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The long wait for the annual ‘Oscars for South African CFOs', which recognise CFOs of listed companies, large corporations, state-owned entities and government institutions, and awards them for outstanding performance and leadership, is finally over.

With the excitement building ahead of the CFO Awards 2017 later today, we thought we would give you a taste of what is to come with scenes from last year's extravaganza. The annual 'Oscars for South African CFOs' recognise CFOs of listed companies, large corporations, state-owned entities and government institutions, and awards them for outstanding performance and leadership.

KPMG has acquired Matchi, a leading global FinTech innovation and matchmaking platform that connects financial institutions, including banks and insurance companies, with leading-edge financial services technology solutions and companies worldwide. The Matchi platform includes more than 700 curated FinTech solutions and a database of more than 2,500 FinTech companies .

While African M&A continues to rise, it seems that information security remains a major barrier to closing deals. Research conducted by ansarada found that 71 percent of CFOs involved in M&A deals have experienced increased risk and delay due to a loss of information or a security breach. This includes a temporary or permanent loss of data within documents, emails, devices, and IT systems. Considering the sensitivity and confidentiality at stake, it is alarming that information loss remains such a big issue. What can deal makers and CFOs do to ensure they remain secure?

JSE-listed diversified real estate investment trust Redefine Properties has delivered another solid performance, after increasing its distribution by 7,5% to 44,82c per share for the six months to 28 February 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.

Sibanye Gold has announced that its gold production fell nine percent in the first quarter of this year, with operating profit slumping 62 percent from a year earlier.

China’s largest insurer Ping An Insurance Group is moving beyond its home market by launching a debut overseas fund for global investments in FinTech and healthcare technology.

“I want people to think logically about the business and pose questions to effect change. People must be challenged and held accountable to achieve the business’s objectives,” says Mike Benfield, Group CFO of Macsteel Service Centres South Africa.” Benfield, who has been in his post for 18 months, has enjoyed a successful and diverse career that has seen him occupy finance roles for companies including Metorex, Bateman Engineering, Norse Air, Super Group, Investec and Ster-Kinekor, after completing articles at Arthur Andersen. Having made a choice to study finance over engineering, he says he has no regrets, and believes it is those aspects of his personality that are interested in engineering and the challenges that it presents, that help him to be a better finance person: ‘It helps me move across the corridor to the operational side, and gives me more of an interest in the other areas of the business. I would be unable to add value from a finance perspective without a good operational understanding of what makes the business work.”

KPMG has launched an innovate, web-based app, the Learnership Incentive Tax Tool (LITT), which calculates learnership tax allowances and generates tax schedules at the press of a button. It also provides an additional tax deduction for registered learnerships.

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.

The Auditor-General of South Africa 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.

According to Europol’s 2016 Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA), several EU states have found that cybercrime offences have surpassed traditional crimes, with trends such as crime-as-a-service and ransomware rising significantly. Given the increasing sophistication of the attack landscape, hacking has become a genuine threat facing organisations and countries across the globe. And yet, the ability of those targeted to manage such attacks remain, for the most part, limited. Riaan van Boom, Managing Director, MWR Infosecurity South Africa, unpacks the issue.

For the quarter ending 31 March 2017, the MTN group recorded a 7.1 percent increase in revenue, despite a slight drop of 1.5 percent in subscriber numbers. Data revenues were also up 29.4 percent year-on-year – data revenue contributing 20 percent to total revenue.

Discover Digital, MTN Group’s former video-on-demand provider, is launching a new online TV service in South Africa; one that will rival Neflix – which has become increasingly popular. The service will provide a mix of pay-per-view entertainment, on-demand subscription content, and a range of sports and news coverage.

CFO South Africa prides itself on offering some truly unique learning and networking opportunities designed to help finance professionals shift horizons and learn with industry leaders. This is something CFO South Africa MD Graham Fehrsen is intent on developing.

Anglo American and Malabar Coal have entered a sale and purchase agreement for the former to sell its 88.17 percent interest in the Drayton thermal coal mine and Drayton South project, located in New South Wales, Australia. Anglo American ceased mining activities at the Drayton mine during 2016.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Isaac Mophatlane (pictured) has resigned as CEO of Telkom subsidiary BCX, a company he founded in 1996 together with his twin brother, Benjamin.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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-.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Amazon Web Services, which incorporates its cloud business, is currently on an upward trajectory and is Amazon’s fastest-growing and most profitable division.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Despite a currently difficult retail environment, Verimark has said it expects improved profits for the financial year ending 28 February 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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Brian Joffe (pictured), founder of Bidvest, has successfully listed his latest venture, Long4Life, a R2 billion investment firm, on the JSE’s main board.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.