CA(SA) Profiles

BR Whitaker & Co is a small accounting business based in East London that celebrates its 90th anniversary on 1 March. The business was established back in 1933 by Bernard Rolfe Whitaker, and for four generations the eldest son has gone onto become a CA(SA) and work for the family business. 4 Generations of CAs(SA)…

Polani Sokombela was appointed chief financial officer (CFO) at the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) in March 2022. A seasoned CA(SA), he has worked his way up through the AGSA ranks since starting his career as a trainee accountant at the organisation in 2007. His impressive career highlights the success of the AGSA’s training and…

Motivated by the love of solving complex problems in his childhood, Jody Baumgarten, CFO of Wonga, has successfully built a thriving career in the fintech space. He speaks about business, trends, hobbies and mental wellness. Heading up a fast-paced Fintech company Jody currently leads as CFO for the dynamic fintech company Wonga, where he maintains…

Monique Verduyn asked Neil Morris, Global Head of Assurance and ESG Methodology at KPMG, what the increased pressure on organisations to integrate ESG in their strategies, manage ESG-related risks and report ESG matters means for the profession. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting is a rapidly growing field for chartered accountants. Investment funds with tens…

Bhavna Gounder has excelled in her career in the banking sector. She speaks about her career, which has flourished since she qualified as a CA(SA) in the mid-2000s, her passion for female empowerment, motherhood − and that she’s just recently published a book she co-authored with her daughter about nut allergies. Bhavna Gounder started her…

Once named the youngest person to complete a PhD in IT, Dr Denisha Jairam-Owthar is on a mission to digitally transform Stellenbosch University It is widely known that CAs(SA) can enter almost any industry or area of business. Dr Denisha Jairam-Owthar, chief director of information technology at Stellenbosch University, is a prime example of how…

As finance manager of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Gift Sikonde CA(SA) is enjoying every moment of his role − from listening to radio soccer broadcasts and having early Monday morning chats with friends who watched the game on TV to now having the perks of watching games at presidential suits and getting to…

Laila Razack CA(SA) wholeheartedly believes you must give 100% in any job or role you may have. She says: ‘It may not always be enjoyable, but treat every day as an opportunity to learn something new and devote your full time and attention to it whilst you are there!’ Laila Razack CA(SA) knows what she’s…

Amongst some of Itani Phaduli CA(SA)’s proud achievements is being a 2021 Top 35-under-35 finalist: he describes it as one of the apex moments in his career. Itani Phaduli completed his articles at Deloitte in 2015 and moved on to become a senior lecturer in the financial accounting department at Unisa and to start his…

These CAs(SA) manged to build an international award winning investment and advisory firm in London that services clients worldwide through hard work and diligence. They have built their business to be client-focused, non-bureaucratic and technologically astute and describe themselves as a small, nimble team, stemming from large organisations with a financial services and technology background.…

Masechaba Sesing CA(SA) was recently appointed Head Of Department at the Free State Provincial Treasury and is intent on making a significant contribution both locally and internationally in the public sector space. She wishes to see the Free State Provincial Treasury positively influencing the conduct of all public servants to manage the financials affairs of…

Nomathamsanqa Mfundisi has taken things to the next level and is turning her life lessons into compelling content for eager fans of her YouTube channel, Authentically Real. She discusses experiences such as getting your driver’s licence to financing your first car The world of accounting can be hard to navigate. There may be opportunities you…

How confident are you that your business is safe from fraudsters? Before you answer, consider the pace at which cybercrime-related payment fraud is growing; then think about the fact that your company is equally under threat from internal fraud. Ryan Mer has the answer to both. Ryan Mer has been fascinated by entrepreneurship since he…

We recently met Siyasibulela Kepe at the Top 35-under 35 networking event in Cape Town. He’s one dynamic individual who is a community developer at heart with an avid inclination toward blockchain technology that will help root out corruption in the public sector. He recently graduated to become a blockchain expert at the European Tech…

As a business consultant, Rachelle Best CA(SA) was used to solving complex problems for organisations, but when she encountered a problem in her personal and parenting life that she didn’t have an immediate answer to, she stepped out to develop the solution herself. She is very proud today to have launched the app FYI play…

Vukosi Fungeni typifies the diverse career opportunities available to CAs(SA). Having grown up in Malamulele, a small Limpopo town, Vukosi Fungeni didn’t know much about the field of commerce. His focus in school was the sciences. However, from a distance, he pondered on how it would be exciting to become someone who contributes to corporate…

It was his Grade 10 Accounting teacher at Hoërskool Pretoria-Noord who helped Katlego Matshego realise that a career in this field was not just his calling, but a love. As the Deputy Head of the School of Finance and Accounting at the Independent Institute of Education (IIE), Varsity College and MSA, that’s what he is…

There were many options available when Zine Mshengu CA(SA) completed her articles and was not interested in venturing into a typical financial role, but rather opted for the regulatory space, which required further specialisation. Her choice has opened many doors for her, not only in terms of career progression, but also in building networks across…

Zinhle Simamane’s journey to becoming a CA(SA) has had its good and bad days, but today she is enjoying the fruits of her labour. She is thriving in her role as the Chief Financial Officer – International Business at Traxtion, a company in the freight and rail industry. With no previous experience in the rail…

Luyanda Gidini is driven by a strong belief that every child should have access to a high-quality education. Having grown up in Tembisa, on Gauteng’s East Rand, Luyanda was fortunate to go to Midrand High School, a former Model C school that was well-equipped with both teachers and resources. There he developed a great passion…

Mabatho Sedikela is one of those people who work in the public sector as an act of patriotism. She grew up in a large family in Limpopo and as the older sister, she was tasked with setting an example for her siblings. One of her responsibilities was to help her parents manage the family business.…

What impact could the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) have on public service delivery? It’s a question that governments around the world are confronting. Digitalisation represents a silver bullet for the advancement of nations and industries. As companies have transformed themselves with digital technologies, people are calling on government to follow suit. South Africa could add…

Makosi founder and CEO Darren Isaacs CA(SA) and his team are on a mission to change the way accounting firms work. Originating in South Africa, Makosi opened operations in the United States and the United Kingdom in 2005. With the mantra ‘get your hands dirty, figure things out, keep it simple and never give up’,…

After the gruelling discipline of qualifying as a CA(SA), Bianca Roos faced two options: to join an established firm or help to establish a firm. And she chose the more challenging option because she wanted to make a difference and be part of the firm’s legacy. Today, she is a proud partner at PKF Octagon,…

Jesmane Boggenpoel’s book My Blood Unites and Divides was a compelling account of her experiences as a woman of colour breaking barriers at a time when opportunities for people of colour were scarce. Now, she’s helping others learn from those experiences in a new online course, Diversity and Inclusion in the Workforce, available on Udemy.…

Koko Khumalo is the CEO and founding partner of Motlanalo Chartered Accountants and Auditors Incorporated (Motlanalo Inc), a majority African Black women-owned South African audit, accounting and professional services firm. As Motlanalo has steadily grown, her vision has not waned Koko is more confident than ever that there is room in the market for an…

Chanelle Nandlal’s first experience of London − as a young girl from a small town in the big city − was like no other. She arrived expecting everything to be 100% different, but was fascinated how some things are the same and some things so different! Chanelle Nandlal CA(SA) first lived in London 12 years…

Bonga Mokoena’s appointment as CEO of BDO – a post he took up in May – sees his career come full circle as he moves away from the financial services industry, where he has concentrated his efforts for the past several years, to focus once more on audit. Bonga Mokoena’s approach is, in his own…

Audrey Muvezwa believes that the CA(SA) training teaches one to be flexible and offers mobility that very few qualifications offer. He vouches that one can easily adapt to different environments and positions as you have the invaluable resource of being a strategic thinker. And not only that: she is also taking it to the next…

Nancy Chakabuda is enjoying a secondment in the US early in her career and has since never let go of her dream of adding a more immersive and longer-term international experience to her career portfolio, knowing the immeasurable benefits of gaining a global perspective and enhancing soft skills and communication while understanding different cultures better,…

In July, a 73-year-old professor will paddle 1 100 kilometres down the Rio Madeira, a tributary of the Amazon River. He aims to try to inspire the commitment of corporate SA to fund a reforestation project in the Brazilian Amazon as well as pioneer a new genre of climate reporting in integrated annual reports Fifty…

Gary Klinkradt CA(SA) is a partner at Klinkradt Chartered Accountants – and on the side, he is an avid artist. He started painting seriously in 2003 and his art is becoming highly sought after and can be found throughout South Africa and also in other parts of the world. Gary loves to paint thick impasto…

When meeting Donné for the first time, it is not difficult to be feel energised by her passion for life and all things International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) related. It is unsurprising, then, that Donné is a committee member of the IASB IC in addition to being the Head of Advisory Services at FirstRand Limited.…

One of the best reasons – for some, the most important reason – to take on a career in the public sector is the chance to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The sector provides many opportunities for CAs(SA) to do this and can allow you to have a direct impact on…

If he had known that accounting would become as deeply and inextricably technology based as it has, the young Chris Badenhorst wouldn’t have had to agonise quite so much over his field of study. In the end he chose accounting but, of course, in the 21st century accounting is no longer just accounting. Rapid technology…

Mbali Precious Mabaso CA(SA) is the founder of and mentor at Isikhuthazi, a programme meant to encourage, educate and empower CTA students, ITC and APC candidates. She is also an audit portfolio manager at Nedbank Group Limited Mbali repeated CTA and APC twice, only passing on her third attempt. That experience has helped her to…

As a Grade 1 pupil, at the age of 6, Erick Liebenberg was sent to school with R1,50 to buy something sweet from the tuck shop. He returned with a can of Coke, two bags of sweets and R2,75 in his pocket … An entrepreneur at that stage? Probably not. Creative? Most definitely! And today,…

Chwayita Mtebele is Head of Department: Investment Providers at the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). She is a qualified CA(SA) with a BCom Accounting from the University of Fort Hare and a CTA from Unisa According to Chwayita Mtebele, there is ‘literally never a dull moment’ in the regulatory space. There are always new discoveries…

CAs(SA) in the public sector ensure accounting professionalism, integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality and professional behaviour, says Jeanine Poggiolini The unprecedented policy measures taken by governments around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the importance of public sector entities in society and the economy. According to the International Federation of Accountants…

One of the most frequent points people make when they think about a career change is the pull they feel to do work that makes a difference. And that’s exactly what Bruce Vivian did Six years after starting his career at PwC in 2004, Bruce Vivian felt the need for a job that would make…

Melissa Jacobs CA(SA) is the founder and owner of MJ Chartered Accountants. Unlike other accounting firms, hers is fiercely devoted to the preservations of lions. Her love for wildlife began as a child and knowing that the lion populations are seriously endangered triggered her to do something about it. With an estimated 20 000 lions…

In March 2021, Monique Tessa Malan was elated to hear that she was one of five candidates from around the world − and to date, the only student from Africa − to be admitted to the Doctoral Program in International Business Taxation (DIBT) at Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (Vienna University of Economics and Business, WU). Before moving…

Referring to her time in Mozambique, Nilza Mngomezulu says: ‘You won’t know the limits of your strength until you test yourself.’ This statement has proved to be her motto in life Growing up in an underprivileged family Nilza soon realised that she only had one option to get into university and ultimately realising her dream…

After 37 years in the profession, Chantyl Mulder – also known as Mother Thuthuka, thanks to her role in founding the Thuthuka Education Upliftment Fund – is moving on to new challenges. The former Executive Director for Learning, Development and National Imperatives at SAICA reflects on her time as one of the profession’s greatest champions…

Almost everybody says they want to write a book, but it’s easier said than done. Tramayne Monaghan CA(SA), former CFO of Tencent Africa, used lockdown to achieve his dream and 21 months later, he is proud to say that his book The Shepherd and the Beast is on the shelves of bookstores −and he’s already…

Petri Basson CA(SA) quickly realised during articles that technology would have a massive impact on the accounting industry and that he would have to upskill himself to keep up with it. Even today, he says, things are changing so fast, one can never just sit back and rely on your existing knowledge. He has become…

Our profession’s image has been tarnished by individuals guilty of gross misconduct, polluting public perception about accountants and our conduct. I believe their behaviour to stem from seeing various public figures guilty of same, arrogantly escaping the rule of law in our country Evolving the value proposition of accountants together Anton van Wyk CA(SA) and…

In 2020, two CAs(SA) went to the UK in search of adventure and opportunity, not knowing that a pandemic was about to change the world From SA Public Sector to the world People generally move abroad to improve their lifestyle, take on a new challenge, gain new experiences, or progress up the career ladder. It’s…

‘I may be in the business of understanding numbers, but these are not ordinary numbers. These numbers help to tell the story of how public entities are meeting the needs and aspirations of people in the country. This is what drives me every day,’ says Bongi Ngoma, former AGSA CFO and current national Head of…

Anisah Patel, 44-year-old CA(SA), started her CA(SA) journey at the age of 29, which is 10 years later than the norm. Today, she is the owner of her own practice in Vereeniging that offers accounting, taxation and advisory services. She never gave up and was not afraid to take calculated risks! Deciding to become a…

Driven small-business owner Devaksha Maharaj shares her story on how she was selected to join the Energy Sector Gender Ministerial Advisory Council last year as part of the Women Empowerment and Gender Equality (WEGE) Strategy implementation plan Devaksha Maharaj is the owner of Ikigai Engineering, a multifaceted consultancy dealing in energy management advisory services including,…

Graham Leslie CA(SA) left city life to focus on his family farm and has since helped the Leslie farm to grow from strength to strength, achieving major awards and recognition within the industry A sustainable farmer at heart While their premium quality apple cider vinegar contains ‘the mother’, Graham Leslie can be considered ‘the father’…

For some of us, health and wellbeing do not come to mind every day. For others, health and wellbeing is an ongoing journey. The inspiring story of Ilze Wiid, 35-year-old CA(SA), successful franchise co-owner in a franchise business, wife, and mother of two daughters, is a testament to embracing health and wellbeing and making it…

Zimkita Mabindla, 44-year-old CA(SA) and current Partner at KPMG, has faced many challenges in her professional and personal life and is still moving forward. She is career driven in her professional life and a proud single provider and parent to her deep-thinking, intelligent 15-year-old daughter in her personal life Microlearnings from CAs(SA) over 40 The…

Surviving Survivor Kiran Naidoo CA(SA) first heard of Survivor (like a lot of us) in the early 2000s during its first season. After watching one episode as a nine year old, he has been hooked ever since. What started off as a love for the physical challenges that reminded him of giant obstacle courses eventually…

Sharné Damons recounts how Thuthuka has changed her life: an inspirational story that started thanks to the help of SAICA’s Thuthuka Bursary programme ‘From the start of my journey until now I have acquired some key skills, including the technical skills taught at university and practical skills through my articles and subsequent work experience. As…

The internal audit department of the Kannaland Municipality in Ladismith is in good hands. While building up the department as its current head, chartered accountant (CA(SA)) Enrico Kleinbooi is also responsible for the training and development of two young professionals pursuing their Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa internal audit designation. A beneficiary of the…

Trade benefits (for beneficiaries) + tripple bottom-line reporting benefits (for funders) = NPO success This is the philosophy that 52-year-old Tracey Chambers lives by. In 2009, at the age of 40, she made an informed decision to leave the corporate world to pursue her passion for teaching and empowering women, and co-founded the Clothing Bank,…

Sandiso Gcwabe, CFO of the Western Cape Liquor Authority, calls on peers to help bolster and strengthen the civil service. President Cyril Ramaphosa said earlier this year that the public service must be staffed by men and women who are professional, skilled, selfless and honest, committed to upholding the values of the Constitution, and serving…

Benjamin and Leticia both wanted to grow in their various audit firms and climb up the ranks to partner level, but as no growth was possible, they decided to start their own firm and grow it themselves In 2011, Leticia du Toit moved from her hometown of Phalaborwa to Pretoria to pursue her aspiration of…

Always looking for an adventure, Greg Maslov CA(SA) decided to explore life in New York after completing his articles. ‘I grew up in Johannesburg and lived there until the age of 27. I wondered how I was going to survive in a city like New York, but I was quite ready for a different experience,’…

Chartered Accountant Dylon Johannes had to conquer adversity to become the successful individual he is today. Not only did he manage to climb his way out of poverty, but he has also had to navigate a life-long speech impediment to make his way in the business world. He says the support he received from the…

Sandile Mnguni CA(SA) believes the public sector is a great place to work for anyone who has a passion and interest in society and how communities develop and live together. Chartered accountants working in the public sector help to shape public spending at local, provincial and national level, ensuring that taxpayers are receiving value for…

‘One thing I learned is the fact that tomorrow is not guaranteed, and therefore I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue this dream,’ says Tumelo Makgakga CA(SA) RA. Starting his own practice had been a dormant dream in Tumelo Makgakga CA(SA)’s heart for a long time. But lockdown gave him a good…

Retired, enjoying life with his wife Kalpana and four children, and sharing his experiences − this is Dr Suresh Kana, reputed ethical leader in our profession. Those who know Suresh are proud of his contributions through the pivotal roles in his career: PwC SA CEO and PwC Africa senior partner, chair of SAICA, non-executive chair…

The COVID-19 pandemic brought Sarah Cromhout’s international work experience to an abrupt halt – but opened a door that allowed her to help some of the poorest families in the rural Eastern Cape An empty boardroom with four phones placed on the floor. That’s what Sarah Cromhout found when she started her first day of…

In an era in which our country’s leaders are often exposed for their lack of integrity, it is refreshing to spend some time in the company of a man who values integrity both in business and in his private life. Mandie Wentzel spoke to Ignatius Sehoole, CEO of KPMG South Africa Shortly after Valentine’s Day…

CA(SA) trainee Thokozani Mazibuko speaks about how Thuthuka changed his life The individuals whose lives are touched by a comprehensive educational and support programme like SAICA’s Thuthuka bursary come from all over South Africa and have different backgrounds. Many of them, like Thokozani Nowgli Mazibuko (24), say that they were ‘always good with numbers’, but…

The key for women who want to make it in the accountancy profession. Some women often give up on their dream careers because of personal circumstances. Anneline Marais shares her story on how she decided to not give up on her vision of becoming a chartered accountant (CA(SA), even after an unplanned pregnancy. She also…

Thato Tsotetsi is forging a dynamic and exciting career while passionately playing her part in re-shaping the South African economic landscape. In 2020, advertising industry history was made when Joe Public United became the largest black-owned independent advertising agency in South Africa. It was a big moment for the members of Ikhamva Lakusasa, a newly…

As a result of COVID-19, education has changed dramatically in a short period of time. Many contact university programmes have had to adapt their teaching and learning pedagogies to online, technology-driven delivery methods. Daylan Staude, senior lecturer and taxation subject head in the Department of Accounting at the University of Fort Hare (UFH), has embraced…

A few years back, I would have told you that I had everything that I had ever wanted. In four short years of being an academic at a world-renowned university, with lecturer score ratings significantly above average, research being recognised and published internationally and locally, setting SAICA’s professional exams, and authoring a textbook for a…

Robyn Franconi AGA(SA) describes St Helena as a small and quaint island where everyone greets and where both motorists and pedestrians politely wave at every car that passes by. St Helena is mid-way between South America and Africa and is famously known as the place of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile and death Read the full article…

There’s no doubt you will notice Mphahlela ‘Pat’ Mokgatle in a crowd. He’s the guy that will be dressed in a suit that will definitely catch your eye and you’ll probably think to yourself: ‘wow, that guy has some style!’ but there’s more… Read the full article here.

At just 30 years of age, Mia Makhanya is the youngest person to ever hold a spot on the BANKSETA board and her passion for the UN’s fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of quality education shines through all she does. Here is how the BANKSETA, in particular, is working to unravel those drastic unemployment figures…

Ask Willem how he went from being a CA(SA) into a world of relentless innovation, and he’ll tell you it began when he went to LA for the first time in 2004 with Deloitte. ‘Two of the first things that struck me was the sheer scale of the US; 11-lane highways, Walmart, 80 different types…

Mrs Pretoria-Tshwane finalist – Ronel Jooste CA(SA) Despite excelling at academics and sport at school, the beautiful Ronel Jooste describes herself as being extremely shy while growing up. And during articles, she hardly said a word either. In fact, if you had to ask one of her fellow article clerks whether one day she’d earn…

Chris Hefer is an avid sports fan, but he never imagined that his career as a CA(SA) would launch him into the exciting world of the sports industry. Being part of the professional sports franchise Vodacom Bulls and being exposed to the ‘behind the scenes’ action daily allow him to enjoy experiences most people would…

From its inception, 2 000 years ago to the medieval period, the world wars through to the financial crisis in 2008 and the vote to the leave the European Union in 2016, London has been at the centre of the world for over two millennia. It is a city where ancient and modern intermingle to…

One of the people Mangakane Lehlogonolo (Nolo) Pududu credits for her choice of becoming a CA(SA) is her Grade 8 accounting teacher, Mrs. Sebastian. ‘She was absolutely amazing. The way she spoke about accounting, the way she was so passionate about it, I knew that this was what I wanted to do!’ Read Nolo’s story…

People working in the USA are often employed at will, meaning that they are not protected from dismissal by their contracts. Although this can be worrisome, Martin believes this flexibility helps to create many work opportunities in the USA (the unemployment rate is only around 4%). Martin Pittorino tells us more. Please read the full interview…

In accordance with paragraph 3.59(a) of the Listings Requirements of the JSE Limited, shareholders are hereby advised that, having followed a robust recruitment process in evaluating external and internal candidates, the Chairman, the Human Capital Committee and the Board are pleased to announce the appointment of Felix Lombard as the new CFO of Pioneer Foods.…

Zizipho Nyanga has been at the helm of Old Mutual‘s Masisizane Fund for six months after taking over the role of CEO in October 2016. She was recently welcomed by Old Mutual who held an event to introduce her to its beneficiaries and team members. Nyanga hails from Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, a former…

Phumeza Nhantsi has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of South African Airways (SAA). “South African Airways has announced the appointment of Phumeza Nhantsi as SAA’s new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The appointment is effective from 1 May 2017,” SAA said on Wednesday. The 39-year-old Nhantsi was appointed as SAA’s Interim CFO in November 2015…

Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited board of directors advised that Mr Mahomed Gani has, with effect from 3 May 2017, been appointed as an Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company. He will be a member of the Audit and Risk Committee as well as the Remuneration and Nomination Committee. Mr Gani is a Chartered Accountant with over…

By Lionel Shawe, Managing Partner at Allen and Overy and Lauren Tunstall, PSL at Allen & Overy On 13 January 2016, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issued its new international lease accounting standards IFRS 16 Leases which removes the distinction between finance leases and operating leases for lessees with effect from 1 January 2019.…

Following the departure of Mr Bert Chanetsa from the FSB at the end of December 2016, Adv. Tshidi, in his capacity as the Registrar in terms of the Financial Markets and Credit Rating Services Acts has delegated his powers and functions to Mr Jurgen Boyd, who will exercise the said powers and functions in addition…

Oryx Properties Limited, the only Namibian property company listed on the Namibian Stock Exchange, has announced the appointment of Carel Fourie as its new chief executive officer with effect from 1 March 2017. Oryx Properties has a premier-quality retail, industrial and office real-estate portfolio valued at about R2.326 billion which generates a dependable, sustainable and…