The 2024 CFO Awards was a celebration of finance leaders and a commitment to nurture future finance leaders.
The prestigious Polo Room in Sandton’s Inanda Club came alive on 13 November, as the annual CFO Awards delivered yet another dazzling evening, cementing its reputation as the “Oscars of Finance”.
The glamorous affair was well attended with most guests upholding the black tuxedo theme and ladies dressed in flowing ballroom gowns.
The celebration of excellence, innovation, and resilience within the financial sector drew South Africa’s most prominent finance professionals. Guests arrived dressed to impress and were welcomed by the smooth sounds of The Kopano Jazz Collective and some light-hearted fanfare on the red carpet.
Host and comedian Nik Rabinowitz took to the stage with well-chosen humour, putting guests in high spirits as the event unfolded.
As the night unfolded, deserving nominees took to the stage to accept their trophies, while guests enjoyed an elegant starter as the room buzzed with laughter, music, and lively conversations.
Linda Buchler, MD of investor marketing at Ince, who presented the Compliance and Governance Award to Nedbank’s Mike Davis, a three-time award winner for the night, marvelled at the event’s 360-degree photo booth, which she called “an experience unto itself”.
Some of the guests also took a chance to experience the thrill ride on this rotating picture experience, and shared the memorable moment on their social media platforms.
Mike humbly acknowledged his peers in the sector during his acceptance speech, setting a gracious tone for the evening.
In a memorable moment, Nik introduced Siya Mnyanda, strategic accountant lead at Workday, flawlessly pronouncing Siya’s vernacular clan names to the audience’s delight. Siya, greeted with warm applause, emphasised his pride in South Africa’s diversity before presenting Mike with his second award of the night.
Wesgro CFO Sandiso Gcwabe was awarded the Transformation and Empowerment Award and humbly expressed his surprise, noting that he had expected a private-sector recipient.
Fireside inspiration
The evening featured a fireside chat with South African dancer and choreographer Musa Motha. Musa shared his story as a cancer survivor and left-leg amputee, recounting how he was diagnosed at age ten and ultimately chose to amputate his leg to stop the spread of the disease. Just two weeks after the surgery, Musa returned to the soccer field, unfazed by judgmental stares.
Musa said he was drawn to dancing and asked his friends to teach him. While on his crutches, he learned the steps and quickly rose to fame, music videos and sponsors. “To this day, I have never looked back.”
Later, he discovered a love for dance, learning moves on crutches and swiftly rising to fame in music videos and securing sponsorships. He recalled his “Britain’s Got Talent” experience, where he aimed to captivate hearts through his artistry rather than winning.
His message, “dreams should be big enough to scare you” resonated deeply with the audience, and he urged others to appreciate life’s blessings and view challenges as opportunities for growth.
“God will never put you in a position to defeat you,” Musa said, inspiring attendees to persevere.
Afterwards, Mercedes-Benz South Africa CFO Taryn Woodbridge accepted the Finance Transformation Award, expressing surprise and gratitude to her team and family for their support. The Finance Technology Award went to Sean Capazorio, group CFO at Aspen Pharmacare, with Nicolaou Stavros accepting on his behalf.
As delectable main courses were served, attendees mingled freely, exchanging industry stories and catching up with friends. The atmosphere grew even more vibrant with Musa’s live dance performance, which captivated the audience and earned a standing ovation, with attendees eagerly capturing the moment on their phones.
The night continued with the Young CFO of the Year Award, given to Mikaeel Tayob of Bridgestone Southern Africa. He was visibly moved by the recognition and dedicated the award to his late father, his wife, and his team, acknowledging their steadfast support.
Innocent Gumbochuma, CFO at the South African Qualifications Authority, won the Public Sector CFO award after flying in from Malaysia earlier that day. He joked about investigating attendees’ qualifications due to his role in SAQA while playfully admitting he had expected to win the Finance Technology Award instead.
Dessert followed, a decadent spread of fresh fruits, chocolates, and cakes offering a sweet finale. Mike won the ultimate title of the night—CFO of the Year—marking his third win of the evening.
In his closing speech, Mark acknowledged his wife and family, recognising their support as instrumental in his career.
‘In excellent hands’
CFO South Africa MD Joel Roerig then took to the stage to close the formal programme. “Congratulations to all the winners and nominees. This is especially true for the nominees. Being nominated means your work is worthy of awards,” he said.
He also acknowledged partners and community members and shared how the community has grown over the years, to include CHRO South Africa, CIO South Africa and more recently CFO East Africa.
“It shows how we are growing the community. The work we have done is going to grow these communities even further,” he said.
Joel also shared the decision to forgo corporate year-end gifts in favour of contributing to growth in South Africa, by making a donation to the Feenix fund, which helps students pay off their student debt.
Recognition was a key theme of the evening and attendees also had an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of outgoing CFO South Africa executive community director Georgina Guedes and incoming CFO South Africa community manager - and Head of Communities - Sungula Nkabinde.
Georgina takes on the role of head of governance and growth within the organisation.
Joel wished Georgina and Sungula well in their new roles, saying, “Finance professionals are in excellent hands.”
The 2024 CFO Awards ended on a high note, blending celebration, inspiration, and a shared commitment to nurturing future finance leaders.
This year’s CFO Awards were hosted in conjunction with Awards partners Decision Inc., Ince, MakwaIT, Marsh, Workday and Old Mutual Corporate. Associate Partners AICPA & CIMA, Allan Gray, and Caseware AdaptIT. Table sponsors were BDO, Coupa, Stanlib, Bridgestone, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Dreyton Glendower, King Price Insurance, Mercedes-Benz, Nedbank, Ory Technical Services, Sanlam, Walter Sisulu University and Zeda.
