From Mamelodi to the C-suite, South Africa’s leading women CFOs offered practical wisdom on mentorship, visibility, resilience and navigating power in modern finance.
Although gender parity in senior finance roles remains a work in progress, South Africa’s women CFOs continue to redefine leadership. Their stories show how purpose, self-belief, collaboration and advocacy can open doors for rising professionals.
Cell C CFO El Kope, Bidvest Protea Coin CFO Helen Yiga and Bonitas Medical Aid CFO Vurhonga Rikhotso all emphasise the importance of mentorship, confidence and collective progress. Their message to young women: invest in yourself, stand firm in your abilities – and build networks that challenge and support you.
At the 2025 Finance Indaba, a session titled Beyond the glass ceiling explored the invisible barriers women still face. Auditor-General SA’s Bongi Ngoma opened by acknowledging the allies who enable women to rise. Tinyiko Sihlangu, FD at Royal Bafokeng Holdings, highlighted the pressure of roles with authority but limited real power, calling for environments that truly support leaders.
Rebecca Pole, CFO of NTT Data, drew a memorable parallel: “Mentors are Google Maps. Sponsors are the keys to the corporate car.” She urged women to cultivate both.
From Mamelodi to executive leadership, African Rainbow Energy CFO Nakedi Ramaphakela shared how stepping into gaps, and not chasing titles, defined her early rise. “Bloom where you’re planted and results will come,” she said.
Similarly, Fathima Ebrahim, CFO of Rompco, spoke about mentoring women navigating the demanding energy sector. She prioritises safe spaces, tailored guidance and strategies to navigate gendered expectations. “By sharing effective strategies and fostering valuable connections, I aim to empower professionals to forge their own paths,” she said.
More than 150 of South Africa’s top women leaders gathered at The Maslow Hotel in Sandton for an evening of bold insights, powerful reflection and purposeful connection at the ExCo Women’s Dinner on 6 August.
Keynote speaker Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, the CEO of Naspers said in her keynote address that leaders are being shaped by three seismic shifts. “As women leading we have different requirements and there is no reason why we should be doing things in the traditional way and look at different ways to focus on your role,” she said.
The dinner also included a session titled Ask a Man with Paul Stedall, the CFO of King Price Insurance. “The system is still broken. It’s still very patriarchal and the expectation that women must act like men is a broken concept and it needs to change. And you can make that change through your actions in the boardroom,” he said.
