FSCA Warns Public Against Hannes Dupper and SYW – Share Your Wealth Sets the Record Straight

Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) ungrounded press release is up for deformation claims.;

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA, October 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In response to the Financial Sector Conduct Authority’s (FSCA) recent publication titled “FSCA warns the public against SYW and Mr Hannes Dupper,” the former networking platform Share Your Wealth (SYW) and its founder Hannes Dupper have released this formal statement to correct false and unverified claims made without due investigation.

1. Background and Purpose

The FSCA’s warning alleged that SYW and Mr Dupper “rendered financial investment services” and “took investments against unsecured assets without authorisation.” These statements are factually incorrect, misleading, and defamatory. SYW, which ceased operations in 2023, was a legally advised networking initiative connecting like-minded investors, not a financial-services provider or advisory business.

All activity within SYW complied fully with South African law and the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act. The company never accepted public deposits, never guaranteed returns, and never acted as an intermediary. Its purpose was to facilitate introductions between investors exploring opportunities in real-estate equity ventures.

2. Legal Opinion and Compliance

Before launching, SYW obtained a formal legal opinion from FSCA regulatory expert David de Villiers confirming that SYW did not constitute a collective investment scheme or financial-services provider under the FAIS Act.
Key compliance measures included:

No solicitation of the public. All collaborations were initiated privately with qualified investors expressing direct interest.

No advice or intermediation. SYW’s role was purely introductory, ensuring it did not cross the regulatory threshold for licensing.

Mandatory disclaimers. Every brochure, email signature, and contractual document contained the following or equivalent wording:

“This material does not constitute financial advice or solicitation under the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act or FAIS Act. SYW is not authorised by the FSCA and provides no financial-advisory or intermediary services.”

Investor acknowledgements. Each participant initialled detailed clauses confirming:

they were experienced, risk-aware investors using disposable income;

they had sought independent financial and legal advice; and

no guarantee of returns was given or implied.

This legal framework was strictly implemented and audited internally throughout the company’s operation.

3. Business Model and Wind-Down

Between 2020 and 2023, SYW facilitated collaborations that allowed investors to co-own equity in property-investment companies. Funds were not pooled but channelled through formal shareholder or venture-loan agreements—tangible, registered property assets, not “unsecured” holdings as the FSCA suggested.

Following COVID-19, South Africa’s sectional-title market suffered a 25 % decline in values, compounded by increased municipal rates and levies. To safeguard investors, Mr Dupper personally injected tens of millions of rand to maintain solvency. In 2023 he voluntarily wound down the network and its property vehicles—a fiduciary act of prudence, not misconduct.

4. Unfounded FSCA Allegations

The FSCA’s press release was apparently triggered by a single complaint lodged by Bradley Vivian Rae, a Nedbank employee with admitted insight into FSCA procedures. Evidence shows that Mr Rae had previously expressed in writing his intent to “use every resource available” to harm Mr Dupper’s reputation after a commercial disagreement.

Crucially:
The FSCA never contacted SYW or Mr Dupper for clarification before publication.
All prior FSCA inquiries (2021–2023) were answered with full documentation, and no violations were found.
The FSCA conducted no fresh investigation in 2025 before releasing its public “warning.”
The authority’s language, grouping SYW with “impersonation scams” and “unauthorised operators”—was reckless and prejudicial. It created the false impression of criminality where no law was breached, no investor defrauded, and no order issued.

5. Defamation and Consequences
By issuing a press release without substantiation, the FSCA caused severe reputational and economic damage. The article now dominates Google search results for “Hannes Dupper,” unjustly branding a legitimate entrepreneur as an illegal operator.
Even consumer-review platforms such as Hello Peter removed Mr Bradley Vivian Rae, representing Nedbank, defamatory post for breaching their anti-defamation policy, which prohibits accusations of “fraud” or “scam” absent a legal ruling. The irony is stark: a regulator held to a far higher evidentiary standard adopted the very language that a public forum deemed defamatory. Mr Dupper reserves all rights to pursue legal remedies for defamation and reputational harm, both against the original complainant and, if necessary, against the FSCA for publishing unverified claims.

6. Integrity and Professional Standing

Hannes Dupper is a respected international entrepreneur, DBA candidate, and Group CEO of Firefly Global Holdings, overseeing diversified ventures in property, infrastructure, and educational technology across South Africa and the UK.

In 2025 he was appointed International Partner for South Africa (Gauteng) at the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF)—an affiliate of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion—representing South Africa in global investment collaboration initiatives.

Such credentials underscore that Mr Dupper’s business record and ethical standards are incompatible with the FSCA’s

Challenging the FSCA’s Allegations:
The FSCA’s July 2025 press release placed Hannes Dupper and SYW alongside impersonation scams and rogue operators in its public . The release stated that a complaint had been received alleging SYW and Dupper were running an unregistered investment business, and that “upon investigation, the FSCA could not find any record of [their] licensing” – implying that Mr. Dupper was illegally offering financial services. Mr. Dupper emphatically refutes these allegations and underscores that the FSCA’s characterization of SYW is misleading and damaging in the extreme.

“The FSCA effectively branded me as an illegal operator without ever engaging in a proper investigation or contacting me for clarification,” says Hannes Dupper. “They’ve lumped my initiative – which was fully transparent and compliant – together with actual scams and impersonators. This is not only false, it’s defamatory.”

Crucially, aside from confirming the obvious fact that Mr. Dupper is not licensed as a financial service provider (something SYW itself openly disclosed to every investor), the FSCA did not cite a single law that was breached, nor any instance of fraud or public harm caused by Mr. Duper's activities. The warning appears to be based solely on the complainant’s unverified allegations, without any evidence that SYW’s networking model actually violated the FAIS Act or other regulations. In South Africa’s regulatory framework, providing genuine financial advice or intermediary services

Firefy Global Press Desk
Firefly Global
1014100057
hello@fireflygroup.global
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Facebook

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.