Updated:
Cantilever Family
Cantilever Family was established in 2014 by Johan van Wyk, previously a partner at Werksmans Attorneys and Webber Wentzel and COO at Stonehage South Africa.
Cantilever Family
Cantilever Family was established in 2014 by Johan van Wyk, previously a partner at Werksmans Attorneys and Webber Wentzel and COO at Stonehage South Africa. Louw van Wyk serves as chairman after roles at Absa Group and Stonehage Group. The firm grew from van Wyk's legal and fiduciary background to deliver independent wealth oversight. The firm executes across Seed through Series B stages via direct co-investments, SPVs, fund-of-funds, private credit, private equity and secondaries. Geographic reach covers Africa, Europe and North America. Core service lines include global reporting, administration, cash management, accounting and exchange control assistance. It maintains regulatory authorisation as FSP45523 under the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority and operates Convina Fiduciary in Mauritius. Offices in Johannesburg, Zurich and Port Louis support local and cross-border requirements. The team includes Carmen de Chalain, formerly with Stonehage Financial Services, and Amal Autar, who also manages Convina. No recent operational events from the last 24 months appear in available records.
General information
Firm type
Multi Family Office
Year founded
2014
Location
Region
Africa
Country
South Africa
City
Johannesburg
Corporate office
1 Selby Road, Parkwood, 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa
Additional offices
Zurich, Switzerland · Port Louis, Mauritius
Principals
Johan van Wyk
Founder
Louw van Wyk
Chairman
Carmen de Chalain
Director and Board Member
Altss tracks 1 additional named team member for this firm — including direct investment leads, IR, and operating principals not listed on the public website.
Book a demoSector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Cantilever Family?
Johan van Wyk leads as founder. Louw van Wyk serves as chairman. Carmen de Chalain and Amal Autar sit on the board and handle operational and international matters.
Is Cantilever Family structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
It functions as a multi-family office. The firm offers consolidated reporting and fiduciary services to multiple South African and international entrepreneurial families rather than managing a single lineage's capital.
Does Cantilever Family participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
It uses both approaches. The firm deploys through direct co-investments and SPVs alongside fund-of-funds, private equity and secondaries commitments.
What investment stages does Cantilever Family typically target?
Activity centres on Seed, Series A and Series B rounds. The firm also engages private credit and secondaries opportunities.
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The firm serves wealth generated by South African and international entrepreneurial families. No single source family is publicly identified as the sole origin.
How is Cantilever Family related to Stonehage?
Johan van Wyk previously served as COO of Stonehage South Africa. Several team members including Carmen de Chalain also came from Stonehage roles. The firms maintain no ongoing ownership link.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on family offices?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: