BEE123 has joined the Finance Indaba as a Gold Partner

Successful technology projects in finance start with a clear vision and strong alignment between strategy, technology and data, said Stefan van Heerden, CFO of Microsoft, at the recent 2025 Finance Indaba. He and fellow panellists Morne van Tonder of Pragma and Jofi Alexander of Anaplan agreed that success depends on a solid business case, scalable platforms, AI-driven agility and empowering people to embrace transformation.

As organisations grapple with mounting reporting demands, AI offers efficiency gains, but only when implemented with robust governance frameworks

At a time when AI dominates headlines, the question of whether it is truly a business imperative, or whether organisations are simply chasing the next technological buzz, arose during a panel session at the 2025 Finance Indaba.

A session themed Connected planning at the 2025 Finance Indaba highlighted the struggle of endless spreadsheets, disconnected teams and the constant scramble to align numbers across departments that finance leaders face.

Modern finance leaders need to concentrate less on spreadsheets and more on the people who make up their team – and themselves.

Whether acquiring physical assets, consultancy firms, or building in-house solutions, return on investment remains the critical measure of success.