British bank Barclays has announced plans to gradually reduce its majority stake in the group's African unit due to net losses having more than doubled last year.

According to Blue Label Telecoms, which is currently buying a 35% stake in telecoms provider Cell C, the effective date of the transaction is set at 1 June 2016. Brett Levy (pictured), Blue Label joint-CEO, has said that while a few hurdles still lie ahead, things are otherwise "looking positive" for the transaction.

As budgets are reviewed and department heads pressed to justify their spend, Heads of Legal or General Counsels (GCs*) shouldn’t be spared. Legal spend is one budgetary item that need not be as high as it often is. Discerning GCs have their ears to the ground and are aware of the increasing number of cost-saving tools and service providers specifically positioned to help them achieve their goals.

South Africa's current economic and retail situation has prompted Massmart to look for more opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Through its Game, Builders Warehouse and DionWired brands the retailer already has exposure to markets including Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique and Zambia. Massmart grew total sales by 8.4% to R84.7 billion for the year to 27 December 2015 and reported growth of 6.7% in comparable stores, while gross margins grew to 18.9%, compared with 18.6% in the previous year. For the period under review Massmart opened five stores outside South Africa, raising its total number of stores to 38. The retailer plans to open a further five stories outside South Africa over the next two years. Johannes van Lierop, Massmart CFO, was quoted in the media as saying that the recently opened stores would boost the company’s full year 2016 results. However, the retailer has said it sees the pace of expansion into the continent as moderate and measured. Van Lierop said:

MTN, as a sign of good faith and without prejudice, has paid the Federal Government of Nigerian some R3.8 billion and also dropped the court case against the government. This in the hopes that a settlement can be reached over the telecoms provider's R60 billion fine.

Goodwell Investments, a company which provides early stage growth capital, has acquired a significant minority stake in Musoni Services, a Dutch micro-finance software company that supports micro-finance institutions (MFIs) with its cloud-based core banking software.

A Dutch “prophet of the future", a forward-thinking Barclays boss and a group of amazing South African FinTech pioneers engaged in some intriguing discussions and short presentations during FinTech Africa’s Blockchain event in Cape Town on 25 February 2016. The gathering of around 80 FinTech professionals and enthusiasts was hosted at the marvelous Rise innovation hub of Barclays Africa at the Bandwidth Barn in Woodstock.

Times have been tough the last two years in the mining and oil & gas industries, and many CFOs are struggling to get out of survival mode, says KPMG partner and experienced industry expert Alwyn van der Lith. “Great CFOs and their teams now need to look beyond survival and focus on growth, expansion and acquisition that will follow the survival phase. It is a given that CFOs are looked at to maintain controls throughout all the other challenges, with less people and less expenditure on systems and process. In addition, the CEOs are looking for more strategic thinking in CFOs. A challenge indeed.”

Old Mutual recently sold all of its shares in Rogge Global Partners to investment manager Allianz Global Investors for an undisclosed sum, leaving it with just two fixed-income businesses.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 25 February Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles People, processes and tech key at vibrant Get Smart in 2016 event People, processes and technology took centre stage during an incredibly well-attended CFO event on 23 February 2016 at Summer Place in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. Thanks to the expert contribution of partners WNS, Oracle and KPMG, CFOs received updates on the latest and greatest in business process outsourcing and cloud computing, but also got to discuss the human side of it. Agile teams crucial for CFOs, says Discovery's Terrence Taylor "Being agile requires openness, the reservation of judgement and the ability to turn on a dime," says Terrence Taylor, General Manager: Talent, Analytics, Leadership and Learning at Discovery. Taylor will be giving a keynote address at the upcoming Get Smart event, which will be held on 23 February at Summer Place in Hyde Park. You need people with a cosmopolitan outlook, an open mindset and an eclectic set of experiences, he adds, and a leader who is comfortable sharing leadership and power. Blockchain will revolutionise business, says Bankymoon CEO Lorien G... "Blockchain is going to be a massive disruptive force. This is the next revolution, the next Internet, if you like. It is not an understatement to declare that a new technological revolution is upon us," says Lorien Gamaroff, founder and CEO of Bankymoon, a software company focusing on Blockchain technologies. Gamaroff will be one of the speakers at the much-anticipated FinTech Africa Blockchain Event, taking place on 25 February in Cape Town. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - The new public sector CFO: agile, empowered, customer-centric - How can finance contribute to agility? Standard Bank Investment Ban... - A tax hike would be good for SA,says Old Mutual's Johann Els - RMB's Africa Outlook 2016 – investors more discriminating - MTN expects full-year earnings to drop by 20% - Rand continues to strengthen against dollar - Moody's downgrades Anglo American to "junk" - Harmony Gold CEO Peter Steenkamp: no debt by end 2016 Joint the next CFO Event "Moving into Africa" Wednesday 16 March 17.00 - 20.00 - Standard Bank, Rosebank We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Moving into Africa - Fit to compete or last over the line? In 2016 your competitive advantage in Africa will be defined by whether you have clear and simple strategies for people and knowledge. Local know-how and insights are key and our CFO panel members have learned many fundamental lessons on their way to building successful businesses in Africa. Join CFOs and Africa specialists discussing what really works around talent development to accelerate your business’ potential. Hear how institutional knowledge is being backed up with smart platforms and local insights. Being fit enough is about having a plan and building incrementally - don’t get left behind! Program 17.00 Opening & Reception 17.30 Master Class - Fit to compete or last over the line? 17.40 Panel debate - Building from the ground up. 18.00 Executive hiring - trends in Africa. (Spencer Stuart) 18.10 Panel debate - Local know how is more important than institutional or corporate knowledge. 18.30 Combining talent and knowledge for business - what does the future hold? (Thomson Reuters) 18.45 Closing comments CFO Panel: Greg Davis (CFO Rest of Africa, Standard Bank) Mohammed Abdool-Samad (CFO, Illovo Sugar) Alexander Visser (CFO Philips Africa) 19.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP now here. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers. Diamond Partners http://static.financieel-management.nl/img/pictures/110412.jpg" width="500" /> CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information have a look at CFOAwards.co.za. Partners CFO Awards 2016 Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Agility, customer-centricity and changing the way people see the public sector CFO were the central themes dominating the CFO public sector round table, held on 23 February 2016 at Summer Place in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. Moderated by Terrence Taylor, General Manager: Talent, Analytics, Leadership and Learning at Discovery, key speakers included Quentin Green, City Power CFO and Edson Magondo, Head of Public Sector KPMG, though the lively discussion elicited comment from nearly all attendees.

People, processes and technology took centre stage during an incredibly well-attended CFO event on 23 February 2016 at Summer Place in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. Thanks to the expert contribution of partners WNS, Oracle and KPMG, CFOs received updates on the latest and greatest in business process outsourcing and cloud computing, but also got to discuss the human side of it.

AngloGold Ashanti, the world’s third-largest gold producer, returned to profit in Q4 of 2015 and delivered a solid operating and financial performance for the year.

Sean Doherty worked for Standard Bank, became a consultant and then rejoined the bank as CFO Investment Banking. We asked him what he learnt ‘on the outside’, how finance can contribute to agility and his doubts about finance transformation.

National Treasury will have to increase taxes even more significantly this year than in previous years, as a ratings downgrade looms, the rand falls and inflation climbs. Unfortunately, consumers stand to bear the brunt of this.

In 2016 investors are even more likely to scrutinise the effectiveness of domestic policies, the strength of governance, the sensitivity to commodities price trends and the sustainability of debt burdens. In this fourth part of RMB's Africa outlook 2016, authors Celeste Fauconnier, Nema Ramkhelawan-Bhana and Neville Mandimika look at the financial markets, Eurobonds and currency risk, as financial markets are becoming more skilled at mitigating the unusual risks presented by African currencies.

MTN has issued a trading statement warning that it anticipates a 20 percent drop in headline earnings for the full year ending December 2015. The telecoms provider cited the company's performance in Nigeria as the main reason for the decline.

Following talk that the Reserve Bank may hike interest rates once again, the rand is continuing its recovery from record lows against the dollar.

Moody’s Investor Service has downgraded Anglo American Plc’s debt to "junk", citing a deterioration in commodities market conditions and doubts over how long it would take the company to reduce debt levels as reasons for the change. Moody’s said in a statement:

"Blockchain is going to be a massive disruptive force. This is the next revolution, the next Internet, if you like. It is not an understatement to declare that a new technological revolution is upon us," says Lorien Gamaroff, founder and CEO of Bankymoon, a software company focusing on Blockchain technologies. Gamaroff will be one of the speakers at the much-anticipated FinTech Africa Blockchain Event, taking place on 25 February in Cape Town.

"Being agile requires openness, the reservation of judgement and the ability to turn on a dime," says Terrence Taylor, General Manager: Talent, Analytics, Leadership and Learning at Discovery. Taylor will be giving a keynote address at the upcoming Get Smart event, which will be held on 23 February at Summer Place in Hyde Park. You need people with a cosmopolitan outlook, an open mindset and an eclectic set of experiences, he adds, and a leader who is comfortable sharing leadership and power.

According to Peter Steenkamp (pictured), CEO of Harmony Gold, the company intends to do away with its debt by the end of this year. Steenkamp was appointed CEO effective 1 January 2016, following Graham Briggs' retirement.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 18 February Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles International investors are eyeing African healthcare, says KPMG's ... While money is increasingly flowing into Africa for private healthcare initiatives and South Africa is embarking on the rollout of the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, there is a high demand for multi-skilled finance leaders to deal with that inflow. “We need a whole generation of multi-skilled, passionate people with an interest in healthcare,” says Dr Anuschka Coovadia, head of Healthcare Africa for KPMG. Richemont CFO and Old Mutual FD among SA's best paid execs Following the release at end 2015 of the Sunday Times' list of SA's wealthiest businessmen comes Business Tech's list of SA's best paid execs and SA's top earning bankers. Richemont CFO Gary Saage was fifth on the list of best paid execs, while Old Mutual's FD Ingrid Johnson was second on the top earning bankers list. Anbann Chetti, CFO Nedbank Wealth: “Stand out from the rest” A focus on people and communication has been instrumental during the first 100 days as CFO of Nedbank Wealth, says Anbann Chetti, who last year was promoted from his previous role as Nedbank – Corporate Banking CFO. “The move has been phenomenal and the learning has been fantastic.” Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Super Group announces 21% profit increase - KPMG scoops Reporting Accountants awards at DealMakers Gala - Gold Brands Limited lists on the JSE - Dean Subramanian, ArcelorMittal CFO, appointed Acting CEO - RMB's Africa Outlook 2016 – fiscal indiscipline weakens policy effects - EY: Distress and divestments to dominate mining deals in 2016 - Arno Daehnke appointed group FD for Standard Bank RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: - Krishnan Raghunathan, Group Chief Capability Officer WNS - Bikash Prasad, CFO Africa Olam International - Sean Doherty, CFO Investment Bank, Standard Bank - Dee Houchen, Oracle, Senior Principal Product Marketing Director - ERP - Alida Taylor, Partner KPMG - Terrence Taylor, General Manager Talent, Leadership and Learning, Discovery 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Quentin Green, CFO City Power, Irene Singo, CFO Department of Mineral Resources and Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next Fintech Event in Cape Town - 25 Feb Fuelled by stellar investments the biggest ever disruption in finance - blockchain - finally breaks through. Scaring the crap out of leading IT suppliers and financial institutions. The blockchain has limitless potential to disrupt and to bring prosperity. How will the blockchain technology change finance and accounting in Africa? Why are so many financial institutions investing in the blockchain technology? Who is afraid? These are the questions that will be discussed and answered during the Fintech Africa Blockchain Event hosted by Barclays Africa at the Barclays Accelerator in Woodstock. ?100 insiders, experts, startups and investors will discuss the developments and challenges for the blockchain in Africa. Several FinTech companies present themselves. Get inspired, extend your network and develop business. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction By Graham Fehrsen, Managing Director FinTech Africa and CFO South Africa 16.00 - 17.00 Blockchain: scaring the crap out of leading IT suppliers and financial institutions Keynote by Martijn Aslander, international speaker. We we are in a new age of innovation. Everything will be better, cheaper and faster. Banking too. Blockchain scares leading IT-providers and banks the crap. Banks fear for their future. 17.00 - 18.00 Blockchain = Ubuntu Panel discussion with experts about the blockchain. With Brett Loubser, Head of WeChat Africa. WeChat has recently entered into the digital wallet and has partnered with a financial institution that has invested into their blockchain technology. With Lorien Gamaroff, CEO and founder of Bankymoon, a South African FinTech startup which is focused on providing blockchain-based solutions. With Martijn Aslander, guru. Expert speaker from Barclays to be announced. 18.00 - 20.00 Closing thoughts, drinks & networking Wrap up and closing comments by Graham Fehrsen, MD of CFO South Africa and FinTech South Africa. If you're interested to profile your business at this event please contact: Graham Fehrsen, Managing Director FinTech Africa, [email protected] or at +27 (0)79 898 0227. Join the next Fintech event at the Barclays Accelerator in Cape Town and register now for Tuesday 25 February - 15.30 - 20.00. The FinTech Africa Blockchain event is supported by Barclays and Rise, the physical and virtual global community that facilitates collaboration and fintech innovation. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers. Diamond Partners http://static.financieel-management.nl/img/pictures/110412.jpg" width="500" /> CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information have a look at CFOAwards.co.za. Partners CFO Awards 2016 Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Super Group, the listed transport logistics and mobility group whose finance division is headed up by CFO Colin Brown (pictured), also a CFO Awards winner, has grown headline earnings by 21.2 percent a share in the six months to December.

Professional services firm KPMG won both Reporting Accountants awards during the 15th annual DealMakers Gala Awards Banquet on 16 February at the Sandton Convention Centre. A broadly smiling CFO South Africa MD Graham Fehrsen handed the two prizes (Deal Flow & Deal Value) to KPMG's Corporate Finance MD John Geel, in the presence of DealMakers director Marylou Greig.

Gold Brands Limited listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Friday 12 February, making it the third company to list on the JSE this year and the second company to list on the AltX board. Praxia Nathanael, CEO Gold Brands Investment, said the listing adds value to Gold Brands' proposition to its franchise owner-operators, its BEE partners and staff, and prospective future partners.

A focus on people and communication has been instrumental during the first 100 days as CFO of Nedbank Wealth, says Anbann Chetti, who last year was promoted from his previous role as Nedbank – Corporate Banking CFO. “The move has been phenomenal and the learning has been fantastic.”

Following the resignation of Paul O’Flaherty as CEO and executive director of ArcelorMittal South Africa, company CFO Dean Subramanian (pictured) has been appointed Acting CEO, effective immediately. Gerhard Van Zyl, a senior manager in the finance function, acted as CFO prior to the appointment of Subramanian as CFO, and will again act as CFO until Subramanian resumes his duties here. Van Zyl's appointment is also effective immediately. According to the company - a JSE-listed multinational steel manufacturing corporation company - the recruitment process for a new CEO is already well underway.

In the face of waning economic growth, countercyclical fiscal policies are only viable in countries which boast low levels of public debt like Botswana. In this third part of RMB's Africa outlook 2016, authors Celeste Fauconnier, Nema Ramkhelawan-Bhana and Neville Mandimika look at the fiscal policy across the continent and the tax potential across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

According to a recently released report by EY, financial distress among mining and metals companies will shape M&A activity in the sector in 2016. Furthermore, divestments are expected to pick up pace on the back of volatility and uncertainty on the timing of a recovery. Wickus Botha (pictured), EY Africa Mining & Metals Sector Leader, said:

Following the release at end 2015 of the Sunday Times' list of SA's wealthiest businessmen comes Business Tech's list of SA's best paid execs and SA's top earning bankers. Richemont CFO Gary Saage was fifth on the list of best paid execs, while Old Mutual's FD Ingrid Johnson was second on the top earning bankers list.

Arno Daehnke (pictured), who has headed the Standard Bank Group's treasury and capital management division since 2010, has been appointed group FD.

While money is increasingly flowing into Africa for private healthcare initiatives and South Africa is embarking on the rollout of the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, there is a high demand for multi-skilled finance leaders to deal with that inflow. “We need a whole generation of multi-skilled, passionate people with an interest in healthcare,” says Dr Anuschka Coovadia, head of Healthcare Africa for KPMG.

State-owned Transnet has permanently appointed Garry Pita (pictured) as Group CFO, with effect from 1 February 2016. In August last year, Pita was appointed acting Group CFO, taking the place of Anoj Singh, who was seconded to Eskom.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 11 February Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Balancing the stakeholders - the success of Alexander Forbes CFO De... Being a business partner is extremely important, but a CFO should never forget to bring his or her financial acumen to the table, says CFO of the Year 2015 Deon Viljoen. As money boss at Alexander Forbes he has guided the company through a rebirth that included a delisting and a relisting on the JSE. These days ‘higher purpose’ and ‘balancing stakeholders’ are key success factors at South Africa’s largest retirement fund administrator, he reveals. CFOs should know PE firms want asset growth in Africa, says KPMG's ... What are the latest investment priorities within private equity firms? What should CFOs know about tax? Why does Michael Rudnicki want to be famous? Those are three of the questions that can only be answered by the new head of KPMG’s Southern African Private Equity (PE) practice. SA to see poor economic growth in 2016, says FocusEconomics According to FocusEconomics, provider of economic analysis and forecasts for some 127 countries, South Africa will be among the worst economic performers in Sub-Saharan Africa this year, with overall growth in the region expected to accelerate only marginally. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - FinTech Africa Blockchain event – the tech of the future is here! - Tsundzukani Mhlanga new FD of Ascension Properties - Clean audit for Pikitup CFO Suren Maharaj - S&P gives African Bank negative outlook - RMB's Africa Outlook 2016 – hawkish monetary policy predicted - Deon Viljoen acting CEO of Alexander Forbes - Grooming future leaders: the CFO Case Study Challenge RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: - Krishnan Raghunathan, Group Chief Capability Officer WNS - Bikash Prasad, CFO Africa Olam International - Sean Doherty, CFO Investment Bank, Standard Bank - Dee Houchen, Oracle, Senior Principal Product Marketing Director - ERP - Alida Taylor, Partner KPMG - Terrence Taylor, General Manager Talent, Leadership and Learning, Discovery 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Quentin Green, CFO City Power, Irene Singo, CFO Department of Mineral Resources and Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Sign up for the next Fintech Event in Cape Town - 25 Feb Fuelled by stellar investments the biggest ever disruption in finance - blockchain - finally breaks through. Scaring the crap out of leading IT suppliers and financial institutions. The blockchain has limitless potential to disrupt and to bring prosperity. How will the blockchain technology change finance and accounting in Africa? Why are so many financial institutions investing in the blockchain technology? Who is afraid? These are the questions that will be discussed and answered during the Fintech Africa Blockchain Event hosted by Barclays Africa at the Barclays Accelerator in Woodstock. ?100 insiders, experts, startups and investors will discuss the developments and challenges for the blockchain in Africa. Several FinTech companies present themselves. Get inspired, extend your network and develop business. Program: 15.30 Welcome and introduction By Graham Fehrsen, Managing Director FinTech Africa and CFO South Africa 16.00 - 17.00 Blockchain: scaring the crap out of leading IT suppliers and financial institutions Keynote by Martijn Aslander, international speaker. We we are in a new age of innovation. Everything will be better, cheaper and faster. Banking too. Blockchain scares leading IT-providers and banks the crap. Banks fear for their future. 17.00 - 18.00 Blockchain = Ubuntu Panel discussion with experts about the blockchain. With Brett Loubser, Head of WeChat Africa. WeChat has recently entered into the digital wallet and has partnered with a financial institution that has invested into their blockchain technology. With Lorien Gamaroff, CEO and founder of Bankymoon, a South African FinTech startup which is focused on providing blockchain-based solutions. With Martijn Aslander, guru. Expert speaker from Barclays to be announced. 18.00 - 20.00 Closing thoughts, drinks & networking Wrap up and closing comments by Graham Fehrsen, MD of CFO South Africa and FinTech South Africa. If you're interested to profile your business at this event please contact: Graham Fehrsen, Managing Director FinTech Africa, [email protected] or at +27 (0)79 898 0227. Join the next Fintech event at the Barclays Accelerator in Cape Town and register now for Tuesday 25 February - 15.30 - 20.00. A Fintech Africa Event in cooperation with: Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers. Diamond Partners CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

University student societies from across the globe are frenetically forming teams to enter the CFO Case Study Competition, where they will tackle the topic of strategic threats, opportunities, weaknesses and ethical dilemmas facing key decision-makers in the mobile telecommunications sector.

What do YOU know about the blockchain? Probably not nearly enough. Join us on 25 February 2016 in Woodstock, Cape Town, for an in-depth session led by world-respected experts as we delve into the revolutionary topic of the blockchain.

Deon Viljoen, CFO of Alexander Forbes, has been appointed interim group CEO with immediate effect following the announcement that Edward Kieswetter, current CEO, will be taking an early retirement. (Pictured here are Deon Viljoen and Bongani Nqwababa (Sasol), both of whom have been appointed as CEO from CFO at their respective companies since the 2015 CFO Awards.)

Being a business partner is extremely important, but a CFO should never forget to bring his or her financial acumen to the table, says CFO of the Year 2015 Deon Viljoen. As money boss at Alexander Forbes he has guided the company through a rebirth that included a delisting and a relisting on the JSE. These days ‘higher purpose’ and ‘balancing stakeholders’ are key success factors at South Africa’s largest retirement fund administrator, he reveals.

Times Media recently announced several key editorial appointments, including the appointment of Tim Cohen (pictured) as editor of Business Day, following the resignation of Songezo Zibi from this post.

Hawkish monetary policies are likely across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the temptation to manipulate interest rates will be on the increase in 2016. In this second part of RMB's Africa outlook 2016, authors Celeste Fauconnier, Nema Ramkhelawan-Bhana and Neville Mandimika look at the monetary policy across the continent and the measures that are considered to pursue echange rate stability.

Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has given African Bank a preliminary "B+/B" global scale rating, placing it four scores below investment grade rating and giving it a negative outlook. This comes ahead of African Bank's April re-launch as Good Bank.

According to FocusEconomics, provider of economic analysis and forecasts for some 127 countries, South Africa will be among the worst economic performers in Sub-Saharan Africa this year, with overall growth in the region expected to accelerate only marginally. FocusEconomics’ panel of economic analysts expects SA’s economy to expand by 1.3% this year and by 2% in 2017. The company said:

Pikitup, under the guidance of CFO Suren Maharaj (pictured), achieved a clean audit for the 2014/2015 financial year. Together with becoming solvent for the first time in the company's 14-year history, this is a notable achievement.

What are the latest investment priorities within private equity firms? What should CFOs know about tax? Why does Michael Rudnicki want to be famous? Those are three of the questions that can only be answered by the new head of KPMG’s Southern African Private Equity (PE) practice.

Tsundzukani Mhlanga (pictured) has been appointed FD of Ascension Properties, a listed subsidiary of Rebosis Property Fund Limited (Rebosis).

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 4 February Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Skilled local resources key in Africa, says Illovo CFO Mohammed Abd... CFO South Africa spoke to Mohammed during an exclusive interview after the CFO Awards 2015, for which he was nominated. Mohammed has been instrumental in driving the strategy to transform Illovo “from a traditional pure sugar business into a business that is fully integrated into downstream activities such as co-generation, ethanol and furfural production". He says refinancing a loan in Zambia was one of the toughest decisions he had to make, but it has led to significant savings despite volatile currency risk. Krishnan Raghunathan (WNS): great CFOs have entrepreneurial flair “A good CFO is an effective controller, but also has an entrepreneurial flair,” says Krishnan Raghunathan, global Chief Capability Officer at business process outsourcing giant, WNS. Krishnan is one of the speakers at CFO South Africa’s Get Smart in 2016 event on 23 February 2016, flying out of India especially for the occasion. In preparation for the event, we spoke to him about his interesting job title, his professional achievements, his take on the position of CFO, and the role finance leaders should play in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), which incidentally is being accepted as Business Process Management (BPM) the world over. Judges 2016 CFO Awards swap notes during exclusive dinner The mood was warm and jovial during an exclusive dinner for the panel of judges of the 2016 CFO Awardsand winners of last year's awards, hosted by CFO South Africa at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rosebank on 27 January 2016. The gathering allowed the judges to prepare for the judging process for this year's prestigious awards, but - most of all - gave them an opportunity to catch up and network. The dinner brought together the CFOs of the Year from 2014 and 2015, Simon Ridley (Standard Bank) and Deon Viljoen (Alexander Forbes), and a host of other business leaders. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - RMB's Africa Outlook 2016 – GDP growth in a slump - CFO Anoj Singh appointed Eskom treasurer - Lamelle research laboraties takes the next step with 4Most - CIMA updates the Certificate in Business Accounting - Sub-Saharan Africa seen as promising consumer market, says Agility ... - SA reports trade surplus of R8.2 billion - Ratings outlook for Africa 2016 RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: Specialists from KPMG, Oracle & WNS. Panel: Bikash Prasad, CFO Olam International, Belinda O'Neill, Executive Finance MTN & Sean Doherty, CFO IB Standard Bank. 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers. Diamond Partners CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Following Caroline Henry's resignation as treasurer of Eskom, the state-owned power utility appointed group CFO and multiple CFO South Africa Awards winner, Anoj Singh (pictured), as treasurer, effective 1 February 2016.

“A good CFO is an effective controller, but also has an entrepreneurial flair,” says Krishnan Raghunathan, global Chief Capability Officer at business process outsourcing giant, WNS. Krishnan is one of the speakers at CFO South Africa’s Get Smart in 2016 event on 23 February 2016, flying out of India especially for the occasion. In preparation for the event, we spoke to him about his interesting job title, his professional achievements, his take on the position of CFO, and the role finance leaders should play in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), which incidentally is being accepted as Business Process Management (BPM) the world over.

In a bid to remain relevant in today's fast-paced world of business, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has updated the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting (Cert BA) in accord with global standards. Zahra Cassim (pictured), Head of CIMA South Africa, says the qualification is designed to help people develop their skills and potential, and elevate them to success. She said:

Africa is complex and diverse, so here’s a secret tip from Mohammed Hoosen Abdool-Samad, finance director at Illovo Sugar. “To succeed, you need to have a deep understanding of the political and macroeconomic landscape. This can only be done by having skilled and experienced local resources that understand the business environment. Overreliance on expats can result in the business being ‘unplugged’ from the local business environment."

In December 2015, South Africa posted a trade surplus of R8.2 billion; this as a result of factories cutting down on machinery and equipment imports during the year-end Christmas and holiday season.

Oil-exporting economies like Nigeria and Angola will continue to be hardest hit when it comes to the slowing momentum of GDP growth in Africa. In this first part of RMB's Africa outlook 2016, authors Celeste Fauconnier, Nema Ramkhelawan-Bhana and Neville Mandimika look at the expected real GDP growth in selected economies and the long list of risks to growth.

The recently released 'Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index 2016' offers interesting insight into worldwide markets. It also pegs consumer spending by a fast-growing middle class as important a growth driver for Africa as mineral and resource demand. In the survey, industry executives ranked South Africa, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria as the most promising markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the more than 1,100 executives who responded to the survey, poor infrastructure, lack of power generation and corruption pose the greatest risk to African economies.

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According to Fitch Ratings, lower commodity prices this year, along with a stronger US dollar, could exert downward pressure on credit ratings in emerging markets, including the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

The mood was warm and jovial during an exclusive dinner for the panel of judges of the 2016 CFO Awardsand winners of last year's awards, hosted by CFO South Africa at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Rosebank on 27 January 2016. The gathering allowed the judges to prepare for the judging process for this year's prestigious awards, but - most of all - gave them an opportunity to catch up and network. The dinner brought together the CFOs of the Year from 2014 and 2015, Simon Ridley (Standard Bank) and Deon Viljoen (Alexander Forbes), and a host of other business leaders.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 28 January Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Major business risks identified According to the 2016 Allianz Risk Barometer, which surveyed over 800 risk managers and insurance experts from more than 40 countries, the top three leading risks for businesses in Africa and the Middle East are macroeconomic developments (44%), market developments (44%) and changes in legislation and regulation (32%). CFO South Africa sponsors DealMakers Award CFO South Africa will be the sponsor of the Reporting Accountants category during the 15th DealMakers Annual Gala Awards Banquet on 16 February 2016 at The Ballroom of the Sandton Convention Centre. Regarded as the Oscars of the South African M&A world, the awards celebrate the best performing M&A services firms over the past year. Dean Thompson appointed CEO of EnviroServ Dean Thompson has been appointed group CEO of waste management company, EnviroServ. Thompson takes over from Des Gordon, who served as the company's CEO for 18 years, resigning at the end of 2015 for personal reasons. The company believes Thompson's background makes him an exceptional fit for this role. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Bikash Prasad, Africa CFO Olam International: Africa can feed the w... - African Bank Good Bank re-launch on track - CFO South Africa partners with Thomson Reuters - JSE opens Cape Town office - Jason Kazilimani, CEO KPMG Zambia: power and agri biggest opportuni... - Junior Ngulube appointed CEO of new Sanlam Corporate division RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: Specialists from KPMG, Oracle & WNS. Panel: Bikash Prasad, CFO Olam International, Belinda O'Neill, Executive Finance MTN & Sean Doherty, CFO IB Standard Bank. 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers and see the latest Business Day advertisement. Diamond Partners CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

According to the 2016 Allianz Risk Barometer, which surveyed over 800 risk managers and insurance experts from more than 40 countries, the top three leading risks for businesses in Africa and the Middle East are macroeconomic developments (44%), market developments (44%) and changes in legislation and regulation (32%).

CFO South Africa will be the sponsor of the Reporting Accountants category during the 15th DealMakers Annual Gala Awards Banquet on 16 February 2016 at The Ballroom of the Sandton Convention Centre. Regarded as the Oscars of the South African M&A world, the awards celebrate the best performing M&A services firms over the past year.

Dean Thompson has been appointed group CEO of waste management company, EnviroServ. Thompson takes over from Des Gordon, who served as the company's CEO for 18 years, resigning at the end of 2015 for personal reasons.

A conversation with Bikash Prasad always includes exclamations like “I am passionate about Africa” and “we are very bullish about the continent”. The finance wizard, nominated for the 2015 CFO Awards, readily dishes up facts and figures about Africa’s economic opportunities. “Olam’s investment in Africa in the last five years is over a billion dollars. It is humongous.”

Monday 4 April 2016 has been designated the official launch date of African Bank Good Bank. The institution was granted its banking license in December 2015, on the condition that it diversified. This diversification will take the form of new customers, products and channels.

CFO South Africa announced that Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, will be among the key sponsors of the CFO South Africa events and CFO Awards in 2016.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has decided to open an office in Cape Town - a city which is becoming an increasingly important hub in the country's financial services industry.

“CFOs that don’t read and don’t network, won’t grow,” says Jason Kazilimani, senior partner and chief executive officer at KPMG Zambia. According to the senior partner there are two types of CFOs in the country: modern, world-class finance executives with international experience and “some others that call themselves CFOs, and yet only do the bean counting”. That is why there is enormous potential to improve the skills and networking capacity of Zambian CFOs, he says. “I would like to see much more emphasis on strategy.”

Insurance group Sanlam recently launched a new division called Sanlam Corporate, which will offer its corporate clients a comprehensive employee benefits solution, including life, health and general insurance, financial planning and advice, among other things. The division will be headed by Junior John Ngulube (pictured), former CEO of Munich Reinsurance Company of Africa.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 21 January Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Tough year ahead for SA, says KPMG CEO Trevor Hoole With economic growth of just 1.5% expected for 2015, it is almost certain that South Africa will only narrowly escape a technical recession, say experts. With a marginal rise in GDP growth (to 1.7%) predicted for 2016, many are concerned about the continued regressive growth in the economy. According to Trevor Hoole, CEO of KPMG South Africa, 2015 was a tough year; one which saw lower macroeconomic numbers globally but particularly in developing economies. Spectacular line-up of speakers at Finance Indaba Africa 2016 If you are a finance professional and you are wondering if there are any dates in your calendar that you should keep open, wonder no longer. The Finance Indaba Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre - on 13 and 14 October 2016 - will be the pivotal gathering for number crunchers, money wizards and finance leaders. Those dates might be far away still, but behind the scenes CFO South Africa is putting together a fantastic program - with a line-up of speakers that should entice any accountant to head over to Sandton. Old Mutual's PE unit makes multiple new investments The private equity (PE) unit of Old Mutual has bought a stake in In2Food, a local producer of ready-made meals and snacks and which makes private-label products for various supermarket chains. According to Jacci Myburgh (pictured), Old Mutual’s head of PE, the company paid between R200 million and R600 million for what he called a “significant minority stake in the company. He was unable to divulge further details due to confidentiality agreements. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Paul Marten, CFO Microsoft SA: talking products within finance - AB InBev lists on JSE - 5 questions for Bikash Prasad, Olam's new Africa CFO - Tesla to open SA office - Edson Magondo (KPMG): diplomatically discuss inconvenient truths in... - Weak rand complicates monetary policy RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: Specialists from KPMG, Oracle & WNS. Panel: Bikash Prasad, CFO Olam International, Belinda O'Neill, Executive Finance MTN & Sean Doherty, CFO IB Standard Bank. 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers and see the latest Business Day advertisement. Diamond Partners CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

With economic growth of just 1.5% expected for 2015, it is almost certain that South Africa will only narrowly escape a technical recession, say experts. With a marginal rise in GDP growth (to 1.7%) predicted for 2016, many are concerned about the continued regressive growth in the economy.

If you are a finance professional and you are wondering if there are any dates in your calendar that you should keep open, wonder no longer. The Finance Indaba Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre - on 13 and 14 October 2016 - will be the pivotal gathering for number crunchers, money wizards and finance leaders. Those dates might be far away still, but behind the scenes CFO South Africa is putting together a fantastic program - with a line-up of speakers that should entice any accountant to head over to Sandton.

“As a finance team we can bring our own products into the conversation with our business partners and our customers, by talking about how we do things at Microsoft.” Discussions about finance transformation and the evolution of the CFO can sometimes sound theoretical and dry – not so with Paul Marten, Finance Director at Microsoft South Africa. Using the same tools that his famous firm is selling, he embodies the outward looking finance leader of the 21st century.

Bikash Prasad has already been incredibly successful in restructuring and growing Olam International's business in Southern and Eastern Africa, notably striving to employ and develop as many local talents as possible. Recently the first hour supporter of CFO South Africa was promoted to Senior Vice President and CFO for the whole of Africa, still based out of Durban. We asked him 5 questions - here are his answers.

Elon Musk, the Pretoria-born innovator and business magnate, has decided to open a South African office – and possibly even factory – sometime this year.

Proteas grow in tough terrain and a lot of patience is required before seeds can be harvested and sown again. There are surprising parallels with the growth of black accountants in South Africa – and with Edson Magondo’s own rise to prominence, as we discover during an exclusive interview with the man who heads the KPMG service offering for government, infrastructure and healthcare.

Daniel Mminele, Reserve Bank deputy governor (pictured), says the weaker rand and market volatility seen thus far this year have "complicated" monetary policy.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 14 January Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles How to achieve a clean audit, an interview with CFO Shabeer Khan (t... In an exclusive interview with CFO South Africa, Shabeer Khan (CFO the dti), explains how he and his dedicated team managed to achieve a clean audit. Somewhere in Pretoria there is a big government department where the financial statements reported are of the highest quality, supply chain management legislation is adhered to and wasteful expenditure is a thing of the past. In September the Minister of Trade and Industry proudly announced that the dti had just received a clean audit for the 2014/15 financial year. He also deservedly deflected much of the praise to CFO Shabeer Khan and his highly committed team. Previous winners join judges CFO of the Year 2016 Celebrated CFOs Simon Ridley (Standard Bank) and Deon Viljoen (Alexander Forbes) will be joining the panel of judges that will be interviewing and adjudicating the nominees for the 2016 CFO Awards. Simon was crowned CFO of the Year at the inaugural CFO Awards event in 2014 and Deon won the coveted title at last year's black tie extravaganza. CFO South Africa is also delighted to welcome Discovery Health CFO Brett Tromp, winner of both the Young CFO of the Year and High Performance Team Award in 2015, to the panel Gordhan puts SARS revamp on hold Recently appointed finance minister Pravin Gordhan has instructed Tom Moyane, South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner (pictured), to halt the implementation of his restructuring plans, pending an assessment of its implications by the minister. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - MTN acquires rival Nigerian operator, Visafone - Allan Gray gives controlling stake to charity - From the MD: Building a community of practice for CFOs in 2016 - 2016 surge anticipated for Bitcoin - Apple to cut production of iPhone 6S & 6S Plus - Matthew Birtch (Gibs): what African FinTech entrepreneurs can learn... - SA shows November trade surplus RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: Specialists from KPMG, Oracle & WNS. Panel: Bikash Prasad, CFO Olam International, Belinda O'Neill, Executive Finance MTN & Sean Doherty, CFO IB Standard Bank. 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers and see the latest Business Day advertisement. Diamond Partners CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

Recently appointed finance minister Pravin Gordhan has instructed Tom Moyane, South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner (pictured), to halt the implementation of his restructuring plans, pending an assessment of its implications by the minister.

Celebrated CFOs Simon Ridley (Standard Bank) and Deon Viljoen (Alexander Forbes) will be joining the panel of judges that will be interviewing and adjudicating the nominees for the 2016 CFO Awards. Simon was crowned CFO of the Year at the inaugural CFO Awards event in 2014 and Deon won the coveted title at last year's black tie extravaganza. CFO South Africa is also delighted to welcome Discovery Health CFO Brett Tromp, winner of both the Young CFO of the Year and High Performance Team Award in 2015, to the panel.

Despite the large, $3,9 billion fine imposed on it by the Nigerian Communications Commission (the matter still in court), MTN has proceeded with its planned acquisition of rival network operator, Visafone Communications.

In an exclusive interview with CFO South Africa, Shabeer Khan, chief financial officer of the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), explains how he and his dedicated team managed to achieve a clean audit. Somewhere in Pretoria there is a big government department where the financial statements reported are of the highest quality, supply chain management legislation is adhered to and wasteful expenditure is a thing of the past. In September the Minister of Trade and Industry proudly announced that the dti had just received a clean audit for the 2014/15 financial year. He also deservedly deflected much of the praise to CFO Shabeer Khan and his highly committed team.

Allan Gray and family have given their entire stake of the business – a controlling stake – to a charitable foundation. The family’s stake in the company’s offshore partner, Orbis, was also included. The move ends more than 40 years of family control of the company.

In my first 100 days as the MD of CFO South Africa I have been struck by the number of incredible professionals that make up the South African finance eco-system. Finance professionals who reach the top rung, regardless of whether they work in large listed entities, private companies, the public sector or any number of public, academic or non-profit organisations, have by and large arrived there on the back of their finance skills (to state the obvious). But what has struck me most is how many of these professionals are good people too. The very best are filled with humility, courage, conviction, an appropriate dose of vulnerability and very often a clear sense of purpose.

According to business daily the Nikkei, it is expected that Apple Inc will decrease production of its iPhone models by some 30% in the January-March quarter, due to a surplus of existing stock.

FinTech will fail without broadband access, says management consultant and Gibs academic Matthew Birtch. In an exclusive interview with FinTech Africa, he speaks about the role of formal education in developing the FinTech space and what local entrepreneurs can learn from China. "A big advantage of the Chinese FinTech market is that there is room for experimentation."

According to the South African Revenue Service (SARS), South Africa showed a trade surplus of R1,77 billion in November, including BLNS trade – trade with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland. This was due to exports of R94,66 billion and imports of R92,89 billion.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 7 January Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles How can the CFO avoid saying no in 2016? With some questionable political decision making, a struggling national currency and sombre messages from rating agencies pouring in, South African businesses can be forgiven to be a bit apprehensive about 2016. In the middle of it all the CFO has shifted its role from number cruncher to business partner, but with pressure around slowing growth increasing there is the danger of reverting back to the old naysayer role. How does the CFO avoid saying no in 2016? Zuma says SA must work harder in 2016 In his New Year's message to the citizens of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said that while progress has been made in various aspects, such as student funding, medical care, social grants and international participation, among other sectors, "more hard work awaits us all in 2016 as challenges still remain". SA assets abroad surpass inflows For the first time ever recorded, the rand's slump led to the value of South African assets abroad surpassing foreign investment into the country. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Omnia CFO Wayne Koonin on turnaround strategies and digital transfo... - Agoa agreement on shaky ground - Exclusive - Prof Mervyn King: "CFOs critical for integrated thinking" - 2016 surge anticipated for Bitcoin - Steady growth for government pension fund - SAP Business one from 4Most provides seamless integration, data int... RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: Specialists from KPMG, Oracle & WNS. Panel: Bikash Prasad, CFO Olam International, Belinda O'Neill, Executive Finance MTN & Sean Doherty, CFO IB Standard Bank. 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers and see the latest Business Day advertisement. Diamond Partners CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

For the first time ever recorded, the rand's slump led to the value of South African assets abroad surpassing foreign investment into the country.

With some questionable political decision making, a struggling national currency and sombre messages from rating agencies pouring in, South African businesses can be forgiven to be a bit apprehensive about 2016. In the middle of it all the CFO has shifted its role from number cruncher to business partner, but with pressure around slowing growth increasing there is the danger of reverting back to the old naysayer role. How does the CFO avoid saying no in 2016?

In his New Year's message to the citizens of South Africa, President Jacob Zuma said that while progress has been made in various aspects, such as student funding, medical care, social grants and international participation, among other sectors, "more hard work awaits us all in 2016 as challenges still remain".

“Business grows and finance improves through a focus on systems – that is my thesis,” says Wayne Koonin, group finance director at Omnia. With 15 years of turnaround experience in the mining industry and a small team of trusted advisors in tow, he recently joined the South African chemicals group and identified digital transformation as the lever to “take the business to the next level”.

The United States is on the cusp of suspending South Africa from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), a trade programme that benefits 39 Sub-Saharan African nations by removing import levies on more than 7,000 products.

“My grandson Daniel, who calls me ‘judge’ like many other people, recently said ‘Judge, you are always in airplanes, you must have a big carbon footprint?’ He also asked me if I recycle all the paper I use. And that was coming from an eight-year-old!” Not only is Prof Mervyn King’s anecdote endearing, the former Supreme Court judge and global governance guru also makes a good point; even an eight-year-old knows that the world is changing. “It will be a disaster if companies don’t start thinking in an integrated way.”

Bitcoin, a form of digital currency both created and held electronically, while pegged by many as the digital currency of the future is also thought to be too volatile an investment. However, it seems 2016 will be a good year for Bitcoin, largely due to slower growth in the money supply, and a supply-demand dilemma. Bitcoin’s price has almost doubled over the past three months, and it is heading for its best quarter in two years.

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The Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) has released its annual report for the 2014/2015 financial year, showing steady growth and a sustainable investment strategy.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 31 December Dear CFO South Africa Member, We wish you all a happy New Year. May the New Year bring you greater hights of success and prosperity. Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles What do CEOs think about their CFOs? KPMG report no comfortable read IT and talent management are a crucial part of a modern CFO’s job, but often the finance leaders fall short. Global experience is paramount for a high level CFO and the role of the finance leader will increase in significance over the next three years. Those are some of the conclusions of KPMG’s View from the Top report, which surveyed over 500 executives from six continents. Kinya Kimotho, CFO Nielsen Africa: moving to risk-based management There is great value for CFOs and FDs to meet each other and share notes, says Kinya Kimotho, finance director for Africa at international market research firm Nielsen. “When you look at different industries and companies, there is commonality in problems and challenges. How do we tackle that as CFOs? How can our companies grow fast? I would love to talk to peers about it.” Expert Insight: what CFOs need to know about investing in Ghana In this Expert Insight, our business advisor in Ghana, Eric Osei, talks CFOs through some investment considerations for international businesses that want to set up shop in the West African country. He outlines the natural resources, investment incentives and advantages of doing business in Ghana. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - Zimbabwe adopts Chinese yuan currency - Joburg gets an improved credit rating - Investec acquires R623-million Australian property investment - Ratings upgrade for Cell C - Brics New Development Bank a reality - Nuclear power procurement process initiated - Exclusive: Treasury ace Dalu Majeke goes home to help the Eastern Cape RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: Specialists from KPMG, Oracle & WNS. Panel: Bikash Prasad, CFO Olam International, Belinda O'Neill, Executive Finance MTN & Sean Doherty, CFO IB Standard Bank. 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers and see the latest Business Day advertisement. Diamond Partners CFO Awards 2016 - Reserve your table now Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

According to the department of energy, South Africa has started a process that could lead to it adding as much as 9,600 MW of nuclear power to the national grid. Cabinet has given the go ahead to issue a request for proposals from the nuclear industry, which would be put to the cabinet for approval before a request for formal bids was issued.

Since 2009 he was CFO at the National Treasury and in 2014 he even scooped up a CFO Awards nomination. Recently, Dalu Majeke has moved back to the Eastern Cape and joined the provincial treasury as head of department. “It is Buyelekhaya - ploughing back to home - for me," says Dalu, a staunch supporter of CFO South Africa, during this exclusive interview. Working at the National Treasury "was a game changer in my career", he says, but now it is time to help improve the Eastern Cape achieve "proper resource allocation and sustainable service delivery".

Restructuring at Cell C, which would see the company's debt reduced by more than 50%, to less than R8 billion, may also result in the provider receiving a ratings upgrade from Standard & Poor’s.

There is great value for CFOs and FDs to meet each other and share notes, says Kinya Kimotho, finance director for Africa at international market research firm Nielsen. “When you look at different industries and companies, there is commonality in problems and challenges. How do we tackle that as CFOs? How can our companies grow fast? I would love to talk to peers about it.”

Zimbabwe, a country still struggling with the after-effects of a recession that spanned almost a decade, and which forced the government to abandon its own currency, has adopted the Chinese yuan as legal tender in exchange for debt cancellation worth some $40 million.

In this Expert Insight, our business advisor in Ghana, Eric Osei, talks CFOs through some investment considerations for international businesses that want to set up shop in the West African country. He outlines the natural resources, investment incentives and advantages of doing business in Ghana.

JSE-listed Investec Australia Property Fund (IAPF) has announced its most recent acquisition: An A-grade, nine-storey office building with ground floor retail, situated in Newcastle, New South Wales. The acquisition has a price tag of some R623.45 million (Aus$56.7 million), and brings the value of the fund’s total portfolio close to R7 billion.

IT and talent management are a crucial part of a modern CFO’s job, but often the finance leaders fall short. Global experience is paramount for a high level CFO and the role of the finance leader will increase in significance over the next three years. Those are some of the conclusions of KPMG’s View from the Top report, which surveyed over 500 executives from six continents.

While South Africa on the whole may not be faring too well as far as credit ratings are concerned, the City of Johannesburg has plenty to celebrate following Fitch Ratings' upgrading of its national long-term rating.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 24 December Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Nkonki wins award and global respect - 5 questions for Mitesh Patel 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." Technology - Key enabler in a changing world “The role of technology has never been more critical,” says Marius Fabian, MD of 4most, a leading supplier and implementer of SAP Business One and ERP software and technology to the South African and African small and medium sized marketplace. The need to respond to changing market demands, enabled by access to real-time and accurate information, is key. Abbie Lundberg presents a new leadership model for digital business "Digital is about exploiting information at speed for business use," opines Abbie Lundberg, President of Lundberg Media. Lundberg was addressing the crowd at the recent Oracle Cloud Day. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - ArcelorMittal CEO Paul O’Flaherty resigns - SABMiller and Coca-Cola join forces - Treasury addresses ratings concerns - Jovan Grujic, PISU & Co: restructuring to draw investors and pr... - Brics New Development Bank a reality - Advisory banks selected for SABMiller JV - Recruit the best CAs at the Finance Indaba Africa RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Summer Place - Sandton We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? Speakers: Specialists from KPMG, Oracle & WNS. Panel: Bikash Prasad, CFO Olam International, Belinda O'Neill, Executive Finance MTN & Sean Doherty, CFO IB Standard Bank. 16.30 Public Sector round table smart government Being able to provide an outstanding service and experience to citizens is an important task for governments around the world. Not only does it make for happy citizens but it also saves costs, time and improves the morale of civil servants. Restoring citizens' confidence in public institutions means demonstrating competence in providing better value for their hard-earned tax money. What can finance teams in government do to improve agility and customer focus? How can you allocate scarce resources to ensure critical tasks are assured but your organisation remains forward looking and customer centric. Facilitated by KPMG - with Edson Magondo, Director KPMG. 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Visit Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. Finance Indaba Africa is the biggest annual expo and conference for finance professionals. It brings together peers technology suppliers, platforms, banks, tools, specialists, CFOs and thought leaders. Over 5,000 visitors tap into a wealth of resources, knowhow and inspiration. Gain unparalleled insights. Cut costs dramatically, send sales & productivity through the roof and boost your company's profits by 100 percent. RSVP NOW HERE. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers and see the latest Business Day advertisement. Diamond Partners Announcing the CFO Awards 2016 panel of judges CFO South Africa is currently in the process of selecting the members of the panel of judges who will choose the winners from a shortlist of nominated CFOs. With the selection of the panel of judges the importance of the CFO Awards for the business community at large is reflected. More judges will be announced on CFOAwards.co.za. The first panel members are; - Simon Ridley Group CFO Standard Bank & winner CFO of the Year 2014 - Carel Smit, Executive Committee member KPMG - Deon Viljoen, Group CFO Alexander Forbes & winner CFO of the Year 2015 - Aarti Takoorden, CFO JSE & winner Young CFO of the Year 2014 - Victor Sekese CEO SizweNtsalubaGobodo - David Fine Managing Director of McKinsey - Delphine Maïdou,CEO Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Africa - Jonathan Lang, Practice Partner and Head of Africa Bowman Gilfillan - Christo Els, Partner Webber Wentzel - Ben Marx Vice-Chairperson Accountancy Department UJ - Claudelle von Eck, CEO The Institute of Internal Auditors SA - Brett Tromp, CFO at Discovery Health & winner Young CFO of the Year 2015 Join the CFO Awards 2016 Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

China Resources Beer (Holdings) has chosen which banks will advise on options for its Chinese brewery joint venture with SABMiller. According to reports, HSBC Holdings Plc, Nomura Holdings Inc., Rothschild and UBS Group AG, have been chosen as advisory institutions ahead of the deal.

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."

In his recent, end-of-year statement, President Jacob Zuma confirmed that the Brics New Development Bank is indeed happening. "The New Development Bank, whose establishment was announced at the fifth Brics Summit in eThekwini, is now a concrete reality," President Zuma said.

“For a Kenyan company like ours, the competition is nowhere and the room for growth is enormous,” says Jovan Grujic, CFO of the diverse, family-owned group PISU & Company. The Serbian money boss has had some great successes during his career in Europe and now wants to cut his teeth in a real growth market. “I was seeing growth in Asia and Africa and decided to be part of it. I want to be here while it happens, not afterwards. It is a big challenge but very rewarding.”

South Africa’s Treasury has pledged to focus on debt stabilisation in the medium term. This following Moody’s Investors Service's recent cut of its outlook on South Africa from 'stable' to 'negative'.

"Digital is about exploiting information at speed for business use," opines Abbie Lundberg, President of Lundberg Media. Lundberg was addressing the crowd at the recent Oracle Cloud Day.

The Competition Commission has reportedly given preliminary approval to SABMiller and Coca-Cola’s proposed deal to combine their operations, which currently mix, bottle and distribute soft drinks across the African continent.

Knowing how and when your business is impacted by a changing marketplace – and the ability to respond

Paul O’Flaherty (pictured), CEO of ArcelorMittal, South Africa's largest steel maker, has resigned with effect from 12 February 2016. O'Flaherty cited personal reasons for the decision.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday 17 December Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Pat Semenya: taking ACCA to next level in South Africa “I want to double our number of members and students, bring back members we have lost and instil a real passion for ACCA,” says Pat Semenya, who is heading up ACCA South Africa since August 2015. After years at Nestlé, Pat felt it was time for a job that could really make a difference.“Economic transformation is not completed in this country and I want to contribute positively to that.” Nene fired from post as SA's finance minister Many were shocked at last night's announcement of South African Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene's (pictured) sacking by President Jacob Zuma. In a seemingly unanticipated move, Zuma has appointed David van Rooyen into this post instead, saying simply that Nene will be deployed elsewhere. Finance Indaba hosts finals of The CFO Case Study Competition The cream of the crop of Africa's aspiring CFOs and business leaders will be competing for a prize of R100,000 during the global finals of The CFO Case Study Competition, hosted at the Finance Indaba Africa 2016. With entries for participants closing in March 2016, we spoke to organiser Valentine Nti, CEO of organiser CharterQuest Institute about the way CFOs, corporate sponsors, professional bodies, universities and business talents of 25 years and younger can get involved. Read more exclusive articles on CFO.co.za - PetroSA CFO Lindiwe Mthimunye Bakoro's relieved of her duties - Nqwababa and Cornell appointed as joint-CEs of Sasol - Oliver Mwita, DHL Express Kenya: promoting integrity is role of CFO - Use big data to grow your business, says Uber's Dave Kitley - AMG acquires equity stake in Abax Investments - Van Rooyen's out, Gordhan's in as SA's finance minister - Recruit the best CAs at the Finance Indaba Africa RSVP CFO Event "Get Smart in 2016" Tuesday 23 February 16.00 - 20.00 - Johannesburg We invite you to join us for the CFO South Africa event Get Smart in 2016 - Move like a butterfly - sting like a bee. How can we improve the agility and resilience of your organisation in volatile and uncertain times? How do you create flexibility and ensure your scarce resources are allocated to the most critical tasks? Join us as we consider the options available to CFOs in creating agile, flexible and responsive finance functions and organisations. Finance functions that are 2016 and 2017 ready and are able to deliver superior value to the business. Program 16.00 Opening & Reception 16.30 Master Class - Move like a butterfly, sting like a bee Do you sometimes wish you could be as fast and flexible as a startup? Without losing the strength and stability of a well established corporate? Let’s investigate and discuss if and how we can make this possible! The answer should be somewhere in the way we align our People, Process and Technology. Some questions to consider: Is BPO the answer to flexibility? It might offer us the solutions to time, accuracy, transparency and business partnering challenges. What about the possibilities of new technologies like cloud solutions? Or is the answer in the way we manage people? 16.30 Round Table discussion - Get Smart in 2016 This exclusive get-together will offer you the unique opportunity to share your vision and ideas with 10 CFOs from South Africa’s top companies. Join us as we discuss how CFOs can play a more active role encouraging radical new thinking while setting the tone in their own environments? 18.00 CFO Café Interact, learn, connect and discuss the challenges that you are facing with your peers over a drink at the CFO Café. Build your network and meet other top CFOs and financials. We offer you a great afternoon of peer to peer discussions and knowledge sharing. Register here now. Sponsors CFO South Africa Event: Continuous Professional Development Points Did you know all events of CFO South Africa are eligible for SAICA CPD points? By attending CFO South Africa's events and training courses you will stay compliant. Select your bank at Finance Indaba Africa Visit the Finance Indaba 13 & 14 October at the Sandton Convention Centre and boost your profits by 100%. What is your bank doing and what else is there in the market? Which banks are leading the way? Is there a better option for your business? What should you know when considering financing options? Which banks will partner with you moving into Africa? Who will back your innovation and growth? At Finance Indaba Africa you will discover the latest insights, discuss trends and meet some of Africa's leading bankers. Customers of South African banks have high levels of complaints, with many people complaining about bad service. Opening a bank account is South Africa is time consuming. South African banks are amongst the most expensive in the world charging monthly fees, internet banking fees and commission on payments. But they are there: finance providers that go the extra mile. Select your bank at Finance Indaba Africa. We are calling for speakers Are you enabling businesses to cut costs, boost sales, productivity and company profits? Don't miss out the chance to connect with new prospects, to brand your company and to become more successful. Share your ideas at the Finance Indaba and help the country grow. Please contact Graham Fehrsen at [email protected] or at +27 11 083 7515. Also read more about the call for speakers and see the latest Business Day advertisement. Diamond Partners Announcing the CFO Awards 2016 panel of judges CFO South Africa is currently in the process of selecting the members of the panel of judges who will choose the winners from a shortlist of nominated CFOs. With the selection of the panel of judges the importance of the CFO Awards for the business community at large is reflected. More judges will be announced on CFOAwards.co.za. The first panel members are; - Simon Ridley Group CFO Standard Bank & winner CFO of the Year 2014 - Carel Smit, Executive Committee member KPMG - Deon Viljoen, Group CFO Alexander Forbes & Winner CFO of the Year 2015 - Victor Sekese CEO SizweNtsalubaGobodo - David Fine Managing Director of McKinsey - Delphine Maïdou,CEO Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Africa - Jonathan Lang, Practice Partner and Head of Africa Bowman Gilfillan - Christo Els, Partner Webber Wentzel - Ben Marx Vice-Chairperson Accountancy Department UJ - Claudelle von Eck, CEO The Institute of Internal Auditors SA - Brett Tromp, CFO at Discovery Health & winner Young CFO of the Year 2015 Join the CFO Awards 2016 Buy a table for the CFO Awards and meet 300 of South Africa's leading CFOs. Demonstrate thought leadership, extend your network and develop business. You are seated with CFOs and finance directors from the top companies of South Africa. You are also more than welcome to join the CFO Conference preceding the CFO Awards dinner with your colleagues. Join us Thursday 12 May 2016 at the beautiful Summer Place. Don't wait too long, first come, first served. Become a partner or attend with your finance team and buy a table here. For more information check out CFOAwards.co.za. Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network Various CFOs and finance directors from Eskom, Nedbank, Transnet, Alexander Forbes Standard Charered Bank, Hollard, Absa, Servest, Business Connexion and Super Group are members of CFO South Africa. Your peers understand best the issues you face and the challenges that impact your business. Together you will share your experiences at CFO South Africa’s events and help you advance in your career, company and knowledge. Get introduced to experienced colleagues that are happy to share their knowledge with you. Peer-to-peer consulting is by far the best and most cost effective way to help you solve problems. Are you interested? Please see our membership page for more information here. Upcoming CFO South Africa Events Join the CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts who will share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and boost your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2016 Feb 23 Johannesburg | Get Smart in 2016 Mar 16 Johannesburg | Moving into Africa in 2016 Apr 6 Johannesburg | Capital & Finance May 12 Johannesburg | CFO Awards 2016 Register now for one of the upcoming CFO South Africa Events. Please note that all our CFO South Africa events are for senior financial executives. CFO South Africa offers Platinum memberships to CFOs and finance directors. For more information please have a look here and contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected]. Stay connected with CFO South Africa Follow CFO South Africa on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica, LinkedIn and Facebook. Next to that you can keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Graham Fehrsen Managing Director CFO South Africa | [email protected] To control which emails you receive from CFO South Africa, please change your email preferences at cfo.co.za by selecting under settings "I do not want to receive emails from CFO South Africa | Finance Professionals South Africa"

PetroSA's Group CFO, Lindiwe Mthimunye Bakoro, who was suspended and placed on special leave a few weeks ago, has officially been relieved of her duties, effective 30 November 2015.