Fairheads Benefit Services

Fairheads Benefit Services is a market-leading service provider of beneficiary funds and umbrella trusts for retirement funds in Southern Africa. It administers death benefits for retirement funds as well as other employee and life-cover benefits.
Fairheads helped to pioneer umbrella trusts in South Africa in the late 1980s, as a logical progression of its long heritage since 1925 in administering trusts for high net worth individuals.
The company advised the authorities in the lead up to the creation of beneficiary funds in South Africa in early 2009 and became the first service provider to obtain a 13B administrator licence under the South African Pension Funds Act. It continues to consult government and be an active lobbyist for change on various industry issues ranging from taxation to the age at which children can be paid out lumpsums.
Fairheads has a strong focus on consumer financial education and pioneered the use of roadshows for guardians and beneficiaries in southern Africa.
Operations
Fairheads Benefit Services has its head office in Cape Town, with other offices in Johannesburg, Sandton and Durban. Administration teams and the contact centre are located in Cape Town, while the consultants team is based largely in Gauteng.
Board
Richard Krepelka, CEO
Marilyn Brown, Financial Director
Giselle Gould, Business Development Director
Robyn Cowie, Legal Director
Phil King, Consultant
Monica de Oliveira Vilabril, Chief Operating Officer
Aldrin Links, HR Director
History
Fairheads Benefit Services has its origins in Fairheads Trust Company which was formed by John (JT) Fairhead in Cape Town in 1925 as one of the first trust companies in South Africa. His son, John (JE) Fairhead, then led the business for 60 years until his own son, Peter Fairhead, succeeded him for some 40 years until his tragic death in 2009.
Fairheads International Holdings (SA) was incorporated as a private company on 30 August 1983. Its two main subsidiaries were Fairheads International Trust Company and Fairheads Umbrella Trusts, which was renamed Fairheads Benefit Services in 2009.
In 2012 Fairheads International Trust Company was sold to Old Mutual. Fairheads Benefit Services continues to be part of the Fairheads Group, with Richard Krepelka at the helm.
Corporate social responsibility
Fairheads Benefit Services supports various enterprise development and corporate social responsibility programmes, including:
The Abraham Kriel Childcare organisation, including its Emdeni Skills Development Centre in Soweto.
The Business Place, Cape Town, an organisation which aims to promote entrepreneurship and the creation of sustainable businesses.
Iziko Lo Lwazi, a non-profit organization based in Hout Bay Cape Town, focusing on poverty alleviation through the provision of training and employment of women in crafts such as papermaking and beading.
The Santa Shoebox project whose supporters gift a shoebox filled with essentials and toys to children in orphanages, crèches and care centres around South Africa.
The UCT Clanwilliam Arts project, an arts development programme for the youth of the rural town of Clanwilliam in the Western Cape, which Fairheads supported for 10 years and for which it won a Business & Arts South Africa (BASA) award in 2010.

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