Leading women in the finance industry celebrate their achievements during Women’s Month.
For years, the narrative of Women’s Month has been why women aren’t competing at the same level as men. We wanted to change that narrative and decided that we would dedicate the month to celebrating the achievements of the inspiring women in the CFO South Africa community.
“In a world that fails to recognise and welcome a woman’s success and achievements with the same energy and enthusiasm as that of a man’s success, we as women owe it to one another to make as much noise as we can about each other’s achievements,” says SANAC Trust CFO Nonhlanhla Mona-Dick. “A culture of sisterhood is the only culture that will fully recognise and embrace the success of women. We ought to be intentional about it, learn it, live by it and be ‘it’ at all times.”
Leading up to and during our annual Women’s Dinner on 3 August, we asked the finance community to share these achievements with us, and this was what they said:
Aneshree Naidoo
Webber Wentzel CFO
From developing a passion for counting on the abacus when I was two years old, to leading organisations in creating “magic” through numbers over the past two decades, I have learnt to appreciate the depth, breadth and power of the phrase “make it count”. It’s about seizing each opportunity, converting every challenge and creating meaningful connections.
When that translates to lifting women and in turn driving excellence, the result is sustainably magical!
Sharon Naidoo
TransUnion CFO
I am imperfectly perfect and unapologetically me. Being happy in my own skin and loving myself for it gives me the confidence and harmony to show up everyday and make a meaningful impact in the lives of others. My journey has been filled with self-accountability, self-empowerment and forgiveness.
My wish is for every female, young and old, to embrace and love yourself so that you can confidently navigate the ups, downs and curve- balls life will throw at you. Love yourself first, it sets the benchmark for all others.
Nonhlanhla Mona-Dick
SANAC Trust CFO
I am most proud of being appointed to the board of directors of the National Library of South Africa in 2015. The board would extend a huge vote of confidence in my abilities by appointing me to lead and chair the finance committee as well as being entrusted to represent the board in the audit and risk committee. Many firsts were realised during these revolutionary moments, and after two terms on this board, I became the chair of the audit and risk committee.
This experience taught me that one can most certainly dream and aspire to be anything in life. That through faith, hard work and perseverance, excellence is born.
Mary-Anne Musekiwa
Coronation Fund CFO
My proudest achievement is linked to the impact I feel I am beginning to make in the lives of young people. I aim to be the role model or goal post that I wish I had while getting my education and at the beginning of my career.
I don’t aim to be the perfect role model and don’t want to be perceived as an unattainable goal, but rather a flawed human being who never gave up, who experienced failure and still found a way to keep dreaming, to keep believing and to keep moving forward.
Ashona Kooblall
EOH FD
I believe our purpose is to ensure we improve the lives of all our people in South Africa and to leave our country a better place for all. Everyone matters.
My biggest achievement is to lead with purpose, drive and values within our team and businesses to grow sustainably. To ensure we are inclusive, we drive a high-performance culture and fuel forward a culture where everyone has a voice and matters. This empowers our people to grow, rise, lift and give back to our communities and furthermore, grow our next generation of leaders to take our country from strength to strength.
Kathryn Mason
Puma FD
The proudest moment in my career was being appointed as the FD of Puma South Africa in 2008. I was pregnant with twins at the time. I am proud to work for a company where women can do it all if they choose to – have a family and a career.
Buhle Hanise
BAIC CFO
My proudest achievement was when I qualified as a CA in 2009. It was my childhood dream since I was a teenager, and it makes me extremely proud to see that I have accomplished my own dream.
Even through the obstacles I faced with the first part of my board exams, the immense love and support from my family helped me to persevere, stay grounded, remain focused and I was always reminded that this was my dream and nobody else’s dream.
Thirteen years later, and I am still reaping the benefits of having the CA(SA) designation next to my name. As a result, I am now sitting as the CFO of a new automotive entrant in South Africa, BAIC SA.
Bongi Ngoma
AGSA national head of audit
I’m a problem solver who loves to develop people. I am more fulfilled when others around me are successful, which is why I am passionate about developing the next generation of leaders. My associates know me as a queen of excellence.
Last year I was recognised by various industry organisations, including AWCA, BASA and CFO South Africa.
Nilza Mngomezulu
Hollard International head of finance
My proudest moments are being appointed as a CFO at the age of 26 and being selected as SAICA’s Top 35 under 25 finalist in 2019.
“The only limit to the height of your achievement is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.” – Michelle Obama
