Absa’s Deon Raju secures nomination for the 2026 CFO Awards

Sinenhlanhla Mncwango 15 May 2026

Absa group FD Deon Raju has been nominated for the 2026 CFO Awards, joining leading finance executives in contention for the prestigious CFO of the Year title.

Deon joins a cohort of finance leaders competing across nine award categories.

Deon has served as Absa’s group financial director since 26 April 2024, following his tenure as group chief risk officer, a role he held from 1 June 2021. His journey with the bank began in 1999 when he joined as a financial manager after completing his BCom honours at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Over the years, he has held several senior leadership positions within the organisation. In 2006, he was appointed credit portfolio manager before moving into the role of Investment Bank treasurer in 2010. He later advanced to group treasurer in 2016, further strengthening his leadership credentials within the banking sector.

Dubbed the “Oscars of Finance”, the CFO Awards continues to celebrate leaders who raise the bar for people leadership in South Africa across listed companies, large corporates and government institutions.

The 2026 nominees will be celebrated at a gala event on 26 November, where winners across multiple categories, including the CFO of the Year title, will be announced

Sinenhlanhla Mncwango

Sinenhlanhla Mncwango is the senior writer for CFO South Africa. She grew up in Vryheid, northern KZN; studied journalism at the University of Johannesburg and obtained her honours in 2020. Sinenhlanhla has experience in online and broadcast media. In her spare time she enjoys a good game of cricket, hockey and loves learning different languages.

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