From quiet getaways and “Friendmas” rituals, to big family spreads and overseas adventures, South Africa’s finance leaders are pressing pause to recharge, reflect and reconnect.
As the year winds down, CFOs across South Africa are taking a moment to slow down, return to their roots and carve out space for family, faith and reflection. For many, the festive season is not just a break, it’s a reset, a reminder of what matters and a chance to step into 2026 with renewed clarity.
For Ayanda Kotobe, finance director of RS South Africa, Christmas is one of her favourite periods of the year, a meaningful pause after months of intense work.
“It marks the end of a busy season and offers the perfect opportunity to unwind, rejuvenate and reflect on the year that has passed,” she says.
Her festive routine begins with a beloved tradition: “Friendmas” – a gift exchange and final meal with her closest friends before everyone heads home for family celebrations.
Christmas Day is always a family affair, hosted on rotation among cousins, with next year’s host chosen on the day, sometimes by raffle, sometimes by volunteer. Each host sets a theme and everyone must play along. Despite the changing menu, gammon and trifle remain non-negotiable favourites.
Simplicity and family time
For Morne van Tonder, Pragma’s CFO, the festive season is about simplicity, family and faith.
His holidays begin in the Cederberg, camping with the kids. “They love it, I love the quiet.” Christmas is spent at home, followed by a New Year trip to Hartenbos, where the rhythm is simple: beach, braai, repeat.
“For us it’s Jesus’s birthday, gratitude, and making memories with the people who matter most,” he says. “The one time we all hit pause and soak in the magic.”
Christmas lunch is a hearty, traditional spread: pork belly, lamb on the Weber and, of course, malva pudding to end things off , “a proper Afrikaans spread”.
After a demanding year Access Bank CFO Avashnee Ramdial is ready to slow down and focus on her children.
“It’s been a very busy and stressful year,” she says. “I am looking forward to taking some time off and spending the holidays with my children.”
For her, this time of year is deeply reflective, an opportunity to take stock of challenges, celebrate the wins and consider what she’ll approach differently in the new year.
She’ll be spending Christmas overseas this year and while the details aren’t set yet, she’s certain it will be a special time with her children.
If there were an award for festive spirit, Julia Pope, Dischem CFO, would win it. She proudly calls herself “a huge Christmas freak”, and she means it.
She decorates everything she can, collects ornaments as travel souvenirs and seeks out Christmas experiences across the world. Just a week before the interview, she’d returned from Santa Village, and the year before, she visited the famous Christmas markets in Vienna.
“Christmas is my thing, not New Year’s,” she laughs.
