The investment world is known for being extremely lucrative. Indeed, James Mworia, the CEO of Centum Investments, is the best-paid CEO in Kenya. Other top investment managers like Edwin Dande of Cytonn is also known to earn a lucrative salary. Internationally, partners at Goldman Sachs are among the best-paid executives in the country, earning about $1 million. Similarly, hedge fund managers are known to earn lucrative sums of money. In this article, we will show you how to find a good investment job in Kenya.
Top Investment Companies in Kenya
Before we look at the best way to find a good investment job in Kenya, we first need to look at the top companies that you will work at in Kenya. Next, we will look at some of the roles that investment managers in Kenya do. Here are the top investment firms that will employ you if you decide to move into the sector.
- Centum. This is the biggest investment company in Kenya, valued at more than 30 billion shillings. Among its key assets are the Two Rivers mall, Nabo Capital, and Sidian Bank among others.
- Old Mutual Securities. Old Mutual is a large company that is in the insurance and investments field. It manages billions of shillings for its investors.
- ICEA Lion. ICEA merged with Lion a few years ago. Like Old Mutual, the company offers insurance and investments services to individuals and companies.
- Equity investments. This is the investment arm of Equity Bank, the biggest bank in the country.
- Dyer & Blair. Dyer & Blair is among the biggest investment banks in the country. It is owned by billionaire Jimna Mbaru.
Other top investment companies in Kenya are Cytonn, Stanlib, and Sanlam Investments.
What do Investment Managers Do?
If you want to find an investment job in Kenya, you need to know the types of work that investment managers do. In Kenya, the role of investment managers is relatively limited considering that the number of companies involved are relatively limited.
Also, our stock market is relatively small. For example, in the Nairobi Stock Exchange, you can only invest in shares. You cannot short, there is no futures and options market, ETFs, commodities, and other assets. Also, there are no big research firms, hedge funds, and other private equity firms. Therefore, the work that investment managers in Kenya do is relatively limited.
Here are some of these jobs:
- Investment research.
- Buying and investing in various assets.
- Advising clients on investments.
- Managing investments.
- Trading
How to Find an Investment Job in Kenya
Since the investment industry in Kenya is a bit small, the number of investment managers who are hired every year is relatively small. Therefore, while the job is rewarding, you may find it difficult to find that dream job in the industry. Here is what we recommend that you do.
Take an Investment-related Course
The first sure thing that will help you get that investment job in Kenya is to take an investment related course. In this regard, we recommend that you take a course like finance in one of the leading universities in the country.
Most specifically, we recommend you enrol to Strathmore University or USIU. Most companies hire their staff from these universities. Also, we recommend that you take additional courses like CPA. These courses will give you an edge in the job market. At the same time, because of how competitive the industry is, we ask that you ensure that you get good grades.
Meanwhile, if you have not taken a course in finance, taking these courses can help you get a job in the industry.
Network
The investment circle in Kenya is relatively small. It is simply not like the United States, where there are thousands of firms in the sector. Therefore, a good way to improve your chances in the industry is to grow your network. It is this network that will help you get the job or internship in these companies. Indeed, if you create a good network, you will not need to spend a lot of time sending applications.
There are several ways you can grow your network. First, you can attend events and meet with people. A good example of such events is Mindspeak, that is hosted by Aly-Khan Satchu. In these events you will meet with people, including CEOs and other investment managers. Second, we recommend that you join business-related clubs in campus. These clubs will help you meet with important people in the industry.
Intern and Shine
Another way you can get into the industry is to intern in one of the leading companies in the industry. You should do this in most of your long holidays. The benefit of offering yourself as an intern is that you will have access to knowledge and experience about how these companies. In line with the previous part, it will also help you boost your network in the sector.
Final Thoughts
These steps will help you to become a successful investment manager in Kenya. But as I mentioned above, the number of jobs that are available in the industry are extremely limited. Fortunately, with proper skills, you can go ahead and start your own investment firm. A new path that is becoming popular these days is engaging in trading of forex and other financial assets.
