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In an effort to secure a foothold in one of the continent's fastest-growing economies, Standard Bank – Africa’s largest bank by assets, with a presence in 20 countries – has opened an Ethiopian office.

"Keep your eyes on the cloud, but keep your feet on the ground." That is the theme of the CFO track at this year's Oracle Cloud Day on 24 November (8h30-14h00) at The Forum in Bryanston, with an exciting program - tailor-made by CFO South Africa's event specialists. "Financials who want to know what cloud really is and what it can do for you, can register for free," says Melle Eijckelhoff, who has been personally involved in this unique partnership with Oracle. "Give yourself an early Christmas present and invest in your knowledge."

Although VAT is the easiest of the taxes in the South African Revenue Service’s armoury to raise, it would have devastating effects on the country’s poor, according to Judge Dennis Davis.

SA Finance Minister, Nhlanhla Nene (pictured), is struggling to keep the country's credit rating afloat while diminishing tax revenue puts pressure on the budget deficit, affording him less room to stimulate the struggling economy.

Regardless of whether you're on the tech side or the finance side; cyber security or wealth management; pay attention, because Barclays Africa is on a mission to take start-ups up a notch, and they've launched a brand-spanking-new partnership to do just that.

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PetroSA, the country's cash-strapped national oil and gas company, has announced it is intending to sell as much as 49% equity stakes in 10 of its offshore blocks.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 29 October Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Clean books and clean streets: Suren Maharaj at Pikitup Inheriting the wonky books of a government-owned company known for its shoddy service delivery and corruption sagas involving many staff members including the senior management is not everyone’s cup of tea, but the Durban-born CA Suren Maharaj was clearly up to the task. He managed to turn around Pikitup, the waste management company of the City of Johannesburg and turn an organisation with disastrous financials into a success story. Cliff Baty new Man United CFO Manchester United, one of the world's most popular and successful sports teams, recently announced that it has appointed Cliff Baty as its new CFO. "He is a proven finance executive who brings a wealth of international business experience, and will be an excellent addition to our senior management team.” China invests big in Africa Leading up to its imminent forum on China-Africa cooperation, China has pledged a whopping R660 billion ($50 billion), earmarked for various industrialisation projects in South Africa and Africa. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Call for speakers now open - Finance Indaba 2016 - Mxit shuts up shop - Economic cloud has silver lining, says PwC’s Maija de Rijk-Uys - Launch of new African Bank, Good Bank, delayed - Armscor receives clean audit for 2014/2015 financial year - Asking the right questions – CFOs discuss big data The call for speakers for Finance Indaba Africa is open Finance Indaba Africa is the largest expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers, advisors, technology suppliers, banks, platforms, tools, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. We are calling for speakers: are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Then share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Read more about the call for speakers. Contact Graham Fehrsen on 079 898 0227 / [email protected]. Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October 2016. Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa & Fintech Events in 2015 Nov 19 Johannesburg | House of the future Nov 24 Johannesburg | CFO South Africa Track - Oracle Cloud Day 2015 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Manchester United, one of the world's most popular and successful sports teams, recently announced that it has appointed Cliff Baty as its new CFO.

In 2014 CFO South Africa piloted the CFO Awards, this year we launched a massive partnership with KPMG and next year is going to see the Sandton Convention Centre's doors open for the first ever Finance Indaba. "The difference between success and failure is often determined by the quality of the finance team and processes," says CFO South Africa's founding director Melle Eijckelhoff, who has a long track record of landmark finance events in Europe and is now working tirelessly to make the Finance Indaba a massive success.

Mxit, a local social network and, in fact, the first social platform to introduce South Africans to instant messaging, shocked many when it announced recently that it is shutting down its commercial operations and donating its intellectual property and technology assets (in their entirety) to independent public benefit organisation, The Reach Trust.

Inheriting the wonky books of a government-owned company known for its shoddy service delivery and corruption sagas involving many staff members including the senior management is not everyone’s cup of tea, but the Durban-born CA Suren Maharaj was clearly up to the task. He managed to turn around Pikitup, the waste management company of the City of Johannesburg and turn an organisation with disastrous financials into a success story.

Leading up to its imminent forum on China-Africa cooperation, China has pledged a whopping R660 billion ($50 billion), earmarked for various industrialisation projects in South Africa and Africa.

“Local is not so lekker at the moment." Maija de Rijk-Uys, who is responsible for the setup and roll-out of the PwC Accelerator Programme in SA, began her presentation at the Knife Capital Exit Conference at the Sandton Convention Centre on 21 August on a sour note. "There is negative investor sentiment, labour unrest, a dearth of skills, low economic growth, regulation and government interference and no cultural flair for entrepreneurism. Our established business rate, at just 2,9%, is 4th lowest in the world,” she lamented.

Following the failed acquisition of insurance company, Stangen (owned by African Bank’s former parent, African Bank Investments Limited), the launch of African Bank Good Bank, originally set for February next year, has been delayed to April.

Armscor, an agency of the Department of Defence and Military Veterans which also undertakes research and development and disposes of surplus military equipment, was recently presented with a Clean Audit award by the Auditor-General of South Africa for achieving a clean audit for the year ending 31 March 2015.

Working with big data can enable CFOs and their companies to innovate, interrogate and turn the finance department in a profit centre, rather than an expense. This only starts to yield results, though, when business intelligence allows finance bosses to “answer sufficiently interesting questions”.

For some R217 million, listed technology firm, Adapt IT has bought CQS Technology Holdings – a company which provides audit, financial and risk management software services solutions to over 4,000 customers in 30 countries.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 22 October Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles From scenario planning to integrity, a chat with McDonald's SA CFO ... “To me business is about integrity, honesty and authenticity," says Zaf Mahomed, chief financial officer at McDonald's South Africa. “What I like about being a chief financial officer is the ability to influence strategic decision making,” says Zaf, when he sits down with CFO South Africa for an exclusive interview. “As CFO you look at the past and the future. What I enjoy the most is using the past to improve the outcome in the future. It is also a continuous balancing act between governance and being a business partner.” Mervyn King: tax also in need of integrated thinking Prof Mervyn King believes increasing taxes should be government’s last resort in bolstering the ailing economy. “Tax compliance is a two-way street. Taxation must be socially acceptable. The narrow financial prism is obsolete. The concept of value has changed, with economy, society and the environment now the central pillars of businesses,” Prof King told delegates last month at the fifth annual Tax Indaba at the Sandton Convention Centre. Think globally & grow up - successful FinTech event in Cape Town South African FinTech companies need to adopt an attitude of abundance, learn to “think globally” and then “grow up and do the hard work”. Those were some of the conclusions of the incredibly successful and well-attended FinTech Africa event in Cape Town on Tuesday 20 October 2015. “We have been overwhelmed by the response,” FinTech Africa MD Graham Fehrsen candidly admitted. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - 47.41% Stake in Capricorn Fund Managers bought by Anchor Group - New JSE listing: Stor-Age - FinTech entrepreneurship 'tough, painful and unhealthy', says Perry... - Cash in, cash out – the amazing Fundamo journey - Optimising performance now key for local CFOs, says Deloitte - Fintechs don’t realise own arrogance, says Paul Steenkamp (Standard... Today CFO Event "Finance Transformation" 22 October 15.00 - 19.00 - The Forum Campus - Bryanston Finance transformation isn’t easy. There are no silver bullets to successful transformation, and no one-size-fits-all road maps to follow. Each journey is unique and every organization’s ultimate destination is different. We hope this CFO South Africa Event Finance Transformation provides a helpful guide to you as a CFO, embarking on their own transformation journey, and acts as a catalyst to those who may be more wary of change. Program 15.00 Opening & Reception 16.00 Master Class - From the age of efficiency to the age of insight Have you managed to automate and align your finance function? The advances in technological solutions have certainly given finance chiefs that potential but what are the next steps? Forward-looking CFOs are using insights gleaned from Big Data and predictive-analytics technologies to accelerate business performance. By embracing a data-driven approach, CFOs can influence and guide major, strategic corporate decisions. What are the challenges and who is leading the way on this 21st century business necessity? Panel members: - Berenice Francis, Group Commercial Executive Imperial - Peter Walsh, Group CFO Servest - Aliday Taylor, Leader for Shared Services, Outsourcing, Strategy & Operations KPMG - James Saunders, CTO Business Optics - Anna Puzone, Head of Enterprise Performance Management Zetta Solutions 16.00 CFO Round Table - How big data is changing the role of the CFO In order to get the most out of analytics, it is important for CFOs to recognize and leverage three key benefits analytics offer: real-time data access, visualization, and the ability to analyze huge amounts of data. With Paul Marten, Finance Director Microsoft SA. 17.45 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa & Fintech Events in 2015 Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | House of the future Nov 24 Johannesburg | CFO South Africa Track - Oracle Cloud Day 2015 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

South African-based enterprise payments platform provider, Nomanini, has raised an undisclosed round of funding from impact investment firm, Goodwell Investments.

South African FinTech companies need to adopt an attitude of abundance, learn to “think globally” and then “grow up and do the hard work”. Those were some of the conclusions of the incredibly successful and well-attended FinTech Africa event in Cape Town on Tuesday 20 October 2015. “We have been overwhelmed by the response,” FinTech Africa MD Graham Fehrsen candidly admitted. “Never in our wildest dreams had we expected such a large audience and such fantastic speakers.”

It was recently announced that JSE-listed Anchor Group (a wealth and asset management company) will be acquiring a 47.41% share in Capricorn Fund Managers (a leading global emerging markets hedge fund business). The price is set at R348.4 million cash, comprising R256 million in cash and the balance of R92 million through the issue of 7.7 million Anchor shares at R12 per share.

“To me business is about integrity, honesty and authenticity," says Zaf Mahomed, chief financial officer at McDonald's South Africa. “What I like about being a chief financial officer is the ability to influence strategic decision making,” says Zaf, when he sits down with CFO South Africa for an exclusive interview. “As CFO you look at the past and the future. What I enjoy the most is using the past to improve the outcome in the future. It is also a continuous balancing act between governance and being a business partner.”

As more funds continue to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), so Stor-Age (a 10-year-old company which offers self-storage facilities to individuals and small businesses) plans to follow suit.

The challenge for African FinTech entrepreneurs is "doing things that are big enough", says seasoned FinTech entrepreneur Perry Blacher. According to him the best ones focus on the bottom of the pyramid. "A lot of entrepreneurs start businesses solely for the four million South Africans with money, while ignoring the 51 million who don’t have much in their bank accounts," he says. We spoke to Perry in the run up to our big FinTech Africa event in Cape Town tomorrow.

Prof Mervyn King believes increasing taxes should be government’s last resort in bolstering the ailing economy. “Tax compliance is a two-way street. Taxation must be socially acceptable. The narrow financial prism is obsolete. The concept of value has changed, with economy, society and the environment now the central pillars of businesses,” Prof King told delegates last month at the fifth annual Tax Indaba at the Sandton Convention Centre.

South African CFOs expect to spend much more of their time on performance optimisation, something that barely registered on their agendas last year. That is one of the conclusions of the Deloitte CFO Report 2015, which was published this week. In East Africa the most pressing issue on the radar is growth. West African CFOs are noticing a focus on the optimisation of their capital and funding structures.

"There is a lot of hype around FinTech at the moment, where everyone thinks that it is the be all and end all of financial services. I see it as more of a consumer-driven revolution. People are looking for more convenient and cost-effective ways to transact and do business."

Telkom recently announced that it will be spinning off its wholesale division as a separate business. The new business, called Openserve, will have its own brand identity and intended to service the entire telecommunications market.

"Banks need to become less self-obsessed and more aware that all the decisions they make have to have customers at the centre," says Paul Steenkamp, Head: Innovation Capability at the Standard Bank Group. Paul was on the panel during the successful 2nd FinTech Africa event in Johannesburg. In the lead up to our 3rd event in Cape Town on 20 OctoberEbrahim Moolla spoke to him about the panic banks felt about FinTech and the way they are starting to embrace the revolution now. "One plus one equals three. Banks and FinTech companies can achieve a lot more by working together."

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 15 October Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Becoming a net exporter of talent - Kevin Johnson, CFO Howden Africa Kevin Johnson has rolled out ERP projects globally and previously held management positions in Australia and the UK within the Howden Group (Part of NYSE listed Colfax). In South Africa he recently had the opportunity to relocate, but decided to extend his stay because “my family likes the country and I felt my job wasn’t finished”. Nkonki hosts lively CFO dinner with audit standards expert Dan Mont... The new audit report changes issues by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) are a “win-win situation”, because users have access to more information and there is scope for more intensive dialogue with management. That was the core message of former IAASB Deputy Chair Dan Montgomery during a successful CFO dinner on 12 October organised by CFO South Africa and hosted by Nkonki, a leading firm of registered auditors, accountants and advisers. South African CFO goes global - an interview with Ray Leclercq (Unit4) Ray Leclercq, a South African living in the UK and working from the Netherlands, has been with Unit4 as CFO for more than a year now and is working on probably the biggest transformation the company has ever seen. He is loving every minute of it, he says. “My job is to keep the business growing and performing, while simultaneously redesigning the company.” In this interview with CFO South Africa, Leclercq talks about business transformation, the ideal role of finance and how new technology can help finance to be a better business partner. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - African FinTech businesses can conquer the world, says IDM's Benay ... - Breaking news: AB InBev to buy SABMiller for R1.4 trillion - SAICA top35under35 announced - Cash in, cash out – the amazing Fundamo journey - Sibanya acquires Aquarius Platinum; companies' share prices soar - New accelerator for high-growth startups launched in SA - From the MD: Perspective - an elusive but important career guide Join CFO Event "Finance Transformation" 22 October 15.00 - 19.00 - The Forum Campus - Bryanston Finance transformation isn’t easy. There are no silver bullets to successful transformation, and no one-size-fits-all road maps to follow. Each journey is unique and every organization’s ultimate destination is different. We hope this CFO South Africa Event Finance Transformation provides a helpful guide to you as a CFO, embarking on their own transformation journey, and acts as a catalyst to those who may be more wary of change. Program 15.00 Opening & Reception 16.00 Master Class - From the age of efficiency to the age of insight Have you managed to automate and align your finance function? The advances in technological solutions have certainly given finance chiefs that potential but what are the next steps? Forward-looking CFOs are using insights gleaned from Big Data and predictive-analytics technologies to accelerate business performance. By embracing a data-driven approach, CFOs can influence and guide major, strategic corporate decisions. What are the challenges and who is leading the way on this 21st century business necessity? 16.00 CFO Round Table - How big data is changing the role of the CFO In order to get the most out of analytics, it is important for CFOs to recognize and leverage three key benefits analytics offer: real-time data access, visualization, and the ability to analyze huge amounts of data. 17.45 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsor CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next Fintech Event in Bellville - Cape Town ?With over 500 million US dollars in private equity available for African FinTech companies and over 50 African companies seeking funding - we will be exploring what the blueprint for investing is in this exciting market. What is the true investment opportunity and who are tomorrow's winners? Can we make Africa more attractive to FinTech startups? How can we accelerate FinTech in Africa? These are the questions that will be discussed and answered during the Fintech Africa Investment Event hosted by the University of Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development (USB-ED) at the Bellville campus in Cape Town. 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors will discuss the developments and challenges for FinTech in Africa. Several FinTech companies will present themselves. This event is organised by FinTech Africa. The ecosystem that connects FinTech startups, investors, corporates and advisors. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction to the African FinTech initiative By Graham Fehrsen, Country Manager CFO South Africa and FinTech Africa 16.05 - 16.45 Big organizations are doomed Keynote by Martijn Aslander, international speaker. Why small companies are better, smarter and faster and more fun. Why big corporates fear for their future. Why the age of abundance will change everything. 16.45 - 17.05 Trends in Fintech Investments world-wide Keynote by Nicole Anderson, CEO and founder of Fintech Circle Innovate 17.05 - 17.25 Why Barclays Africa has launched the Seeker Fund and their ambitions Keynote by Warren Squires, Chief Investment Officer of Barclays Africa 17.25 - 17.35 The importance of local knowledge and appropriate solutions Keynote by Oluyinka Sorungbe, Co-Founder and CIO of Sanwo.me 17.35 - 18.05 Panel discussion "What corporate investors believe the future holds for FinTech" With Dominique Collette-Antolik, Senior Investment Executive RMI Holdings, Kobus Ehlers, co-founder SnapScan and Benay Sager, COO Intelligent Debt Management Group. 18.05 - 18.15 Lessons from Medtech Keynote by Dr William Mapham, Founder Vula Mobile 18.15 - 18.45 Panel discussion "What entrepreneurs and advisors believe the future holds for FinTech" With Perry Blacher, Global FinTech Advisor & Investor, Dave van Niekerk, CEO GetBucks and African Micro Finance Entrepreneur, Brett Magrath, Co founder Zoona and Patrick Schofield, Founder of crowd funding platform Thundafund. 18.45 - 19.30 Closing thoughts, drinks & networking Wrap up and closing comments by Dr Morne Mostert, Director at Institute of Futures Research and Faculty, Stellenbosch Executive Education followed by a reception where 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors and discuss the latest insights on current issues and topics. Don’t miss this opportunity to join us! Join the next Fintech event at the University of Stellenbosch Business School Bellville Campus and register now for Tuesday 20 October - 15.30 - 19.00. A Fintech Africa Event in cooperation with: Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa & Fintech Events in 2015 Oct 20 Stellenbosch| Fintech Investment Event Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | House of the future Nov 24 Johannesburg | CFO South Africa Track - Oracle Cloud Day 2015 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Times are tough for South African consumers. Regular power cuts and rising fuel costs during the first half of the year affected spending patterns; something that was felt by the country's biggest retailers.

Tobie van Zyl is as close as it gets to a FinTech rock star from South African soil. He started and exited multiple successful companies, consults for promising startups and is now eyeing a global mobile banking venture. In the runup to our landmark FinTech event in Cape Town, our reporter Ebrahim Moolla spoke to Tobie about the challenges and opportunities of doing business in South Africa.

It is easy to get caught up in your day to day grind and never lift your head long enough to see the horizon. Most of us have, at one point or another, found ourselves in that dreaded cycle of counting down the week days wishing for a weekend. If you’re fortunate enough to have a job that is truly fulfilling then it is quite possible that you don’t experience this and may be caught in the trap of not knowing when to “down tools” sufficiently to make time for the rest of your life.

Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev has agreed to purchase SABMiller for a staggering R1.4 trillion (£68 billion). This follows two weeks of negotiations, during which time SABMiller repeatedly rejected AB InBev's offers.

The new audit report changes issues by the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) are a “win-win situation”, because users have access to more information and there is scope for more intensive dialogue with management. That was the core message of former IAASB Deputy Chair Dan Montgomery during a successful CFO dinner on 12 October organised by CFO South Africa and hosted by Nkonki, a leading firm of registered auditors, accountants and advisers.

Kevin Johnson has rolled out ERP projects globally and previously held management positions in Australia and the UK within the Howden Group (Part of NYSE listed Colfax). In South Africa he recently had the opportunity to relocate, but decided to extend his stay because “my family likes the country and I felt my job wasn’t finished”. The job over the last few years has been exciting, it has entailed a lot of restructuring and modernization, particularly in the IT space. Because of the lack of growth in the mining sector Johnson – from Northern Ireland – has been part of the team that changed the strategy to focus on the aftermarket, something the CEO and he had done before in Asia Pacific. “Even though our revenue dipped in mining, our profit in this sector went up.”

Sibanye Gold has acquired the entire share capital of Aquarius Platinum for a sum of R4 billion. The purchase makes Sibanye one of the five largest global platinum group metals miners.

The world-renowned startup accelerator Techstars has set up shop in Cape Town. As part of the recently announced Barclays Africa incubator Rise, Techstars and Barclays have partnered together to create a unique program for 10 promising FinTech startups. Applications are open until 10 January with program start on March 28. We spoke to Techstars executive director Greg Rogers about the program and his vision for FinTech in the continent.

How Hannes van Rensburg’s start-up became a lynchpin of banking in emerging markets

According to a recent report by the Department of Energy (DoE, entitled 'The State of Renewable Energy in SA', the country's renewables sector has attracted some R192.6 billion in investment. Of this, R53.2 billion – the equivalent of 28% – was foreign investment.

Earlier this week, Barclays Africa announced its new physical and virtual start-up incubator, Rise. According to Barclays, Rise, a global community intended to facilitate FinTech innovation and collaboration, will take advantage of tech solutions not reliant on physical infrastructure, thus making it an ideal solution for Africa.

Ray Leclercq, a South African living in the UK and working from the Netherlands, has been with Unit4 as CFO for more than a year now and is working on probably the biggest transformation the company has ever seen. He is loving every minute of it, he says. “My job is to keep the business growing and performing, while simultaneously redesigning the company.” In this interview with CFO South Africa, Leclercq talks about business transformation, the ideal role of finance and how new technology can help finance to be a better business partner.

The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) has announced the winners of its Top 35-under-35 (Top35U35) competition. They are (pictured left to right): Corporate Category – Cobus Grove; Entrepreneur category – Bronwyn Corbett; and Academia category – Francis Kwahene. Corbett was chosen as the overall winner.

"FinTech is a fantastic thing, but lenders must be responsible and conduct proper creditworthiness assessments," says Benay Sager, chief operating officer at Intelligent Debt Management. Benay will be on the panel of experts during our upcoming FinTech Africa event in Cape Town on 20 October. Our journalist Ebrahim Moola spoke to him about FinTech's benefits and barriers. "My hope is that many more people will enjoy access to mobile banking technology and not have to go into a branch."

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 8 October Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Suren Singh, Morvest Business: 'superstar' CFO leading the change Morvest Business has been through some radical, strategic changes over the last few years and Suren Singh has been leading the charge as CFO. No longer an ICT company, Morvest now positions itself as a global diversified investment holding company à la Bidvest. Singh believes in clarity and says his passion rubs off on others. “I want to know more about my craft and the work I do than anyone has ever done in the history of the world,” he enthuses. As finance chief, Singh says during this interview with CFO South Africa, he is “in an ideal position to bridge the natural tensions between the CEO and the Board”. Denel CFO, CEO and Group Company Secretary under investigation Three of Denel's senior executives, CFO Fikile Mhlontlo, CEO Riaz Saloojee and group company secretary Elizabeth Africa have been placed on special leave while the company undertakes an internal investigation. Denel, which operates in the military aerospace and landward defence environment, and which is currently the largest defence equipment manufacturer in South Africa, will be looking into several issues at the company, including recent acquisitions. Expert Insight - How cultural and social factors impact your busine... Your business success in Ghana can hinge on the way you speak about your family, the things you use your left hand for and your respect for religion. In this Expert Insight Eric Osei, business analyst and author of the recently published book Doing Business in Ghana, talks us through the sensitivities, intricacies and opportunities. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - AB InBev makes third offer to purchase SABMiller - CFO South Africa now on Facebook - South Africa's problem with illegal money transfers - Colin Vallis: attitude change financial institutions crucial for Af... - Capitec bullish as company profits and customers increase - Anbann Chetti new CFO of Nedbank Wealth - The future of investing in FinTech in Africa? Join us on 20 October! - Anoj Singh new Eskom CFO Join CFO Event "Finance Transformation" 22 October 16.00 - 20.00 - Sandton Finance transformation isn’t easy. There are no silver bullets to successful transformation, and no one-size-fits-all road maps to follow. Each journey is unique and every organization’s ultimate destination is different. We hope this CFO South Africa Event Finance Transformation provides a helpful guide to you as a CFO, embarking on their own transformation journey, and acts as a catalyst to those who may be more wary of change. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 17.00 Master Class - The next steps for finance teams The best CFOs continuously make great improvements in the way their finance function operates. They are very successful in redefining the financial function and make great efforts to become a cost-effective, service-oriented partner. The best CFOs show courage to radically rethink the way finance works and operates. What do they do and what can you learn? 17.00 Round Table - From Automation to Big Data It is about delivering new processes, services and analysis that fundamentally changes the way the finance function interacts with the business and leveraging new technologies and business models to deliver more efficient and effective services. Finance leaders should be seeking to transform their functions to deliver not just efficient services, but – more importantly – effective services as well. 18.45 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsor CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next Fintech Event in Stellenbosch With over 500 million US dollars in private equity available for African FinTech companies and over 50 African companies seeking funding - we will be exploring what the blueprint for investing is in this exciting market. What is the true investment opportunity and who are tomorrow's winners? Can we make Africa more attractive to FinTech startups? How can we accelerate FinTech in Africa? These are the questions that will be discussed and answered. A 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors will discuss the developments and challenges for FinTech in Africa. Several FinTech companies will present themselves. This event is organised by FinTech Africa. The ecosystem that connects FinTech startups, investors, corporates and advisors. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction to the African FinTech initiative By Graham Fehrsen, Country Manager CFO South Africa and FinTech Africa 16.05 - 16.45 Big organizations are doomed Keynote by Martijn Aslander, international speaker. Why small companies are better, smarter and faster and more fun. Why big corporates fear for their future. Why the age of abundance will change everything. 16.45 - 17.00 Trends in Fintech Investments world wide Keynote by Nicole Anderson, CEO and founder of Fintech Circle Innovate 17.00 - 17.15 Why Barclays Africa has launched the Seeker Fund and their ambitions Keynote by Warren Squires, Chief Investment Officer of Barclays Africa 17.15 - 17.30 The importance of local knowledge and appropriate solutions Keynote by Oluyinka Sorungbe, Co-Founder and CIO of Sanwo.me 17.15 - 17.45 Panel discussion "What corporate investors believe the future holds for FinTech" With Nicole Anderson, CEO and founder of Fintech Circle Innovate and Benay Sager, COO Intelligent Debt Management Group. 17.45 - 18.15 Panel discussion "What entrepreneurs and advisors believe the future holds for FinTech" With Perry Blacher, Global FinTech Advisor & Investor, Dave van Niekerk, CEO GetBucks and African Micro Finance Entrepreneur, Brett Magrath, Co founder Zoona and Patrick Scofield, Founder of crowd funding platform Thundafund. 18.15 - 19.00 Drinks & Networking This unique reception offers you the chance to meet 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors and discuss the latest insights on current issues and topics. Don’t miss this opportunity to join us! Join the next Fintech event at the University of Stellenbosch Business School Bellville Campus and register now for Tuesday 20 October - 15.30 - 19.00. A Fintech Africa Event in cooporation with: Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa & Fintech Events in 2015 Oct 20 Stellenbosch| Fintech Investment Event Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

In an effort to combine the world's two largest brewers, Anheuser-Busch InBev NV is trying to buy its nearest competitor, SABMiller Plc, in what would be a record industry deal. The current and also third offer on the table is $104 billion; SABMiller having declined the first two.

While our presence on LinkedIn and Twitter is crucial as ever, we have recently decided to make the plunge on Facebook as well. Many, and I am one of them, are active on Facebook, but regard it as a bit of a personal space, away from work. An increasing amount of people around the world, however, use the popular social media platform as their one-stop-shop for everything current and exciting. If you're one of those, you better head over and 'like' CFO South Africa.

Many South Africans worry about the country's high levels of crime; levels which, according to last week's release of the latest crime statistics, seem to be on the rise.

Morvest Business has been through some radical, strategic changes over the last few years and Suren Singh has been leading the charge as CFO. No longer an ICT company, Morvest now positions itself as a global diversified investment holding company à la Bidvest. Singh believes in clarity and says his passion rubs off on others. “I want to know more about my craft and the work I do than anyone has ever done in the history of the world,” he enthuses. As finance chief, Singh says during this interview with CFO South Africa, he is “in an ideal position to bridge the natural tensions between the CEO and the Board”.

Big financial institutions in South Africa have changed their attitude and are now ready to collaborate with FinTech companies, says investment professional Colin Vallis (PlatCol Investments), who was on the panel during the successful 2nd FinTech Africa event in Johannesburg. In the lead up to our 3rd event - in Cape Town on 20 October - Ebrahim Moolla spoke to Colin and got his vision on the state of FinTech in the country. Are there too many virtual payment solutions? Where are the venture capitalists? What should entrepreneurs do better?

As the export of minerals like coal and iron-ore declined while oil imports rose, so South Africa’s trade deficit widened.

Your business success in Ghana can hinge on the way you speak about your family, the things you use your left hand for and your respect for religion. In this Expert Insight Eric Osei, business analyst and author of the recently published book Doing Business in Ghana, talks us through the sensitivities, intricacies and opportunities.

Three of Denel's senior executives, CFO Fikile Mhlontlo, CEO Riaz Saloojee and group company secretary Elizabeth Africa have been placed on special leave while the company undertakes an internal investigation.

Capitec is the best-performing bank stock in South Africa at present. The small financial institution, based in Stellenbosch, has gained 40% compared to the average decline of 4.5% on the six-member FTSE/JSE Africa Banks Index.

As of end September, Anbann Chetti, previously CFO of Nedbank Corporate Banking, will be CFO of Nedbank Wealth. Chetti will be taking over this position from Walter Marte, who has been promoted to COO of Nedbank Wealth.

FinTech Africa is back, with an event that promises to be bigger, better and even more inspiring than the July event in Johannesburg. Hosted by the University of Stellenbosch Business School Executive Development (USB-ED) at their Bellville campus in Cape Town, national and international speakers and panellists will shed their light on the f future of investing in FinTech in Africa. Whether you are an investor or a FinTech entrepreneur, the event on 20 October 2015 is one you should not miss!

Four-time CFO Awards winner Anoj Singh has been appointed permanent CFO of Eskom.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 1 October Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles CFO of the week: Bongani Nqwababa, Sasol He sure doesn't choose the easiest CFO roles, does Bongani Nqwababa. After a career at firms like Shell Southern Africa, Eskom and Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), he is currently tasked with navigating national pride Sasol through a tricky period of low oil prices. Luckily, Bongani has earned his striped as crisis manager par excellence at Amplats, where his calm head was crucial in times of strikes. Nampak targets 100% share in Angolan market Nampak, the only can producer with operations in Angola, currently supplies 56% of the country's market. Imports comprise the balance. Company CEO, Andre de Ruyter, based in the Johannesburg office, said Nampak will likely see that market share increase as customers attempt to source cans locally and avoid the import duty. SA property market slows According to the FNB South African Estate Agent Survey for Q3 of 2015, activity in the South African residential property market appears to be slowing down, which could have implications for near-term mortgage lending growth. On a year-on-year basis, Q3 saw marked decline in the residential activity rating for the first time in several years. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Exclusive CFO Dinner with world-renowned audit expert - Business leaders weigh in on the impact of global megatrends - Tax Indaba: parliament looks at 'creative ways' to increase tax base - Mozambican expansion for Engen - $400 million investment in SA solar thermal plant - Lessons from a successful exit: iKubu bought by Garmin - Strikes cost South Africa R6 billion in 2014 Join CFO Event "Finance Transformation" 22 October 16.00 - 20.00 - Sandton Finance transformation isn’t easy. There are no silver bullets to successful transformation, and no one-size-fits-all road maps to follow. Each journey is unique and every organization’s ultimate destination is different. We hope this CFO South Africa Event Finance Transformation provides a helpful guide to you as a CFO, embarking on their own transformation journey, and acts as a catalyst to those who may be more wary of change. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 17.00 Master Class - The next steps for finance teams The best CFOs continuously make great improvements in the way their finance function operates. They are very successful in redefining the financial function and make great efforts to become a cost-effective, service-oriented partner. The best CFOs show courage to radically rethink the way finance works and operates. What do they do and what can you learn? 17.00 Round Table - From Automation to Big Data It is about delivering new processes, services and analysis that fundamentally changes the way the finance function interacts with the business and leveraging new technologies and business models to deliver more efficient and effective services. Finance leaders should be seeking to transform their functions to deliver not just efficient services, but – more importantly – effective services as well. 18.45 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsor CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next mind-blowing Fintech Event in Stellenbosch Over 500 million US dollar in private equity is available for African FinTech companies. Over 50 African companies seek funding. Which one to choose, where to invest in? Are investors too late? Who are tomorrow's winners? Can we make Africa more attractive to FinTech startups? How can we accelerate FinTech in Africa? These are the questions that will be discussed and answered. Join the FinTech Africa Event 20 October in Stellenbosch. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction to the African FinTech initiative By Graham Fehrsen, Country Manager CFO South Africa and FinTech Africa 16.05 - 17.00 Big organizations are doomed Keynote by Martijn Aslander, international speaker. Why small companies are better, smarter and faster and more fun. Why big corporates fear for their future. Why the age of abundance will change everything. 17.00 - 17.15 Lessons from MedTech Keynote by Dr William Mapham, Stellenbosch University. 17.15 - 17.45 Panel discussion "What corporate investors believe the future holds for FinTech" With Nicole Anderson, CEO and founder of Fintech Circle Innovate and Benay Sager, COO Intelligent Debt Management Group. 17.45 - 18.15 Panel discussion "What entrepreneurs and advisors believe the future holds for FinTech" With Perry Blacher, Global FinTech Advisor & Investor, Dave van Niekerk, CEO GetBucks and African Micro Finance Entrepreneur, Brett Magrath, Co founder Zoona and Patrick Scofield, Founder of crowd funding platform Thundafund. 18.15 - 19.00 Drinks & Networking This unique reception offers you the chance to meet 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors and discuss the latest insights on current issues and topics. Don’t miss this opportunity to join us! Join the next Fintech event in Stellenbosch and register now for Tuesday 20 October - 15.30 - 19.00. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa & Fintech Events in 2015 Oct 20 Stellenbosch| Fintech Investment Event Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

World-renowned audit expert Dan Montgomery is the main draw card during an intimate, exclusive dinner for top CFOs at the Marion on Nicol on 12 October 2015. The dinner will be hosted by CEO Sindi Zilwa of fast-growing assurance and advisory firm Nkonki, who personally invited Montgomery to come to South Africa and share his insights at its 5th Annual Audit Committee Conference and at the dinner.

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As Angola's buyers seek a local can manufacturer in response to government plans for an import duty on the industry, so Nampak has decided to target a 100% market share in the country.

He sure doesn't choose the easiest CFO roles, does Bongani Nqwababa. After a career at firms like Shell Southern Africa, Eskom and Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), he is currently tasked with navigating national pride Sasol through a tricky period of low oil prices. Luckily, Bongani has earned his striped as crisis manager par excellence at Amplats, where his calm head was crucial in times of strikes. The new strategy he plotted recently saw Amplats selling off its Rustenburg mines to Sibanye, but Nqwababa has already moved on to other challenges.

According to the FNB South African Estate Agent Survey for Q3 of 2015, activity in the South African residential property market appears to be slowing down, which could have implications for near-term mortgage lending growth. On a year-on-year basis, Q3 saw marked decline in the residential activity rating for the first time in several years.

The Parliament’s Standing Committee on Finance is looking at 'creative' ways to increase the tax base, including tyre and electricity levies, and is intensifying work on double taxation agreements and legislation, in the hope of discouraging multinationals from exploiting loopholes. That was the message of MP Des van Rooyen, chairman of the committee, during the recent Tax Indaba in Sandton.

Engen, Africa's largest energy multinational, operating in 18 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, has announced it will be opening a further three service stations in Mozambique – two in Inhambane and one in Maputo. The company currently operates 16 services stations in the country.

Most South Africans are well aware of the country's pressing electricity shortage. Overseas Private Investment Corp. (OPIC), the US government’s development bank, has announced it will invest as much as $400 million in a South African solar thermal plant.

Franz Struwig learnt some valuable lessons on the way to seeing his start-up iKubu bought out by global navigation provider Garmin.

Many have surely heard of "strike season" – that dreaded time of year when wage negotiations take place. But how many of us know the damaging economic impact thereof?

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 24 September Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles CFOs are myth busters, says retiring Standard Bank CFO Simon Ridley As CFOs we need to be trusted advisors, rather than critics,” says Simon Ridley, CFO at the Standard Bank Group and last year’s CFO of the Year. In an exclusive interview with CFO South Africa, Ridley talks about the myth busting responsibility of CFOs and CAs, the charm of over-disclosing, the reason everybody at the bank knows his mother and about being the perfect business partner: “You can’t just throw stones at a problem. Inspiring CFO event dives deep into Planning, Budgeting & Forec... On Thursday 17 September at 54 on Bath hotel in Rosebank, CFO South Africa held another of its increasingly popular events, this one covering the theme of 'Digital Transformation'. The evening was a resounding success, with the 'Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting in the 21st Century' (PBF) Master Class enjoying a full audience. KPMG expert talks cyber security Speaking at CFO South Africa's recent event, which followed the theme of 'Digital Transformation', Nathan Desfontaines, Information Security & Protection & Business Resilience Manager at KMPG, both informed and entertained attendees on the importance of cyber security. According to him, there are organisations that have been hacked and know about it, and organisations that have been hacked and don't. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - IP theft, extortion and interuption - a new generation of cyber risks - Revered FirstRand CEO Sizwe Nxasana steps down - Planning, budgeting and forecasting CFO Master Class sparks lively ... - MillerCoors CFO Gavin Hattersley named CEO - Brait sells bonds worth $540 million to fund acquisitions - Food giant Kellogg expands into Africa Join CFO Event "Finance Transformation" 22 October 16.00 - 20.00 - Sandton Finance transformation isn’t easy. There are no silver bullets to successful transformation, and no one-size-fits-all road maps to follow. Each journey is unique and every organization’s ultimate destination is different. We hope this CFO South Africa Event Finance Transformation provides a helpful guide to you as a CFO, embarking on their own transformation journey, and acts as a catalyst to those who may be more wary of change. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 17.00 Master Class - The next steps for finance teams The best CFOs continuously make great improvements in the way their finance function operates. They are very successful in redefining the financial function and make great efforts to become a cost-effective, service-oriented partner. The best CFOs show courage to radically rethink the way finance works and operates. What do they do and what can you learn? 17.00 Round Table - From Automation to Big Data It is about delivering new processes, services and analysis that fundamentally changes the way the finance function interacts with the business and leveraging new technologies and business models to deliver more efficient and effective services. Finance leaders should be seeking to transform their functions to deliver not just efficient services, but – more importantly – effective services as well. 18.45 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsor CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next mind-blowing Fintech Event in Stellenbosch Over 500 million US dollar in private equity is available for African FinTech companies. Over 50 African companies seek funding. Which one to choose, where to invest in? Are investors too late? Who are tomorrow's winners? Can we make Africa more attractive to FinTech startups? How can we accelerate FinTech in Africa? These are the questions that will be discussed and answered. Join the FinTech Africa Event 20 October in Stellenbosch. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction to the African FinTech initiative By Graham Fehrsen, Country Manager CFO South Africa and FinTech Africa 16.05 - 17.00 Big organizations are doomed Keynote by Martijn Aslander, international speaker. Why small companies are better, smarter and faster and more fun. Why big corporates fear for their future. Why the age of abundance will change everything. 17.00 - 17.15 Lessons from MedTech Keynote by Dr William Mapham, Stellenbosch University. 17.15 - 17.45 Panel discussion "What corporate investors believe the future holds for FinTech" With Nicole Anderson, CEO and founder of Fintech Circle Innovate and Benay Sager, COO Intelligent Debt Management Group. 17.45 - 18.15 Panel discussion "What entrepreneurs and advisors believe the future holds for FinTech" With Perry Blacher, Global FinTech Advisor & Investor, Dave van Niekerk, CEO GetBucks and African Micro Finance Entrepreneur, Brett Magrath, Co founder Zoona and Patrick Scofield, Founder of crowd funding platform Thundafund. 18.15 - 19.00 Drinks & Networking This unique reception offers you the chance to meet 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors and discuss the latest insights on current issues and topics. Don’t miss this opportunity to join us! Join the next Fintech event in Stellenbosch and register now for Tuesday 20 October - 15.30 - 19.00. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa & Fintech Events in 2015 Oct 20 Stellenbosch| Fintech Investment Event Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Established in 2010, MTN Zakhele, a vehicle for previously disadvantaged South Africans to invest in MTN Group Limited, has announced that it intends to list its ordinary shares as BEE Securities on the BEE Segment of the JSE on 5 November this year. The empowerment scheme, which raised R2.7 billion when it first launched in 2010, owns four percent of MTN SA and has a market capitalisation of R9 billion.

Speaking at CFO South Africa's recent event, which followed the theme of 'Digital Transformation', Nathan Desfontaines, Information Security & Protection & Business Resilience Manager at KMPG, both informed and entertained attendees on the importance of cyber security. According to him, there are organisations that have been hacked and know about it, and organisations that have been hacked and don't.

Kellogg has agreed to purchase a 50% stake in Multipro, a Nigerian food distributor, for some $450 million. Costs associated with the Multipro deal will reduce earnings per share by 1 cent in the third quarter, according to Kellogg.

“As CFOs we need to be trusted advisors, rather than critics,” says Simon Ridley, CFO at the Standard Bank Group and last year’s CFO of the Year. In an exclusive interview with CFO South Africa, Ridley talks about the myth busting responsibility of CFOs and CAs, the charm of over-disclosing, the reason everybody at the bank knows his mother and about being the perfect business partner: “You can’t just throw stones at a problem.”

Investment company Brait SE, controlled by Christo Wiese, has sold $539 million of five-year convertible bonds in order to fund acquisitions. According to the company, it intends to use the proceeds for general purposes, with a primary focus on funding strategic acquisitions.

CFOs should prepare for a new generation of cyber risks which are fast evolving, moving beyond the established threats of data breaches, privacy issues and reputational damage to operational damage, business interruption and even potentially catastrophic losses. A new report – A Guide to Cyber Risk: Managing The Impact of Increasing Interconnectivity – examines the latest trends in cyber risk and emerging perils around the globe.

Stenprop CFO Patsy Watson has said that the ALTX-listed company, with assets worth some R6 billion, is on track to move to the main board by end 2015. The company focuses on property investment in the UK, Germany and Switzerland.

Sizwe Nxasana, who took over from Laurie Dippenaar as CEO of banking group FirstRand in 2010, will be stepping down at the end of September. Nxasana's deputy, Johan Burger, will be taking over.

As many CFOs anxiously await further announcements regarding interest rate hikes and how this may affect their business and their budgets, last night's CFO South Africa event was both well timed and well attended.

On Thursday 17 September at 54 on Bath hotel in Rosebank, CFO South Africa held another of its increasingly popular events, this one covering the theme of 'Digital Transformation'. The evening was a resounding success, with the 'Planning, Budgeting and Forecasting in the 21st Century' (PBF) Master Class enjoying a full audience.

Gavin Hattersley, who has served as MillerCoors' interim CEO since 1 July, has been appointed CEO with immediate effect.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 17 September Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Lawrence Weitzman - Guiding Telkom-acquisition BCX through the storm The acquisition by Telkom, the death of its beloved CEO and the need for a major restructuring have kept Lawrence Weitzman, CFO at Business Connexion (BCX), busier than ever. Twice nominated for the annual CFO Awards, Weitzman has successfully navigated his company through the trials and tribulations and is understandably proud the firm has managed to do well. Managing people in the right way and being a trusted leader is the real reason behind the success, says Weitzman, who comes across as a soft-spoken accountant but has established himself a real leader. “I try and give people space to do their own things and to make mistakes.” Tax watchdog Bernard Ngoepe demands more independence The Office of the Tax Ombud should become completely independent from SARS, according to Tax Ombud Bernard Ngoepe. The retired judge announced his demands in a keynote speech during the Tax Indaba at the Sandton Convention Centre on 7 September 2015. From the MD: You can't buy experience You can listen carefully and take notes. You can write a to-do-list and focus on your day to day actions, but the harsh reality of life, and particularly a professional life, is that you can't buy experience. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Dumisani Dlamini - 5 ways public sector CFOs can get a clean audit - VW CFO Hans Dieter Pötsch becomes Board Chairman - Smile Telecoms brings internet to Africa - CFO Shabeer Khan achieves clean audit for DTI - Sasol CEO David Constable says company is in good shape - Bidvest profits up, company eyes African expansion Today CFO Event "Digital Transformation" 17 September 16.00 - 20.00 - 54 on Bath Boutique Hotel - Sandton In no time at all digital transformation has had an enormous impact on our organizations and business models. And this is just the beginning. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see the financial opportunities and consequences for the business? Join us for this event, and you will find the inspiration, the examples and the knowledge you need to embrace the opportunities technology has to offer. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 17.00 Private Sector Round Table - What if Steve Jobs led a public entity? The success of a company like Apple is borne of their ability to radically break with today's conventions. Their way of working is not just based on technological shrewdness. Inspiration, creativity and the will to do things differently are equally important in this case. The vision of Steve Jobs opened the doors to a whole new industry and new ways of value creation. What can we as Private Sector CFOs learn from that? With Fikile Mhlontlo, CFO Denel. 17.00 Master Class Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting in the 21st Century Today, many CFOs are turning to rolling forecasts to inspire and lead their organisations to superior performance. Hear experts on the best practices of strategic planning in today’s fast changing world. They will present the latest insights and the CFO research results on technology driven budgeting and forecasting. Also they will discuss the 5 key points of forecasting and how to master the cutting edge tools and techniques and how to integrate budgeting and rolling forecasts with other management systems to ensure to achieve a superior performance. With Zafar Mohamed, CFO McDonalds SA, Armin Moradi, Territory Manager - Financials Oracle, Seldon Goodwin, Solution Architect Ethoss, Charl du Toit, Associate Director Business Intelligence KPMG, Derik Rothman, Director Futuresense, Carl Janse van Rensburg, Operations Director Intellient and Joël Roerig, Editor CFO South Africa. 17.00 Public Chapter Round Table - What if Steve Jobs led a public entity? The success of a company like Apple is borne of their ability to radically break with today's conventions. Their way of working is not just based on technological shrewdness. Inspiration, creativity and the will to do things differently are equally important in this case. The vision of Steve Jobs opened the doors to a whole new industry and new ways of value creation. What can we as Public CFOs learn from that? With Dumisani Dlamini, CFO National Arts Council. 18.45 Café & 10 things you need to know about Cyber Security Keynote by Nathan Desfontaines, Information Security & Protection & Business Resilience Manager at KPMG. Nathan is a leader in ensuring the success of information security through a combination of business and technical acumen. He is a leading subject matter expert in penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, risk assessments and information security management as well as information security strategy development and implementation. Nathan will update you on the 10 most important things about cyber security every CFO should know but were too afraid to ask. Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next mind-blowing Fintech Event in Stellenbosch Join the FinTech Africa Event 20 October in Stellenbosch. At this meeting 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors discuss the developments and challenges for FinTech in Africa. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction to the African FinTech initiative By Graham Fehrsen, Country Manager CFO South Africa and FinTech Africa 16.05 Big organisations are doomed By Martijn Aslander, international speaker and Dave van Niekerk, CEO GetBucks Why small companies are better, smarter and faster and more fun. Why big corporates fear for their future. Why the age of abundance will change everything. 17.00 Panel discussion "The future of FinTech in Africa" Startup, bankers, investors and industry insiders discuss the challenges & opportunities for FinTech in Africa. Are we missing out in Africa?This event is organised by FinTech Africa. The ecosystem that connects FinTech startups, investors, corporates and advisors. Join the next Fintech event in Stellenbosch and register now for Tuesday 20 October - 15.30 - 19.00. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Sept 17 Johannesburg | Digital Transformation Oct 20 Stellenbosch| Fintech Investment Event Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

South Africa's Department of Trade and Industry (dti), along with several of its entities, has been given a clean audit for 2014/15 by the auditor general of SA, which means the dti's financial statements for the period in question are free of material misstatements.

You can listen carefully and take notes. You can write a to-do-list and focus on your day to day actions, but the harsh reality of life, and particularly a professional life, is that you can't buy experience.

While many South African CFOs might dream of becoming CEO at some stage in their careers, the recent example at VW in Germany might convince some to dream even bigger.

The acquisition by Telkom, the death of its beloved CEO and the need for a major restructuring have kept Lawrence Weitzman, CFO at Business Connexion (BCX), busier than ever. Twice nominated for the annual CFO Awards, Weitzman has successfully navigated his company through the trials and tribulations and is understandably proud the firm has managed to do well. Managing people in the right way and being a trusted leader is the real reason behind the success, says Weitzman, who comes across as a soft-spoken accountant but has established himself a real leader. “I try and give people space to do their own things and to make mistakes.”

Africa is a continent with immense potential. Indeed, the continent already has a rapidly growing mobile consumer market. As smartphones become more accessible and affordable, so the need for internet access increases – a need which mobile internet firm Smile Telecoms intends to meet.

The National Arts Council (NAC) of South Africa recently received a clean audit and was praised by the Auditor-General South Africa, Thembekile Kimi Makwetu. NAC CFO Dumisani Dlamini is one of our Expert Insight contributors. In this article he discusses 5 things that public sector CFOs should consider in the pursuit of a clean audit.

Sasol CEO, David Constable, believes the company is in good shape despite current oil prices. He also believes the company did the right thing when it implemented a recent cost-cutting and cash-conservation plan to save money, in so doing also protecting itself from low oil prices.

Despite erratic economic conditions, South Africa’s second-largest company by sales, Bidvest Group, which has interests in a variety of businesses from car dealerships to catering, is investigating new ways to boost its growth across Africa.

The Office of the Tax Ombud should become completely independent from SARS, according to Tax Ombud Bernard Ngoepe. The retired judge announced his demands in a keynote speech during the Tax Indaba at the Sandton Convention Centre on 7 September 2015.

The Financial Services Board (FSB) has announced that the Registrar of Credit Rating Agencies has cancelled Fitch Southern Africa's registration as a credit rating agency. The cancellation request came from Fitch itself.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 10 September Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Eskom's acting CFO Anoj Singh: “Exposure the key to career developm... As one of the quiet men behind Transnet's relative success - for a State-Owned Company (SOC) - CFO Anoj Singh was recently drafted as acting Eskom CFO, joining his Transnet chief Brian Molefe at the battling power utility. Singh started working at Eskom and already messages from Megawatt Park have started to become clearer. Only the future will tell if the top executive, who won 2 CFO Awards in both 2014 and 2015, will save Eskom. Expert Insight - 9 potential investment sectors in Ghana The African continent has become the most exciting global economic story over the past decade. That narrative has fuelled optimism in its member states, which are now vying for the attention of international investors and businesses. Ghana is one of those countries. In this Expert Insight Eric Osei, business analyst and author of the recently published book Doing Business in Ghana, lists 9 sectors that are great investment ideas. Change management adds or destroys value: Monna Monnakgotla, KPMG Change management is not something fluffy, but a pivotal process that impacts the bottom line. That is the firm belief of Monna Monnakgotla, Partner in KPMG’s People & Change service line with 18 years of experience in HR and change management. Monnakgotla was one of the experts during our last exclusive CFO Dinner. Afterwards we were able to chat to him, resulting in these 5 questions and answers. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Glenn Fullerton new Nampak CFO - Amplats sells Rustenburg mines to Sibanye for R4.5 billion - Editorial: Integrated reporting vs. saving the world - Africa's richest man invests in sub-Saharan Africa - McKinsey: Infrastructure is the way to grow SA's GDP - Cashbuild shows increased revenues and expanded footprint RSVP for CFO Event "Digital Transformation" 17 September 16.00 - 20.00 - 54 on Bath Boutique Hotel - Sandton In no time at all digital transformation has had an enormous impact on our organizations and business models. And this is just the beginning. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see the financial opportunities and consequences for the business? Join us for this event, and you will find the inspiration, the examples and the knowledge you need to embrace the opportunities technology has to offer. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 17.00 Private Sector Round Table - What if Steve Jobs led a public entity? The success of a company like Apple is borne of their ability to radically break with today's conventions. Their way of working is not just based on technological shrewdness. Inspiration, creativity and the will to do things differently are equally important in this case. The vision of Steve Jobs opened the doors to a whole new industry and new ways of value creation. What can we as Private Sector CFOs learn from that? With Fikile Mhlontlo, CFO Denel. 17.00 Master Class Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting in the 21st Century Today, many CFOs are turning to rolling forecasts to inspire and lead their organisations to superior performance. Hear experts on the best practices of strategic planning in today’s fast changing world. They will present the latest insights and the CFO research results on technology driven budgeting and forecasting. Also they will discuss the 5 key points of forecasting and how to master the cutting edge tools and techniques and how to integrate budgeting and rolling forecasts with other management systems to ensure to achieve a superior performance. With Zafar Mohamed, CFO McDonalds SA, Armin Moradi, Territory Manager - Financials Oracle, Seldon Goodwin, Solution Architect Ethoss, Desmon Botha, Management Consultant Business Intelligence KPMG, Derik Rothman, Director Futuresense, Carl Janse van Rensburg, Operations Director Intellient and Joël Roerig, Editor CFO South Africa. 17.00 Public Chapter Round Table - What if Steve Jobs led a public entity? The success of a company like Apple is borne of their ability to radically break with today's conventions. Their way of working is not just based on technological shrewdness. Inspiration, creativity and the will to do things differently are equally important in this case. The vision of Steve Jobs opened the doors to a whole new industry and new ways of value creation. What can we as Public CFOs learn from that? With Dumisani Dlamini, CFO National Arts Council. 18.45 Café & 10 things you need to know about Cyber Security Keynote by Nathan Desfontaines, Information Security & Protection & Business Resilience Manager at KPMG. Nathan is a leader in ensuring the success of information security through a combination of business and technical acumen. He is a leading subject matter expert in penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, risk assessments and information security management as well as information security strategy development and implementation. Nathan will update you on the 10 most important things about cyber security every CFO should know but were too afraid to ask. Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next mind-blowing Fintech Event in Stellenbosch Join the FinTech Africa Event 20 October in Stellenbosch. At this meeting 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors discuss the developments and challenges for FinTech in Africa. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction to the African FinTech initiative By Graham Fehrsen, Country Manager CFO South Africa and FinTech Africa 16.05 Big organisations are doomed By Martijn Aslander, international speaker and Dave van Niekerk, CEO GetBucks Why small companies are better, smarter and faster and more fun. Why big corporates fear for their future. Why the age of abundance will change everything. 17.00 Panel discussion "The future of FinTech in Africa" Startup, bankers, investors and industry insiders discuss the challenges & opportunities for FinTech in Africa. Are we missing out in Africa?This event is organised by FinTech Africa. The ecosystem that connects FinTech startups, investors, corporates and advisors. Join the next Fintech event in Stellenbosch and register now for Tuesday 20 October - 15.30 - 19.00. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Sept 17 Johannesburg | Digital Transformation Oct 20 Stellenbosch| Fintech Investment Event Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

It was announced earlier today that Anglo American Platinum has sold three of its labour-intensive, loss-making platinum mines to Sibanye Gold for some R4.5 billion ($331 million). Sibanye, South Africa's biggest gold producer, will pay R1.5 billion upfront, and the balance over the next six years.

Accountants can save the world, Prof. Mervyn King recently told me. In an interview that will be published in our upcoming CFO Magazine, the celebrated South African - who changed the face of corporate governance around the world - was quick to emphasise that this would not happen by writing reports, however integrated they may be. It is the thinking that needs to be changed. "If integrated thinking becomes common, we can have a sustainable planet by the end of the century," King predicts.

FNB is well known for its innovative banking solutions. Its mobile money service, eWallet, which allows customers to send money to anyone in South Africa provided they have a valid cell phone number, is one such solution. And it is doing extremely well. FNB recently announced that money sent via eWallet topped R1 billion in July 2015.

As one of the quiet men behind Transnet's relative success - for a State-Owned Company (SOC) - CFO Anoj Singh was recently drafted as acting Eskom CFO, joining his Transnet chief Brian Molefe at the battling power utility. Singh started working at Eskom and already messages from Megawatt Park have started to become clearer. Only the future will tell if the top executive, who won 2 CFO Awards in both 2014 and 2015, will save Eskom.

Nigerian billionaire and Africa's richest man, Aliko Dangote, has decided that more is more, and recently announced that he will be investing billions of dollars in Zimbabwe to boost development and create employment.

The African continent has become the most exciting global economic story over the past decade. That narrative has fuelled optimism in its member states, which are now vying for the attention of international investors and businesses. Ghana is one of those countries. In this Expert Insight Eric Osei, business analyst and author of the recently published book Doing Business in Ghana, lists 9 sectors that are great investment ideas.

According to a recently released McKinsey Global Institute report entitled, "South Africa's Big Five: Bold priorities to unleash inclusive growth", if we focus on better infrastructure delivery we could boost the country's annual GDP by some R260 billion by 2030.

JSE-listed building material supplier Cashbuild is working hard to expand its footprint and grow its revenue through the addition of several new stores, as well as an acquisition.

Change management is not something fluffy, but a pivotal process that impacts the bottom line. That is the firm belief of Monna Monnakgotla, Partner in KPMG’s People & Change service line with 18 years of experience in HR and change management. Monnakgotla was one of the experts during our last exclusive CFO Dinner. Afterwards we were able to chat to him, resulting in these 5 questions and answers.

Following Gareth Griffiths' retirement as Nampak CFO – a post he held from September 2009 until end June 2015 – Glenn Fullerton will be taking over as head of the company's finance team, effective 1 September.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 3 September Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Unpredictability, transparency, excellence: a chat with RAF CFO Yol... Yolande van Biljon learnt valuable lessons when the IT bubble burst around the turn of the century, grew into a finance leader at Denel and now has the unenviable task of sorting out the cash flow problems at the Road Accident Fund (RAF). Her recipe for success should work for any CFO: “What scares people is uncertainty. It is better to be open, even if you cannot tell people what they want to hear.” 10 steps to a successful exit strategy Exit strategies, involving full or partial change of ownership for the best possible value, are under-publicised and don’t receive much attention in South Africa, with many local businesses on board with Mark Cuban, who said: “Don’t start a company unless it is something you love and an obsession. If you have an exit strategy, it is not an obsession.” Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting in the 21st century? Join us ... Today, many CFOs are turning to rolling forecasts to inspire and lead their organisations to superior performance. On Thursday 17 September 2015 CFO South Africa is putting together another landmark event to share est practices on strategic planning in today’s fast changing world. Hosted by one of the best rated hotels in Africa, the 54 on Bath Boutique Hotel, we will present the latest insights and research results on technology-driven budgeting and forecasting. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Isuzu Trucks: Getting the perfect Truck to market faster with the 4... - ACSA CFO pleased with results, despite company's large debt - Black & Veatch CFO announces African expansion - Imperial Holdings seeks acquisitions to expand its African business - Basil Read CEO: company on track to achieve R160 million profit aft... - Coricraft stake sold to Actis RSVP for CFO Event "Digital Transformation" 17 September 16.00 - 20.00 - 54 on Bath Boutique Hotel - Sandton In no time at all digital transformation has had an enormous impact on our organizations and business models. And this is just the beginning. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see the financial opportunities and consequences for the business? Join us for this event, and you will find the inspiration, the examples and the knowledge you need to embrace the opportunities technology has to offer. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 17.00 Private Sector Round Table - What if Steve Jobs led a public entity? The success of a company like Apple is borne of their ability to radically break with today's conventions. Their way of working is not just based on technological shrewdness. Inspiration, creativity and the will to do things differently are equally important in this case. The vision of Steve Jobs opened the doors to a whole new industry and new ways of value creation. What can we as Private Sector CFOs learn from that? 17.00 Master Class Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting in the 21st Century Today, many CFOs are turning to rolling forecasts to inspire and lead their organisations to superior performance. Hear experts on the best practices of strategic planning in today’s fast changing world. They will present the latest insights and the CFO research results on technology driven budgeting and forecasting. Also they will discuss the 5 key points of forecasting and how to master the cutting edge tools and techniques and how to integrate budgeting and rolling forecasts with other management systems to ensure to achieve a superior performance. With Zafar Mohamed, CFO McDonalds SA, Armin Moradi, Territory Manager - Financials Oracle, Brad McCreedy, Director Business Intelligence KPMG, Derik Rothman, Director Futuresense, Carl Janse van Rensburg, Operations Director Intellient and Joël Roerig, Editor CFO South Africa. 17.00 Public Chapter Round Table - What if Steve Jobs led a public entity? The success of a company like Apple is borne of their ability to radically break with today's conventions. Their way of working is not just based on technological shrewdness. Inspiration, creativity and the will to do things differently are equally important in this case. The vision of Steve Jobs opened the doors to a whole new industry and new ways of value creation. What can we as Public CFOs learn from that? 18.45 Café & 10 things you need to know about Cyber Security Keynote by Nathan Desfontaines, Information Security & Protection & Business Resilience Manager at KPMG. Nathan is a leader in ensuring the success of information security through a combination of business and technical acumen. He is a leading subject matter expert in penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, risk assessments and information security management as well as information security strategy development and implementation. Nathan will update you on the 10 most important things about cyber security every CFO should know but were too afraid to ask. Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next mind-blowing Fintech Event in Stellenbosch Join the FinTech Africa Event 20 October in Stellenbosch. At this meeting 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors discuss the developments and challenges for FinTech in Africa. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction to the African FinTech initiative By Graham Fehrsen, Country Manager CFO South Africa and FinTech Africa 16.05 Big organisations are doomed By Martijn Aslander, international speaker and Dave van Niekerk, CEO GetBucks Why small companies are better, smarter and faster and more fun. Why big corporates fear for their future. Why the age of abundance will change everything. 17.00 Panel discussion "The future of FinTech in Africa" Startup, bankers, investors and industry insiders discuss the challenges & opportunities for FinTech in Africa. Are we missing out in Africa?This event is organised by FinTech Africa. The ecosystem that connects FinTech startups, investors, corporates and advisors. Join the next Fintech event in Stellenbosch and register now for Tuesday 20 October - 15.30 - 19.00. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Sept 17 Johannesburg | Digital Transformation Oct 20 Stellenbosch| Fintech Investment Event Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Actis, one of the largest private equity firms in Africa, announced on 1 September that it has acquired a significant minority stake in one of South Africa's leading home furniture retailers: Coricraft Group. The group has a South African footprint of 115 stores, as well as several stores in Namibia and Botswana.

Today, many CFOs are turning to rolling forecasts to inspire and lead their organisations to superior performance. On Thursday 17 September 2015 CFO South Africa is putting together another landmark event to share est practices on strategic planning in today’s fast changing world. Hosted by one of the best rated hotels in Africa, the 54 on Bath Boutique Hotel, we will present the latest insights and research results on technology-driven budgeting and forecasting.

While it hasn't been the easiest year thus far for construction giant Basil Read, the remainder of 2015 looks good, says company CEO, Neville Nicolau.

Yolande van Biljon learnt valuable lessons when the IT bubble burst around the turn of the century, grew into a finance leader at Denel and now has the unenviable task of sorting out the cash flow problems at the Road Accident Fund (RAF). Her recipe for success should work for any CFO: “What scares people is uncertainty. It is better to be open, even if you cannot tell people what they want to hear.”

In a bid to counter slower growth in its home market, Imperial Holdings, which owns South Africa's largest network of car dealerships, is in search of new acquisitions that will allow it to expand its logistics business on the continent.

Global engineering, procurement and construction leader Black & Veatch recently opened a South African subsidiary, Black & Veatch South Africa, a welcome extension of this 100-year-old company.

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While there exist valid concerns about the company's current debt, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) CFO Maureen Manyama is happy with the organisation's most recent results.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 27 August Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Learning from award-winning Africa CFO Greg Davis (Standard Bank) The Standard Bank Africa CFO also contributed to various of our events. In May this year Davis received the Moving into Africa Award at the CFO Awards. In an exclusive interview we spoke to him about promoting “a culture of sharing and interaction”, his take on the CFO role and the way he sees banking develop in Africa. Plaudits for clean audit National Arts Council For the first time since its inception in 1997, the National Arts Council (NAC) of South Africa has received a clean audit. The Auditor-General South Africa, Thembekile Kimi Makwetu, awarded the entity a clean audit for the 2014/2015 financial period and it was also announced that the NAC has also achieved 90 percent of the targets stated in its Annual Performance Plan. CFOs discuss their role as change agents at intimate dinner Never has there been a time when IT and business have experienced so many synergies and when the need to transform was so consistently urgent. Change management was the topic of an intimate networking dinner organised by CFO South Africa in partnership with Oracle and principal sponsor KPMG – both at the forefront of fast-tracking change – at the prestigious Four Season Westcliff hotel in Johannesburg on Thursday evening, 20 August 2015. Finance executives from various industries took full advantage of the opportunity to swap notes with their peers and expand their knowledge bases. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Editorial: the real reason for the #randslide - Aveng attributes loss of share value to economic slowdown - Bad news for SA's GDP - Brimstone reports a R480.1 million loss - Shoprite profits soar, opens 35 new stores across Afric - AngloGold Ashanti generates free cash flow in Q2 RSVP for CFO Event "Digital Transformation" 17 September 16.00 - 20.00 - 54 on Bath Boutique Hotel - Sandton In no time at all digital transformation has had an enormous impact on our organizations and business models. And this is just the beginning. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see the financial opportunities and consequences for the business? Join us for this event, and you will find the inspiration, the examples and the knowledge you need to embrace the opportunities technology has to offer. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 17.00 Round Table Discussion - The Impact of Digital Transformation A new generation of communication technology, mobile Internet, unlimited data storage and incredibly rapid access to information sources. In no time at all, this transformation has had an enormous impact on our organizations and business models. And this is just the beginning. In the new digital reality, people have the opportunity to freely share their opinions, experiences, ideas, emotions and complaints en masse and anonymously. Markets have never been so transparent, putting the customer back in charge. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see its financial opportunities and consequences for the business? 17.00 Master Class Planning, Budgeting & Forecasting in the 21st Century Today, many CFOs are turning to rolling forecasts to inspire and lead their organisations to superior performance. Hear experts on the best practices of strategic planning in today’s fast changing world. They will present the latest insights and the CFO research results on technology driven budgeting and forecasting. Also they will discuss the 5 key points of forecasting and how to master the cutting edge tools and techniques and how to integrate budgeting and rolling forecasts with other management systems to ensure to achieve a superior performance. With Zafar Mohamed, CFO McDonalds SA, Aarti Mohan, Product Leader Performance Management Oracle Europe & Africa, Brad McCreedy, Director Business Intelligence KPMG, Derik Rothman, Director Futuresense, Carl Janse van Rensburg, Operations Director Intellient and Joël Roerig, Editor CFO South Africa. 17.00 Public Chapter Round Table - What if Steve Jobs led a public entity? The success of a company like Apple is borne of their ability to radically break with today's conventions. Their way of working is not just based on technological shrewdness. Inspiration, creativity and the will to do things differently are equally important in this case. The vision of Steve Jobs opened the doors to a whole new industry and new ways of value creation. What can we as Public CFOs learn from that? 18.45 Café & 10 things you need to know about Cyber Security Keynote by Nathan Desfontaines, Information Security & Protection & Business Resilience Manager at KPMG. Nathan is a leader in ensuring the success of information security through a combination of business and technical acumen. He is a leading subject matter expert in penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, risk assessments and information security management as well as information security strategy development and implementation. Nathan will update you on the 10 most important things about cyber security every CFO should know but were too afraid to ask. Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with, with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next mind-blowing Fintech Event in Stellenbosch Join the FinTech Africa Event 20 October in Stellenbosch. At this meeting 100 insiders, experts, startups and investors discuss the developments and challenges for FinTech in Africa. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction to the African FinTech initiative By Graham Fehrsen, Country Manager CFO South Africa and FinTech Africa 16.05 Big organisations are doomed By Martijn Aslander, international speaker and Dave van Niekerk, CEO GetBucks Why small companies are better, smarter and faster and more fun. Why big corporates fear for their future. Why the age of abundance will change everything. 17.00 Panel discussion "The future of FinTech in Africa" Startup, bankers, investors and industry insiders discuss the challenges & opportunities for FinTech in Africa. Are we missing out in Africa?This event is organised by FinTech Africa. The ecosystem that connects FinTech startups, investors, corporates and advisors. Join the next Fintech event in Stellenbosch and register now for Tuesday 20 October - 15.30 - 19.00. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Visit Finance Indaba Africa 2016 Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual exhibition and conference for financial managers and specialists in Africa. Over 1000 visitors are coming to Finance Indaba Africa to improve financial performance. Visitors are looking for growth, better and faster insights, more control and higher efficiency. Visitors are looking for ideas, inspiration, vendors and advisers and are planning to invest. Visitors are eager to boost their companies, networks and careers. Where & when? Sandton Convention Centre 13 & 14 October 2016. For more information please visit Finance-Indaba.co.za. Would you like to become an exhibitor or you want to visit the indaba? Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Read the first CFO Magazine South Africa Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? How do successful CFOs move into Africa? Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? How do you attract and retain talent? Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? Read the latest insights from the CFO Award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Sizwe Nxasana, CEO Firstrand, Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank, Brett Goschen, CFO MTN, Brooks Mparutsa, CFO Hollard and Irene Singo, CFO Dep. Mineral Resources. As our online member we would like to give you the opportunity to read the first ever CFO Magazine South Africa online and free of charge HERE. Would you like to advertise in the next issue out November? Please contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2015 Sept 17 Johannesburg | Digital Transformation Oct 20 Stellenbosch| Fintech Investment Event Oct 22 Johannesburg | Finance Transformation Nov 19 Johannesburg | Risk, Compliance & Control Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

As of 1 June 2015, Marco Rondelli is the new CFO of Marelli Motori, a company founded more than 100 years ago and which is one of the leading suppliers of generators to the industrial, petrochemical and marine industries sectors. The company services its African business from regional headquarters in Johannesburg.

While many South Africans sit with their fingers crossed most days, hoping the country's economic situation will soon start to improve, it seems this is not the case.

I am often amused or slightly irritated - sometimes both - when I read the daily news about the rand. It is not that I don't care about the occasional ups and the seemingly more frequent downs of our currency, but the reasons given for its tremors are usually suspect to say the least. The president did X, employees strike in sector Y or something about sentiment Z... Common denominator is often that we think that small local upheaval has a lot do with how or currency fares, but the latest plunge - to a 14 year low - is sufficient evidence this isn't the case.

Operating primarily in the infrastructure sector, Aveng Group announced a revenue decrease of 17%, from R53 billion in 2014 to R43.9 billion. Net operating earnings decreased to a loss of R288 million (2014: R799 million profit), while headline earnings per share decreased to a loss of 144,3c (2014: 112,5c profit).

At CFO South Africa we already know Greg Davis for a while, thanks to his great series of Expert Insights on:

AngloGold Ashanti Ltd, a global gold mining company formed in 2004 through the merger of AngloGold and the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation, has announced that it generated $71 million of free cash flow in Q2 of this year, with production and costs beating guidance on the back of what it calls another strong performance from its international mines and a recovery from its South African-based operations.