Women investors on the rise: transforming wealth management

A quiet but powerful shift is underway in global wealth: women are becoming central to its creation, management and intergenerational transfer. For generations, wealth management frameworks were largely built on the assumption that men were the primary financial decision-makers. The reality is changing, and with it, the way capital is accumulated, allocated and preserved.

 The global perspective

Across developed markets, women control around one-third of all financial assets, and this influence is expected to rise substantially over the next decade. According to a 2025 McKinsey & Company report (The New Face of Wealth), women controlled an estimated US$60trn in assets globally by 2023, with their wealth growing faster than overall global financial wealth between 2018 and 2023.

McKinsey identifies four key drivers behind this rise.

• Social change: Women are marrying later, divorcing more frequently and increasingly choosing to remain single, contributing to greater financial independence.
• Education and careers: Women are achieving higher levels of education and entering better-paying professions, enabling them to build substantial wealth in their own names.
• Longevity: Women tend to live longer than men, often resulting in family wealth transferring into their hands later in life, making it essential that they are involved in family financial decision-making from the beginning.

• Cultural change: Women are becoming increasingly confident in managing their finances and participating in financial markets. This is one of the most important shifts, as women play a more active role in building, managing and directing capital; the investment landscape itself is evolving.

Together, these forces point to a profound demographic shift in financial decision-making power over the coming decades, with women increasingly at the centre of generational wealth stewardship.

The South African perspective

While much of the data originates from developed markets, the same trend is evident locally. In a 2025 article, Satrix highlighted that c. 43% of South African households are headed by women, while female participation on retail investment platforms has increased meaningfully in recent years. Younger women are also entering the investment market earlier, with the average female investor on their platform now in her early thirties.

Despite this progress, a gap remains. Women are still less likely than men to engage with wealth managers, and a meaningful portion of female-controlled assets remains unmanaged. This suggests that the wealth management industry has not fully adapted to the needs and preferences of women investors.

A different financial journey

Women’s financial journeys often differ in meaningful ways. On average, women live longer, are more likely to take career breaks linked to caregiving responsibilities, and still tend to earn less over a lifetime. The result is often longer retirement periods, supported by smaller accumulated savings pools, making careful planning particularly important.

Investment behaviour also tends to differ. Many women anchor financial decisions around long-term life goals such as financial independence, family security, education funding and generational wealth continuity. This often results in a more consistent and disciplined approach to investing, with less emphasis on short-term market movements. These behaviours can be powerful drivers of long-term compounded returns.

Confidence and engagement

Confidence has historically been a barrier to greater participation in investing. Many women have felt less comfortable engaging with financial markets even when they possess the knowledge and ability to do so successfully. Encouragingly, this dynamic is changing. Improved access to financial information, greater financial literacy, and increasing representation in financial leadership are helping close this gap.

The generational wealth conversation

A recurring observation is that financial decision-making is often deferred to others, despite the high likelihood that most women will, ultimately, take primary responsibility for managing their own finances. At the same time, women frequently carry significant responsibilities within households, supporting both younger and older generations while remaining less directly involved in long-term financial planning.

The implication is not one of vulnerability, but of ownership. This transition is prompting more deliberate engagement with key questions around financial independence, family security and the preservation of wealth across generations.

Generational wealth does not happen by accident. It requires careful planning, thoughtful investment decisions and ongoing engagement with financial strategy over time.

A changing approach to wealth management

The growing influence of women is prompting a broader evolution in how wealth management is approached. There is a growing recognition that investment strategies must reflect real-life circumstances, balancing long-term growth objectives with flexibility, liquidity needs and changing life stages.

Women’s financial journeys often differ in meaningful ways, including longer investment horizons, career interruptions and a greater likelihood of supporting extended family structures.

Importantly, common perceptions around risk appetite are being reassessed. Evidence suggests that many women pursue moderate to growth-oriented investment strategies, distinguished less by risk aversion and more by discipline, adhering to long-term plans, and avoiding unnecessary portfolio turnover. These behaviours can become powerful drivers of compounded returns over time.

Looking to the future

The rise of women investors is not simply a demographic trend but one of the most important structural shifts taking place in global wealth management. As more wealth is controlled and directed by women, the way capital is invested, preserved, and transferred across generations will continue to evolve.

When capital changes hands, influence follows. Investment decisions shape capital flows, where money flows shape industries, and industries shape economies. As prosperity increasingly shifts toward women, the investment landscape will inevitably change with it.

* Maroun is the portfolio manager at Anchor Capital.

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