Sekgene, Pitzo and Nolubabalo share their favourite experiences from the Finance Indaba Online.
On 31 March, CFO South Africa hosted its second Finance Indaba Online with a gamified conference and expo experience. Thousands of finance professionals from across South Africa and Africa had the chance to attend insightful Impact Sessions with world-class speakers, interact with virtual partner stands, and network with their finance peers in online chatrooms, all of which earned them points on the leaderboard.
The leaderboard winner and winner of the R10,000 cash prize and an exclusive invitation to the 2021 CFO Awards, is Sekgene Mametja (pictured above), accountant at Helron Financial Services.
“I couldn’t believe it! I actually went back the next morning just to confirm that I was still first on the leaderboard,” Sekgene says.
She adds that this is her first win ever and that she is looking forward to the CFO Awards in November.
Sekgene also attended the Finance Indaba Online launch last year and said:
“I always learn something new when I attend the Finance Indaba. The sessions and topics were relevant and the choice of speakers was great!”
Her favourite sessions were “Women lead the way – how to get ahead and bring others with you” with iOCO group CFO Jo-Ann Pohl, Nkululeko Leadership Consulting CEO Nonkululeko Gobodo and Equites CFO Laila Razack, as well as “Ethical leadership – how YOU can step up in 2021” with Impala Platinum CFO Meroonisha Kerber, AGSA CFO Bongi Ngoma and Distell group FD Lucas Verwey.
“Being a woman, especially black women in leadership positions, is not easy as we are always labelled, like Mama Nonkululeko Gobodo said,” says Sekgene. “It is time women take up space in those leadership positions and level the playing field.”
She adds that ethics are very important in the finance profession because “any business or organisation that lacks necessary ethical principles is on the path to instant failure”.
The second prize went to Gauteng Provincial Treasury accountant Pitzo Zwane (pictured below), who won R5,000 cash, as well as his own exclusive invitation to the 2021 CFO Awards.
About his win, Pitzo says:
“I feel happy, excited and providential about the prizes and send my gratitude to the partners of the Finance Indaba. I sincerely appreciate the win.”
Pitzo says that he found the virtual Finance Indaba very informative, telling, value-adding and developmental to upcoming finance professionals and practitioners. “I loved the experience because the networking, new service offerings by the event partners and other exhibitors were intriguing.”
He adds that the Impact Sessions were relevant and up-to-scratch, including the presenters. His favorite session, like Sekgene, was “Women lead the way – how to get ahead and bring others with you”.
Finally, in third place was APAC accountant Nolubabalo Tshambula, winning R5,000 cash, as well as her own exclusive invitation to the 2021 CFO Awards.
“I am so excited about this win,” Nolubabalo says. She adds that she can’t wait for the CFO Awards and looks forward to being “motivated and inspired by exceptional CFOs receiving their awards and hearing them share their success stories”.
Her favorite Impact Session of the day was “Ethical leadership – how YOU can step up in 2021”, as well as “Audit firm rotation – learn from those who've been there and done that” with IRBA acting CEO Imre Nagy, SNG Grant Thornton CEO Victor Sekese, Aspen Pharmacare group CFO Sean Capazorio and PwC CEO Dion Shango.
If you missed the Finance Indaba Online, you can still register and watch the Impact Sessions or visit the exhibitors.
The Finance Indaba, Africa’s biggest and best finance event, was reinvented in 2020 as the Finance Indaba Network, and is now a community platform for finance professionals to interact and engage with the whole year round. The innovative virtual conference and expo, Finance Indaba Online, will bring together more than 5,000 finance professionals who want to accelerate their knowledge, network and careers.
