Under the glittering Johannesburg skyline, the country’s top finance leaders gathered in the Polo Room at Sandton’s Inanda Club for the annual CFO Awards – a night of glamour, gratitude and inspiration. From powerful acceptance speeches to Akani Simbine’s moving fireside chat, the event honoured the people and purpose driving South Africa’s financial excellence.
On the evening of 11 November, the elegant Polo Room at Sandton’s Inanda Club sparkled beneath the luminous Johannesburg sky. Hosting the 2025 CFO Awards, fondly known as the “Oscars of Finance”, the venue exuded glitz, glamour and sophistication, setting the stage for an unforgettable night celebrating the nation’s brightest financial minds.
The prestigious event drew a distinguished crowd, with gentlemen donning classic black tuxedos and ladies gracing the occasion in sweeping ballroom gowns.
A celebration of excellence, innovation and tenacity in the financial arena, the evening brought together South Africa’s foremost finance leaders. Guests were serenaded by the smooth rhythms of Biko’s Manna and welcomed into a vibrant red-carpet atmosphere brimming with warmth and anticipation.
Host and comedian Riaad Moosa took to the stage with well-chosen humour, putting guests in high spirits as the event unfolded.
The award nominees were all acknowledged for being nominated and for all the hard work they have done for their respective companies and sectors.
The first round of winners stepped onto the stage to receive their awards while guests savoured a refined starter amid an atmosphere alive with laughter, music and vibrant conversation.
Recognising excellence across sectors
Bongi Ngoma, head of audit for AGSA handed over the first award, the Compliance & Governance Award, to City of Cape Town CFO Kevin Jacoby, who was also crowned CFO of the year.
Kevin expressed his gratitude to his wife and team, but raised the banner for the public sector industry, saying the win was not only for him, but the sector at large.
“I don’t enjoy reading words that much. One thing that changed in my career significantly was when I read something about CFOs. It was at the time of Covid. I would insist that CFOs are the guiding lights of the future. Simply because of the understanding of the process and the understanding of the protection of the base of the organisations. During Covid we needed a sense of preciseness that we were going to deliver on our strategy,” he said.
“That was a turning point in my life. I was very fortunate to have a management team on top of the seven portfolios that I’m responsible for at the City of Cape Town. It allowed me to explore a little bit further around the enablement within government. Delivering and being part of that team that delivers that infrastructure for that economy makes my heart very warm. Standing here tonight makes me even more emotional and proud to be here. Thank you,” he said.
The Strategy Execution Award, handed over by Mark Odendaal, strategic account lead for Workday, went to group CFO of Altron Carel Snyman.
He celebrated power and the nature of technology in his life and how it changed his life and career, especially as a young person.
“The thing that I’ve learnt about this is there’s always a plan, and you’ve got to be able to change direction pretty quickly. My whole career has been in technology. You’re basically forced to do that. Technology changes while you sleep. I’ve been blessed to be in this industry and also to be surrounded by young people,” he said.
Carel also snapped up the Finance & Transformation Award, handed to him by Ashona Kooblall, group CFO of iOCO Technology Group. He acknowledged that from a young age and early in his career he was able to make mistakes and learn from them, making him the kind of CFO he is today.
“I think what’s important here is that, you know, when I was a lot younger and starting to form a career, I was actually fortunate to be in a place where people pushed me to make mistakes every day. And it was fine, they were actually unhappy if you didn’t make mistakes, because that means you didn't try to, so you just had to settle for what was done yesterday,” he reflected.
“So that was my whole career and I try to bring that forward when I deal with youngsters coming in and say to them, guys, just try anything new, it doesn’t matter. If it works, great, if it doesn’t work, even better, because then you’re going to try something else. So, thanks for this award, and I’ll try and continue to do that with the remaining people. Thanks very much,” he said.
Celebrating teamwork and transformation
The High-Performance Team Award was presented next by Claudelle Von Eck, founder of Brave Inflexions, to Oceana Group CFO Zaf Mahomed.
Zaf expressed his gratitude for the win but acknowledged that he had not won the award because of all his own hard work, but because of the team he works with everyday.
“I’m fortunate to stand here because I stand on the shoulders of young people who give me a chance,” he said.
The Transformation Empowerment Award was announced by Vuyolwethu Mdleleni, senior direct sales consultant for Old Mutual. It went to Dineo Molefe, CFO of MTN South Africa, who was unable to attend. Boitumelo Gasealahwe received the award on her behalf.
With the first round of awards done, the main course was served, giving guests the perfect opportunity to mingle and network amid a relaxed atmosphere of soft music and warm ambience. Laughter and lively chatter filled the room as attendees savoured their meals and extended heartfelt congratulations to the award winners.
A fireside chat with Africa’s fastest man
Next on the programme was an engaging fireside chat led by Executive Communities’ Head of Communities, Sungula Nkabinde, in conversation with internationally celebrated athlete and Africa’s fastest man, Akani Simbine.
Known globally for his lightning speed and consistency on the track, Akani’s story is not only about athletic excellence, it’s about purpose, perseverance and vision beyond sport.
Born and raised in the East Rand, his journey began not on the track, but on the soccer field. “Like most young South African boys, I wanted to be a football player,” he recalled. His dream seemed certain until his high school principal discovered his remarkable speed and insisted he represent the school in athletics, or risk being benched from soccer. Reluctantly, he agreed.
“I didn’t want to run. I didn’t understand what running was,” Akani said. “But once I started, things just happened easily. It felt like everything was falling into place.”
By matric, the decision to give up soccer for athletics – what he calls “a leap into the unknown” – proved transformative. “I didn’t even know about the Olympic Games back then. I just followed that pull I felt towards running.”
That leap led him to break the South African junior record in Zambia, clocking 10.19 seconds, a moment that changed everything. “Right after that race, I had offers from universities, shoe deals and even a manager,” he said. “When he told me I could travel the world as a professional athlete, I was sold.”
Like every athlete, Akani has faced setbacks. A severe hamstring injury ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics nearly derailed his dream. “I thought it was over,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘I left football for this, and now I can’t even go to the biggest event in the sport’.” But with a strong team behind him, he recovered in time to compete and finished fifth in his Olympic debut. “That moment made me believe I belong here. I can be one of the fastest men in the world.”
Since then, Akani has become a fixture in world sprinting, known for his calm determination and consistent top-four finishes at global championships. “People asked how I kept going after coming fourth so many times,” he said. “But for me, every race is a chance to push my body to new limits. This was never the dream, it became one. I’m grateful for every opportunity to compete.”
That mindset has carried over into his business life. Akani is the founder of BackTrack Sports, a broadcast and production company that works with SuperSport and other major clients. “We’ve grown faster than we ever expected,” he said. “In just three years, we’re five years ahead of our plan.”
BackTrack Sports began as a way to merge his passion for sport with his entrepreneurial ambitions. “I always thought about life after athletics. I didn’t want to be a coach, I wanted to build something sustainable within sport.”
What makes BackTrack Sports remarkable is its founding ethos: By Athletes, For Athletes. “In the beginning, we hired athletes and trained them in broadcast production. Many athletes don’t have formal education or job opportunities after retirement, so we helped them gain skills and employment. Today, some of them are leading professionals in the field.”
For Akani, entrepreneurship and athletics share a common rhythm, discipline, consistency and teamwork. “Sport taught me resilience and structure. You learn that success doesn’t happen overnight; it’s built through small wins, day after day.”
Looking ahead, Akani continues to chase both speed and purpose – on and off the track. Whether it’s inspiring young athletes, building a thriving business, or pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, his story reflects the very essence of the CFO South Africa ethos: leadership grounded in vision, perseverance and impact.
“I always say athletics didn’t choose me, it chose me. And now, I’m using everything it taught me to build something that lasts beyond the finish line,” he said.
Innovation and impact through finance
This moving chat was followed by the next round of awards.
The Finance & Technology Award was presented by Liezle White, director: retention & renewals – payroll HR & accounting for Sage Africa & Middle East, to Mediclinic International group CFO Jurgens Myburgh.
He said this journey for him and his team in technology started in 2019. They had a CFO conference in the clinic where all the divisions there were sitting around the boardroom table.
“I was going on about the richness of data that we have within our organisation. Clinical data, operational data, finance, financial data. And how we should put all this together and really become just a leader in our ability to not only hold the mirror up against our organisation. Ideas aren’t born by going into particular workshops with certain ideas and a mindset and a particular outcome. Ideas are born when you allow everyone to just speak up. And I didn’t do it yesterday,” he said.
The Finance & ESG award was presented by Sungula to Bothwell Mazarura, outgoing CFO of Kumba Iron Ore. For him as a CFO working in the mining industry, the award meant a lot, especially since it was the one award he was hoping to win.
“I work for a mining company. For me, ESG is outstanding. We work right in the heart of communities. We employ thousands of people. We serve in some of the poorest communities in South Africa. For me, making sure that we share the learning that we create with them is absolutely important. Living that purpose, the purpose that Anglo-American has, which is about reinventing mining to improve people's lives, I think that’s what makes me want to do this so well. Thank you very much,” he said.
Dessert was soon served, giving guests a chance to stretch their legs, capture memorable photos and engage in networking. This was followed by another soulful performance from Biko’s Manna, adding a touch of calm and charm to the evening.
Honouring the public sector and emerging leaders
Then followed the announcement of the Public Sector CFO of the Year Award by Christine Ramon, 2018 CFO of the Year. The award went to Andisa Zinja, for her work as CFO at the Council of Medical Schemes.
She started off by thanking herself and her peers who filled the room, expressing how grateful she was for the win, especially as a CFO in the public sector. Although she is no longer with the Council of Medical Services, she was glad that her efforts with the organisation have been acknowledged.
“I’m feeling so much gratitude. I’m feeling so much gratitude that my peers, that every single grey hair that I’ve grown, that every one of the CFOs here have grown over the 10 years as CFOs, tells a story. And all of our stories that we deal with and that we tell as CFOs, as part of our financial management of the organisations that we serve,” she said.
“And I’m especially proud of the work that we’ve done at the Council for Medical Schemes. I’m no longer with the Council now. And I’m especially grateful that I’m being recognised, even as I stepped out of the Council and joined Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority. It’s not easy being a CFO in the public sector. Honestly, it’s not easy being a CFO in the public sector. Especially moving an organisation or an SOE into an organisation that is a solid financial organisation,” she said.
The Young CFO of the Year award was announced next by Akesh Lalla, senior director: financial services industries (Africa & Mauritius) for Oracle. The award went to Spear REIT CFO Christiaan Barnard.
Accepting the award, Christiaan reflected on his decade-long journey at Spear REIT and shared a heartfelt story about how it all began.
“I’m now 37 years old, and it’s been almost 10 years since I became CFO at Spear REIT,” he said. “When I first applied for the role of financial manager, I remember sitting in my interview. I was handed an envelope that read, ‘Please process this payment’. I hesitated for a moment and thought, ‘I think you’ve got the wrong guy’.”
Christiaan continued, expressing gratitude for the opportunities and growth he has experienced over the years.
“That moment stayed with me. I’ve strived to add value, not only to our company but to our people and partners who’ve helped us build something meaningful. Long may it continue and may 100-year businesses live well beyond what we’ve achieved today.”
As the evening drew to a close, the room remained alive with laughter, lively conversations, music and cheerful toasts at the open bar. Guests snapped selfies and shared smiles, capturing the joy of a night that celebrated South Africa’s finest financial minds.
The Annual CFO Awards is proudly supported by Award sponsors iOCO Technology Group, Marsh, Old Mutual Corporate, Oracle, Sage and Workday.
Table sponsors at the event included: Anchor Capital, BDO South Africa , Bidvest Prestige, Drayton Glendower, Harmony Gold, MakwaIT, Momentum Health, MTN, Proconics Holdings, STANLIB; Associate partners, AICPA & CIMA, Allan Gray, Caseware Africa and Yellow Card.
