Mohau Equity Partners appoints Rivonia Govender as Group CEO of GrowthHouse to accelerate its growth and acquisition strategy

Rivonia Govender

GrowthHouse, a leading independent financial planning and advisory business owned by Mohau Equity Partners, has appointed Rivonia Govender as Group CEO, effective 1 January 2025. This leadership transition supports an ambitious expansion phase, building on substantial progress in organic growth and strategic acquisitions that position the company for continued success.

The appointment follows a period of dynamic growth, marked by the addition of three scalable acquisitions in 2024. These include the SME Health & Pension Fund Client Book from Marsh, the Commercial Short-Term Insurance Book from Discovery (July), and Khusa Consulting, a leading employee benefits consulting firm, in October. GrowthHouse aims to continue building a robust integration platform that will unlock additional opportunities and drive further scale in 2025 and beyond.

“The past six months have been a transformative period for GrowthHouse,” says Dr. Penny Moumakwa, Founder and CEO of Mohau Equity Partners and Chairperson of the GrowthHouse Board. “GrowthHouse has evolved from a retail-advice-focused advisory business into a diversified financial services group with a strong presence in retail, commercial short-term insurance, and corporate health & employee benefits. We are positioned to deliver comprehensive, exceptional financial planning and advisory services across the full financial services spectrum.”

Rivonia Govender, a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) brings a proven track record in financial services leadership. Her previous roles include Head of Distribution Strategy as well as Chief of Staff to both the CEO of Discovery South Africa and the CEO of Discovery Bank, and Management Consultant at McKinsey. With deep expertise in insurance, financial services, and distribution, as well as a strong foundation in market entry, strategy, operational implementation, and transformation, Rivonia’s leadership blends strategic acumen with robust finance and M&A experience—skills pivotal for driving GrowthHouse’s next growth phase.

"GrowthHouse is at an exciting inflection point," says Rivonia Govender. "Our scalable acquisitions, coupled with a solid foundation of advisory practices, presents unique opportunities to redefine financial planning and advisory services for businesses and individuals. I am thrilled to lead this talented team as we scale new heights, deliver innovative solutions, and continue building enduring client partnerships."

Previous CEO Gari Dhombo transitions to CEO of Short-Term Insurance where his sector expertise and long-standing industry relationships will drive growth in one of GrowthHouse’s fastest-growing segments.

“We are extremely excited about the next phase of growth and are confident that under Rivonia’s leadership the business is poised for continued success,” concludes Moumakwa.