To avoid the risks and negative consequences of ethical gaps, there needs to be an alignment between what is said and done within the organisation. Saying and doing need to be focused on what’s right for the business, its people and its stakeholders.
Ethical transformation is critical. The first step is acknowledging ethics and values as important and making the decision to prioritise it above the bottom line. This has to come from the top. Written by Monique Verduyn With the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture unearthing staggering and significant news regarding corrupt activities involving the…
Director: Finance and Budget Management at the Department of Human Settlements. Current job title?Director: Finance and Budget Management at the Department of Human Settlements. What is your proudest career achievement?Working for two of the Big Four audit and accounting firms (EY and PwC) and also working for the Office of the Auditor-General (AGSA). And at…
Information technology is an integral component of most organisations’ business operations, with individuals and societies placing ever-increased reliance thereon. IT brings with it significant benefits but also significant risks which impact directly on how entities conduct business. The rapid evolution of the IT landscape, coupled with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, creates a new dimension for…
In September of 2018, Michelle Olckers CA(SA) and Anoop Ninan CA(SA) were announced as co-CEO’s of Mazars South Africa. They each share more about themselves and their journey to the top. Michelle Olckers Michelle Olckers, a former University of Cape Town student, admits that her first steps in her chosen profession were uncertain ones. ‘Although…
Leaders today increasingly turn to big data and advanced analytics in hopes of solving their most pressing problems, whether it’s a drop-off of repeat customers, a shift in consumption patterns, or an attempt to reach new markets. The prevailing thought is that more data is better, especially given advancements in tools and technologies such as…
One of the most concerning observations made in the recently released 2018 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) was that almost no progress has been made to grow sustainable economic opportunity for the African continent’s working age population, with employment having increased by only 0,2% over the last decade. This is in spite of the…
More data was produced in 2017 than in the previous 5 000 years of humanity. New and disruptive technologies are emerging at a rapid pace. Blockchain, the cloud, robotic process automation (RPA), digital labour, machine learning, deep learning, quantum computing, natural language processing (NLP) − all of these have huge potential to change how business…
Technological disruption is so radically transforming industries across the spectrum that it is referred to as the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’. At the forefront of this global revolution are chartered accountants like Frans Hiemstra, head of partner channels at Uber. While almost every industry, from finance to farming, is impacted, Uber stands out as one of…
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) at its meeting on 14 November 2018 tentatively decided to propose that: The mandatory effective date of IFRS 17, Insurance Contracts (IFRS 17), be deferred by one year, to 2022, and The fixed expiry date for the optional temporary exemption from applying IFRS 9, Financial Instruments (IFRS 9), which…