Standard Chartered's Head of Affluent and Wealth Solutions for EMEA and UAE Ayesha Abbas and Head of Affluent and Wealth Solutions for Kenya Paul Njoki among other stakeholders during the launch of Standard Chartered Funds VCC Signature Select in Nairobi on September 15, 2026. / HANDOUTStandard Chartered has launched an investment platform in Kenya that gives eligible investors access to global fund managers and different investment strategies under one structure.
The bank said the platform targets investors with more complex financial needs, including those seeking to diversify their wealth across countries and asset classes.
Standard Chartered's Head of Affluent and Wealth Solutions for EMEA and UAE Ayesha Abbas said wealthy clients were becoming more sophisticated as their financial interests extended beyond Kenya.
"Our clients are now thinking about their next generation, how best to pass on their wealth as well as their legacy on to the next generation," Abbas said.
She said some families were also reconsidering traditional approaches to succession as younger generations pursued careers, businesses and interests outside the family enterprise.
Abbas said clients were no longer looking to keep all their wealth in one market, creating greater demand for diversification across countries and asset classes.
"No longer do they want to park everything here, but they're equally looking for diversification," she said.
Her remarks came during the launch of Standard Chartered Funds Variable Capital Company (VCC) Signature Select in Kenya. The platform brings different investment strategies under one structure and gives eligible investors access to global fund managers.
Abbas said the bank's approach was not simply to sell investment products but to first understand clients' short- and long-term goals before determining the appropriate solutions.
"Product is a result of that conversation. Product innovation will continue," she said.
Standard Chartered's Head of Affluent and Wealth Solutions for Kenya Paul Njoki said the platform was aimed at investors whose financial needs had become more complex and global.
Njoki said the bank had obtained regulatory approval to offer the VCC and had already built assets of more than $20 million under the strategy in the four months preceding its launch.
He said a sophisticated investor was defined as someone with investable wealth of at least $500,000, excluding their primary residence.
"The needs, the dreams, the aspirations for these clients now become complex and global," Njoki said.
He said the VCC would allow different strategies to be brought together under one structure, giving the bank flexibility to respond to changing market conditions rather than relying on a single investment approach.
Standard Chartered's Head of Advisory and Market Insights for Kenya Kushboo Dhutia said Kenya's investment market had evolved from traditional savings and local securities to collective investment schemes, exchange-traded funds, real estate investment trusts and multi-asset funds.
Dhutia said investors were increasingly being encouraged to think about their overall portfolios rather than individual products, with risk management and liquidity becoming central considerations.
The VCC currently has four strategies, including US allocation, income-focused investments and gold-related exposure, with global investment managers including T Rowe Price, BlackRock, Allianz Global Investors and Pimco.
Abbas said gold could provide diversification because of its relatively low correlation with other asset classes. She said the enhanced gold strategy also sought to address one of the limitations of gold by generating income through options linked to the asset.
Njoki said the Signature Select approach could help reduce delays between Standard Chartered's investment views and their implementation in client portfolios.
He also warned that personal investment biases could affect portfolio decisions, making disciplined asset allocation important.
Abbas said Standard Chartered would continue using its international network, including wealth hubs in Jersey, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Hong Kong, to connect Kenyan clients with opportunities outside the domestic market.
She said the bank's role was to act as an adviser and partner as clients' circumstances and investment needs change.
"We are asset allocators. We are trusted business partners, and we are trusted advisors to our clients, whose needs are constantly evolving," Abbas said.
