Katekani Mabasa on why South African CFOs can thrive globally
Written by Staff Writer Amsterdam-based Katekani Mabasa, who is the Global M&A Senior Finance Lead at Phillips International, explained to CFO Convo why South African CFOs are suited to international success. “South Africa is one of the countries where Europe recruits quite a lot of accountants. However, they don’t necessarily perceive tha
Daring to disagree: Thabo Maake on the Eskom Exemption saga
Written by Staff Writer There was outrage when National Treasury abruptly announced last month that it was exempting Eskom from reporting irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure in its financial statements. A decision that was reversed faster than you can say Des van Rooyen. However, seasoned finance professional, Thabo Maake believes that National
The Power of Onboarding: Setting New Employees Up for Success
By Jeff Ryan, Managing Director for AWCape, a Platinum Sage Business Partner Have you ever heard of someone or a colleague who left their new job within the first two months of joining? If the onboarding process is executed effectively and comprehensively, instances like these can be significantly minimized. Onboarding new joiners is a complex proces
Aziz Hardien talks about servant leadership in the Public Sector
Aziz Hardien, the Provincial Accountant-General of the Western Cape, has been committed to public service for nearly two decades. In a recent interview with CFO Club, Aziz spoke about the challenges he faces in dealing with the lack of skills and competencies within the government sector, and his unwavering commitment to serving the citizens of […]
Where do CFOs come from? Study reveal
Written by Staff Writer A recent study by Russell Reynolds Associates traced the career paths of Fortune 100 CFOs revealing that a whopping sixty-nine percent of CFOs are promoted from within their companies of origin. Key takeaways · The majority of CFO appointments are internal promotions representing sixty-nine percent of Fortune 100 CFOs. [&h
The future is AI, but the skills are missing – survey
Written by Staff Writer A recent Deloitte survey of European finance executives offers early signs of how finance functions approach AI. Key takeaways Surveyed executives acknowledge gaps in workforce skills. But only 24 percent have started hiring those with AI skills. Control and reporting, finance operations and FP&A are functions are those ex
The cost of being a corruption-busting CFO
Written by Leigh Schaller What happens when you take a principled CFO and place her in dysfunctional municipalities? You get Mercy Phetla fighting through courts and council meetings in an attempt to do her job. Mercy Phetla doesn’t think of herself as a whistleblower. 7“I’m just doing my job,” Mercy told the #CFOClubConvo. Her job […]
How the JSE’s largest companies approach ESG
Written by Leigh Schaller Recently two South African insurance giants brought out extensive reports diving into how they think about ESG, including a survey of the top 40 JSE companies and their ESG approach. Key takeaways Companies can’t afford to ignore ESG Investor concerns are driving ESG Adhering to legislation is not a driving […]
The glass ceiling for women CFOs remains. Here are three solutions
Written by Staff Writer Despite minor improvements, only 22 percent of CFOs in JSE-listed companies are women. Those who make it to the top pay quartile of large companies receive almost half the salary of their male counterparts. What can companies do to ford the divide? Female representation among the JSE executive population […]
Lindelani Gumbo on the importance of grit and mentorship
Written by Staff Writer Success didn’t just fall into Lindelani Gumbo’s lap. The regulatory accountant didn’t pass her board exams or CTA on the first attempt. She admits, “I was never the smartest person in school.” However, setbacks have not held Gumbo, assistant vice president at Citibank South Africa, back. Success requires grit “I [&hell