Investec triumphant at Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz in more ways than one

Investec became a team sponsor for the first time at the Snow Polo World Cup in St. Moritz in its second year of partnering with the prestigious sporting tournament, and the success of both the team and the partnership at large underscores the proudly South African entity’s growing reach around the globe.

About the Snow Polo

The 41st edition of the Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz was another resounding success, firmly asserting its position as the world’s only high-goal polo tournament played on snow. From 23rd to 25th January 2026 the frozen Lake St. Moritz transformed into the dazzling arena where polo’s finest gathers for a competition that brings revelers from all over the world together in a fusion of elite sport and high-altitude glamour.

Founded in 1985 by the ‘Godfather of Snow Polo’ Reto Gaudenzi, the illustrious three-day tournament injects an estimated CHF25 million to the St. Moritz economy and boasts a global reach of approximately two billion people across marketing and communications platforms. Part of this success is that the event typically coincides with the final days of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos.

With this distinguished delegation of guests descending upon Switzerland, Investec swiftly recognised an opportunity to leverage influence, intention and refined experiences for a discerning audience to position Investec in a key market for private wealth. Ryan Parkhurst, Head of Marketing for Investec Private Client, gave more insights into this strategic brand asset and what it means for South Africa’s growing recognition in various industries around the world.

Team Investec

This year Investec upped the ante by sponsoring a team, bringing the iconic Zebra to the very heart of the tournament. The all Brazilian-born Team Investec secured a commendable third-place finish, defeating Team St. Moritz 6-4½ in their final match on the frozen lake. This achievement made even more remarkable as it marked the team’s very first time competing on snow. Parkhurst explained how the team selection came about.

“Every team in the Snow Polo has a Patron. The Patron is essentially the person who supplies the horses and the players. There are teams from around the world that make up the six teams, so it is not a world cup in the sense that various nations are competing for a title but rather the notion of the world’s best Polo athletes coming together to compete. While we didn’t have influence over the particular team, we were given the choice to sponsor a Malaysian team or the Brazilian team. We decided to adopt the Brazilian team as we have a presence in Latin America, and culturally there were a lot of synergies between South Africa and Brazil.” Parkhurst calls the partnership a “leap of faith” that paid off handsomely for both the team and its sponsor.

Investec’s presence in Switzerland

Bringing the Zebra to the snow is certainly part of a greater strategy to establish Investec in a key, and extremely competitive market for private wealth with around 80 private banks and wealth management entities. Investec Group is currently the only Sub-Saharan entity with a Swiss banking license, connecting African wealth with the sophisticated Swiss banking system. With all eyes on Africa for various reasons over the past few years and increased wealth migration, this will become crucial for Investec’s presence in Switzerland. In times of geopolitical change, operating in a safe and neutral market is a priority for clients. “It’s important to state that we follow our clients’ wealth, recognising that they are global citizens.” Parkhurst lays out the two-fold objective for the brand in this region.

“We wanted to identify ways in which we could position ourselves in Switzerland because our primary target market in that market right now is South African expats in Switzerland and broader Europe that recognize Investec. We wanted something that would make people sit up, notice and remember Investec. Secondly, we wanted to identify an asset that will start to lay the building blocks for us in the long term when or if we decide to go after the domestic Swiss market, i.e. non-South Africans in Switzerland.”

Parkhurst reflected on what drove his most significant career pivot, namely the shift from agency to brand, and the desire to truly own brand activity from start to end is ultimately what underpins Investec’s endeavour in Switzerland. A rich understanding of marketing science and South African ingenuity characterizes this bold undertaking.

“The strategy is almost like a tribal influencer strategy,” Parkhurst explicates. “It’s like Thesis clothing brand for instance. If you want to win in townships in South Africa, you need to start in a township that has the most influence within the culture of townships in South Africa; that township is Soweto. If you win there you are likely to win the community itself by building out the brand and the belief in it there. So we did a whole lot of homework to identify which are the key cantons of influence in Switzerland, which was undeniably the home of the Snow Polo, St. Moritz.”

Homegrown, World Class

As branding exercise, the Snow Polo joins the bold portfolio of Investec’s strategic marketing activities over the years. “The zebra is untamed and impossible to ride. The horse can buck you off. But it’s lots of fun..” Investec is synonymous with lifestyle-lead marketing activity such as the Luxurious Marble Circus and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair held in February. Connecting with South African audiences at such a high standard of execution has been Investec’s forte, and has been received well by an audience with an appetite for the bold. But cultural nuance and an understanding of different audience behaviours have been important learnings for the South African team. “We typically want our stripes everywhere” says Parkhurst. “I think the difference with the Snow Polo is that if we were to win in the long term in Switzerland, we need to grow very organically and gently and meaningfully. And that requires some restraint and thinking about how our brand shows up in, in more subtle, meaningful ways.”

Apart from growing brand awareness and generating leads, the resounding takeaway from St Moritz is that Investec continues to solidify South Africa’s firm reputation in the global market. “I would say that it’s really about the story of homegrown, world class; that South African born businesses and people can become world class and punch above our weight. With that South African mindset of being a challenger and not resting on our laurels, we aim big, we dream big. And that’s true for South Africans, but it’s also true for Investec.”

“Many companies will say they’re international, but for Investec, this is landing a really big stake in the ground to say that we are a truly international bank and wealth manager.”

Looking up

With 2026’s calendar already shaping up to be an exciting one for Investec’s brand, Parkhurst forecasts more unique approaches to brand building in the future. “We’re trying to make our way into the hearts and minds of people that are outside of our typical consideration set. Diversifying the attractiveness of our brand, creating a platform and creating access for our clients will characterise our branding activity going forward.” Investec Wealth & Investment International’s partnership with OPUS, a global community of startup and early-stage entrepreneurs, comes to mind. But for the next Snow Polo specifically, the team is already planning to outdo what has certainly been a spectacular brand showcase.

Parkhurst’s approach to taking the proudly South African brand to the world is not looking left or right, but up. “If you dream big and you aim for the moon, you might hit one of Elon’s satellites. The hope is to say that it was quite an audacious dream. That hope is representative of the South African mindset as well as Investec’s aspirations.”