Having recently joined the National Youth Development Agency as CFO, Khuthi is both nervous and excited.
Khuthadzo Mbedzi has left the private sector to be a public servant, as the new CFO of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). Passionate about the future of South Africa’s youth, Khuthi says she is both excited and nervous about her appointment. “I am excited about the appointment, because it aligns my professional career with my passion and purpose. I love empowering and working with young people. I’m also nervous because, like the start of any new journey, the unknown comes with some nerves.”
However, she explains that she welcomes both feelings, as they keep her grounded and humble, and drive her to invest in understanding the organisation. Khuthi adds that she hopes to have an impact in her tenure as the CFO of NYDA. “I hope to enable growth within my team, to increase the NYDA’s footprint, and to ultimately better the lives of the South African youth by affording them opportunities through various programmes in line with the Presidency’s mandate, and in collaboration with partners both in public and private sector.”
Her first course of action as the new agency’s new CFO will be to learn the organisation’s processes. “I need to understand the dynamics within my team, understand the policies and processes of NYDA, and where improvements are required. Once I understand the organisation, I will be able to focus on being a value add strategically.”
Khuthi adds: “I adapt and learn fast, and I believe the first step is learning the organisation. Once you know the current flow, it is easier for me to pick areas of improvement. The external and internal auditor in me still believes that if you understand the business first, all else shall follow.”
Going forward, she plans to create a finance department that is agile, efficient and responsive. “As a support function, one needs to understand the needs of their stakeholders, which includes suppliers, partners, auditors, management and board to mention a few. All these stakeholders need accurate, reliable and timely financial support.”
