Earlier this month, Nkonki’s managing partner Mitesh Patel received a prestigious award from the Kreston International network at a conference in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Nkonki is an incredibly ambitious South African audit, assurance and advisory firm with around 40 partners and directors and 400 staff. We spoke to Mitesh about the award, Nkonki’s thought leadership in integrated reporting and the drive to land JSE-listed firms as clients. "We are passionate about earning global respect."
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What were you doing in Rio?
"I was attending the Kreston International 44th World Conference. Kreston International is the 13th largest network in the world, with 186 firms, 600 offices and 20,000 professionals in 100 countries around the globe."
Why did you receive an award?
"Nkonki received an award for creating a new global service line for the entire Kreston International Network. This was as a result of Nkonki's thought leadership initiatives around integrated reporting that will now be rolled out internationally. Integrated reporting is a key initiative that is being driven by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) and Nkonki has endorsed the concept of integrated reporting fully by committing to assist in creating a solid awareness through its local and global initiatives. In South Africa, Nkonki hosts two annual awards for the best integrated report in state-owned entities and in JSE-listed companies. We also participate in international working groups affiliated to the IIRC."
You thanked CEO Sindi Zilwa and your colleague Thuto Masasa when accepting the award. What role did they play?
"The reason for thanking our CEO, Sindi Zilwa, was the success we have achieved from her brain child, which was the launch of the Integrated Reporting Awards for both state-owned entities and JSE-listed companies, and her commitment to the thought leadership initiatives around integrated reporting. Thuto Masasa is Nkonki's lead partner on integrated reporting. Through her passion for integrated reporting, together with her involvement in the working committees in the IIRC and her representation of Nkonki at the Integrated Reporting Council Convention, we have ensured that we have made our mark on the international platform and created awareness of the integrated reporting service line within the Kreston International Network."
How does the Kreston Network benefit Nkonki's clients?
"Being part of the Kreston International Network gives Nkonki access to 20,000 professionals across 186 firms, consisting of 600 offices across 100 countries. The international footprint, together with our immediate access to these professionals around the globe, gives us a full range expertise together with the latest emerging trends around a wide range of industries, which include but is not limited to transport, ports, power, telecommunication, aviation, private equity, manufacturing, retail and banking."
What lies ahead in 2016 for Nkonki's international service line?
"At Nkonki we are passionate about earning global respect. In 2016 we intend to continuously distribute our thought leadership both locally and internationally to ensure that we are playing on the global stage and not only in South Africa. This year we announced that we are ready to service the JSE-listed market and as a result of this commitment, we will continuously engage our international peers to ensure that we give our clients the global exposure they require. This commitment will also result in Nkonki targeting multinationals as we are confident that our intellectual capacity can benefit companies looking to expand inside and outside of South Africa and companies that have a multinational presence."
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