Sanlam Private Equity promotes Brandon Subrayan and Gift Pule to Partner
Sanlam Private Equity (SPE), the private equity division of Sanlam Investments, has promoted Brandon Subrayan and Gift Pule to Partner, effective 1 April 2026.
Both step up from Principal roles, having led and co-led a series of landmark transactions in SPE Mid-Market Fund I and taken early leadership positions in the deployment of Mid-Market Fund II. In their new roles, they will take on greater responsibility for investment strategy, origination, portfolio oversight and fund deployment alongside Managing Partner Paul Moeketsi.
Subrayan is a CFA charterholder with a BCom and a BCom (Hons) in Finance from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He joined Sanlam Private Equity in 2015 from strategy consultancy Burlington Strategy Advisors and, over his 11 years at SPE, has progressed through the firm’s investment ranks from Investment Analyst to Associate to Principal. During this time, he has played a central role in several of the firm’s highest-impact transactions, including the fund’s investments in Eurolab, S Bacher & Co., TradeOn and Medhold, as well as the investment in, and successful exit of, Absolute Pets.
“Private equity at its best is about backing resilient businesses and helping them scale in ways that create real economic and social value. I’m proud of what we’ve built through Mid-Market Fund I and energised by what lies ahead with Fund II. Stepping into this role alongside a team I’ve grown with is a privilege,” says Subrayan.
Dr Pule joined Sanlam Private Equity as an Investment Associate in 2020, rising to Principal in 2023. He holds a PhD in Human/Medical Genetics from UCT, undertaken in part as a doctoral fellow at Baylor College of Medicine, and an MBA from Regent Business School. He was named one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans in 2024. At SPE, he has led and co-led investments in Cavalier Foods, Q Link, SkipWaste, Danny’s Auto and Boston City Campus; a portfolio spanning food processing, payments, waste management, automotive and higher education, each underpinned by a clear jobs and access thesis.
“What drew me to private equity was the ability to put capital behind South African businesses that anchor communities and create meaningful employment. Being appointed Partner is both an honour and a responsibility, to our investors, to the businesses we back, and to the country we invest in,” says Pule.
Paul Moeketsi, Managing Partner at Sanlam Private Equity, says: “I am incredibly proud of Brandon and Gift on their appointments. Beyond tenure and deal execution, both have played instrumental roles on portfolio company boards, driving value creation, leading acquisitions and building strong relationships across our portfolio. Their promotions reflect the impact they have had on our business, on the businesses they are helping to strengthen in critical areas of need in South Africa, and the trust placed in them as stewards of investor capital.”
He adds: “We look forward to their continued leadership in the deployment of SPE Mid-Market Fund II, which marked its first close in Q4 2025 and made its maiden investment in Medhold shortly thereafter.”
The promotions come at a pivotal moment for SPE. Mid-Market Fund I, launched as part of the Sanlam Investor Legacy Range with a mandate to protect, grow and enhance jobs in the South African economy, has built a portfolio spanning healthcare, food, payments, education, waste management and automotive. With Fund II now active, SPE continues to position itself as a patient, sector-agnostic mid-market investor, combining financial returns with measurable social and economic impact.
