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05 May 2017 Barclays has opened an innovation centre in London's hipster capital Shoreditch housing internal banking and technology teams alongside more than 40 FinTech startups. The bank says its new site is Europe's largest co-working space dedicated to FinTech and will play host to more than 200 hours of learning, workshops, hackathons and networking on a monthly basis. 04 May 2017 Rajesh Mahabeer, previously CFO of SANParks, has moved to Garuda Capital, effective 1 May 2017. His new role as Head of Public Sector Finance and Deal Origination will see him working in the space of mergers and acquisitions and funds mobilisation. 04 May 2017 Finance teams are constantly under pressure to streamline, create greater efficiencies and cut superfluous costs, often working on the principle of “less is more”. It is ironic then that many finance professionals are occupied with tedious, time-consuming activities. A few prudent decisions can go a long way towards raising productivity levels. Here are five hacks for greater productivity. 04 May 2017 Founded in Toronto in 2008, multinational mass media and information firm Thomson Reuters aims to provide professionals with the intelligence, technology and human expertise they need to find trusted answers. Thomson Reuters operates in more than 100 countries, and has more than 60 000 employees around the world. The firm is a trusted partner of the Finance Indaba and CFO SA and showcased its services at last year's event. 03 May 2017 Isaac Mophatlane (pictured) has resigned as CEO of Telkom subsidiary BCX, a company he founded in 1996 together with his twin brother, Benjamin. 03 May 2017 Artificial intelligence (AI) already has the ability to read, write, present and take on a physical presence, all with alarming intelligent and coherent patterns. By 2020, a bot might write this piece, moderate a panel at a CFO Summit, and deliver outstanding insights to you, the finance professional, across multiple platforms. If this bot can build trusted relationships with people and creatively collaborate, I am definitely out of a job. And so are you. 03 May 2017 Apple has announced financial results for its fiscal 2017 second quarter ended April 1, 2017. The tech behemoth posted quarterly revenues of $52,9 billion, falling below market expectations, and quarterly earnings per diluted share of $2,10. These results compare to revenues of $50,6 billion and earnings per diluted share of $1,90 in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 65 percent of the quarter’s revenue. iPhone shipments disappointed, with Apple stocks falling by as much as two percent in active after-hours trading. 03 May 2017 With CFO Awards 2017 just eight days away, CFO SA MD Graham Fehrsen has expressed his excitement at the development of the event. The annual 'Oscars for South African CFOs', to be held on 11 May, recognise CFOs of listed companies, large corporations, state-owned entities and government institutions, and awards them for outstanding performance and leadership. 02 May 2017 Financial services group Old Mutual has announced that it will be selling its 26 percent stake in Kotak Mahindra Old Mutual Life Insurance to its joint venture partner, Kotak Mahindra Bank, for a little more than $200 million. The sale forms part of the group’s planned break-up into four parts. 02 May 2017 Former UK government minister Mark Simmonds (pictured) has teamed up with FinTech veteran Hirander Misra on a venture that aims to help African smallholder farmers boost their earnings by connecting them with local commodity exchanges. The Financial and Commodities Ecosystem (FinComEco) says it wants to improve food security, economic diversity and financial inclusion by connecting farmers with exchanges, financial infrastructure and national economies. 02 May 2017 AFGRI CFO Johan Geel sees massive potential on the continent for the food industry, as long as the approach is correct. He says: “Find trustworthy people, work with the correct information, do proper research, go there and make sure of things yourself – don’t stay away. Johan has been nominated for the CFO Awards in both 2016 and 2017, an impressive double-whammy that less than a handful other CFOs can boast about. We chatted to him about the past, present and future for AFGRI. 01 May 2017 The finance ministry and the Davis Tax Committee, responsible for making tax recommendations to National Treasury, have together taken steps to formulate no less than three new taxes aimed at the country’s wealthiest individuals. This in a bid to improve the standard of living for South Africa’s poorest, as well as meet revenue targets. 01 May 2017 A thorough, smart and stealthy due diligence process is among the top ingredients for successful mergers and acquisitions. We spoke to finance executives and dealmakers about the homework a growth-hungry company needs to do. “Prepare, ensure all parties are on the same page and don’t get distracted by unnecessary details,” advises Dr Andrew Balnaves, Executive Vice President of Africa Corporate Finance at Standard Bank. 30 April 2017 A report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) says that the total contribution of travel and tourism to the country’s GDP is expected to grow by 2.5 percent, to R412.2 billion (9.4 percent of GDP) in 2017, compared to R402 billion in 2016 (9.3 percent of GDP). 29 April 2017 Finance Indaba Africa is the only annual event on the continent where thousands of registered accountants and other finance professionals gather under roof for two days to advance their knowledge, networks and careers. Which CFO would say no to a finance team that is rejuvenated, full of new ideas and better connected than ever before – for FREE? 28 April 2017 Distell Group has entered into a partnership with Blue Sky Brand Company (BSBC) by agreeing to acquire a 75-percent shareholding in the company that will own the rights to the Cruz Vodka brand – supposedly the fastest-growing luxury imported vodka in South Africa. BSBC will hold the remaining 25-percent shareholding. 28 April 2017 Membership of CFO SA offers many advantages, including access to the insights of leading finance executives across the industry spectrum. Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa FD Walter Leonhardt (pictured, left, with SizweNtsalubaGobodo CEO Victor Sekese) is one such mind. 28 April 2017 The World Bank has launched an accelerator for African digital entrepreneurs. The five-month long XL Africa – which includes a two-week residency in Cape Town and the Venture Showcase pitching event – is backed Finland, Norway, and Sweden, XL Africa. Participants will be mentored global and local experts through a tailor-made curriculum, increase their regional visibility, and receive access to potential corporate partners and investors. 27 April 2017 Effective 1 May, Robert Lumb (pictured) will be the new financial director of Interwaste. Lumb takes over from Andre Broodryk, who was nominated for the CFO Awards in 2015. Broodryk left in January this year to pursue personal interests. 27 April 2017 There has never been a better time to take your accounting processes in to the cloud, according to ICAEW head of enterprises Clive Lewis. Here are some top tips accounting professionals should consider before adopting a cloud-based strategy to ensure they get the most out of the cloud. 27 April 2017 Graeme Codrington is an acclaimed international speaker, consultant, and best-selling author who has built a career out of preparing companies for change. He is an expert on the future of work and the disruptive forces that are shaping it. As an author and researcher, his insights and analysis are sought after by business schools and CEOs around the world, with five degrees, four best selling books and a full-time research team at his company, TomorrowToday, to back it up. 26 April 2017 Sibanye Gold’s shareholders have approved the company’s R28.7 billion ($2.2 billion) buyout of US-based Stillwater Mining. Some 82 percent of Sibanye shareholders voted in favour of the deal. 26 April 2017 In order to meet the demands embedded in the future, banking will need to adapt. It will need to change the way things are done and bring the delivery closer to the rhetoric. In short, banks will need to rethink their traditional business models completely. Futurist Keith Coats, director at TomorrowToday Global, says it is time for banks to face their demons. Keith sheds light on the top three challenges banks are facing that will determine their future. 26 April 2017 Busi Mtsweni, HR executive at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), says she consciously chose to have a career in people management unlike many people in the profession. 26 April 2017 Despite the depressed economy and constrained consumer spending, retailer Clicks is planning to open 200 new stores over the next five to 10 years and has set aside R577 million for infrastructure investment in its 2017 financial year, the group said in its interim results presentation on Friday. 26 April 2017 Global recruitment giant Michael Page has come aboard as a sponsor of the High Performance Team Awards at CFO Awards 2017. Founded in 1976 in London, the prestigious firm has a presence in key markets around the world and its extensive database of 1,8 million qualified professionals gives it a key advantage. 25 April 2017 Startupbootcamp has launched its new Cape Town-based FinTech accelerator. This global industry-focused accelerator group has 18 programmes across 13 countries and has seen value in now setting up a footprint in Africa. 25 April 2017 Aarti Takoordeen, CFO of the JSE, has been selected as a Young Global Leader (YGL), class of 2017; an honour bestowed by the World Economic Forum (WEF) each year in recognition of the world’s most distinguished leaders under the age of 40. 25 April 2017 "In the early days of the Group IT transformation it became clear that, unless the finance team transformed as well, we would become irrelevant. As a result, we needed to radically relook at how we run our staff engagement and processes," says Sean Berrington, CFO for Group IT at Standard Bank. Sean has been the finance boss of a “billion-dollar IT organisation” since mid-2016. Add to this his intimate experience of agile ways of working and he might just be the ideal person to talk to about the crossroads of threats and opportunities that technology and finance bring to banks and finance professionals. 24 April 2017 According to analysis by Thomson Reuters, the value of announced M&A transactions with any sub-Saharan African involvement reached $10.1 billion during the first quarter of 2017 – the highest opening quarter total in six years. 24 April 2017 Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience. 24 April 2017 Foreign exchange, global trade and banking intermediary company BeztForex has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October. 24 April 2017 Today’s world requires innovation to remain competitive, and with the changing nature of consumers, businesses cannot afford to be on the wrong side of technology. CFOs need to be on top of tech. 23 April 2017 According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kenya’s economy grew 5.8 percent during 2016, slightly short of forecasts (government officials estimated the economy to have expanded by 5.9 percent), but a little above the 5.7 percent growth it saw during 2015. Moreover, the current account deficit narrowed 11.9 percent in 2016, to 5.2 percent of GDP. 22 April 2017 Mastercard is working with South African partners to bring biometric cards to local consumers, reportedly by the end of this year. South Africa is the first market in the world to test the technology, with two trials already having been conducted with Absa and Pick n Pay. 21 April 2017 S&P Global has revised the credit rating of restructured African Bank upwards. The ratings agency revised the bank’s outlook from negative to stable, also affirming its B+/B global scale rating. Its national scale rating was raised to zaBB from zaBB-. 21 April 2017 Nasdaq, one of the world's leading providers of technology and services to the capital markets, has announced the launch of a venture investment programme, Nasdaq Ventures, dedicated to discovering, investing in and partnering with unique FinTech companies worldwide. The programme's main objective is to identify and collaborate on new technologies and groundbreaking services and solutions which align with Nasdaq's clients' needs and the company's long-term objectives in the global capital markets. 21 April 2017 Cheaper data and more accessible connectivity will drive the growth of the cloud infrastructure and professional services market in South Africa – which has the potential to become a $2,3 billion market over the next three years. 20 April 2017 South Africa, recent ratings downgrades notwithstanding and economic and political volatility aside, has made it onto the 2017 AT Kearney Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Confidence Index, entitled ‘Glass Half Full’, after a two-year absence. 20 April 2017 The internationally successful FinTech Academy kicks off in South Africa at The FinTech Academy Africa on 24 and 25 April 2017 at the Duke Corporate Education Leadership campus, Bryanston, Gauteng. 20 April 2017 Pick n Pay posted an 18 percent rise in full-year profit, as the supermarket chain targeted labour costs amid political tensions and significant pressures exerted on the South African consumer. Headline earnings per share was 264.35 cents in the year to end-February compared with 224.04 cents a year earlier, while sales grew 7 percent and a dividend of R17.30 per share was declared. 20 April 2017 CEO of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) Terence Nombembe is one of the captains of industry shaping the accounting profession and has been a champion of the Finance Indaba since day one. Calling the Indaba a "unifying event that will help us build the nation" in his presentation, the former Auditor General of South Africa outlined his strategy for transformation of SAICA, which is based on effective collaboration and responsible leadership. 19 April 2017 Raj Jandu (pictured) has been appointed Neotel CFO – a role that has stood empty since late 2015. Jandu joins Neotel from Liquid Telecom, where he has been CFO for the East Africa region since 2013. Liquid Telecom group officially acquired Neotel earlier this year, at a cost of R6.55 billion. 19 April 2017 A need for increased profitability in a low-growth domestic economy and increased global uncertainty are pushing chief procurement officers (CPOs) to add more value to their organisations. Defensive strategies being implemented by CFOs are demanding rapid, sustained cost reduction in parallel to a greater focus on risk from procurement. Traditional procurement operating models are therefore changing, driven by a lack of talent and an increase in digital innovation. 19 April 2017 Consistent, transparent investor communication can encourage ongoing evaluation and accountability, sheds light on new investment opportunities, attracts new investors and bodes well for future growth. Global financial services giant EY has gained some key insights into effective investor communication from discussions with CFOs, investors and executives as part of its Master CFO Collection of studies. Here are five EY tips on gaining investor confidence. 19 April 2017 The CFO Awards are not just about celebrating the achievements of finance leaders and having an enjoyable night out, but it is also an opportunity for learning and networking. 18 April 2017 Sibanye Gold is looking to raise some R13.3 billion in equity ($1 billion), to partly fund a takeover of US-based Stillwater Mining Company, the country’s sole platinum and palladium miner. It will raise a further $1 billion in debt, most likely in the bond market, it has said. 18 April 2017 FinTech has become a truly global phenomenon, with hubs popping up in cities around the world, although established players such as London and Singapore continue to be the top centres, according to a report by Deloitte. The study is the second output of the Global FinTech Hubs Federation, an initiative by Swift's innovation arm Innotribe and the UK's Innovate Finance to create a cross-border and open platform that brings established and emerging hubs together. 18 April 2017 “I believe in four aspects of a leader: commitment, appreciation, respect, and trust. If you put the first letter of each of those words together it spells CART. A cart has four wheels and those form part of the carriage of a company and a team going forward. If I have those four aspects to my team, I believe we’ll be successful together,” says Hiten Keshave, CFO of PRP Solutions, a company in the business of people resource planning and which provides a management-by-exception workforce-based management system that operates in the cloud. 17 April 2017 Ride-hailing service Uber, the South African branch of which is doing well, and recently launched Uber Assist, generated some $6.5 billion in revenue during 2016. According to Reuters, its adjusted net loss was $2.8 billion – excluding the operation in China, which it sold last year. 17 April 2017 Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience. 17 April 2017 African telecommunications firm Liquid Telecom has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a gold partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October. 17 April 2017 In this age of multi-channel communication, we need to be diligent about our communications because the consequences – be it at home, in the workplace or in the M&A environment – can be far-reaching. 16 April 2017 After winning approval from Australia’s foreign investment regulator to sell the bulk of its mines to a company controlled by China’s Yanzhou Coal Mining Co. for $2.45 billion, Rio Tinto Group is closer to an exit from thermal coal. 15 April 2017 Takealot has received a R960-million investment from Naspers; an investment which will make Naspers the majority shareholder in the company. This follows investments from Tiger Global and Naspers in 2015. The deal forms part of Naspers’ strategy to invest in internet firms in emerging markets. 14 April 2017 Christine Lagarde, MD of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), addressing an audience at a recent event in Harare, said that the global economy needs a foundation of sound domestic policies combined with a steadfast commitment to international cooperation. 14 April 2017 Pan-African FinTech firm MFS Africa has announced that Michael Joseph (pictured) has joined its board as an independent non-executive director. Michael served as CEO of Safaricom in Kenya from 2000 to 2010, and is widely credited with spearheading M-Pesa, the world’s most successful mobile money service. 14 April 2017 Amazon Web Services, which incorporates its cloud business, is currently on an upward trajectory and is Amazon’s fastest-growing and most profitable division. 13 April 2017 Millennials, or those born between 1981 and 1996, – rightly or wrongly –have earn reputation for being enigmatic, difficult to work with and somewhat entitled. Their personalities have been shaped by rapid changes in personal computing and technology and a laissez faire approach to parenting. Empower your millennial employees, however, and you will be able to turn confusion into productivity. Here are five tips on getting the most out of millennials. 13 April 2017 Datatec, an international ICT company dual-listed on the JSE and London’s AIM, is currently in discussions to sell a major share of subsidiary Westcon’s operations in a deal with an $800 million price tag. 13 April 2017 JSE CFO Aarti Takoordeen is an award-winning finance professional who is in great demand at industry forums for her views on the evolution of the CFO role. A chartered accountant, she began her her career as a finance manager at NamTech and later served as a TSG Finance Manager for Hewlett Packard. After working for Johnson Controls as its Finance Director, she became the CFO of JSE Limited in February 2013. She was named the Young CFO of the Year at the 2014 CFO Awards. 12 April 2017 Anglo American has announced that it will sell its Eskom-linked thermal coal operations in South Africa for $166 million. According to Reuters, Anglo will sell the assets (New Vaal, New Denmark and Kriel collieries) to Seriti Resources Holdings. The mines, along with four closed collieries, have a supply agreement with Eskom. 12 April 2017 In recent decades, voluminous and increasingly complex quarterly and annual reports have lost much of their relevance for their primary users: investors. In their book, The End of Accounting, Baruch Lev and Feng Gu empirically prove that the relevance of accounting information is indeed lost, and go on to explain why this happened. Then they introduce new ways to make the reports relevant again. 12 April 2017 Afrimat FD Pieter de Wit has been nominated for the 2017 CFO Awards. The annual 'Oscars for South African CFOs', to be held on 11 May, recognise CFOs of listed companies, large corporations, state-owned entities and government institutions, and awards them for outstanding performance and leadership. 12 April 2017 PSG-controlled Zeder Investments, the JSE-listed agri-investment company, reported a rise in recurring headline earnings per share of 0,5% from 42,4c per share to 42.6c per share during its annual results presentation for the year to February, on Monday. Although relatively modest, the rise was perceived as strong in view of the worst drought to have impacted South Africa’s agricultural sector in over 30 years and ongoing political uncertainty. 11 April 2017 Despite a currently difficult retail environment, Verimark has said it expects improved profits for the financial year ending 28 February 2017. 11 April 2017 Stellenbosch-based FinTech Entersekt has scooped the Best Mobile Security Technology going in the Banker Africa Southern Africa Banking Awards for the second time. 11 April 2017 Originally, from Bangalore, India, Wipro Technologies’ Kiran Kumar, has been living in South Africa for close to five years, initially sent here to reinvent the company’s processes and controls. He was elevated to head of finance towards the second half of last year, though he still shoulders the responsibilities of his previous role as finance controller. “I enjoy the visibility of the entire business. I don’t think anybody other than the finance team has such visibly of a company; it’s all encompassing.” 10 April 2017 Pick n Pay has said it anticipates its full-year profit to increase between 15 and 20 percent, bolstered by disciplined cost measures and higher productivity in stores. Headline earnings per share for the 52 weeks ending February 2017 will be between 257.65 and 268.85 cents per share, compared to 224.04 cents per share in 2016. 10 April 2017 Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience. 10 April 2017 Digital and data solution provider Keyrus has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October. 10 April 2017 In November 2016, Christiaan Engelbrecht joined Ster-Kinekor as CFO, a highlight in a finance career that started at Deloitte and Vodacom. He keeps a monthly diary for CFO.co.za to share his trials, tribulations and triumphs. This is part 3: how ego shapes the corporate world. 09 April 2017 ArcelorMittal South Africa is in discussions to borrow R3.5 billion as part of a capital raising plan, though it has not specified what the funds will be used for. 08 April 2017 Peter Riskowitz (pictured) has been appointed as CFO and executive director of Brian Joffe’s new investment firm, Long4Life, which listed yesterday on the JSE. Riskowitz’s role, which will take effect from 1 May, will include a strong focus on merger and acquisition activity for the firm. 07 April 2017 Brian Joffe (pictured), founder of Bidvest, has successfully listed his latest venture, Long4Life, a R2 billion investment firm, on the JSE’s main board. 07 April 2017 Root, an OfferZen initiative, and Standard Bank have teamed up to launch a lightweight bank account, which comes with a programmable credit card, online banking interface, mobile app, and APIs. 07 April 2017 CFO South Africa’s debut season of CFO Summits has been a phenomenal success thus far, with the series attracting interest from leading financial executives eager to gain insights from their peers and opinion leaders. 06 April 2017 Juan Mostert has left Hitachi Data Systems Sub-Saharan Africa, where he was Head of Finance, and joined Bidvest Prestige as its CFO/Finance Director, effective 1 April. 06 April 2017 The downgrade of SA’s sovereign credit rating to junk status after the Zuma administration’s midnight Cabinet reshuffle on 31 March has plunged the country into anxiety and depression. The rand and government bonds fell sharply after the S&P and now Fitch agencies took the step in a reaction to what they see as risks to fiscal policy and political uncertainty. But what does the downgrade mean for financial executives and South Africans in general? 06 April 2017 Venture capitalist, entrepreneur and public speaker extraordinaire Vusi Thembekwayo has earned plaudits (including from the likes of Nelson Mandela) and enthralled audiences all over the world with his lessons from the public speaking pulpit, which began when he was a teenager. 05 April 2017 Peter Moyo (pictured), Vodacom chairman, has been headhunted by Old Mutual to head its emerging markets arm. Moyo will return to his former employer on 1 June as CEO of Old Mutual Emerging Markets (Omem). He will replace Ralph Mupita, who resigned in October. 05 April 2017 Global entries for the 2017 and second edition of The CFO Case Study Competition closed on 31 March, with over 1,500 entries received – surpassing the 2016 edition by some 20 percent. 05 April 2017 For many South African companies, expanding successfully through the rest of the continent is a sort of Holy Grail. Many have been burned in their efforts and some abandon their plans completely after failing to negotiate difficult terrain. Here are three financial executives’ advice on doing business in Africa from our interview archives. 05 April 2017 Primedia CFO Chris Patricios has been nominated for the 2017 CFO Awards. The annual 'Oscars for South African CFOs', to be held on 11 May, recognise CFOs of listed companies, large corporations, state-owned entities and government institutions, and awards them for outstanding performance and leadership. 04 April 2017 Fastjet, one of Africa’s newer low-cost airlines, has recruited a further two former SAA group executives as chairman and CFO: Rashid Wally and Michael Muller. 04 April 2017 FinTech startup Voice IT took the honours at the Africa Fintech Foundry (AFF) 48-hour Recode Nigeria hackathon, sponsored by Access Bank, winning N1,5 million cash, as well as a year's access to the IBM Bluemix artificial intelligence platform and the Microsoft BizSpark developer toolkit. 04 April 2017 Alvin Liew, Acting CFO of Monash South Africa, grew up and was educated in Malaysia, completing his articles in Australia. He came to South Africa on an assignment with Laureate Education, the largest private network of higher education providers in the world, which has a global network of more than 70 higher education institutions in 25 countries. Monash South Africa is the first partnership that Laureate Education has embarked on in Sub-Saharan Africa. “South Africa is a great country. It has its quirks and eccentricities, but I enjoy this,” he says. Alvin has worked for Monash South Africa for three years and says that when it comes to reaching economic transformation goals, nothing can have as big an impact as education: “I believe the greatest enabler of economic transformation is education – no other factors come close to the importance of education when it comes to radically transforming a country.” 03 April 2017 Aveng shareholders have approved the sale of a 51-percent stake in the Grinaker-LTA business to Kutana Construction, a black women-owned entity, the deal including a 45-percent economic interest for Kutana. The 51 percent interest represents the legal voting position of the shares held by Kutana, while the 45 percent economic interest represents the benefit attributable to the firm. 03 April 2017 Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience. 03 April 2017 Cloud solution provider Blackline has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its second showing at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October. 02 April 2017 Peregrine Holdings Ltd., which operates South Africa’s oldest hedge fund and also owns half of advisory business Java Capital, is contemplating splitting itself to create a new investment firm, by using profits from its stockbroking and wealth-management units. 01 April 2017 Jeff Bezos, CEO of e-commerce behemoth Amazon.com, the world's largest online retailer, has leapfrogged Amancio Ortega and Warren Buffett to become the world’s second-richest person. 31 March 2017 North African startups are eligible for the SANAD Fincluders Startup Challenge in Amman, Jordan, on 3-4 May 2017 and its $15 000 cash prize. The challenge, which also includes Middle Eastern startups, aims to find innovative SMEs focusing on financial inclusion and follows the Arab Day dedicated to increasing access to financial services. 31 March 2017 The state of South Africa’s economy and more ambitious tax revenue targets, together with uncertainty on various tax principles and policy matters, has led to an increase in tax dispute matters. Against this background, KPMG and MacRobert Attorneys have joined forces to create a Tax Dispute Resolution Alliance. There is a shared vision between the two firms on how to help clients on dispute resolution matters without adopting aggressive and expensive tax litigation practices. 31 March 2017 In response to overwhelming demand, CFO South Africa launched its public sector chapter in 2014 to give CFOs of departments, municipalities and other governmental bodies the opportunity to share knowledge, discuss challenges, network and listen to solutions that partner organisations have to offer. The chapter was quickly endorse by leading figures, including Minister for Finance in the Western Cape Dr Ivan Meyer. 30 March 2017 As a tried and trusted resource for financial executives that can be seen on computer screens in virtually every corporate office, becoming an Excel super-user is a great career move for any accountant. The spreadsheet is always expanding and reams of text have been devoted to excelling with Excel. The number of shortcuts and ways to increase your savvy are expanding all the time and there is a big difference between intermediate and advanced knowledge of the program. Here are five more Excel tips for accountants. 30 March 2017 South African Auditor General Thembekile Kimi Makwetu was one of the high-profile names at the Finance Indaba 2016. He opened the Finance for Africa programme and shared his vision on the importance of finance and how the Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) is enabling oversight, accountability and governance in the public sector. 29 March 2017 Capitec Bank has reported record growth of some 1.3 million new clients for the financial year ending February 2017, bringing their total customer base to 8.6 million. This makes Capitec the third-largest bank in the country by way of active clients, ahead of FNB and behind Absa by only a fraction. Standard Bank holds first place. 29 March 2017 On Tuesday evening, a small group of leading CFOs gathered for an exclusive dinner on one of the most exclusive pieces of real estate in Johannesburg: The Four Seasons Hotel, Westcliff. Given the complex relationship most large businesses have with property, it was an evening of far-ranging and sometimes unexpected conversation. 29 March 2017 Gaming and hospitality behemoth Sun International’s headline earnings per share fell to 223 cents per share for the six months to December 2016, from 344 cents in the comparable year and a sluggish economy, foreign exchange hits and settlement charges saw a 35% drop in full-year-profit. The group grew revenue 31% to R7.7-billion, with the strong growth attributable to the inclusion of its Latin American Dreams SA and GPI Slots’ operations for the full period. 29 March 2017 Department of Energy CFO Yvonne Chetty has been nominated for the 2017 CFO Awards, following up her nomination in 2016. The annual 'Oscars for South African CFOs', to be held on 11 May, recognise CFOs of listed companies, large corporations, state-owned entities and government institutions, and awards them for outstanding performance and leadership. 28 March 2017 Zunaid Bulbulia (pictured), former MTN CEO and one of the company’s founders, has joined telecoms service company Huge Group as its new CFO, effective 27 March. David Deetlefs, who was serving as the company’s Group FD, will remain on the board as an executive director. 28 March 2017 The FinTech Academy Africa, a collaboration between FinTech Circle and the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), is set to launch in SA on 24 and 25 April, in Johannesburg. 28 March 2017 “We need to be careful that we don’t make the mistake when going into the rest of Africa of thinking that we have better skills and expertise than others on the continent. This superiority complex will set us up for failure. The fundamental thing is, if you try to exploit the other African jurisdictions to the benefit of South Africa, you’ll come unstuck,” says Damain Matroos, CFO of SacOil, a South African-based independent African oil and gas company. We chatted to Damain about the challenges he faces as a CFO in the oil and gas sector, what opportunities exist, and what it’s like to do business in Africa. 27 March 2017 Woolworths announced on Friday that is intends to combine its Australian subsidiaries Country Road Group and David Jones into one group, WHL Australasia, which will be headquartered in a single campus based in Richmond, Melbourne. 27 March 2017 Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience. 27 March 2017 Cloud solution provider Capisol Software has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October. 27 March 2017 Perhaps the most underrated aspect of crowdsourcing is its potential to disrupt the current cost structure that supports talent management. Crowdsourcing makes sense when thinking about the perennial constraint that businesses face: costs. Cost containment remains a priority, and with people costs (including salary, training, perks, etc) accounting for close to or over 60 percent of the cost structure of most companies, crowdsourcing offers the potential to greatly reducing this expenditure. 26 March 2017 The appointment of a new CEO at SAA will soon be finalised, or so said Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in a recent letter to Baleka Mbete, the Speaker of the National Assembly, wherein he also sought permission to delay the tabling of SAA's corporate plan. 25 March 2017 The Sea Harvest Group raised a staggering R1.3 billion by listing 42% of the company on the JSE, where it floated its shares at R12.50 each, leading to a group market capitalisation of some R3.14 billion. The company has said this will allow it to realise its vision of becoming a diversified global seafood company. 24 March 2017 Financial services group Sanlam has reached an agreement with asset manager PineBridge Investments, a leading global multi-asset class asset manager, which has operations in Kenya and Uganda, to acquire PineBridge’s majority stake in PineBridge Investments East Africa Limited in Kenya (PIEAL). 24 March 2017 Founder of personal management website 22seven Christo Davel has resigned, citing an Old Mutual decision to change strategy. 22seven was acquired by Old Mutual in 2013. 23 March 2017 According to Philisiwe Mthethwa (pictured), CEO of the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), the entity is contemplating an offer of R12.2 billion for Mercantile Bank, which recently announced it would be selling its South African bank. 23 March 2017 In an ever more volatile world, chief financial officers constantly have to revise their strategies to anticipate changing markets and currencies, particularly when considering large-scale acquisitions. 23 March 2017 Accountants across the globe, like their colleagues in many other professions, may feel a tad insecure at the moment, as disruptive technologies and automation continue to make disciplines obsolete and shape the way we work. These technologies are no longer confined to manufacturing, but are beginning to redefine the knowledge economy as well. Machine learning, mobile and automated workflow solutions are having a huge transformative effect on the accounting landscape. 23 March 2017 Professor Mervyn King is recognised internationally as an expert on corporate governance and sustainability and is in great demand as an arbitrator and mediator. He is a founding member of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa and for some eight years was the South African judge at the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. He has acted as an Inspector of Companies and a Commissioner of Inquiries into the affairs of companies. He has chaired many meetings for the compromise of creditors of companies and the rearrangement of shareholders’ interests and lectured on corporate issues in 38 countries. 22 March 2017 “In an age where digitisation, robotics and AI are wreaking havoc with traditional business models, it is easy for executives to focus on superior technology as the solution to ensuring the competitiveness of their organisations and to overlook the human element,” said Ilya Bonic (pictured), President of Mercer’s Career business. Growth rests on engaging and empowering today’s workforce in ways that we are just beginning to uncover, Bonic added. “It takes employees armed with the right skills and opportunities to develop innovative solutions to advance the business and themselves.” 22 March 2017 “We are delighted to be associated with CFO SA. This forum provides a critical support mechanism for South African CFOs, where they can access best practice, share information with their peers and be showcased for their contributions,” says Mitesh Patel, Managing Director of Nkonki, a 100-percent black-owned audit and advisory firm and the sponsors of this year’s ‘Young CFO of the Year’ Award. We caught up with Mitesh for a quick chat. 22 March 2017 Capetonian Nik Rabinowitz is one of the country’s most well-known stand-up comedians and is renowned for his cutting wit. International appearances include Australia, Canada, Holland, the United Kingdom, the USA, and Zimbabwe. He’s been a guest on BBC 2’s Mock the Week, performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall, and intentionally driven on the wrong side of the road in Nigeria. We spoke to him about finance, comedy and his appearance as emcee at the CFO Awards 2017. 22 March 2017 Bank controller Sasfin Holdings suffered losses to its headlines earnings per share from 334,43 cents to 271,41 cents and reduced its dividend by 18,84% to 80 cents per share after a tough six months to 31 December 2016, marked by credit losses and a write-down in its Efficient Group investment.Barclays opens Europe's largest FinTech site
Rajesh Mahabeer joins Garuda Capital from SANParks
5 time-saving tips for finance professionals
Knowledge is power: WATCH Thomson Reuters' Kamal Patel at #findaba16
BCX CEO Isaac Mophatlane resigns
Stay curious to be relevant in 2020, says CFO SA's Graham Fehrsen
Cash-flush Apple posts disappointing earnings
Delighted with growth of CFO Awards - CFO SA MD Graham Fehrsen
Old Mutual sells its Indian JV stake for $200 million
Former British minister delivers FinTech boost to African farmers
Lead by example, says AFGRI's Johan Geel
3 new taxes for SA's wealthy
When dealmaking, enter with a focused mind, says Standard Bank's Andrew Balnaves
Travel and tourism will contribute R412.2 billion to GDP
Finance Indaba - a CFO's best talent strategy
Distell acquires 75% interest in Cruz Vodka
CFO SA announces members-only event and tour with Walter Leonhardt
World Bank launches African digital entrepreneurship programme
Robert Lumb takes over as Interwaste FD
5 tips for cloud accounting
The heart of business: WATCH futurist Graeme Codrington at #findaba16
Sibanye's R28.7 billion Stillwater takeover approved
Banking must adapt to be future-fit, says futurist Keith Coats
CHRO SA meets Busi Mtsweni, HR exec at ICASA
Upbeat Clicks plans aggressive expansion
Michael Page sponsors High Performance Team CFO Award
First African FinTech accelerator launched in Cape Town
JSE CFO Aarti Takoordeen a Young Global Leader
Effective CFOs know their business, says Standard Bank's Sean Berrington
M&A in sub-Saharan Africa soars
Finance flash: the TOP-10 articles of week 16, 2017
BeztForex signs up for Finance Indaba 2017
CFOs should be on top of tech, says Graham Shapiro
Kenyan economy grew 5.8 percent last year
SA to get biometric bank cards
African Bank gets ratings upgrade
Nasdaq launches global FinTech investment programme
SA cloud market worth $2,3 billion by 2020
SA ranks on AT Kearney FDI Index
FinTech Academy Africa kicks off 24 & 25 April
Weak economy hurts Pick n Pay
Sustainability is key: WATCH SAICA CEO Terence Nombembe at #findaba16
Raj Jandu new Neotel CFO
Cost, risk and digital are top priorities in uncertain times, says Deloitte
5 cornerstones of investor communication
Vusi Thembekwayo to host CFO Awards masterclass
Sibanye raises funds for Stillwater acquisition
London, Singapore remain top FinTech hubs
A CFO understands the entire business, says PRP Solutions CFO Hiten Keshave
Uber generated $6.5 billion in revenue in 2016
Finance flash: the TOP-10 articles of week 15, 2017
Liquid Telecom joins Finance Indaba
Insider's guide to clear communication
$2.45 billion China deal clears; Rio Tinto wins coal exit
Naspers invests R960 million in Takealot
Sound policies make a resilient global economy, says IMF's Christine Lagarde
M-Pesa pioneer Michael Joseph joins MFS Africa
Amazon's head of cloud earns more than CEO Jeff Bezos
5 ways to get the most out of millennials
Datatec sells off a chunk of its business in radical restructure
The modern CFO: WATCH the JSE's Aarti Takoordeen at #findaba16
Anglo to sell its coal ops for $166 million
Five building blocks of radically improved external reports
Afrimat's Pieter de Wit nominated for CFO Awards 2017
Zeder posts modest results after drought
Verimark expects profit of up to R41 million
SA's Entersekt lands banking security award
Be proactive about risk, says Kiran Kumar, Finance Head for Africa at Wipro Technologies
Pick n Pay expects increase in profit
Finance flash: the TOP-10 articles of week 14, 2017
Keyrus joins Finance Indaba 2017
Diary of a CFO: Christiaan Engelbrecht on how ego shapes the corporate world
Struggling ArcelorMittal raises R3.5 billion
Peter Riskowitz new Long4Life CFO
Brian Joffe's Long4Life list on JSE
OfferZen, Standard Bank to introduce programmable bank account
Summit Series gathers momentum
Juan Mostert joins Bidvest Prestige as CFO
What are the implications of a `junk status` downgrade?
Rockstar of public speaking: WATCH Vusi Thembekwayo at #findaba16
Vodacom's Peter Moyo joins Old Mutual
Second edition of the CFO Case Study Competition now underway
3 CFOs on succeeding in Africa
Primedia's Chris Patricios nominated for CFO Awards 2017
More former SAA execs join fastjet
Voice IT wins African FinTech hackathon
Experience things outside your comfort zone, says Monash South Africa's Alvin Liew
Kutana Construction to acquire 51% stake in Grinaker-LTA
Finance flash: the TOP-10 articles of week 13, 2017
Blackline partners with Finance Indaba 2017
Peregrine considering a split to bolster profits
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is world's second-richest person
MENA FinTech challenge open to North Africa
KPMG and MacRobert Attorneys form tax dispute resolution alliance
CFO SA public sector chapter in rude health
5 more Excel tips for accountants
Enabling accountability: WATCH Auditor-General Thembekile Makwetu at #findaba16
Capitec grows by 1.3 million new customers
Save money and create value? Property-savvy CFOs share insights and knowhow
Gloomy Sun International scraps dividend
Department of Energy's Yvonne Chetty nominated for CFO Awards
Zunaid Bulbulia new Huge Group CFO
FinTech Academy set for April launch
Good CFOs know their strengths, says Damain Matroos, SacOil CFO
Country Road Group and David Jones merge
Finance flash: the TOP-10 articles of week 12, 2017
Capisol joins Finance Indaba 2017
Reduce people cost through crowdsourcing, says Google's Terrence Taylor
New SAA CEO to be appointed soon
Sea Harvest lists 42% of company, raises R1.3 billion
Sanlam expands in East Africa with PineBridge Investments acquisition
22seven's Christo Davel signs off
NEF looking to purchase Mercantile Bank
Cloud power and volatility's opportunity: jam-packed Cape Town CFO Summit
Why artificial intelligence won't spell the end for accountants
The king of governance: WATCH Prof Mervyn King at #findaba16
South African businesses are not agile, say executives
Nkonki to sponsor 2017 Young CFO of the Year
Finance can be funny - comic Nik Rabinowitz to emcee CFO Awards
Sasfin bullish despite earnings hit
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