From green steel to sustainable finance, CFOs across South Africa are reshaping ESG delivery through long-term thinking, innovation and purpose-driven leadership.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance has shifted from compliance exercises to strategic imperatives. Across mining, banking and industrial sectors, CFOs are emerging as architects of sustainability – building models that balance profitability with environmental stewardship and social impact.
At the 2025 Treasury Leadership Forum in Johannesburg, Sandvik CFO Nerissa Jalim detailed how the engineering group is embedding sustainability in mining. She highlighted initiatives such as green steel procurement, carbide recycling and energy-efficient engineering solutions, illustrating how operational innovation underpins Sandvik’s mission to support cleaner, safer and more efficient mining. “Our brand is about ‘making the shift’ – not only in technology, but in how we help the mining sector transition,” she said.
For DRDGold CFO Riaan Davel, ESG is not an add-on – it is the business model. Riaan, the 2024 CFO Finance & ESG Award winner, emphasises the company’s purpose of reversing mining’s environmental legacy. Specialising in the retreatment of mine tailings, DRDGold has embedded rehabilitation and long-term sustainability into its strategy. “It’s not about how quickly we can make money, it’s about how long we can mine,” he said, noting that the company stayed committed to ESG even during years of negative cash flow.
In the financial sector, Standard Bank Group CFVO Dr Arno Daehnke highlights Africa’s responsibility to lead in transition finance. The bank has committed to mobilising over R490 billion in sustainable finance by 2028, supporting renewable energy, green buildings, affordable housing and sustainability-linked loans. The institution’s efforts were recognised at the 2025 Global Finance Sustainable Finance Awards, where it scooped multiple ESG accolades. “These awards highlight our success in innovative financing across Africa,” Arno noted.
CFOs are under pressure to show how social impact translates into financial value. According to Gita Maharaj, CEO of Impact Institute, the challenge is to measure impact without reducing people and communities to numbers. The future of finance lies in bridging profit and purpose with integrity. In today’s ESG-driven economy, CFOs are being asked to do more than balance books – they’re being asked to balance values, she reiterates.
Regional vice-president for Africa at AICPA & CIMA, Tariro Mutizwa, led a session at the 2025 Finance Indaba that challenged finance professionals to rethink what it truly means to be a business partner. She said: “Today, it’s no longer just about numbers. It’s about partnering in areas like IT, procurement and ESG. Finance can’t sit in a corner anymore. It must be embedded across functions.”
