After a decade building his career in Europe’s automotive and medical device sectors, Christoph Scholz returned home to Namibia with a wealth of international experience. As CFO of Satcom Namibia, he is helping to steer one of Africa’s few military communications manufacturers through a period of rapid expansion, while modernising its finance function and preparing the business for its next phase of growth.
The flexibility and agility of decision-making in a medium-sized company is one of the aspects that Christoph Scholz loves about his current role as chief financial officer of Satcom Namibia.
“At Satcom we have a small team of about 48 highly experienced employees which enables us to be agile and make decisions quicker. We would normally huddle and discuss an issue and reach a consensus on how to move forward. We are not restricted by the bureaucratic huddles that would normally prolong decision-making in larger conglomerates,” says Christoph.
Christoph, who started in June 2025, has taken to the role like duck to water.
Satcom Namibia produces communications equipment for military applications and its radios are used across the continent and in peace-keeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He is effusive with praise when he speaks about his company and the industry he works in. “It’s a very relevant industry with all the wars going on. Our product is good, the demand is high and we are independent of the local economy because our transactions are US dollar denominated. It’s a dynamic, fast-growing industry and governments are spending a lot on military hardware. We are not building weapons but communications systems for defence purposes that are used throughout the continent,” he says.
The radios that Satcom Namibia produces have a frequency range from 1.6 megahertz to 512 and they change frequency all the time to prevent tapping. The semi state-owned company is one of the two manufacturers of this equipment on the continent.
This bullish military spending is reflected in the growth of Satcom Namibia’s revenues. “We have plans in the pipeline to grow considerably, so we need to expand our manufacturing capabilities because we are growing by 30 percent annually. It’s a very profitable business,” he says.
Christoph, who once served as CEO of a German-based automotive manufacturing company, says he is not besotted about titles, but what motivates him is serving in a capacity where he can add value. “A title to me means very little. I take on roles where I am able to add value, make an impact, and the work is great and fulfilling. I work with a great team that is made up of highly qualified and intelligent people, and I enjoy that immensely,” he says.
Early life and career
In contrast to many teenagers who are ambivalent about their career path when they are in high school, he knew for certain at the age of 17 that he wanted to become a chartered accountant. He recalls enjoying accounting in high school and his good marks secured him a place at the University of Cape Town.
After university, he completed his articles at Deloitte in Windhoek before being placed on a year’s secondment in the Czech Republic. He then left for Germany to work in internal audit functions and financial management for various medical and automotive device manufacturers, including Ford and General Motors.
Settling in Germany didn’t pose a challenge for Christoph as he is proficient in German, English and Afrikaans. He holds fond memories of the German automotive sector during its golden age some 20 years ago and concedes that the dynamics have now changed with the emergence and growth of the Chinese auto manufacturers and the rapid adoption of electric vehicles.
“The industries that I have worked in, namely the automotive and the medical equipment manufacturing sector are going through seismic changes. The US auto industry for example is going through cyclical periods, and the German auto industry is really struggling,” he notes.
Christoph also previously worked in the medical device industry. “That industry remains very profitable. But it also depends on the markets it operates in. For example, the margins are very low in the South African public healthcare system but very high in the private healthcare system,” he says.
Christoph is bringing his wealth of experience gleaned from working for multinational companies to Satcom Namibia. To that end, he is spearheading the professionalising of the financing and accounting function and implementing the right systems and processes that aligns with the operations of the business.
“Satcom has a great team of highly skilled engineers, and I bring along the accounting aspect to the business. We are now implementing a proper ERP system, with an implementation team in place, to replace the Pastel system which is completely unsuitable for us in the manufacturing environment,” he says, adding that it is one of the value-adds that he brings to the business.
“In our phase of growth, we need to have proper accounting systems in place for financing and possible listing,” he says.
The beauty of being a CA
For Christoph, being a chartered accountant has stood him in great stead in all the roles that he has served in, including his current position. “In all my roles I have used my deep insights of being a CA, whether it was forensic audit, audit, tax, even as MD or CFO I still had to prepare and review budgets, planning for tax purposes, and understanding costing. The profession gives you a sound basis on how to understand the numbers and manage the business,” he says.
Christoph’s advice to aspiring young accounting professionals is to first do well in their studies and then pursue their articles in one of the Big Four firms because of the international opportunities these firms offer.
“Follow your dreams. You have the option to come back from international secondments or remain in those countries if you want to. Leverage your profession as a foundation for what you want to do. You can also opt to do your own thing or stay in corporate. This is a decision that you should take before you have a family or your own children because once you have a family and get used to the higher salaries, it becomes a tough decision,” he advises.
Christoph was proud to return to Namibia after a successful 10-year stint in Europe. “The Czech Republic created a pathway for me to gain valuable international experience and exposure. The salaries were good but after a few years, I had to decide what I really wanted to do and whether I still wanted to live and work in Europe. Coming back was a natural choice, I missed Namibia. Even though I speak native German, I am an African. My grandfather came here, my father was born in Namibia, I was born here as well and grew up here. This is where I want to live.”
