A child of the townships, Jeff van Rooyen rose above his circumstances through hard work, determination and opportunity. ‘I’ve lost count of the number of times people have counselled me on aiming too high. Most of the time, their advice was that I should lower the bar and set myself what they considered to be…
I stand on the shoulders of giants The 2022’s Top 35-under-35 overall winner was Mathabo Makhaya CA(SA), group financial manager at Harmony Gold Mining (health) and chairperson of the Investment Committee Mineworkers Provident Fund (MWPF). Mathabo Makhaya (32) Group Financial Manager Health at Harmony Gold Mining; Chairperson of Investment Committee, Mine Workers Provident Fund When…
Twenty-five years after joining Deloitte Africa as a trainee, Ruwayda Redfearn has taken up the mantle of CEO, becoming one of the biggest names in the professional services sector on the continent. Her vision is for the firm to be a trusted global partner in Africa and an employer of choice for top talent across…
To become an international sportsperson and a chartered accountant is beyond the scope of most people’s dreams. Yet that is exactly what Phumelela Mbande CA(SA), goalkeeper and captain of the South African women’s hockey team, has achieved despite countless challenges. Her team competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where Phumelela had the honour of being…
As a 22-year-old student, Professor Kurt Sartorius first set out to South America with an Indiana Jones mindset paddling down the Amazon’s Madeira River. He left describing the experience as one that ‘nearly broke me’. But in July 2022, 50 years later and at the age of 73 years, he found himself returning to paddle…
Tracy Sondezi (31) from Durban in KwaZulu-Natal is not one to back down from a challenge. She lives her life to the full and faces obstacles head-on, even when she is scared. Tracy is currently head of treasury, head of the goods not for resale expense control department, and group financial accountant at Boxer Superstores.…
Nadine Hurwitz (33), a cost and project accountant by day and a Ballet Barre instructor after hours, from Johannesburg, did exactly that. She got knocked down, had an idea, and, against many odds, made it happen. Twice. To get back up when the school of hard knocks took you down is never easy and for…
Historically, it has not been easy for women of colour in corporate settings in South Africa. Many have had to work harder and fight for opportunities and social equality. As a proudly South African woman of colour, Sheena Bloem (37), an operations professional at a global asset management firm in Cape Town, wants to honour…
With over 10 years of experience as a financial services professional, including corporate and investment banking, treasury, funding, and liquidity management, CA(SA) Thina Tembani (35), from Johannesburg, is currently the executive assistant to the head of the banking division and CEO designate of Rand Merchant Bank, and to the COO of the banking division. She…
Sherylee Moonsamy (35), CFO at the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), had a very unconventional start to her CA(SA) journey. There were many times she could have given up, but she refused to do so and her dedication has finally paid off and today, she is proudly the CFO at the JDA. When faced with a…