Morgan believes that with the right training and support, employees can effectively deliver on their mandate and fully use the advanced tools at their disposal.
Morgan Nhiwatiwa’s academic path seemed set in stone – excelling in sciences throughout high school, he was expected to follow the well-worn route to engineering or medicine. Family and friends envisioned him in a white coat, saving lives, but Morgan had a different calling. Despite his scientific background, he found himself drawn to the world of numbers, balance sheets and financial strategy. Against all expectations – and plenty of persuasion – he chose accounting, proving that passion often charts its own course.
“I started accounting for the first time at university because I didn’t study commercial subjects in high school. I have never regretted my decision, and I have not looked back. It has been an exciting and fulfilling journey, from my undergrad to doing articles at KPMG Zimbabwe”, says Morgan.
He then completed his BCom (Hons) in accounting at UNISA, CA(Z) and CA(SA), along with a host of other qualifications. His career includes roles as a Senior Manager and Associate Director at Ernst & Young (EY). Before becoming CFO at Walter Sisulu University, he worked at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) in senior management and acting CFO capacities.
Finance transformation
Morgan’s leadership as CFO of Walter Sisulu University earned him a nomination for the prestigious annual CFO Awards in November 2024. Over the past six years, he has spearheaded a financial transformation, turning a once “dysfunctional” department into one of the most advanced in the sector, particularly in automation and digital innovation.
The journey, however, was far from easy – his early efforts met with strong resistance. Yet, by securing quick wins and driving significant process improvements, he swiftly gained the trust and support of staff, students and executive management, cementing his impact on the university’s financial future.
“Taking on the CFO role at Walter Sisulu University was a huge step in many respects,” confesses Morgan. “I moved from Cape Town to East London, and many people asked if I was sure about what I was doing.. At that time, the university was in the headlines for the wrong reasons. For the first few months, in all honesty, I asked myself whether I had made the right decision!”
From a wilderness to a shining light
Morgan says finance staff lacked training and guidance, and were therefore not able to deliver on their mandate despite the university having invested in a state-of-the-art finance system. Morgan emphasised the need for training and guidance for finance staff to maximise the potential of the University’s state-of-the-art finance system.
“I didn’t change the ERP system, or bring in a bunch of experts to fix the problems,” Morgan says. Instead, he got into the trenches and invested significant time and effort in capacitating the team and ensuring that the use of the ERP platform was optimised.
“Two of my flagship automation projects are automating the procurement process and the financial clearance at registration. In the process, identified and developed superusers and champions are now responsible for leading similar projects and offering support to the wider finance team.
“I was extensively involved in the training sessions at the beginning, sending a clear message of how important the training programmes were, and it also allowed me to understand all key systems from the ground up.”
Fast-forward to 2025, and finance processes have drastically improved and are nowhere near what I was faced with when he joined WSU, says Morgan. “When I started, I centralised most of the decision-making to restore controls, and this created bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Over time, I have decentralised decision-making and approvals, supported by improved internal controls and standard operating procedures.
“Our success has been underpinned by digital transformation, and today, we are one of the leading universities in the use of financial systems and automation.”
Unsolicited advice and going on autopilot
Working as CFO at Walter Sisulu University is certainly demanding, but Morgan tries to devote meaningful time to raising his young family. Every Sunday, you’ll find him in church and he is involved in several outreach programmes.
“I have a passion for young people and whenever I get an opportunity, I offer unsolicited advice about careers and finding purpose and meaning in life,” he says. One thing remains elusive, however – a regular exercise routine, and Morgan is hoping that 2025 will be the year he’ll crack it.
As for his CFO role, Morgan wants to do more with digital transformation, particularly using AI to further enhance financial processes and reduce risk. “For the last few years, I’ve been very hands-on and operational. Now I’m at a stage where some aspects are running on autopilot; this is enabling me to focus on strategic matters. One of these is financial sustainability, and thanks to the transformation I have achieved, I now have the capacity to identify projects that can bring additional revenue.”
