CFOs across sectors are championing pragmatic, people-centred digital transformation, balancing AI, data innovation and trust with strong ethical leadership.
Finance leaders are navigating a fast-moving digital landscape where AI, data platforms and automation offer immense opportunity, but also require new skills, mindsets and governance. CFO South Africa looks back at the key insights from the 2025.
Sanlam Investment Management CFO Taskeen Ismail brings a grounded perspective to AI. Not a “techie” by her own admission, she nevertheless stresses that AI is critical for the future of finance. She warns of risks, too: “Unconscious biases can creep in, so you must get the balance right.”
The changing digital landscape was a common theme at the 2025 Finance Indaba. Industry experts Ashley Francis and Rob van den Wijngaard explored how leaders can translate complex data into business clarity. Ashley reflected on rebuilding the V&A Waterfront’s finance systems “from the ground up” to enable better decision-making.
Investec Life head of finance Roxane Leita discussed the human resistance to new tools, even among technology advocates. Her candid admission that she hesitated to use her own copilot access resonated with many delegates at the indaba who are navigating adoption inertia.
Innocent Gumbochuma, CFO of SAQA, emphasised trust as the foundation of digital transformation. “Trust is our currency in finance,” he said, highlighting how AI and blockchain can enhance integrity when implemented responsibly.
And during a session titled From vision to value, Microsoft CFO Stefan van Heerden said success depends on clear outcomes, aligned strategy and scalable platforms. Pragma CFO Morne van Tonder stressed the need for solid business cases, while Anaplan’s Jofi Alexander urged CIOs and CFOs to prioritise future-proof platforms over short-term tools.
At a CFO Webinar held in 2025, Isaiah Nyati, group finance senior manager at PPS said that transforming finance operations with AI-driven platforms has helped finance teams reduce late nights and weekends spent on year-end reporting. Using the right tools helped the insurance giant integrate multiple ERP systems across subsidiaries into a single system.
And as AI is reshaping the CFO support role, executive assistants (EAs) to some of SA’s top CFOs shared how they are navigating this. Kim Bartman, EA to outgoing Kumba Iron Ore CFO Bothwell Mazarura; Kutual Miyeki, EA to Vincent Motholo, CFO at UCT and Saffiya Ismail, who is Rupesh Govan, financial director of Investec’s right hand, find themselves at the centre of a profound shift.
