource allocation and performance assessment. 
Revenue is disaggregated by the geographic location of contractual entities, as this best depicts how the nature, amount,  
timing and uncertainty of the Group’s revenue and cash flows are affected by economic factors.

Revenue is generated from a diversified customer base and the Group has no single customer that it relies on. Non-current 
assets other than financial instruments and deferred tax assets are allocated based on where the assets are physically located. 

Revenue from external clients
United Kingdom and Other
Southern Africa

Total

Performance fees included in revenue above 

Non-current assets
United Kingdom and Other
Southern Africa

Total

2021

£’m

581.0
174.9
755.9

45.4

114.6
7.1

121.7

2020

£’m

597.4
163.6
761.0

21.5

104.0
5.0

109.0

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 20213. Operating expenses

Staff expenses
Deferred employee benefit gains
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
Depreciation of property and equipment
Auditors’ remuneration
Other administrative expenses

3(a) Staff expenses

Salaries, wages and other related expenses
Share-based payment expenses related to Investec Share Plans
Share-based payment expenses related to the Ninety One share scheme
Social security costs
Pension costs for defined contribution scheme

135

Notes

3(a)

18(b)

8

3(b)

2021

£’m

284.4
15.3
11.5
5.1
1.8
106.9
425.0

2021

£’m

249.0
1.0
7.8
16.9
9.7
284.4

2020

£’m
272.0
1.2
10.7
2.5
1.5
125.5
413.4

2020

£’m
243.8
1.2
—
17.8
9.2
272.0

Staff expenses excluded the reversal of costs related to the deferred bonus arrangement and the share-based payment 
expenses related to the Ninety One share scheme for the year ended 31 March 2020, which were included in exceptional 
items. The total staff expenses for the year ended 31 March 2020 would be £258.9 million if these exceptional items were 
included in staff expenses. 

(i) Average number of employees
The monthly average number of persons, including the Directors, employed by the Group during the year ended 31 March 
2021, excluding 501 (2020: 481) employed by the Silica subsidiaries, by activity is:

Investments
Client group and marketing
Operations and central services

2021

255
269
644
1,168

From 1 April 2020, 127 employees were reclassified from client group and marketing to operations and central services.

3(b) Auditors’ remuneration

Fees payable to the Group’s auditors and their associates for the audit of the Group’s consolidated 
financial statements

Fees payable to the Group’s auditors and their associates for audit and other services:
Audit of the Group’s subsidiaries pursuant to legislation
Audit-related assurance services
Other assurance services

2021

£’m

0.4

0.7
0.2
0.5
1.8

2020
249
401
498
1,148

2020

£’m

0.3

0.7
0.3
0.2
1.5

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

4. Net interest (expense)/income

136

Interest income
Interest expense on lease liabilities
Other interest expense

Notes

18(b)

Interest income consists of interest on financial assets measured at amortised cost.

5. Tax expense

Current tax – current year
Current tax – adjustment for prior years

Current tax expense

Deferred tax – current year
Deferred tax – adjustment for prior years
Deferred tax – change in corporate tax rate

Deferred tax expense/(credit)

2021

£’m

2.4
(3.7)
(0.2)
(1.5)

2021

£’m

49.6
(0.5)
49.1

(0.1)
0.5
—
0.4
49.5

The UK corporate tax rate for 2021 was 19% (2020: 19%). The tax expense in the year is higher than the standard rate of 
corporate tax in the UK and the differences are explained below:

Reconciliation of effective tax rate
Effective rate of taxation
Tax effect of non-deductible expenses
Effect on deferred tax balances resulting from a change in tax rate
Adjustment to tax charge in respect of prior year
Tax effect of utilisation of tax losses
Effect of different tax rates applicable in foreign jurisdictions

United Kingdom standard tax rate

2021

%

24.3
(0.4)
—
(0.8)
0.1
(4.2)
19.0

2020

£’m
4.8
(3.0)
(0.1)
1.7

2020

£’m
43.6
(0.2)
43.4

0.5
(0.3)
(1.1)
(0.9)
42.5

2020

%

21.4
(0.3)
0.6
0.2
—
(2.9)
19.0

6. Exceptional items
Exceptional items are defined as significant items of income or expense arising from events or transactions that are not 
expected to recur frequently or regularly. Such items have been separately presented to enable a better understanding of 
the Group’s operating performance. This presentation involves judgement to identify the items that satisfy the requirements 
in accordance with IFRS. Exceptional items are set out below:

6(a) Financial impact of group restructures
Costs incurred in separating from Investec of £6.0 million (2020: £10.9 million) mainly relate to the demerger expenses 
including rebranding expenses (2020: rebranding and network migration).

6(b) Ninety One share scheme implementation
The Group established two new long-term incentive plans and a UK tax advantaged share incentive plan with effect from  
the Admission Date. Before the Date of Demerger, the Ninety One Business operated a bonus deferral arrangement where  
a portion of selected employees’ annual bonuses are deferred into investment funds managed by the Ninety One Business. 
The Ninety One share schemes are intended to complement this arrangement and allow for a portion of the annual bonus  
to be deferred into an award under the Ninety One share scheme.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Due to the terms attaching to these incentive plans, previously expensed bonus deferral costs for relevant employees are fully 
reversed and replaced by costs of the new long-term incentive plans over their vesting period. The net impact of reversing costs 
related to the deferred bonus arrangement into the Ninety One share scheme in March 2020 is set out below:

137

Reversal of costs related to the deferred bonus arrangement
Recognition of share-based payment expense and other related costs for the Ninety One share scheme

2020

£’m

18.3
(5.2)
13.1

After the first year implementation in March 2020, the above reversal of costs and share-based payment expenses related 
to the deferred bonus arrangement become part of the usual staff cost for the year ended 31 March 2021, and therefore 
they are no longer classified as exceptional items. 

7. Earnings per share 
The Group calculates earnings per share (“EPS”) on a number of different bases in accordance with IFRS and prevailing 
South African requirements.

7(a) Basic and diluted earnings per share
The calculations of basic and diluted EPS are based on IAS 33 Earnings Per Share; details are shown as below:

Basic EPS is calculated by dividing the profit for the year attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average 
number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year, excluding own shares held by the Ninety One Employee Benefit Trusts.

Diluted EPS is calculated by dividing the profit for the year attributable to ordinary shareholders by the weighted average 
number of ordinary shares outstanding during the year, plus the weighted average number of ordinary shares that would be 
issued on the conversion of all the potentially dilutive shares into ordinary shares. 

Profits attributable to ordinary shareholders

2021

£’m

154.4

2020

£’m
155.4

The table below summarises the calculation of the weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purpose of 
calculating basic and diluted earnings per share:

Weighted average number of ordinary shares
Ordinary shares in issue
Less: Own shares held by the Ninety One Employee Benefit Trusts
Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purpose of calculating basic EPS
Effect of dilutive potential shares – share awards
Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purpose of calculating diluted EPS
Basic EPS (pence)
Diluted EPS (pence)

2021

2020

Number of 
shares

Number of 
shares

922,714,076
(10,036,744)
912,677,332
4,109,493
916,786,825
16.9
16.8

922,714,076
(262,276)
922,451,800
—
922,451,800
16.8
16.8

7(b) Headline earnings and diluted headline earnings per share
The Group is required to calculate headline earnings per share (“HEPS”) in accordance with the JSE Listings Requirements, 
determined by reference to circular 1/2021 “Headline Earnings” issued by the South African Institute of Chartered 
Accountants.

The table below reconciles the profits attributable to ordinary shareholders to headline earnings and summarises the 
calculation of basic and diluted HEPS:

Profits attributable to ordinary shareholders
Share of profit from associates
Gain on partial disposal of associate
Loss on disposal of property and equipment
Headline earnings

2021

£’m

154.4
(0.6)
(0.2)
0.4
154.0

2020

£’m
155.4
(0.2)
—
—
155.2

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

138

7. Earnings per share continued
7(b) Headline earnings and diluted headline earnings per share continued

Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purpose of calculating basic EPS (note 7(a))
Weighted average number of ordinary shares for the purpose of calculating diluted EPS (note 7(a))
HEPS (pence)
Diluted HEPS (pence)

8. Property and equipment

2021

2020

Number of 
shares

912,677,332
916,786,825
16.9
16.8

Number of 
shares
922,451,800
922,451,800
16.8
16.8

2021
Cost
At 1 April
Additions
Disposals
Reclassified to assets classified as held for sale
Exchange adjustment

At 31 March

Accumulated depreciation
At 1 April
Depreciation
Disposals
Reclassified to assets classified as held for sale
Exchange adjustment

At 31 March

Leasehold 
improvements

Computer 
equipment

Fixtures and 
fittings

£’m

£’m

£’m

15.5
11.8
(1.5)
(0.5)
(0.1)
25.2

(1.4)
(1.9)
1.2
0.2
0.2
(1.7)

9.7
4.8
(0.4)
(4.8)
0.6
9.9

(6.4)
(2.6)
0.4
3.9
(0.6)
(5.3)

1.5
2.8
(0.2)
(0.3)
0.2
4.0

(0.9)
(0.6)
0.1
0.1
(0.1)
(1.4)

Total

£’m

26.7
19.4
(2.1)
(5.6)
0.7
39.1

(8.7)
(5.1)
1.7
4.2
(0.5)
(8.4)

Net book value at 31 March 2021

23.5

4.6

2.6

30.7

Leasehold 
improvements

Computer 
equipment

Fixtures and 
fittings

£’m

£’m

£’m

2020
Cost
At 1 April
Additions
Disposals
Reclassified to assets classified as held for sale
Exchange adjustment

At 31 March

Accumulated depreciation
At 1 April
Depreciation
Disposals
Reclassified to assets classified as held for sale
Exchange adjustment

At 31 March

Net book value at 31 March 2020

6.1
9.9
(0.4)
—
(0.1)
15.5

(1.3)
(0.5)
0.4
—
—
(1.4)

14.1

12.1
2.8
(4.0)
—
(1.2)
9.7

(9.5)
(1.7)
4.0
—
0.8
(6.4)

3.3

Total

£’m

19.4
13.4
(4.6)
—
(1.5)
26.7

(11.7)
(2.5)
4.6
—
0.9
(8.7)

1.2
0.7
(0.2)
—
(0.2)
1.5

(0.9)
(0.3)
0.2
—
0.1
(0.9)

0.6

18.0

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 20219. Deferred taxation

Deferred tax assets arising from the following:
Accelerated capital allowances
Employee benefits 
Capital gains tax on fair value gains
Deferred compensation payments
Prepayments
Donation

At 1 April
Deferred tax (charge)/credit to profit from operations
Deferred tax (charge)/credit to other comprehensive income:
Deferred tax on revaluation of pension fund asset
Deferred tax on other movements through other comprehensive income
Transfer to assets classified as held for sale
Exchange adjustments

At 31 March

Deferred tax liabilities arising from the following:
Deferred capital allowance
Unrealised capital gain
Other temporary differences

At 1 April
Deferred tax charge to profit from operations
Deferred tax charge/(credit) related to policyholder funds
Exchange adjustments

At 31 March

139

2021

£’m

0.3
10.1
(0.4)
14.8
—
—
24.8

25.2
(0.2)

(0.2)
0.1
(0.8)
0.7
24.8

—
28.8
0.2
29.0

5.7
0.2
21.9
1.2
29.0

2020

£’m

0.2
10.5
—
14.5
(0.1)
0.1
25.2

25.3
0.9

0.4
0.1
—
(1.5)
25.2

0.1
5.6
—
5.7

15.3
—
(8.8)
(0.8)
5.7

On 24 February 2021, the South African Government proposed that the South Africa corporate income tax rate be 
decreased to 27% for companies with years of assessment commencing on or after 1 April 2022. On 3 March 2021, the UK 
Government proposed that the UK corporate income tax rate be increased to 25% from 1 April 2023. The effect of these 
legislative changes is not reflected in the above calculation of the deferred tax asset or liabilities as the rates were not 
substantively enacted before 31 March 2021. The Group has concluded that the changes in tax rates are unlikely to have  
a significant effect to the Group’s future tax charge.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

10. Linked investments backing policyholder funds

140

Quoted investments at fair value
Equities
Interest-bearing stocks, debentures and other loans
Derivatives

Unquoted investments at fair value
Collective investment schemes
Mutual funds
Equities
Interest-bearing stocks, debentures and other loans
Derivatives
Cash and cash equivalents

At 31 March

At 1 April
Net fair value gains/(losses) on linked investments backing policyholder funds
Net acquisition of linked investments backing policyholder funds1
Net movement in cash and cash equivalents within linked investments backing policyholder funds
Exchange adjustment

At 31 March

2021

£’m

2020

£’m

807.8
1,602.5
1.4
2,411.7

3,676.6
1,905.7
9.9
953.0
1.0
106.0
6,652.2

412.3
1,429.5
(30.9)
1,810.9

2,886.4
1,233.9
4.5
824.2
(13.5)
242.1
5,177.6

9,063.9

6,988.5

6,988.5
1,190.2
397.9
(136.1)
623.4
9,063.9

8,173.7
(588.7)
568.3
86.6
(1,251.4)
6,988.5

1. 

 Net acquisition of linked investments backing policyholder funds has been disclosed as cash flows from investing activities as it results in a recognised asset which will 
generate future income and cashflows to the Group.

11. Investments

Non-current
Investments in unlisted investment vehicles

Current
Deferred compensation investments
Investments in pooled vehicles

12. Cash and cash equivalents

Cash at bank and on hand
Money Market Funds

2021

£’m

5.5

73.7
3.1
76.8

2021

£’m

185.1
152.4
337.5

2020

£’m

4.8

70.6
1.7
72.3

2020

£’m
152.0
42.5
194.5

Cash balances within linked investments backing policyholder funds are not included as they are not due to the Group.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202113. Share capital, other reserves and dividends
13(a) Share capital
Ordinary shares are classified as equity instruments when there is no contractual obligation to deliver cash or other assets 
to another entity. The value of the Group’s share capital consists of the number of ordinary shares in issue in Ninety One plc 
and Ninety One Limited multiplied by their nominal value. 

141

The tables below provide details of the share capital of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited.

Ninety One plc
Ordinary shares of £0.0001 each, issued, allotted and fully paid1

Special shares of £0.0001 each, issued, allotted and fully paid:2
Special converting shares
UK DAS share
UK DAN share
Special voting share
Special rights share

Ninety One plc balance at 31 March 2021 and 2020

Number of 
shares

622,624,622

300,089,454
1
1
1
1

Nominal value

£’m

0.1

—
—
—
—
—
0.1

On the Date of Demerger, Ninety One plc acquired the net assets of Ninety One UK Limited (previously Investec Asset 
Management Limited), the former holding company of the Ninety One Business in the UK, from Investec and Forty Two  
Point Two for a consideration of £915.3 million. The transfer was effected by the issue of 622,624,621 ordinary shares by 
Ninety One plc, with the balance giving rise to the share premium of £732.2 million and a merger reserve of £183.0 million, 
being the differences between the nominal value of shares issued and the consideration of the acquired net assets of  
Ninety One UK Limited. Share premium was subsequently transferred to a distributable reserve by means of the reduction  
of share capital.

Ninety One Limited
Ordinary shares with no par value, issued, allotted and fully paid1

Special shares with no par value, issued, allotted and fully paid:2
Special converting shares
SA DAS share
SA DAN share
Special voting share
Special rights share

Ninety One Limited balance at 31 March 2021 and 2020

Number of 
shares

300,089,454

622,624,622
1
1
1
1

Nominal value

£’m

441.1

—
—
—
—
—
441.1

On the Date of Demerger, Ninety One Limited acquired the net assets of Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited (previously 
Investec Asset Management Holding Proprietary Limited), the former holding company of the Ninety One Business in 
Southern Africa, from Investec and Forty Two Point Two for a consideration of £441.1 million. The transfer was effected  
by the issue of 300,089,454 ordinary shares by Ninety One Limited.

Total ordinary shares in issue and share capital at 31 March 2021 and 2020

Number of 
shares

922,714,076

Nominal value

£’m

441.2

1. 

 All ordinary shares in issue rank pari passu and carry the same voting rights and entitlement to receive dividends and other distributions declared or paid by the Group. 
Ninety One Limited is authorised to issue one billion ordinary shares with no par value.

2.   Special shares will not have any rights to vote, except on a resolution either to vary the rights attached to such share or on a winding-up of Ninety One plc or Ninety 
One Limited, nor any right to receive any dividend, other distribution or repayment of capital by Ninety One plc or Ninety One Limited. Under the terms of the DLC 
Agreements, shareholders of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited have common economic and voting rights as if Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited are a 
single decision-making body. These include equivalent dividends on a per share basis, joint electorate and class right variations, special converting shares, special 
voting share and special rights share are issued to facilitate joint voting by shareholders of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited on any joint electorate action and 
class rights action. The UK DAS share, UK DAN share, SA DAS share and SA DAN share are dividend access shares that support the DLC equalisation principles, 
including the requirement that ordinary shareholders of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited are paid equal cash dividends per share.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

142

13. Share capital, other reserves and dividends continued
13(b) Own share reserve
The Group established the employee benefit trusts (“EBTs”) for the purpose of purchasing the Group’s shares and satisfying 
the share-based payment awards granted to employees. The EBTs are funded and operated by the relevant entity of the 
Group and hold shares that have not vested unconditionally to employees of the Group. The EBTs are consolidated into the 
Group’s consolidated financial statements, with any Ninety One shares held by the EBTs classified as own shares deducted 
from equity of the Group’s consolidated statement of financial position. These shares are recorded at cost, and no gain or  
loss is recognised in the Group’s consolidated income statement on the purchase, sale, issue or cancellation of these shares.

Movements in the own share reserve during the year were as follows:

At 1 April
Own shares purchased

At 31 March

2021

£’m

(9.9)
(9.6)
(19.5)

2020

£’m
—
(9.9)
(9.9)

During the year ended 31 March 2021, 4.6 million ordinary shares (2020: 6.4 million) were purchased by the EBTs. 

At 31 March 2021, 11.0 million ordinary shares (2020: 6.4 million) were held as own shares within the EBTs for the purpose  
of satisfying share award obligations to employees. 

13(c) Other reserves
The following table shows the movements in other reserves during the year:

2021
At 1 April

Distributable 

reserve Merger reserve

DLC reserve

£’m

(i)

£’m

(ii)

£’m

(iii)

732.2

183.0

(1,236.5)

Exchange differences on translating foreign 
subsidiaries
Exchange differences on translation of related 
assets and liabilities classified as held for sale
Share-based payment transactions

At 31 March

—

—

—

—
—
732.2

—
—
183.0

—
—
(1,236.5)

Share-based 
payment 
reserve

£’m

(iv)

4.7

—

—
7.8
12.5

2020
At 1 April
Exchange differences on translating foreign 
subsidiaries
Exchange differences on translation of related 
assets and liabilities classified as held for sale
Share-based payment transactions

At 31 March

Distributable 

reserve Merger reserve

DLC reserve

Share-based 
payment 
reserve

£’m

(i)
732.2

—

—
—
732.2

£’m

(ii)
183.0

—

—
—
183.0

£’m

(iii)
(1,236.5)

—

—
—
(1,236.5)

£’m

(iv)
—

—

—
4.7
4.7

Foreign 
currency 
translation 
reserve

£’m

(v)

Total

£’m

(35.0)

(351.6)

5.1

5.1

0.3
—
(29.6)

0.3
7.8
(338.4)

Foreign 
currency 
translation 
reserve

£’m

(v)
(24.8)

Total

£’m

(346.1)

(10.2)

(10.2)

—
—
(35.0)

—
4.7
(351.6)

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021(i) Distributable reserve
The share premium amounting to £732.2 million arising from the Demerger Transactions described in note 13(a), being the 
premium of shares issued by Ninety One plc to Investec plc shareholders in exchange for the 80 percent stake, plus one 
share, in Ninety One UK Limited, was subsequently transferred to a distributable reserve by effecting a court approved 
reduction of capital, reducing its share premium account in order to create a distributable reserve for future distributions.

143

(ii) Merger reserve
The merger reserve of £183.0 million is a legally created reserve that represents the premium of shares issued by Ninety One 
plc to Forty Two Point Two in exchange for its 20 percent (less one share) stake in Ninety One UK Limited. This transaction 
attracted merger relief under section 612 of the Companies Act 2006.

(iii) DLC reserve
The DLC reserve of £1,236.5 million is an accounting reserve in equity to reflect the difference between the consideration 
for the acquired net assets of Ninety One UK Limited and Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited (i.e. the value of shares 
issued by Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited) amounting to £1,356.4 million and the share capital and share premium  
of Ninety One UK Limited and Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited amounting to £119.9 million.

(iv) Share-based payment reserve
The share-based payment reserve of £12.5 million (2020: £4.7 million) comprises the fair value of share awards granted 
which are yet to be exercised. The amount will be reversed to the own share reserve when the related awards are forfeited 
or vested and transferred to employees.

(v) Foreign currency translation reserve
The foreign currency translation reserve of £29.6 million (2020: £35.0 million) represents the exchange differences arising 
from the translation of the financial statements of foreign subsidiaries.

13(d) Dividends
Dividends are distributions of profit to holders of the Group’s share capital and as a result are recognised as a deduction in 
equity. Dividends are recognised only when they are approved by the shareholders of the Group. The table below shows the 
total dividends paid during the year.

Ordinary dividends
Prior year’s final dividend paid
Interim dividend paid
Dividend paid prior to the Demerger

Total dividends attributable to ordinary shareholders

2021

2020

Pence per 
share

—
5.9
—
5.9

£’m

—
53.9
—
53.9

Pence per 
share

7.0
7.0
5.8
19.8

£’m

64.7
64.6
53.8
183.1

Dividend per share is calculated by dividing dividends paid by the number of shares in issue. The prior year dividends are not 
comparable to the current year dividends as they were paid to shareholders when Ninety One was part of Investec and 
included a third dividend related to the distribution profits prior to the Date of Demerger.

On 19 May 2021, the Board recommended a final dividend for the year ended 31 March 2021 of 6.7 pence per ordinary share, 
an estimated £61.7 million in total. The dividend is expected to be paid on 12 August 2021 to ordinary shareholders on the 
registers at the close of business on 23 July 2021.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

14. Policyholder investment contract liabilities

144

At 1 April

Investment income on linked investments backing policyholder funds
Net fair value gains/(losses) on linked investments backing policyholder funds
Investment and administration expenses
Income tax (expense)/credit – policyholders’ funds
Surplus transferred to shareholders
Net fair value change on policyholder investment contract liabilities

Contributions
Withdrawals
Exchange adjustment

At 31 March

15. Other liabilities

Non-current
Deferred compensation liabilities
Other liabilities

Current
Deferred compensation liabilities

Deferred compensation liabilities include applicable employer tax.

16. Trade and other payables

Employee related payables
Trade payables
Amounts payable to Investec

2021

£’m

7,002.8

345.8
1,190.2
(26.6)
(26.9)
(27.5)
1,455.0

1,012.1
(1,058.9)
622.6
9,033.6

2020

£’m
8,190.9

452.9
(588.7)
(27.6)
4.5
(28.3)
(187.2)

975.1
(722.1)
(1,253.9)
7,002.8

2021

£’m

39.2
0.4
39.6

40.0
79.6

2021

£’m

161.8
219.3
0.5
381.6

2020

£’m

39.3
—
39.3

37.6
76.9

2020

£’m
145.4
158.1
0.8
304.3

17. Related parties
In the ordinary course of business, the Group carries out transactions with related parties, as defined by IAS 24 Related 
Party Disclosures. Apart from those disclosed elsewhere in the consolidated financial statements, material transactions  
for the year are set out below:

17(a) Transactions with key management personnel
Prior to the Date of Demerger, the key management personnel are defined as the Directors of Ninety One UK Limited and 
Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited, which are the former holding companies of the Ninety One Business. Certain 
Directors are not paid directly by the Ninety One Business, but received remuneration from Investec in respect of their 
services to the larger group, which included the Ninety One Business. Following the Date of Demerger, the key management 
personnel are defined as the Directors (both Executive and Non-Executive) of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited. 
Details of the compensation paid to the Directors are disclosed on  page 91 as well as their shareholdings in the Group  
on page 95 of the Annual Report on Remuneration.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021The remuneration related to key management personnel for employee services is as follows:

Type of remuneration
Short-term employee benefits
Share-based payments

145

2021

£’m

5.7
1.2
6.9

2020

£’m

11.2
–
11.2

17(b) Balance and transactions with Marathon Trust and Forty Two Point Two
Ninety One employees indirectly hold an interest in the Group through the Marathon Trust (the “Trust”) and Forty Two Point 
Two. The Trust owns 100 percent of Forty Two Point Two and Forty Two Point Two owns 21.85 percent (2020: 20.35 percent)  
of the Group. During the year ended 31 March 2021, Forty Two Point Two increased their shareholding in the Group by  
1.5 percent (2020: increased by 0.35 percent) through purchases of shares in the market. 

The terms and conditions of the transaction were no more favourable than those available, or which might be expected to 
be available, on a similar transaction to non-related entities. There are no cross guarantees between Ninety One and Forty 
Two Point Two.

17(c) Balances and transactions with former parent group, Investec
Investec retains significant influence over the Group by holding 25 percent (2020: 25 percent) of the Group’s shares, 
therefore Investec and its Directors remain related parties to the Group for the financial years 2021 and 2020. The Group 
had various transactions with Investec and its subsidiaries, all of which were in the normal course of business. Transactions 
and balances are as follows:

Transactions with Investec
Interest income on deposit account – Investec Bank Limited1
Administration fee expenses2

Balances with Investec
Amounts payable to Investec
Current account with Investec Bank Limited1
Current account with Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited1

2021

£’m

—
4.0

2021

£’m

0.5
1.3
0.3

2020

£’m

0.3
11.1

2020

£’m

0.8
1.1
0.2

1. 

 The current accounts with Investec Bank Limited and Investec Bank (Channel Islands) Limited earn interest at 6.7% (2020: 6.7%) and 0% (2020: 0%) per annum 
respectively.

2.   Investec incurred operating expenditures (i.e. accommodation, system and information) on behalf of the Group. Investec recharged these expenditures at cost to the 

Group on a monthly basis.

17(d) Other related parties
The Group operates and participates in staff pension schemes as detailed in note 20. Transactions made between the Group 
and the Group’s staff pension schemes are made in the normal course of business.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

146

18. Leases
18(a) Amounts recognised in the consolidated statement of financial position 

Right-of-use assets
Office premises

Lease liabilities
Current
Non-current

2021

£’m

90.3

4.3
106.1
110.4

2020

£’m

90.7

2.7
98.9
101.6

Additions to the right-of-use assets during the year ended 31 March 2021 were £14.1 million (2020: £19.2 million). 

Calculation of leased assets and liabilities requires the use of both estimation and judgement. The determination of the lease 
term for each lease involves the Group assessing any extension and termination options, the enforceability of such options, 
and judging whether it is reasonably certain that they will be exercised. Several of the Group’s leases contain such clauses. 
For each lease, a conclusion was reached on the overall likelihood of the option being exercised. The potential future cash 
outflows relating to extension options not included in the measurement of lease liabilities approximate to £94.0 million 
(2020: £90.4 million).

In addition, the identification of an appropriate discount rate to use in the calculation of the lease liability involves both 
estimation and judgement. Where the lease’s implicit rate is not readily determinable, an incremental borrowing rate must  
be calculated by the Group. The discount rate used has a direct effect on the size of the lease liability capitalised, however, 
assessment showed that a change in the discount rate is unlikely to have a material impact on the Group.

The following table shows the remaining contractual maturities of the Group’s lease liabilities at the end of the current 
reporting period:

2021

2020

Present value 
of the minimum 
lease 
payments

Total minimum 
lease 
payments

Present value 
of the minimum 
lease 
payments

Total minimum 
lease 
payments

Within one year
Between one and five years
Over five years

£’m

4.3
35.5
70.6
110.4

18(b) Amounts recognised in the consolidated income statement 

Depreciation of right-of-use assets
Interest expense on lease liabilities

£’m

7.4
47.7
80.0
135.1

Notes

3

4

£’m
2.7
20.2
78.7
101.6

2021

£’m

11.5
3.7

£’m
2.8
35.4
90.7
128.9

2020

£’m
10.7
3.0

The total cash outflow for leases during the year ended 31 March 2021 was £5.2 million (2020: £5.7 million).

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202119. Share-based payments
A summary of charges related to share-based payments (excluding employer taxes) for each share-based payment 
arrangement is set out below:

147

Ninety One plc LTIP and Ninety One Limited LTIP (note 19(a)(i))
Ninety One SIP (note 19(a)(ii))
Investec Share Plans (note 19(b))

Expense charged to statement of comprehensive income: Equity settled

Details of each share-based payment arrangement are presented below:

2021

£’m

7.5
0.3
1.0
8.8

2020

£’m
4.7
—
1.2
5.9

19(a) Ninety One share scheme
The Group established two new long-term incentive plans and a UK tax advantaged share incentive plan with effect from the 
Admission Date. These are the Ninety One plc Long-Term Incentive Plan 2020 (“Ninety One plc LTIP”), Ninety One Limited 
Long-Term Incentive Plan 2020 (“Ninety One Limited LTIP”) and Ninety One Share Incentive Plan 2020 (“Ninety One SIP”) 
(collectively known as the “Ninety One share scheme”). Awards under the Ninety One share scheme have been accounted 
for as equity-settled share-based payments. The fair value of the awards granted is recognised as an expense over the 
appropriate performance and vesting period.

(i) Ninety One plc LTIP and Ninety One Limited LTIP
Employees of Ninety One plc and its subsidiaries are eligible to participate in the Ninety One plc LTIP. Employees of  
Ninety One Limited and its subsidiaries are eligible to participate in the Ninety One Limited LTIP. Awards are made at  
the discretion of the Group’s Human Capital and Remuneration Committee and may be granted in the form of options, 
forfeitable shares or conditional awards. Awards granted under the Ninety One plc LTIP are over shares in Ninety One plc 
and awards granted under the Ninety One Limited LTIP are over shares in Ninety One Limited.

The awards granted under the Ninety One plc LTIP and Ninety One Limited LTIP took the form of forfeitable shares or 
conditional awards.

Awards are granted in the following circumstances:

 ɽ Listing awards – on the Admission Date, awards over approximately £2,000 worth of shares were made to all eligible 

employees of selected subsidiaries of the Group as at the date of admission. These listing awards will vest after three years;

 ɽ annual bonus deferral into shares – before the Date of Demerger, the Ninety One Business operated a bonus deferral 

arrangement where a portion of selected employees’ annual bonuses were deferred into investment funds managed by 
the Ninety One Business. The Ninety One share scheme is intended to complement this arrangement and allow for a 
portion of the annual bonus to be deferred into an award under the Ninety One plc LTIP or Ninety One Limited LTIP.  
The bonus deferral awards over shares will vest after three years, in line with the vesting period of awards deferred into 
investment funds; 

 ɽ ad hoc awards for strategically important employees and new hires, excluding Executive Directors – these awards  

will vest in equal tranches on the third, fourth and fifth anniversaries of the grant; and

 ɽ annual single incentive award – awards granted to Executive Directors based on the long term and short term performance 
measures as determined by the Human Capital and Remuneration Committee annually. These awards will vest in full 
three years after award and will be subject to a further holding period after vesting.

Outstanding at 1 April
Granted
Vested
Forfeited

Outstanding at 31 March

2021
 Number of 
ordinary 
shares

5,631,288
4,505,800
(42,531)
(96,800)
9,997,757

2020
Number of 
ordinary 
shares
—
5,631,288
—
—
5,631,288

The weighted average fair value of shares granted under these plans during the year ended 31 March 2021 is £2.284  
(2020: £1.531). Fair value is equal to the market value of the shares at the date of grant.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

148

19. Share-based payments continued
19(a) Ninety One share scheme continued
(ii) Ninety One SIP
The Ninety One SIP is an all-employee share plan. Free share awards (over approximately £2,000 worth of shares in Ninety 
One plc) were made under the Ninety One SIP. All eligible UK employees on the Admission Date received their listing awards 
(as described in 19(a)(i)) as free share awards under the Ninety One SIP. The Ninety One SIP may be used as an employee 
share purchase plan in the future. The free share awards granted in the year ended 31 March 2020 will be subject to a 
three-year holding period starting from the grant date.

Outstanding at 1 April
Granted
Vested
Forfeited

Outstanding at 31 March

2021
Number of 
ordinary 
shares

594,900
—
(27,762)
(17,186)
549,952

2020
Number of 
ordinary 
shares
—
594,900
—
—
594,900

The charge for the Ninety One SIP during the year ended 31 March 2020 amounted to £13,000. The weighted average fair 
value of shares granted under this plan during the year ended 31 March 2020 was £1.512. Fair value is equal to the market 
value of the shares at the date of grant.

19(b) Investec Share Plans
(i) Investec Share Plans – Investec Ordinary Shares
Investec operates a share option scheme involving share options in Investec Limited and Investec plc (the “Investec Share 
Plans”). The Investec Share Plans, which are on an equity-settled basis, allow the Group’s employees to acquire shares  
of Investec Limited and Investec plc (“Investec Ordinary Shares”) prior to the Date of Demerger. Following the Date of 
Demerger, share awards outstanding at the Date of Demerger under the Investec Share Plans continue on their vesting 
schedule, modified such that the awards are over a combination of Investec Ordinary Shares and ordinary shares of the 
Group (“Ninety One Ordinary Shares”), in the same ratio as received by the holders of Investec Ordinary Shares on the 
Admission Date. As a result of this arrangement, the obligation of settling both Investec Ordinary Shares and ordinary  
shares of the Group remains with Investec. Investec continues to recharge the expenses arising from these share-based 
payments related to the Group’s employees until all the options are vested. As the changes to the Investec Share Plans are 
not beneficial to the employees of the Group, these changes do not result in the accounting for modification to the share-
based payment arrangement under IFRS 2. Awards over Ninety One Ordinary shares continue to be accounted for as 
equity-settled share-based payments within the scope of IFRS 2. Awards over Investec Ordinary Shares are accounted  
for as employee benefits within the scope of IAS 19 Employee Benefits. The following summarises the details of the awards 
under the Investec Share Plans.

The number and weighted average exercise price (“WAEP”) for options outstanding during the year are as follows:

UK Schemes

South African Schemes

2021

2020

2021

2020

Outstanding at 1 April
Relocation of 
employees
Granted
Exercised
Lapsed

Outstanding 
at 31 March

Number of 
share options

 1,104,769

WAEP 
£

0.01

Number of 
share options
308,274

WAEP 
£
0.13

Number of 
share options

 587,494

—
—
(46,834)
(5,196)

—
—
—
0.99

—
890,471
(61,074)
(32,902)

—
—
—
0.51

—
—
(206,074)
 (18,363)

1,052,739

0.01

1,104,769

0.01

363,057

Exercisable at 31 March

3,362

—

3,956

—

6,469

WAEP 
R

—

—
—
—
—

—

—

Number of 
share options
803,416

WAEP 
R
—

(9,236)
—
(176,353)
(30,333)

587,494

10,978

—
—
—
—

—

—

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021The exercise price range and weighted average remaining contractual life for share options outstanding at the year end 
were as follows:

Exercise price range
Weighted average remaining contractual life (years)

UK Schemes

South African Schemes

2021
£0 – 4.18
3.33

2020
£0 – 4.18
4.16

2021
R —
0.99

2020
R —
1.54

149

The fair value of share options at the grant date, granted during the year ended, 31 March 2020 was £2.8 million. The fair 
values of shares options granted were calculated at the market price of the shares; additional information relating to the 
options were as follows:

Share price at date of grant
Exercise price
Option life (years)

UK Schemes

South African Schemes

2021
n/a
n/a
n/a

2020
£4.38 – £4.79
£0
7 – 7.25

2021
n/a
n/a
n/a

2020
n/a
n/a
n/a

(ii) Investec Share Plans – Ninety One Ordinary Shares
The movement for numbers of options outstanding to acquire Ninety One Ordinary Shares and the WAEP during the year 
were as follows:

UK Schemes

South African Schemes

2021

2020

2021

2020

Number of 
share options

WAEP 
£

Number of 
share options

WAEP 
£

Number of 
share options

WAEP 
R

Number of 
share options

WAEP 
R

Outstanding at 1 April 
2020/issued at  
the Date of Demerger
Exercised
Lapsed

Outstanding 
at 31 March

 552,139
 (23,645)
 (2,599)

0.01
—
0.81

553,397
(1,258)
—

0.01
—
—

 293,790
 (105,231)
 (9,181)

525,895

0.01

552,139

0.01

179,378

Exercisable at 31 March

1,221

—

1,717

—

1,114

—
—
—

—

—

297,347
(3,557)
—

293,790

5,502

—
—
—

—

—

The exercise price range and weighted average remaining contractual life for share options outstanding at the year end 
were as follows:

Exercise price range
Weighted average remaining contractual life (years)

UK Schemes

South African Schemes

2021
£0 – 3.39
3.33

2020
£0 – 3.39
4.16

2021
R —
0.99

2020
R —
1.54

20. Pension scheme
20(a) Defined benefit scheme
The Group participates in the Ninety One UK Pension Scheme, formerly Investec Asset Management Pension Scheme,  
(the “Scheme”), which is a closed defined benefit scheme. The Scheme is a registered defined benefit final salary scheme 
subject to the UK regulatory framework for pensions and is administered by its trustees with their assets held separately from 
those of the Group. The trustees are required by the Trust Deed to act in the best interest of the scheme participants. The 
Scheme was funded by contributions from the Group in accordance with an independent actuary’s recommendation  
based on actuarial valuations. The latest independent actuarial valuations of the Scheme were at 31 March 2021 by qualified 
independent actuaries. The Group does not expect further contributions to the Scheme for the next annual reporting 
period. There is no restriction to the amount of surplus that can be recognised, as the Group has the right to a refund of  
the surpluses assuming the gradual settlement of the Scheme over time until all members have left the Scheme.

The Scheme exposes the Group to actuarial risks, such as interest rate risk, investment risk and longevity risk.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

150

20. Pension scheme continued
20(a) Defined benefit scheme continued
The pension fund obligation in respect of the Scheme is as follows:

Ninety One Diversified Growth Fund (formerly Investec Diversified Growth Fund)
Ninety One Cautious Managed Fund (formerly Investec Cautious Managed Fund)
Trustees’ bank account
Total fair value of plan assets
Present value of obligation

Pension fund obligation recognised in the consolidated statement of financial position

2021

£’m

9.0
8.2
0.1
17.3
(18.0)
(0.7)

2020

£’m
7.4
6.9
0.1
14.4
(16.2)
(1.8)

The Ninety One Diversified Growth Fund and Ninety One Cautious Managed Fund are managed funds that invest primarily  
in a globally diversified portfolio of assets, mainly consisting of global equities, bonds issued by governments, physical gold 
and silver bullion and money market instruments. The funds are quoted in an active market and their underlying investments 
are either level 1 or level 2 investments.

Movements in plan assets:
Plan assets at 1 April
Benefits paid including expenses
Interest income
Return on plan assets, excluding interest income

Plan assets at 31 March

Movements in the present value of the defined benefit obligation:
Obligations at 1 April
Actuarial loss/(gain) arising from changes in financial assumptions
Benefits paid including expenses
Interest cost
Administration costs

Obligations at 31 March

Amounts recognised in the consolidated statement of comprehensive income are as follows:
Actuarial (loss)/gain
Return on plan assets, excluding interest income

Total defined benefit credit/(cost)

The major assumptions used were:

Inflation assumption
Rate of increase in pensions in payment for post 1997 service
Rate of increase in pensionable salaries
Discount rate

2021

£’m

14.4
(0.4)
0.3
3.0
17.3

16.2
1.9
(0.4)
0.3
—
18.0

(1.9)
3.0
1.1

2021

%

3.3
 3.3
3.3
 1.95

2020

£’m

17.8
(1.3)
0.4
(2.5)
14.4

17.6
(0.6)
(1.3)
0.4
0.1
16.2

0.7
(2.5)
(1.8)

2020

%
2.6
2.6
2.6
2.3

The defined benefit obligation is not expected to be materially different as a result of a 0.25% change in the above major 
assumptions. This sensitivity assessment is based on the assumption that changes in actuarial assumptions are not 
correlated and therefore it does not take into account the correlations between the actuarial assumptions.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Maturity profile of the defined benefit obligation is as follows:

Deferred members
Pensioners

151

2021

Weighted 
average 
duration of the 
defined benefit 
obligation

20.8
13.0
17.3

Number of 
members

42
17
59

At 31 March 2021, there were no active members in the Scheme (2020: nil).

21. Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale
Disposal of subsidiaries 
On 25 September 2020, the Group entered into an agreement with a third party on the proposed sale of the Group’s transfer 
agency business in South Africa consisting of Silica Holdings Proprietary Limited and its direct and indirect subsidiaries 
(collectively “Silica”). The transaction is expected to be completed within one year of the date of the agreement. Consequently, 
the following assets and liabilities of Silica are classified as held for sale at 31 March 2021:

Assets classified as held for sale
Property and equipment
Investments
Right-of-use assets
Deferred tax assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade and other receivables

Liabilities classified as held for sale
Trade and other payables
Lease liabilities
Other liabilities

2021

£’m

1.4
1.8
0.6
0.8
3.5
4.1
12.2

5.6
0.7
1.3
7.6

22. Financial risk management and fair values of financial instruments
The Group has exposure to credit and liquidity risk which arises in the normal course of the business. The Group is also 
exposed to market risk arising from its financial instruments.

This note presents information about the Group’s exposure to each of the above risks and the objectives, policies and 
processes for measuring and managing risk.

The board of directors of the Group has overall responsibility for the establishment and oversight of the Group’s risk 
management framework. The Management Risk Committee, which is responsible for developing and monitoring the  
Group’s risk management policies, reports quarterly to the board of directors on its activities.

The Group’s risk management policies are established to identify and analyse the risks faced by the Group, to set 
appropriate risk limits and controls, and to monitor risks and adherence to limits. The Management Risk Committee meets 
once every two months and risk management policies and systems are reviewed regularly to reflect changes in market 
conditions and the Group’s business activities. The Management Audit Committee reviews and oversees financial, audit and 
tax-related matters. The Internal Audit Team undertakes both regular and ad hoc reviews of the governance framework, risk 
management and control environment, the results of which are reported to the Management Audit Committee, as well as 
the DLC Audit and Risk Committee.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

152

22. Financial risk management and fair values of financial instruments 
continued
The DLC Audit and Risk Committee oversees how management monitors compliance with the Group’s risk management 
policies and procedures and reviews the adequacy of the risk management framework in relation to the risks faced by the 
Group. The DLC Audit and Risk Committee receives updates from the Internal Audit Team, the Management Risk Committee 
and the Management Audit Committee on a regular basis. Material risks are appropriately escalated to the DLC Audit and 
Risk Committee, and all levels of risk are regularly and formally evaluated.

22(a) Policyholders’ assets and liabilities
The Group has no credit or market risk related to policyholders’ investments and trade and other receivables as they are 
matched by the liability that the Group has to its policyholders for the value of these assets. Therefore, the credit and market 
risk disclosure in the remainder of this note only deals with the financial risks related to non-policyholder financial assets  
and liabilities.

22(b) Credit risk
Credit risk is the risk of financial loss to the Group if a client or counterparty to a financial instrument fails to meet its 
contractual obligations and arises principally from the Group’s trade receivables. The Group’s credit risk arising from cash 
and cash equivalents is limited because the counterparties are reputable banks or financial institutions with a minimum 
credit rating of Ba3 or BB assigned by Moody’s and S&P respectively, which the management of the Group considers to 
have low credit risk. The maximum exposure to credit risk is represented by the carrying value of trade receivables and cash 
and cash equivalents. The Group has no significant concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade receivables as the 
client bases are widely dispersed in different sectors and industries. Ageing of trade receivables at year end was:

Less than 30 days
Between 30 and 90 days
More than 90 days

2021

£’m

110.2
4.9
0.1
115.2

2020

£’m
104.6
5.1
0.4
110.1

Outstanding balances are aged monthly and long outstanding balances are actively followed up.

ECLs are calculated on all of the Group’s financial assets that are measured at amortised cost. The Group applies the IFRS 9 
simplified approach to measuring ECLs for trade receivables at an amount equal to lifetime ECLs. The ECLs on trade 
receivables are determined by grouping together trade receivables with similar credit risk characteristics and collectively 
assessing them for the likelihood of recovery, taking into account prevailing economic conditions. While cash and cash 
equivalents are also subject to the impairment requirement of IFRS 9, the identified impairment loss was immaterial.

Expected loss rates are based on the payment profiles of trade receivables over the preceding ten years and the 
corresponding historical credit losses experienced within this period. These rates are adjusted to reflect differences 
between economic conditions during the period over which the historic data has been collected, current conditions  
and the Group’s view of economic conditions over the expected lives of the receivables.

The ECLs are considered insignificant as the results of the assessment showed an insignificant impact, therefore no loss 
allowance has been provided for the years ended 31 March 2021 and 2020.

22(c) Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Group cannot meet its financial obligations as they fall due. The Group’s approach to managing 
liquidity is to maintain sufficient liquidity to cover any cash flow funding, meeting obligations as they fall due and maintaining 
solvency. The Group holds sufficient liquid funds to cover its needs in the normal course of business. The maximum 
exposure to liquidity risk is represented by current financial liabilities. All outstanding amounts are unsecured and interest 
free. With the exception of lease liabilities, current financial liabilities are contractually due within one year or repayable on 
demand. The remaining contractual maturity of lease liabilities is disclosed in note 18.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202122(d) Market risk
Market risk is the risk that changes in market prices, such as foreign exchange rates, interest rates and equity prices will 
affect the Group’s income or the value of its holdings of financial instruments. The objective of market risk management  
is to manage and control market risk exposures within acceptable parameters.

153

(i) Currency risk
The Group is exposed to currency risk in the ordinary course of business on portions of its trade receivables, cash and cash 
equivalents and trade payables. Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations may create unpredictable earnings and cash 
flow volatility. Entities within the Group conducting business with international counterparties that leads to future cash flows 
denominated in a currency other than their functional currencies are exposed to the risk from changes in foreign currency 
exchange rates. Outstanding amounts are regularly monitored and settled to mitigate currency exposures. The risk is also 
mitigated by, as far as possible, closing all types of business transactions mainly in the functional currency.

Effects of foreign currency translation
The financial statements of those entities located outside of the United Kingdom are translated into Pound Sterling for the 
preparation of the financial statements of the Group. Investments in foreign-based operations are permanent and that 
reinvestment is continuous. Effects from foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations on the translation of net asset 
amounts into Pound Sterling are reflected in the equity position.

Cash flow sensitivity analysis
At the year ended 31 March 2021, if the functional currencies of respective foreign entities had strengthened by 10%, profit 
before tax of the Group would have decreased by £1.4 million (2020: £1.1 million). A 10% weakening would have had the equal 
but opposite effect. Results of the analysis represent an aggregation of the instantaneous effects on each of the entities’ 
profit before tax. There is no further impact on the Group’s equity. Differences from the translation of the financial statements 
of foreign operations into the Group’s presentation currency are excluded.

(ii) Interest rate risk
The Group adopts a policy of ensuring that its exposure to changes in interest rates is on a floating rate basis as virtually all 
such exposures are short-term in nature. At the year end, the Group’s only interest-bearing financial instruments were cash 
and cash equivalents (2020: cash and cash equivalents and loan receivable from a staff share scheme trust, which are 
variable rate instruments).

Cash flow sensitivity analysis
An increase of 10 basis points in interest rates at the year ended 31 March 2021 would have increased profit before tax by: 
£0.3 million (2020: £0.2 million). A decrease of 10 basis points in interest rates at year end would have had the equal but 
opposite effect. There is no further impact on the Group’s equity. This assumes that all other variables remain constant and 
the year-end balance has been constant throughout the year. The analysis is performed on the same basis for the prior year.

(iii) Price risk
The financial instruments of the Group subject to price risk are its deferred compensation investments and its investments in 
pooled vehicles which are seed capital investments. As the Group’s deferred compensation investments are matched by the 
liability the Group has to its employees for the value of these investments, there is no impact to the consolidated statement 
of comprehensive income for changes in the values of these investments. Price risk on seed capital investments is not 
deemed to be significant due to the size of these holdings.

22(e) Capital management
The capital of the Group is considered to be its share capital and reserves. The Group’s objectives and policies are to retain 
sufficient capital on hand to meet the external minimum capital requirements of the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) in 
the UK, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (“FSCA”) in South Africa and certain overseas financial regulators and to 
safeguard the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern. All regulated entities within the Group complied with the 
externally imposed regulatory capital requirements. Through our internal capital adequacy assessment processes and in 
conjunction with the board of directors, management assesses the capital requirements to ensure that the Group holds 
sufficient capital to mitigate the financial impact of any key risks materialising. There were no changes in the approach to 
capital management during the year.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

154

22. Financial risk management and fair values of financial instruments  
continued
22(f) Financial instruments by category

At 31 March 2021
Investments
Investment in associates
Property and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Deferred tax assets
Linked investments backing policyholder funds
Trade and other receivables
Income tax recoverable
Cash and cash equivalents
Assets classified as held for sale

Total assets

Policyholder investment contract liabilities
Other liabilities
Lease liabilities
Pension fund obligation
Trade and other payables
Income tax payable
Deferred tax liabilities
Liabilities classified as held for sale

Total liabilities

Financial 
instruments at 
FVTPL

Financial 
instruments 
measured at 
amortised cost

Total financial 
instruments

Non-financial 
instruments

£’m

82.3
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 9,063.9 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 9,146.2 

 (9,033.6)
 (79.6)
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 (9,113.2)

£’m

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
242.4
 — 
337.5
 — 
 579.9 

 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 (381.6)
—
 — 
 — 
 (381.6)

£’m

 82.3 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 — 
 9,063.9 
 242.4 
 — 
 337.5 
 — 
 9,726.1 

 (9,033.6)
 (79.6)
 — 
 — 
 (381.6)
—
 — 
 — 
 (9,494.8)

£’m

 — 
0.7
30.7
90.3
24.8
 — 
13.9
5.9
 — 
12.2
 178.5 

 — 
 — 
 (110.4)
 (0.7)
 — 
 (8.8)
 (29.0)
 (7.6)
 (156.5)

Total

£’m

82.3
0.7
30.7
90.3
24.8
 9,063.9 
 256.3 
 5.9 
 337.5 
 12.2 
 9,904.6 

 (9,033.6)
 (79.6)
 (110.4)
 (0.7)
 (381.6)
 (8.8)
 (29.0)
 (7.6)
 (9,651.3)

22(g) Fair value measurements
The fair values of all financial instruments are substantially similar to carrying values reflected in the statement of financial 
position as they are short-term in nature, subject to variable, market-related interest rates or stated at fair value in the 
statement of financial position. The Group measures fair values using the following fair value hierarchy that reflects the 
significance of the inputs used in making the measurements:

Level 1:   Quoted market price (unadjusted) in an active market for an identical instrument.

Level 2:    Valuation techniques based on observable inputs, either directly (i.e. as prices) or indirectly (i.e. derived from 

prices). The category includes instruments valued using quoted market prices in active markets for similar 
instruments, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are considered less than active  
or other valuation techniques where all significant inputs are directly or indirectly observable from market data.

Level 3:   Valuation techniques where one or more significant inputs are unobservable.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021The table below analyses financial instruments measured at fair value at the end of the reporting period by the level in the fair 
value hierarchy into which the fair value measurement is categorised:

Notes

Level 1

£’m

Level 2

£’m

Level 3

£’m

Total

£’m

155

At 31 March 2021
Deferred compensation investments
Investments in pooled vehicles
Unlisted investment vehicles
Investments backing policyholder funds
Policyholder investment contract liabilities

At 31 March 2020
Deferred compensation investments
Investments in pooled vehicles
Unlisted investment vehicles
Investments backing policyholder funds
Policyholder investment contract liabilities

11

11

11

10

14

11

11

11

10

14

73.7
3.1
—
2,411.7
(2,411.7)
76.8

70.6
1.7
—
1,810.9
(1,810.9)
72.3

—
—
—
6,583.1
(6,552.8)
30.3

—
—
—
5,137.3
(5,151.6)
(14.3)

—
—
5.5
69.1
(69.1)
5.5

—
—
4.8
40.3
(40.3)
4.8

73.7
3.1
5.5
9,063.9
(9,033.6)
112.6

70.6
1.7
4.8
6,988.5
(7,002.8)
62.8

During the years ended 2021 and 2020, there were no transfers between level 1 and level 2, or transfers into or out of level 3. 
The Group’s policy is to recognise transfers between levels of fair value hierarchy as at the end of the reporting period in 
which they occur. Carrying amounts of the financial assets and financial liabilities measured at amortised cost approximate 
fair value.

(i) Information about level 3 fair value measurements
Unlisted investment vehicles represent the Group’s investment in Ninety One Africa Private Equity Fund 2 L.P. (formerly 
Investec Africa Private Equity Fund 2 L.P.) and investment in Lango Real Estate Limited (formerly Growthpoint Investec 
African Properties Limited). The input used in measuring its fair value is the audited net asset value of the underlying 
investment which is calculated by the General Partner.

Investments backing policyholder funds/policyholder investment contract liabilities include derivatives that are not actively 
traded and where the principal input in their valuation (i.e. credit spreads) is unobservable. Accordingly, an alternative 
valuation methodology has been applied being either an EBITDA multiple or expected cost recovery.

A sensitivity analysis has not been presented as the “stressing” of the significant unobservable inputs applied in the valuation 
does not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

The movements during the year in the balance of the level 3 fair value measurements are as follows:

At 1 April
Purchase of investments
Unrealised gain/(loss) on investments1

At 31 March

1. 

 Unrealised gain/(loss) on investments are included in net gain/loss on investments on the consolidated income statement.

2021

£’m

4.8
0.4
0.3
5.5

2020

£’m
5.3
2.8
(3.3)
4.8

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156

23. Notes to the consolidated statement of cash flows
23(a) Reconciliation of cash flows from operations

Profit before tax

Adjusted for:
Net (gain)/loss on investments
Depreciation of property and equipment
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
Net interest expense/(income)
Net loss of pension fund
Net fair value (gains)/losses on linked investments backing policyholder funds
Net fair value change on policyholder investment contract liabilities
Net (withdrawals by)/contributions received from policyholders
Loss on disposal of property and equipment
Share of profit from associates
Gain on partial disposal of associate
Share-based payment amortisations related to Ninety One share scheme

Working capital changes:
Trade and other receivables
Assets classified as held for sale
Trade and other payables
Deferred income
Other liabilities
Liabilities classified as held for sale

Cash flows from operations

Notes

8

18(b)

4

10

14

2021

£’m

204.1

(15.6)
5.1
11.5
1.5
0.1
(1,190.2)
1,455.0
(46.8)
0.4
(0.6)
(0.2)
7.8

(3.7)
(8.7)
77.3
—
2.7
7.6
507.3

2020

£’m
198.5

4.2
2.5
10.7
(1.7)
0.1
588.7
(187.2)
253.0
—
(0.2)
—
4.7

(5.0)
—
(3.6)
(0.2)
(0.6)
—
863.9

Refer to the Annexure to the consolidated financial statements for the split of shareholder and policyholder cash flows.

23(b) Reconciliation of liabilities arising from financing activities
The table below details changes in the Group’s liabilities from financing activities, including both cash and non-cash 
changes. Liabilities arising from financing activities are liabilities for which cash flows were, or future cash flows will be, 
classified in the consolidated statement of cash flows as cash flows from financing activities.

At 1 April
Impact on initial application of IFRS 16

Changes from cash flows:
Payment of lease liabilities

Other changes:
Net change in lease liabilities from entering into new leases
Interest expense
Transfer to liabilities classified as held for sale

Exchange adjustments

At 31 March

Lease liabilities

2021

£’m

101.6
—

2020

£’m
—
88.6

(5.2)

(5.7)

13.8
3.7
(0.7)
113.2
(2.8)
110.4

16.2
3.0
—
102.1
(0.5)
101.6

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 202124. Commitments
The Group has a USD20.0 million private equity investment commitment to the Ninety One Africa Frontier Private Equity 
Associate Fund L.P. (formerly Investec Africa Frontier Private Equity Associate Fund L.P.) of which USD18.2 million (2020: 
USD18.2 million) has been paid. These amounts, net of amounts recovered to date, are reflected as non-current other 
receivables of USD3.8 million, equivalent to £2.7 million (2020: £5.6 million), and current other receivables of USD0.7 million, 
equivalent to £0.5 million (2020: £0.6 million). The Group also has a USD10.5 million (2020: USD10.5 million) private equity 
investment commitment to the Ninety One Africa Private Equity Fund 2 GP L.P. (formerly Investec Africa Private Equity Fund 
2 GP L.P.) of which USD8.8 million, equivalent to £5.5 million (2020: £4.8 million), has been paid as at 31 March 2021. This 
amount has been classified as a non-current investment.

157

25. Interests in unconsolidated structured entities
The Group has concluded that the mutual funds and investment trusts managed by the Group are structured entities. The 
table below describes the types of structured entities that the Group does not consolidate but in which it holds an interest.

Type of structured entity
Mutual funds and investment trusts

Nature and purpose
To manage assets on behalf of investors and 
generate fees for the investment manager.
These vehicles are financed through the issue of 
shares or units to investors.

Interest held by the Group
i) Shares or units issued by the funds or trusts
ii) Management fee and performance fee

The table below sets out interests held by the Group in unconsolidated structured entities. 

At 31 March 2021
At 31 March 2020

Number of funds

AUM of the funds

Carrying amount 
included in the 
statement of 
financial position

Investment 
management and 
performance fees 
for the year

Management/ 
performance fees 
receivable as at 
year end

137
145

£’bn

63.6
54.0

£’m

155.5
44.2

£’m

398.7
414.0

£’m

38.0
38.8

The Group’s proprietary investments in unconsolidated structured entities comprise investment in money market funds and 
seed investments which are classified as cash and cash equivalents and current investments on the consolidated statement 
of financial position respectively. The carrying value of the Group’s proprietary investments and fees receivable represent 
the Group’s maximum exposure to loss from the interests in unconsolidated structured entities. 

During the years ended 2021 and 2020, the Group did not provide financial support to unconsolidated structured entities 
and has no intention of providing financial or other support.

26. Events after the reporting date
Subsequent to the year end on 30 April 2021 (the “Closing Date”), the Group completed the sale of Silica for a total cash 
consideration of R422.1 million (equivalent to £21.1 million) which was fully settled on 3 May 2021. Silica was deconsolidated 
from the Group effective from the Closing Date as the Group ceased to have control over Silica. The Group recognised a 
post-tax profit on disposal of £11.1 million. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Consolidated Financial Statements

158

27. Subsidiaries and other related undertakings
The Group operates globally, which results in the Group having a corporate structure consisting of a number of related 
undertakings, comprising subsidiaries and associates. All subsidiaries have been consolidated in the Group’s financial 
statements. There are no restrictions or changes in ownership of the subsidiaries. The Group’s related undertakings along 
with the place of incorporation, the registered address, the classes of shares held and the effective percentage of equity 
owned at 31 March 2021 are disclosed below.

The addresses of the registered offices of Ninety One plc and Ninety One Limited are 55 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7EL, 
United Kingdom and 36 Hans Strijdom Avenue, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa respectively.

Company name
Principal subsidiaries and associates held by Ninety One plc 
United Kingdom  
Registered office: 55 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7EL
Ninety One Global Limited1
Ninety One International Limited
Ninety One UK Limited 
Ninety One Fund Managers UK Limited (formerly Investec Fund Managers Limited)

Guernsey  
Registered office: First Floor, Dorey Court, Elizabeth Avenue, St. Peter Port, GY1 2HT
Ninety One Guernsey Limited (formerly Investec Asset Management Guernsey Limited)
Lango Real Estate Management Limited3, 8  
(formerly Growthpoint Investec African Property Management Limited)
Ninety One Africa Frontier Private Equity Fund GP Limited  
(formerly Investec Africa Frontier Private Equity Fund GP Limited)
Ninety One Africa Private Equity Fund 2 GP Limited  
(formerly Investec Africa Private Equity Fund 2 GP Limited)
Lango Co-Invest GP Limited (formerly Growthpoint Investec African Properties Co-Invest GP Limited)
Lango Co-Invest LP7 (formerly Growthpoint Investec African Properties Co-Invest LP)

GIAP Manco Empowerment Limited3

Luxembourg  
Registered office: 2-4 Avenue Marie-Thérèse, L-2132
Ninety One Luxembourg S.A. 
Ninety One Africa Credit Opportunities Fund 2 GP S.à r.l.
Ninety One Global Alternative Fund 2 GP S.à r.l.

Switzerland  
Registered office: Seefeldstrasse 69, 8008 Zurich
Ninety One Switzerland GmbH 

United States of America  
Registered office: 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400, Wilmington, 19808, New Castle
Ninety One North America, Inc.

Australia 
Registered office: Suite 3, Level 28, Chifley Tower, 2 Chifley Square, Sydney, NSW 2000
Ninety One Australia Pty Limited

Hong Kong  
Registered office: Suite 1201-1206, 12/F, One Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Admiralty
Ninety One Hong Kong Limited 

Singapore  
Registered office: 8 Wilkie Road, #03-01 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095
Ninety One Singapore Pte. Limited 

Share class

Interest in %

Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary

100
100
100
100

Ordinary
Ordinary

100
42.5

Ordinary

100

Ordinary

100

Ordinary
Partnership 
interest
Ordinary

Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary

100
78

50

100
100
100

Ordinary

100

Ordinary

100

Ordinary

100

Ordinary

100

Ordinary

100

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Company name

Share class

Interest in %

Principal subsidiaries and associates held by Ninety One Limited
South Africa  
Registered office: 36 Hans Strijdom Avenue, Cape Town, 8001
Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited2 
Ninety One SA Proprietary Limited 
Ninety One Alternative Investments GP Proprietary Limited
Ninety One Fund Managers SA (RF) Proprietary Limited 
Ninety One Assurance Limited (formerly Investec Assurance Limited)
Ninety One Investment Platform Proprietary Limited 
Silica Holdings Proprietary Limited
Silica Financial Administration Solutions Proprietary Limited
Silica Administration Services Proprietary Limited
Silica Software Solutions Proprietary Limited
Silica Nominees Proprietary Limited
Grayston Nominees Proprietary Limited

Namibia  
Registered office: 24 Orban Street, Klein Windhoek, Windhoek
Ninety One Asset Management Namibia (Proprietary) Limited4
Ninety One Fund Managers Namibia Limited4 
Ninety One Asset Management Namibia Staff Share Scheme Trust5  
(formerly Investec Asset Management Namibia Staff Share Scheme Trust)

Botswana  
Registered office: Plot 465, Mathangwane Road, Extension 4, Gaborone
Ninety One Botswana Proprietary Limited6 
Ninety One Fund Managers Botswana Proprietary Limited6 

1.  Directly held by Ninety One plc.

2.  Directly held by Ninety One Limited.

3.  This is an associate to the Group.

159

Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary
Ordinary

100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100

Ordinary
Ordinary
Unspecified

100
100
–

Ordinary
Ordinary

90
90

4.   85 percent of the equity interest in these companies is directly held by Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited, the remaining 15 percent is indirectly held by  

Ninety One Africa Proprietary Limited via Ninety One Asset Management Namibia Staff Share Scheme Trust (the “Trust”). 

5.  The Group is considered to have control over the Trust under the requirements of IFRS 10. Accordingly, the Trust is classified as a subsidiary of the Group.

6.  Equity interest increased from 70 percent to 90 percent during the year ended 31 March 2021.

7.   The Group’s interest in the limited partnership decreased from 100 percent to 78 percent following the transfer of partnership interests.

8.    The effective holding by the Group decreased from 50 percent to 42.5 percent during the year ended 31 March 2021.The 42.5 percent effective holding consists  

of a 37.5 percent direct holding by Ninety One Guernsey Limited and a 5 percent indirect shareholding via GIAP Manco Empowerment Limited. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationAnnexure to the consolidated financial statements

Consolidated Statement  
of Financial Position (including policyholder figures)

160

2021

2020

Policyholders

Shareholders

Total

Policyholders

Shareholders

£’m

£’m

£’m

£’m

£’m

Assets
Investments
Investment in associates
Property and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Deferred tax assets
Other receivables

Total non-current assets

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

Investments
Linked investments backing policyholder funds
Income tax recoverable
Trade and other receivables
Cash and cash equivalents
Assets classified as held for sale

Total current assets

—
9,063.9
—
51.0
—
—
9,114.9

5.5
0.7
30.7
90.3
24.8
3.0
155.0

76.8
—
5.9
202.3
337.5
12.2
634.7

5.5
0.7
30.7
90.3
24.8
3.0
155.0

76.8
9,063.9
5.9
253.3
337.5
12.2
9,749.6

—
—
—
—
—
—
—

—
6,988.5
0.1
67.2
—
—
7,055.8

4.8
0.3
18.0
90.7
25.2
6.2
145.2

72.3
—
4.3
179.2
194.5
—
450.3

Total

£’m

4.8
0.3
18.0
90.7
25.2
6.2
145.2

72.3
6,988.5
4.4
246.4
194.5
—
7,506.1

Total assets

9,114.9

789.7

9,904.6

7,055.8

595.5

7,651.3

Liabilities
Other liabilities
Lease liabilities
Pension fund obligation
Deferred tax liabilities

Total non-current liabilities

Policyholder investment contract liabilities
Other liabilities
Lease liabilities
Trade and other payables
Income tax payable
Liabilities classified as held for sale

Total current liabilities

Equity
Share capital
Own share reserve
Other reserves
Retained earnings
Shareholders’ equity excluding  
non-controlling interests
Non-controlling interests

Total equity

—
—
—
28.8
28.8

9,033.6
—
—
51.9
0.6
—
9,086.1

—
—
—
—

—
—
—

39.6
106.1
0.7
0.2
146.6

—
40.0
4.3
329.7
8.2
7.6
389.8

441.2
(19.5)
(338.4)
169.9

253.2
0.1
253.3

39.6
106.1
0.7
29.0
175.4

9,033.6
40.0
4.3
381.6
8.8
7.6
9,475.9

441.2
(19.5)
(338.4)
169.9

253.2
0.1
253.3

—
—
—
5.6
5.6

7,002.8
—
—
47.4
—
—
7,050.2

—
—
—
—

—
—
—

39.3
98.9
1.8
0.1
140.1

—
37.6
2.7
256.9
7.1
—
304.3

441.2
(9.9)
(351.6)
71.0

150.7
0.4
151.1

39.3
98.9
1.8
5.7
145.7

7,002.8
37.6
2.7
304.3
7.1
—
7,354.5

441.2
(9.9)
(351.6)
71.0

150.7
0.4
151.1

Total equity and liabilities

9,114.9

789.7

9,904.6

7,055.8

595.5

7,651.3

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Consolidated Statement  
of Cash Flows (including policyholder figures)

2021

2020

Policyholders

Shareholders

Total

Policyholders

Shareholders

£’m

£’m

£’m

£’m

£’m

Total

£’m

161

204.1

204.1

Cash flows from operating activities
Profit before tax

Adjusted for:
Net (gain)/loss on investments
Depreciation of property and equipment
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
Net interest expense/(income)
Net loss of pension fund
Net fair value (gains)/losses on linked 
investments backing policyholder funds
Net fair value change on policyholder 
investment contract liabilities
Net (withdrawals by)/contributions received 
from policyholders
Loss on disposal of property and equipment
Share of profit from associates
Gain on partial disposal of associate
Share-based payment amortisations related to 
Ninety One share scheme

Working capital changes:
Trade and other receivables
Assets classified as held for sale
Trade and other payables
Deferred income
Other liabilities
Liabilities classified as held for sale
Cash flows from operations
Interest received
Interest paid in respect of lease liabilities
Other interest paid 
Income tax paid

Net cash flows from operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities
Net disposal/(acquisition) of investments
Additions to property and equipment
Net acquisition of linked investments backing 
policyholder funds

Net cash flows from investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities
Payment for acquisition of subsidiary’s interests 
in the non-controlling interests
Principal elements of lease payments
Purchase of own shares 
Dividends paid

Net cash flows from financing activities

Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April
Net change in cash and cash equivalents
Effect of foreign exchange rate changes

Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March

—

—
—
—
—
—

(1,190.2)

1,455.0

(46.8)
—
—
—

—

16.2
—
4.5
—
—
—
238.7
—
—
—
—
238.7

—
—

(397.9)
(397.9)

—
—
—
—
—

242.1
(159.2)
23.1
106.0

—

—
—
—
—
—

(15.6)
5.1
11.5
1.5
0.1

(1,190.2)

588.7

1,455.0

(187.2)

(46.8)
0.4
(0.6)
(0.2)

7.8

(3.7)
(8.7)
77.3
—
2.7
7.6
507.3
2.4
(1.2)
(0.2)
(48.9)
459.4

8.6
(19.4)

(397.9)
(408.7)

(1.3)
(4.0)
(9.6)
(54.0)
(68.9)

436.6
(18.2)
28.6
447.0

253.0
—
—
—

—

(6.8)
—
19.8
—
—
—
667.5
—
—
—
—
667.5

—
—

(568.3)
(568.3)

—
—
—
—
—

155.4
99.2
(12.5)
242.1

(15.6)
5.1
11.5
1.5
0.1

—

—

—
0.4
(0.6)
(0.2)

7.8

(19.9)
(8.7)
72.8
—
2.7
7.6
268.6
2.4
(1.2)
(0.2)
(48.9)
220.7

8.6
(19.4)

—
(10.8)

(1.3)
(4.0)
(9.6)
(54.0)
(68.9)

194.5
141.0
5.5
341.0

198.5

198.5

4.2
2.5
10.7
(1.7)
0.1

—

—

—
—
(0.2)
—

4.7

1.8
—
(23.4)
(0.2)
(0.6)
—
196.4
4.8
(0.6)
(0.1)
(54.4)
146.1

(3.6)
(13.4)

—
(17.0)

—
(5.7)
(9.9)
(183.9)
(199.5)

269.2
(70.4)
(4.3)
194.5

4.2
2.5
10.7
(1.7)
0.1

588.7

(187.2)

253.0
—
(0.2)
—

4.7

(5.0)
—
(3.6)
(0.2)
(0.6)
—
863.9
4.8
(0.6)
(0.1)
(54.4)
813.6

(3.6)
(13.4)

(568.3)
(585.3)

—
(5.7)
(9.9)
(183.9)
(199.5)

424.6
28.8
(16.8)
436.6

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNinety One plc Company Financial Statements

Statement of Financial Position

At 31 March 2021

162

Assets

Non-current assets
Investment in subsidiary undertakings

Current assets
Amounts receivable from subsidiary undertakings
Cash and cash equivalents

Total assets

Liabilities

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Amounts payable to subsidiary undertakings
Loan payable to subsidiary undertaking

Total liabilities

Equity

Share capital

Retained earnings at 1 April 2020/Date of Incorporation
Profit for the year/period
Dividends 

Retained earnings 
Own share reserve
Other reserves

Total equity

Total equity and liabilities

Notes

2021

£’m

2020

£’m

28

915.3

915.3

32(a)

1.0
5.1

4.2
—

921.4

919.5

0.2
0.1
—

0.3

0.1
—
37.1
(26.3)
10.8
(15.2)
925.4

32(a)

13(a)

31

29

30

0.2
—
7.1

7.3

0.1
—
—
—
—
(7.0)
919.1

921.1

912.2

921.4

919.5

The financial statements of Ninety One plc (registered number 12245293) were approved by the Board on 15 June 2021 and signed on its 
behalf by:

Hendrik du Toit 
Chief Executive Officer 

Kim McFarland
Finance Director

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
 
 
163

Statement of Changes in Equity

For the year ended 31 March 2021

At 1 April 2020

Profit for the year

Transactions with 
shareholders of the Company
Issue of share capital
Redemption of preference 
shares
Share-based payment 
transactions
Own shares purchased
Dividends paid

Total transactions with 
shareholders of the Company

31 March 2021

At the Date of Incorporation

Profit for the period

Transactions with 
shareholders of the Company
Issue of share capital
Redemption of preference 
shares
Share-based payment 
transactions
Own shares purchased
Dividends paid

Total transactions with 
shareholders of the Company

At 31 March 2020

Notes

30

29

31

Notes

30

29

31

Share capital

Redeemable 
preference 
shares

Own share 
reserve

Total other 
reserves

Retained 
earnings

Total equity

£’m

0.1

—

—

—

—
—
—

—

0.1

£’m

—

—

—

—

—
—
—

—

—

£’m

(7.0)

£’m

919.1

—

—

—

—
(8.2)
—

(8.2)

—

—

—

6.3
—
—

6.3

£’m

—

37.1

—

—

—
—
(26.3)

£’m

912.2

37.1

—

—

6.3
(8.2)
(26.3)

(26.3)

(28.2)

(15.2)

925.4

10.8

921.1

Share capital

Redeemable 
preference 
shares

Own share 
reserve

Total other 
reserves

Retained 
earnings

Total equity

£’m
—

—

0.1

—

—
—
—

0.1

0.1

£’m
0.1

—

—

(0.1)

—
—
—

(0.1)

—

£’m
—

—

—

—

—
(7.0)
—

(7.0)

(7.0)

£’m
—

—

915.2

—

3.9
—
—

919.1

919.1

£’m
—

—

—

—

—
—
—

—

—

£’m
0.1

—

915.3

(0.1)

3.9
(7.0)
—

912.1

912.2

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNinety One plc Company Financial Statements

Statement of Cash Flows

For the year ended 31 March 2021

164

Cash flows from operating activities
Profit for the year/period

Adjusted for:
Share-based payment transactions related to Ninety One share scheme

Working capital changes:
Amounts receivable from subsidiary undertakings
Amounts payable to subsidiary undertakings
Trade and other payables

Net cash flows from operating activities

Cash flows from financing activities
Dividends paid
Purchase of own shares 
Loan (repaid to)/from subsidiary undertaking

Net cash flows from financing activities

Net change in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at 1 April 2020/Date of Incorporation

Cash and cash equivalents at 31 March

Notes

31

29

2021

£’m

37.1

6.3

3.2
0.1
—

46.7

(26.3)
(8.2)
(7.1)

(41.6)

5.1
—
5.1

2020

£’m

—

3.9

(4.2)
—
0.2

(0.1)

—
(7.0)
7.1

0.1

—
—
—

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021165

Notes to the Company Financial 
Statements For the year ended 31 March 2021
Accounting policies
Basis of preparation
The separate financial statements of Ninety One plc (the “Company”) have been prepared on a going concern basis, in 
accordance with both international accounting standards in conformity with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 
(the “Act”) applicable to companies reporting under IFRS and applicable UK law. The principal accounting policies adopted 
are the same as those set out in note 1 to the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

The Company’s financial statements comprise the statement of financial position, statement of changes in equity and 
statement of cash flows for the year ended 31 March 2021. The Company was incorporated on 4 October 2019 (“Date of 
Incorporation”). The comparative information covered the period from the Date of Incorporation to 31 March 2020 and 
therefore the amounts presented in the financial statements are not entirely comparable. The financial statements have 
been prepared on the historical cost basis. The Company has taken advantage of the exemption in section 408 of the Act 
not to present its own income statement and statement of comprehensive income in these financial statements.

28. Investment in subsidiary undertakings
Investment in subsidiary undertakings are held at cost less any accumulated impairment losses.

At 1 April
Acquisition of subsidiaries (Note 28(a))

At 31 March

2021

£’m

915.3
—
915.3

2020

£’m
—
915.3
915.3

A detailed listing of the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries is set out in note 27 to the Group’s consolidated financial 
statements.

28(a) Acquisition of subsidiaries
On the Date of Demerger, Ninety One plc acquired the net assets of Ninety One UK Limited (formerly Investec Asset 
Management Limited), the former holding company of the Ninety One Business in the UK, from Investec and Forty Two Point 
Two for a consideration of £915.3 million. The transfer was effected by the issue of 622,624,621 ordinary shares by the 
Company, with the balance giving rise to the share premium of £732.2 million and merger reserve of £183.0 million, being the 
differences of the nominal value of shares issued and the consideration of the acquired net assets of Ninety One UK Limited. 
Share premium was subsequently transferred to distributable reserve by means of the reduction of share capital.

The Company subsequently undertook a reorganisation plan prior to 31 March 2020 in which Ninety One Global Limited, a 
direct subsidiary of the Company, acquired all the shares in Ninety One UK Limited from the Company at cost in exchange 
for the issue of the shares from Ninety One Global Limited.

29. Own share reserve
The following table shows the movements in own share reserve during the year/period.

At 1 April
Own shares purchased

At 31 March

2021

£’m

7.0
8.2
 15.2

2020

£’m
—
7.0
7.0

During the year ended 31 March 2021, 3.9 million ordinary shares (2020: 4.6 million) were purchased by the EBT. 

At 31 March 2021, 8.5 million ordinary shares (2020: 4.6 million) were held as own shares within the EBT for the purpose of 
satisfying share awards obligations to employees. 

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationNotes to the Company Financial Statements 

166

30. Other reserves
The following table shows the movements in other reserves during the year/period.

At 1 April 2020

Issue of share capital
Transfer to distributable reserve
Share-based payment transactions

At 31 March 2021

At the Date of Incorporation

Issue of share capital
Transfer to distributable reserve
Share-based payment transactions

Share premium

reserve Merger reserve

Distributable 

Share-based 
payment 
reserve

Total other 
reserves

£’m

(i)
—

—
—
—

—

£’m

(i)
732.2

—
 —
—

£’m

(ii)
183.0

—
 —
—

£’m

(iii)
3.9

—
 —
6.3

£’m

919.1

—
 —
6.3

732.2

183.0

10.2

925.4

Share premium

reserve Merger reserve

Distributable 

Share-based 
payment 
reserve

Total other 
reserves

£’m

(i)
—

732.2
(732.2)
—

£’m

(i)
—

—
732.2
—

£’m

(ii)
—

183.0
—
—

£’m

(iii)
—

—
—
3.9

3.9

£’m

—

915.2
—
3.9

919.1

At 31 March 2020

—

732.2

183.0

Details of each component of other reserves are presented in note 13(c) of the Group’s consolidated financial statements. 

31. Dividends
The table below shows the total dividends paid by the Company during the year/period.

Ordinary dividends
Interim dividend paid

Total dividends attributable to ordinary shareholders

2021

2020

Pence per 
share

5.9
5.9

£’m

26.3
26.3

Pence per 
share

—
—

£’m

—
—

On 19 May 2021, the Board recommended a final dividend for the year ended 31 March 2021 of 6.7 pence per ordinary share, 
an estimated £30.2 million in total. The dividend is expected to be paid on 12 August 2021 to ordinary shareholders on the 
registers at the close of business on 23 July 2021.

32. Related parties
In the ordinary course of business, the Company carries out transactions with related parties, as defined by IAS 24.  
Apart from those disclosed elsewhere in the financial statements, material transactions for the year are set out below:

32(a) Balances and transactions with subsidiary undertakings

Balances with subsidiary undertakings
Loan payable to subsidiary undertaking1
Amounts receivable from subsidiary undertakings
Amounts payable to subsidiary undertakings

2021

£’m

—
1.0
(0.1)

2020

£’m
(7.1)
4.2
—

1.    On 16 March 2020, the Company entered into a loan facility agreement (the “Agreement”) with its subsidiary, Ninety One UK Limited, to cover the cash requirement 
for the initial funding of the EBTs. The loan is repayable 12 months from the date of the Agreement and charged at interest rates of 2.75 percent above the 6-month 
LIBOR rate prevailing at the time of the advance per annum. The loan was settled during the year ended 31 March 2021.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Transactions with subsidiary undertakings
Cost recovery from subsidiary undertakings
Interest expense charged on the loan payable to subsidiary undertaking2

2021

£’m

1.4
(0.3)

2020

£’m
0.7
—

167

2.   Interest expense charged on the loan payable to subsidiary undertakings for the year ended 31 March 2020 amounted to £9,146.

32(b) Transactions with key management personnel
The key management personnel are defined as the Directors (both Executive and Non-Executive) of Ninety One plc. Certain 
Directors are not paid directly by the Company but receive remuneration from companies within the Group, in respect of 
their services to the larger group which includes the Company.

The remuneration related to key management personnel for employee services was as follows:

Type of remuneration
Short-term employee benefits
Share-based payments

1.   The prior year amount has been re-presented to be consistent with the audited single-figure remuneration table on page 91.

33. Financial instruments
The table below summarises the carrying value of the financial instruments of the Company by category:

2021

£’m

5.7
1.2
6.9

20201

£’m

1.2
—
1.2

At 31 March 2021
Investment in subsidiary undertakings
Amounts receivable from subsidiary undertakings
Cash and cash equivalents
Loan payable to subsidiary undertaking
Amounts payable to subsidiary undertakings
Trade and other payables

Total

At 31 March 2020
Investment in subsidiary undertakings
Amounts receivable from subsidiary undertakings
Cash and cash equivalents
Loan payable to subsidiary undertaking
Amounts payable to subsidiary undertakings
Trade and other payables

Total

Financial 
assets 
measured at 
amortised cost

Financial 
liabilities 
measured at 
amortised cost

Total financial 
instruments

Non-financial 
instruments

£’m

—
1.0
5.1
—
—
—
6.1

—
4.2
—
—
—
—
4.2

£’m

£’m

£’m

—
—
—
—
(0.1)
(0.2)
(0.3)

—
—
—
(7.1)
—
(0.2)
(7.3)

—
1.0
5.1
—
(0.1)
(0.2)
5.8

—
4.2
—
(7.1)
—
(0.2)
(3.1)

915.3
—
—
—
—
—
915.3

915.3
—
—
—
—
—
915.3

Total

£’m

915.3
1.0
5.1
—
(0.1)
(0.2)
921.1

915.3
4.2
—
(7.1)
—
(0.2)
912.2

At 31 March 2021 and 2020, the Company did not hold any financial instruments measured at fair value. Carrying amounts of 
financial assets and financial liabilities measured at amortised cost approximate to their fair value. The Company’s exposure 
to price, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit and liquidity risk is not considered to be material and, therefore, no further 
information is provided.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationAdditional Information

168

170  Glossary 
172  Shareholder Information

Arabian camels, or dromedaries, while more associated with the Middle 
East, are also found in Africa. The word camel is thought to be derived 
from the Arabic word Ğamāl, meaning handsome. It was the camel’s 
endurance that helped to establish trade routes linking West and North 
Africa. The “ships of the desert” these days also help in such specialised 
transport initiatives as the Kenyan mobile camel library service.

169

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional InformationGlossary

170

Adjusted earnings per share (Adjusted EPS)
Profit after tax, adjusted to remove non-operating items, 
divided by the number of ordinary shares in issue at the  
end of the year.

Basic earnings per share (Basic EPS)
Profit after tax attributable to ordinary shareholders 
divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares 
outstanding during the year, excluding own shares held by 
Ninety One share schemes.

Adjusted net interest income
Calculated as net interest income less interest income 
arising from Silica operations, interest expense from lease 
liabilities for office premises, and other interest expense.

Adjusted operating expenses
Calculated as operating expenses less Silica net expenses 
and deferred employee benefit scheme movements, but 
including interest expense on lease liabilities.

Adjusted operating profit
Calculated as adjusted operating revenue less adjusted 
operating expenses.

Adjusted operating profit margin
Calculated as adjusted operating profit divided by adjusted 
operating revenue.

Adjusted operating revenue
Calculated as net revenue, less Silica third-party revenue, 
and adjusted for foreign exchange gains/losses, deferred 
employee benefit scheme movements, net gain/loss on 
investments and other items.

AIFMD
Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive.

ASISA
The Association for Savings and Investment South Africa, 
which represents the majority of the country’s asset 
managers, collective investment scheme management 
companies, linked investment service providers, multi-
managers and life insurance companies.

Assets under management (AUM)
The aggregate assets managed on behalf of clients. For 
some private markets’ investments, the aggregate value of 
assets managed is based on committed funds by clients; 
this is changed to the lower of committed funds and net 
asset value, in line with the fee basis. Where cross 
investment occurs, assets and flows are identified  
and the duplication is removed. AUM excludes assets 
administered for third-party clients by Silica.

Average AUM
Calculated as a 13-point average of opening AUM for the 
year, and the month-end AUM for the subsequent 12 months.

Average fee rate
Management fee revenue divided by average AUM 
(annualised for non-12 month periods), expressed  
as basis points.

BCP
BioCarbon Partners.

Board
Includes the Board of Ninety One plc and the Board of 
Ninety One Limited.

CNSI
Climate & Nature Sovereign Index.

CRD III
Capital Requirements Directive.

Diluted earnings per share
Profit for the year attributable to ordinary shareholders 
divided by the weighted average number of ordinary shares 
outstanding during the year, plus the weighted average 
number of ordinary shares that would be issued on the 
conversion of all the potentially dilutive shares into ordinary 
shares.

Dual-listed company (DLC) structure
The arrangement whereby Ninety One plc and Ninety One 
Limited operate as a single economic enterprise.

EBT
The Employee Benefit Trust is a discretionary trust 
established by Ninety One to hold cash or other assets for 
the benefit of employees, such as to satisfy share awards.

ESA
European Supervisory Authorities.

ESG
Environmental, Social and Governance. 

Executive Directors
The executive directors of Ninety One plc and Ninety One 
Limited, currently Hendrik du Toit and Kim McFarland.

Firm-wide investment performance
Calculated as the sum of the total market values for 
individual portfolios that have positive active returns on a 
gross basis expressed as a percentage of total AUM. Our 
percentage of firm outperformance is reported on the 
basis of current AUM and therefore does not include 
terminated funds. Total AUM excludes double-counting of 
pooled products and third-party assets administered on 
our South African fund platform. Benchmarks used include 
cash, peer group averages, inflation and market indices as 
specified in client mandates or fund prospectuses. For all 
periods shown, market values are as at the period end date.

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021Non-Executive Directors
The non-executive directors of Ninety One plc and  
Ninety One Limited.

Non-operating items
Include exceptional items, adjusted net interest income, 
Silica profit and tax on adjusting items.

171

Non-qualifying assets
Comprise assets that are not available to meet 
regulatory requirements.

PRI
Principles for Responsible Investment.

SMCR
Senior Managers and Certification Regime.

South African (SA) fund platform
Ninety One’s South African fund platform (known as Ninety 
One Investment Platform) which offers access to both 
offshore and local investment solutions for independent 
financial advisers in South Africa. The platform 
predominantly comprises third-party products and 
selected Ninety One funds.

TCFD
Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.

Torque ratio
The relative scale of net flows in relation to the overall size 
of the business, expressed as a percentage. Calculated as 
net flows for the relevant period divided by AUM as at the 
first day of that period (annualised for non-12-month 
periods).

UCITS
Undertakings for the Collective Investment in Transferable 
Securities.

WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature.

Headline earnings per share (HEPS)
Ninety One is required to calculate HEPS in accordance 
with JSE Listings Requirements, determined by reference 
to circular 1/2021 “Headline Earnings” issued by the South 
African Institute of Chartered Accountants.

ICAAP
Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process.

Investment Association (IA)
The Investment Association is the trade body that 
represents investment managers and asset management 
firms in the UK.

Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)
The exchange operated by the JSE Limited, a public 
company incorporated and registered in South Africa, 
under the Financial Markets Act.

London Stock Exchange (LSE)
The securities exchange operated by the London Stock 
Exchange plc under the Financial Services and Markets  
Act 2000, as amended.

MiFID
Markets in Financial Instruments Directive.

MiFID 2
The second iteration of the Markets in Financial Instruments 
Directive. MiFID II is an EU directive that standardises 
regulation for investment services throughout the 
European Economic Area.

Mutual fund investment performance
The performance and ranking as per Morningstar data 
using primary share classes, as defined by Morningstar, net 
of fees to 31 March 2021. Peer group universes are either 
IA, Morningstar Categories or ASISA sectors as classified 
by Morningstar. Cash or cash-equivalent funds are 
excluded and performance is weighted by AUM.

Net flows
The increase in AUM received from clients, less the 
decrease in AUM withdrawn by clients, during a given 
period. Where cross investment occurs, assets and flows 
are identified and the duplication is removed.

Net revenue
Represents revenue in accordance with IFRS, less 
commission expense.

Ninety One (also “the Group”)
Ninety One plc and its subsidiaries and Ninety One Limited 
and its subsidiaries.

Strategic ReportGovernanceFinancial StatementsAdditional Information172

Shareholder Information

Forward-looking statements 
This Integrated Annual Report does not constitute or form 
part of any offer, invitation or inducement to any person to 
underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose 
of securities in Ninety One, nor should it be construed as 
legal, tax, financial, investment or accounting advice.

This Integrated Annual Report may include statements that 
are, or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements”. 
These forward-looking statements may be identified by the 
use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms 
“believes”, “estimates”, “plans”, “projects”, “anticipates”, 
“expects”, “intends”, “may”, “will” or “should” or, in each case, 
their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, 
or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future 
events or intentions. Forward-looking statements may and 
often do differ materially from actual results. Any forward-
looking statements reflect Ninety One’s current view with 
respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to 
future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions 
relating to Ninety One’s business, results of operations, 
financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth and strategies. 
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they 
are made.

Ninety One expressly disclaims any obligation or 
undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions  
to any forward-looking statements contained in this 
Integrated Annual Report or any other forward-looking 
statements it may make, whether as a result of new 
information, future developments or otherwise.

Financial calendar 
Event
First quarter trading update
Final dividend record date
Annual General Meeting
Final dividend payment date
Interim results
Third quarter trading update
Full year results 

Date
16 July 2021
23 July 2021
4 August 2021
12 August 2021
16 November 2021
21 January 2022
18 May 2022

Share information
Ninety One plc shares are primary listed on the LSE, with  
an inward listing on the JSE. Ninety One Limited shares  
are primary listed on the JSE.

Ninety One plc 
ISIN: GB00BJHPLV88 

Ninety One Limited
ISIN: ZAE000282356

LSE share code: N91 

JSE share code: NY1

JSE share code: N91

Electronic communications
In line with our purpose and our ambition to be a better 
firm, we encourage our shareholders to elect to receive 
shareholder documentation electronically. This will help us 
reduce the environmental impact caused by printing and 
distributing hard copies. Shareholders in Ninety One plc 
can visit www.investorcentre.co.uk for more information 
and to register their communication preference.

Registrars 
Transfer Secretaries in South Africa
Computershare Investor Services Proprietary Limited

Rosebank Towers

15 Biermann Avenue

Rosebank, 2196

Telephone (SA): 0861 100 933

Telephone: +27 (0) 11 370 5000

Website: www.computershare.com

Registrars in the UK
Computershare Investor Services plc

The Pavilions

Bridgwater Road

Bristol, BS99 6ZZ

Telephone: +44 (0)370 703 6027

Website: www.computershare.com

Company website
Our corporate website includes (among other information) 
the electronic copy of this Integrated Annual Report  
and copies of the latest as well as historic reports, 
presentations and announcements. For more information  
on Ninety One, visit www.ninetyone.com

Corporate information
Auditor
KPMG

Corporate brokers
HSBC Bank plc

Investec Bank plc and Investec Bank Limited

J.P. Morgan Cazenove

JSE Sponsor
J.P. Morgan Equities South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Registered offices
Ninety One plc

55 Gresham Street

London, EC2V 7EL

Incorporated in England and Wales 

Registration number 12245293

Ninety One Limited

36 Hans Strijdom Avenue

Cape Town 8001

Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa

Registration number 2019/526481/06

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 3938 2000

Email: enquiries@ninetyone.com

Ninety One Integrated Annual Report 2021 
This report is printed on paper certified in accordance with the FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council®) and is recyclable and acid-free. 

Designed and produced by Instinctif Partners, www.creative.instinctif.com

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