Boardroom sparring partner, author and global speaker Martijn Aslander offers us a fascinating view on how you can mobilise an endless amount of knowledge and benefit from resources and ideas in your network. All you need to do is ask and make smarter use of the tools that are at your disposal to get things done and learn. Martijn will illustrate via inspiring examples that learning smart and fast is a mindset. It will open your eyes to new possibilities at Finance Indaba Africa!

After transforming the chemical behemoth’s information technology and business systems, award-winning CFO Wayne Koonin is now stimulating Omnia’s growing appetite for acquisitions. “Omnia is an incredibly complex business with a lot of depth and an unlimited number of challenges, which suits my personality.”

Sibanye-Stillwater, previously Sibanye Gold, has started production on its Blitz project, located at the company’s Montana (US) operations. The 1,360 tonnes of ore that was excavated during development and stockpiled on the surface will now be processed.

Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience.

The journey to the C-suite is rarely straightforward or without challenges. Most will tell you that the challenge only starts when you get there. In this session, hear first-hand from executives who have not only reached the C-suite but made a genuine success of it. Join Mohammed Abdool-Samad (CFO Illovo) and Ramasela Ganda (CFO at Barloworld Equipment) for this fascination discussion at Finance Indaba Africa.

Financial service providers, from banks to broker dealers to investment advisors, face complex requirements of an expanding global regulatory landscape. Non-compliance with the rules can be extremely costly and damaging. But how can we address the regulatory requirements without losing operational efficiencies? Dominic Suszek, President and CEO of Global RADAR, has over 30 years of experience in the global financial industry. He will share his vision and experiences from a global perspective; from epic failures in compliance to the impact of technology. What is the state of compliance globally? How can we build efficient compliance processes? Dominic will show you how many financial institutions have successfully deployed a new breed of compliance tools. Join this Finance Indaba Africa session, hosted by DocFox, and discover the critical components of an effective and efficient compliance programme.

"We are financial specialists who understand the challenges of business administration optimisation. We want to connect with our peers and assist them to take their businesses digital," says Pieter van Zyl, founder of Canvas Intelligence, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

If you’re a financial or corporate professional, this talk will provide you with key insights on how large organisations use innovative and disruptive models to deliver what matters. The speaker, Jayshree Naidoo, is an innovation thought leader, the Head of the Standard Bank Incubator, the current CEO of Feenix She will take you through two specific models that Standard Bank has adopted to solve some of the most pressing challenges we face as a country. Don't miss her insights at Finance Indaba Africa!

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has issued a licence to TymeDigital (by Commonwealth Bank SA) – the first SARB licence to be issued to a new bank since 1999. TymeDigital is part of Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s (CBA) international financial services division, following CBA’s 2015 acquisition of FinTech company Tyme (take your money everywhere).

FNB Business has again been voted Top Corporate Bank in the 18th installment of the annual Sunday Times Top Brands survey.

4 Africa Exchange (4AX) has announced its first two issuers listings on the Exchange – NWK Limited and NWK Holdings Limited.

Internal audit is an integral part of the governance processes within an organisation but is it providing real business value? They provide the ears, eyes and the internal evaluation of organisational activities to both the organisation executive and governing bodies. With great technology, internal audit has the opportunity to be more than checks and balances, though it will have to partner effectively. If you want to improve the business value of your internal audit, this session with Charles Nel, Head of Technical at IIA SA, will offer insights and practical steps to achieving a next level internal audit. Don't miss out at this year's Finance Indaba Africa.

Our country needs more than new leaders. We need new ideas, and we need to each engage not just in debating but in doing. A career in elite-level policy circles taught Grassroot's Luke Jordan that change has to start from the grassroots up, and so he gave up the corridors of power for the streets. Join us at Finance Indaba Africa as we explore what he's learnt, and to debate what finance professionals can do to change our country's trajectory.

Blacfox has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

"Hyphen will show Finance Executives how to balance payment streams with a single technology stack, whilst enhancing reconciliation and treasury reporting – ultimately translating into optimised cashflow and cashflow reporting for Finance and Treasury teams," says Gillian Stumke, Head: Business Development of Hyphen Technology, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

What are the potential benefits of implementing an in-house bank? Many companies have discovered that in-house banking can lead to substantially lower funding costs, more control, and more effective cash management. In this hands-on Masterclass, Treasury Technologies' Rudolph Janse Van Rensburg will explain what steps your business can take to become its own bank. Join this session at Finance Indaba Africa and discover what the building blocks are and how finance can develop the internal bank of the business.

“We need a new perspective of doing business in Africa. Looking at the economic trajectory both locally and internationally for the next six to 12 months, more businesses are likely to become distressed. Now’s the time to act,” says Alastair Macduff, chairman and CEO of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA), Southern Africa.

It’s a man’s world but many women in South Africa have shown that with the right approach, a huge amount of tenacity and some good luck, there are no glass ceilings - just opportunity. Join this Finance Indaba Africa session if you want to know how great women leaders are shaping business. Learn from Nonkululeko Gobodo (CEO at Gobodo Incorporated), Mary Vilakazi (Deputy CEO at MMI Holdings) and Debbie Ransby (pictured, Finance Director South Africa and Algeria at Takeda) and be inspired.

Hyphen has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

"VirtualIdentity is a convenient digital solution that allows a client to complete the tedious FICA process from the comfort of their home in under five minutes," says Ryan Barlow, Director of e4, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

What will South Africa look like beyond transformation? How can finance professionals help shape this? Is this even remotely feasible and how will we reach a place where socio-economic initiatives are aimed at every citizen? In this thought-provoking address at the Finance Indaba Africa, global speaker and venture capitalist Vusi Thembekwayo will ask the most pressing questions about how we will lift ourselves out of the inequality gutter and build a better future for all the people of South Africa.

Rand Merchant Bank’s (RMB) recently released ‘Where to Invest in Africa 2018’ report reveals interesting changes in its ratings of the continent’s most attractive investment destinations. Not only have Nigeria and Algeria dropped out of the top 10 (moving to positions 13 and 15 respectively), South Africa has surrendered its first place position to Egypt, now Africa’s most attractive investment destination.

As custodians of accountability, CFOs are under pressure to balance agility with watertight compliance, within an increasing number of regulations. Disruptive digital solutions can help businesses avoid fines and fine-tune compliance, while also improving service levels and the bottom line. They can do this by by onboarding customers more quickly and easily, as well as cheaper, than ever before, says David Thomas, co-founder and Head of Product at ThisIsme, the fast-growing Cape Town-based disruptive startup that helps businesses to reduce fraud, automate KYC, improve on-boarding and increase revenue while providing an on-demand, seamless customer experience.

DocFox is on a global mission to end money laundering and bring financial services to everyone. It has been an exciting journey for this company, from humble beginnings in a loft with three people, to building a global web application endorsed by Norton Rose Fulbright and funded and lead by the best minds in Silicon Valley. This presentation will share the incredible journey of this startup and explore the way in which it is ending money laundering, and delve into how it is partnering with clients locally and abroad to leverage the latest in technology to change how financial institutions operate. A discussion will also take place sharing the latest trends in FinTech and how institutions are leveraging technology globally to thrive.

We live in a digital era and are surrounded by smart technology. Today, we are able to unlock and utilise assets like never before. However, the financial supply chain - the way in which you pay and get paid - has been neglected for years. Most AP processes are manually executed, the use of alternative financing is poor, and the connectivity between all parties involved is limited. If you think of the financial supply chain as a liability rather than an asset, you are missing a huge opportunity. The real innovators have already worked out how to cash in. Are you next? Join the Intellection & Taulia session with Christo Jacobs (CEO at Intellection, pictured) and Sebastian Chilvers (European Sales Director at Taulia Inc) at the Finance Indaba Africa and discover a new way of dynamic payments underpinned by invoice automation. Learn how you can benefit from flexible financing and predictive intelligence in your financial supply chain.

Rakoma & Associates has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

"Mukuru is dismantling barriers for cross-border money transfers in Africa. We send more transactions out of South Africa than any other formal remittance company, yet we are still relatively unknown in the formal sector," says Andy Jury, CEO of Mukuru, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Do you want maximum business performance? Are you looking for a unique competitive advantage? Look under the hood and you’ll find your employee culture – it is the power that drives the enterprise engine. This keynote will show you how to gain the maximum commitment to your own culture for any strategy, goal or standard. Don't miss New York Times bestselling author and corporate culture guru, Stan Slap, who has achieved legendary impact for many of the world’s most successful organisations, at this year's Finance Indaba Africa, hosted by ClarkHouse.

Finance Indaba Africa is the only annual event on the continent where 5,000 finance professionals gather under one roof for two days to advance their knowledge, networks and careers. Come and see world-renowned speakers and visit the stands of over 60 exhibitors, and build yourself a better future.

AvaTrade has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

What if you could implement the best financial systems and technology enhancements? What if you could drastically improve every step of the accounting process? In this Finance Indaba Africa master class, AdvanceNet Group will show you how it is done. Using practical examples, the smart tools that are available today will be discussed and demonstrated, and an explanation of how to easily implement the latest technology without having to manage a complex IT project will be given. Learn how to strengthen controls, lower compliance risks and introduce greater efficiencies and visibility. Don't miss out on hearing how your finance team can enjoy the benefits of the digital age.

Standard Bank has joined the US-based INV FinTech accelerator programme as a partner in order to open up the African FinTech market for programme participants startups.

Nonkululeko Dlamini, chief financial officer at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), believes that CFOs have a duty to uplift and empower younger employees. “CFOs should be the most approachable people in the business,” she says.

Unilever and Remgro have announced a R11.9 billion deal that will see Unilever trade its spreads business (valued at R7 billion) in southern Africa for Remgro’s stake in its South African subsidiary, Reuters reports.

Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience.

Monash SA has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a platinum partner and will make its second showing at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

“Our role within Human Capital is to be the custodians of culture and strategically partner the people agenda that enables our business strategy,” says Anré Klopper-Stroh, Human Capital Head for the Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB) within the Standard Bank Group. “The role of the Human Capital team within CIB is to partner our people in, for and across Africa to realise their ambitions, thus enabling our clients and the communities in which we operate to achieve their objectives. Furthermore, we need to position ourselves for what the future holds by understanding the mindsets, skillsets, and toolsets required for our people to stay relevant and contribute to the ambitions of the business into the future.”

The board of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) has suspended KPMG SA’s membership, pending the outcome of the independent investigation currently underway into the firm’s goings-on.

With ongoing revelations pointing to accountability failures at big international firms like KPMG, McKinsey and SAP, there is a desperate need for changes to our corporate mindsets and actions. Values based approaches to leadership and organisational development are powerful tools for minimising instances and impacts of unethical commercial behaviour. In this highly practical Finance Indaba Africa session with leading academic Dr Tim London, you'll hear more about the ways you can drive values based leadership throughout your organisation and encourage the behaviours that help your organisation thrive in complex times.

Indian mining billionaire Anil Agarwal (pictured) has said he intends to buy a further R27 billion worth of Anglo American shares. This in addition to the 12.43 percent stake he built since an announcement earlier this year that his Volcan unit would be investing in the company.

Canvas Intelligence has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

Sihle Ndzimbomvu is an Audit Manager at leading black-owned accounting firm Ngubane & Co, a gold partner of Finance Indaba 2017. She heads up the training department, ensuring that there is continuous skills transfer and staff development.

UK FinTech Bridge, a comprehensive agreement covering government-to-government, regulator-to-regulator and industry-to-industry co-operation, has signed by Hong Kong and United Kingdom in London.

RCL Foods, one of the country’s largest food producers, has lost R26 million through having to cull a large percentage of its chicken stock, following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza or bird flu.

What is the secret sauce that founders bring to a business? And how can finance help facilitate keeping the spirit alive in a growing company? Those were some of the questions explored by award-winning Investec CFO Nishlan Samujh, Yuppiechef co-founder Paul Galatis and Oracle's Armin Moradi.

e4 has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

"New GX Advisory enables businesses to refocus on core competencies and creating value to all stakeholders by freeing key staff members from the burden of IT infrastructure, systems and process management," says Anja Goosen, head of systems at New GX Advisory Services, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Technology, Big Data and social networks are all having a massive impact on the workplace and how employees communicate, collaborate and go about their business. A new generation of workforces are more diverse than ever before and have ditched the traditional career model of remaining loyal to a single firm until the gold watch

Petrochemical giant Sasol has announced that it will be disbanding Sasol Inzalo, its BEE scheme, when it matures next year. Instead, it will be launching a replacement scheme, the R21-billion Khanyisa.

This time last year, South Africa’s first new stock exchange in several decades got underway. The brainchild of Etienne Nel, Geoff Cook and Graeme Wellsted, ZAR X has given the industry a huge shake up, though it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. CEO, Etienne Nel, spoke to CFO South Africa about the highs and lows, what they’ve learnt and what they’ve accomplished, in the year that’s passed since they set up shop.

Business automation and robotic process automation (RPA) is no longer an experiment and will move ahead at a rate of knots in the years to come. Those companies that do not come onboard with automation processes will find themselves on an uneven footing with their competitors and will be unable to attract and develop top talent. At the same time, finance departments and executives have struggled to get a handle on it. How much efficiency and performance can you derive from automation and what skills are needed to take the next step?

“Investing is not just about giving money for a return,” says Clive Butkow, CEO of Kalon Venture Partners. “Smart capital is about being a high touch investor that combines money with smart interventions leading to smart returns.”

InDox has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a gold partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

A major shift is taking place in how enterprises select their financial management applications, with a migration to cloud applications happening faster than expected, according to Gartner, Inc. A recent Gartner survey of senior finance executives found that by 2020, 36 percent of enterprises will use the cloud to support more than half of their transactional systems of record.

Adrian Gore (pictured), Discovery CEO, has confirmed that the company is on track to open a bank next year. Gore was speaking at the group’s annual financial results presentation, where he described Discovery’s performance over the year as “robust”.

Palladium has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a gold partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

Payments provider Electrum, has been selected to participate in the Gartner Aspiring Innovators Programme, which aims to highlight innovative providers of enterprise technology to attendees of the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo Africa 2017, which is being held in Cape Town from 18 to 21 September 2017. The audience includes over 1 000 CIOs and senior IT executives from Africa and around the world who are actively looking for new partners and solutions.

The industry in which Telkom operates is competitive; the environment fluid and prone to frequent change, says Deon Fredericks, the company’s group chief financial officer. Because of this, it considered BCX (then known as Business Connexion) twice, the smaller company first catching the eye of the telecoms behemoth in 2006/2007, and then again in 2012/2013. Eventually, the deal proved too good to be ignored: Telkom required an ICT company to provide end-to-end solutions to corporate customers and BCX was a complementary fit. Deon sat down with CFO South Africa to talk about the acquisition – a deal with a R2.7 billion price tag. “We are very focused on what we want to achieve with BCX in the market. We are starting to see some good wins through the venture.”

For a limited time, customers at Pick n Pay’s head office campus store will be able to use the cryptocurrency Bitcoin to pay for their purchases.

How can we build efficient compliance processes? What is the state of compliance globally? Facilitated by gold sponsor DocFox, one of the world’s leading compliance experts - Dominic Suszek - is coming to the Finance Indaba Africa to discuss these issues on 13 October at 11am in the Sandton Convention Centre.

Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience.

TransUnion has joined Finance Indaba 2017 as a silver partner and will make its debut at the event at the Sandton Convention Centre in October.

"Embrace empowers Finance professionals to adapt to and meet the challenges of a rapidly changing business and systems environment, so as to remain relevant and competitive within their industry," says Ian Foster, Sales & Marketing Director of ACS-Embrace, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

An in-house bank may be simply defined as an internal organisation which assumes some of the functions traditionally performed by external commercial banks to provide enhanced performance, transparency and control. Traditionally, the operation of an in-house bank was regarded by most finance executives to be the preserve of the largest corporations. Despite the many benefits, these structures were thought to be too expensive and complicated to add cost effective value. As more efficient cloud solutions become available, the threshold barriers for justifying in-house bank adoption have been steadily lowered, and positive cost/benefit analyses are becoming more and more common.

New research by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has revealed that nearly 40 percent of CEOs currently have digital transformation at the very top of their boardroom agenda, with almost a quarter of them personally leading their company’s transformation programmes.

“Invigorating!” That is what CFO of the Year 2015 Deon Viljoen called his first few months as CFO of Discovery, where he started in May this year, following a tough but celebrated tenure as Alexander Forbes CFO. “It has been a lot of fun, it has been busy, it has certainly been no controlled arrival,” said Deon during a recent CFO Summit in Johannesburg.

KPMG South Africa has undertaken a serious board clean-up in the aftermath of its dealings with the Guptas and the South African Revenue Service (SARS). Trevor Hoole (pictured), KPMG CEO in SA, was caught in the cross-hairs, and has since resigned. This, following a review of work done by the South African branch of the audit farm, which was carried out by its international arm.

"Nexia SAB&T provides an extensive range of professional services that are tailored to the specific requirements of our clients," says Ndumi Medupe, Chairperson of Nexia SAB&T, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

African FinTechs are able to apply for the prestigious Switzerland-based F10 accelerator.

“We are experiencing a period of radical change,” says Mandi Olivier (pictured), senior executive for professional development at the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), when asked about the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

"Futuresense exists to make complex company finance systems more efficient, reporting simpler and faster, and ultimately make the CFO’s life easier," says Steven Hyslop, Director of Futuresense, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

The future of work holds a myriad of possibilities for change that business needs to adapt to. In order to do so, we need to understand the interconnections between evolving technology, the demographics at play and what power dynamics are emerging as a result. The future of work is being shaped by two powerful forces, the first being the growing adoption of artificial intelligence in the workplace and the second, expansion of the workforce to include both on- and off-balance-sheet talent.

Comair Limited has released its annual financial results, reporting a 54 percent increase in profits, to R297 million, as well as a 28 percent increase in cash generated by its operations. Moreover, income generated by its non-airline brands now constitutes 20 percent of its earnings.

You know for a fact that FinTech companies are shaping our future and you feel that your money can multiply if you only just invest in the right one. But how do you know which one that is? We chatted to Clive Butkow, the extremely experienced CEO of Kalon Venture Partners, and came back with six valuable tips from him.

JSE-listed South African dairy and foods group Clover has announced a poor set of results brought on by a severe drought and a volatile local currency. Annual earnings fell 66% and diluted headline earnings per share fell to 63.2 cents per share for the year ended 30 June 2017, compared with 184.7 cents per share for the same period last year. In addition, Clover said it would not declare a final dividend due to the weak economic conditions and funding requirements.

"Internal auditors are an integral part of the governance processes within an organisation. They provide the ears, eyes and the internal evaluation of organisational activities to both the organisation executive and governing bodies," says Dr Claudelle von Eck, CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors SA (IIA SA), a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Sim Tshabalala (pictured) has been appointed the sole CEO of Standard Bank Group, bringing to an end the dual role he shared with Ben Kruger. The appointment also makes Tshabalala the first black person to lead Africa’s largest lender independently.

"We will outline the many advantages of trading with AvaTrade at Finance Indaba 2017, such as regulation, variety, technology, service and all the other great features we offer our clients," says Dáire Ferguson, CEO of AvaTrade, a silver partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Five siblings, five exceptional professionals. This is the remarkable story of the Kathan family: one medical doctor, one Deloitte executive, and no less than three CFOs. We sat down with Veran, Christine, Justine, Mark, and Sunita to talk about the forces that shaped their lives, what motivates them, and their hopes for their children.

“Professional skepticism is about auditing the time, mindset, attitude and related questions about how management has scouted the transactions and applied judgments and assessments within disclosures in the financial statements as well,” says Ken Siong, technical director of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). “It’s very critical [to have professional skepticism] to enable auditors to get to the bottom of issues to make sure they can be confident and evaluate critical issues, and whether those issues have been accounted for and presented in financial statements.”

Do you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in finance, but you are short of time? Don’t worry. CFO South Africa weekly collects 10 of the most important articles from international media for your convenience.

Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the International Financial Centre in Abu Dhabi, has received 166 applications from over 39 countries for its inaugural FinTech Abu Dhabi Innovation Challenge.

As the head of Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) for Africa at Standard Bank, Victor Williams is responsible for corporate and investment banking in the 19 countries – excluding South Africa – that comprise the Africa Regions. He says the bank serves corporate, sovereign and institutional clients (local corporates and multinationals) in those markets, providing them with global markets, transactional banking and investment banking services. “In each of the markets in which we are present we are looking to build the leading corporate and investment banking franchise in that market,” he says.

African Oxygen (Afrox) has announced that its half-year profits rose 22 percent, after earnings were boosted by increased volumes and effective cost management. Headline earnings per share rose to 93.3 cents per share, compared with 76.5 cents per share for the same period last year. This was in line with what the company had previously flagged to the market.

South Africa’s manufacturing output fell 1.4 percent year-on-year in July, after contracting by a revised 2.2 percent in June, Statistics South Africa has said.

Stellenbosch-based Capitec Bank Holdings has pipped Nedbank Group as South Africa’s fourth-largest lender by value, extending market-beating rally that has made it SA’s best-performing stock.

"We are passionate about customers achieving real value from the use of Data Analytics and I believe the best way to support this is through sharing experiences and customer stories," says Simon Kirby, Director of Financial Services Industry Solutions at Qlik. South Africa Qlik Master Reseller is a gold partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Seamless East Africa – the region’s most extensive technology and solution event for the FinTech, payments and banking industries – opened its doors yesterday at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi.

“What is clear is that the shareholders are beginning to make their voice heard at AGMs regarding the necessity for firm rotation to end excessively long relationships,” says Bernard Agulhas (pictured), CEO of the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA). “Where audit committees may feel a 20-year, 50-year or longer relationship might not impair auditor independence, shareholders are saying otherwise.”

Gen Z is optimistic about their future as they begin to enter the workforce. In fact, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of EY Gen Z interns surveyed by the firm at its 21st annual International Intern Leadership Conference (IILC), feel confident that they will be better off, both financially and in happiness at work, than their parents.

From customer interface to back office support, automation has become an important issue that CFOs cannot afford to ignore. But will a failure to adopt automation mindset make your business extinct? Just how much efficiency and performance can you derive from automation and do you have the skills to take the next step?

Vodafone has announced that it has sold 90 million ordinary shares in Vodacom – some 5.2 percent – to institutional investors. The shares were sold at R165 apiece. It did this through an accelerated book-build process.

Once a savvy boy-entrepreneur and then a sleepless 20-something who perhaps understood SAB’s business better than the brewer itself, young Nick Bell is now building the billion-rand professional services firm that every CFO should know about: Decision Inc.. “We help clients make the decisions they should be making and provide them with a platform to unleash their potential.”

JSE-listed dump recycling specialist DRDGold, which processes old gold tailings dumps to extract residual gold, declared a 5c per share final dividend for the year ended 30 June 2017 – a year CEO Niel Pretorius describes as having been challenging, but which involved steps to position the company well for FY2018 and beyond.

Google has expanded its six-month, equity-free Launchpad Accelerator programme to seven more countries in Africa, after initially only opening it up to startups from Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. The tech behemoth will now also accept applicants from Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda.

During an invite-only CFO South Africa dinner at the spectacular Four Seasons hotel in Westcliff, finance leaders swapped notes about outsourcing, building internal capability and identifying the – sometimes shifting – core of the business. Sponsored by global BPO giant WNS, the exclusive gathering provided conversation of extremely high quality, highly effective networking and a high-powered ending, thanks to the inimitable storyteller Rob Caskie.

What can CFOs learn from Muhammad Ali’s rumble in the jungle? What lessons can they glean from the fateful travels of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton? Tuesday’s riveting CFO Breakfast, sponsored by Sage, gave finance leaders intimate insight into the role of endurance on the road to success.

According to the latest GDP data from Stats SA, South Africa’s economy has rebounded from a technical recession, growing by 2.5 percent in the second quarter of 2017. This, following two successive quarters of decline.

We define productivity as achieving what you want to achieve with the least effort, or having the ability to achieve what you want to achieve with the least effort," Marcel van den Berg says.

Too many CFOs spend their time as financial gatekeepers and get tangled up in accounting, says Colin Human, financial modelling wizard and CEO of financial management consultancy Goalfix.

Global entries for the 2017 and second edition of The CFO Case Study Competition closed on 31 March, with over 1,500 entries received – surpassing the 2016 edition by some 20 percent.

It didn’t take Till Streichert long to turn Vodacom’s finance team into a successful intelligence unit that keeps raising the bar globally. It is thus little wonder the German executive was named South Africa’s 2017 CFO of the Year, also walking away with the Strategy Execution and the Finance Transformation Awards. In this exclusive interview, Till tells us about the successful team transformation. “It was a stunning turnaround and an astonishing achievement for the finance team.”

There could be a delay in the finalisation of the recent recapitalisation deal between Cell C and Blue Label Telecoms, as the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has said the mobile operator may have failed to make the correct regulatory filings regarding the transaction.

Pineapple (formerly know as Amyti), a Johannesburg-based InsurTech startup, has raised R5,2 million in seed funding.

“CFOs are in a unique position to make a difference – by taking steps to understand what reporting requirements are out there and how various risks may affect companies now and in the future, they can help safeguard their companies and advance the future of sustainability,” says Rodney Irwin, MD, Redefining Value at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has permitted a one-year extension of Ghana’s $918 million credit-facility programme. This, following a review of the nation’s progress on monetary and fiscal reforms. The extension allow Ghana more time to achieve targets, such as narrowing the budget shortfall.

Several Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries can expect strong growth in the tourism sector, says new data revealed by Euromonitor International at the recent 41st Annual World Tourism Conference held in Kigali, Rwanda. International arrivals to Africa grew by 6.5 percent this year, reaching 18,550 million, it said.

The Distell Group has declared a total dividend of 379 cents per share, after releasing its results for the full year ending 30 June 2017. Richard Rushton (pictured), Distell MD, said the company delivered solid operational results for the year against a backdrop of recessionary pressure on domestic consumers and a strengthening global competitive landscape.

The World Bank has selected 20 startups to participate in its XL Africa accelerator programme, which offers help in securing early stage funding, a tailored curriculum and mentoring from a range of experts. A number of investment groups support the programme, which will see participants engaging online before attending a two-week residency in Cape Town.

"QuickBooks has over 42 million users worldwide, making it the best-selling accounting solution in the world, and some of the many reasons for this include a product range that caters for almost all types of businesses and it does not matter whether you are office-bound or on the road," says Nick Braxton, Sales Manager of QuickBooks SA, a gold partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

In July, South Africa’s trade surplus slid to R8.99 billion, some $688 million at the current rate of exchange, from a revised R10.56 billion surplus in June. This, according to data from the revenue agency.

Financial services behemoth EY has announced the launch of Tesseract, an integrated mobility platform underpinned by blockchain technology. The platform facilitates fractional vehicle ownership, shared use and seamless multimodal transport and it will help lay the groundwork for how autonomous vehicle fleets can be owned in the future and provide access to a variety of on-demand mobility options.

Chief financial officers in the United States are concerned about how President Donald Trump's off-the-cuff Twitter posts and public comments affect business, a new survey finds.

Sibanye Gold has changed its name to Sibanye-Stillwater, following the successful acquisition of US-based Stillwater Mining.

“With the gap between technology and business all but disappearing, decision-makers are faced with a choice of either embracing a new, disruptive environment or become irrelevant to those companies that do,” says Sneha Shah, MD for Africa at Thomson Reuters. “Unfortunately, many still perceive digitalisation to only be about technology. And yet, the collaborative environment it enables is an integral component of it.”

"The Finance Indaba is a great opportunity to demonstrate that our product and services offering fits the needs of the all the South African businesses, no matter what their size is," says Paco Cervantes, Oracle Services Business Unit Manager of EOH, a gold partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2017 on 12 and 13 October 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

South African industrial conglomerate Bidvest announced that it managed to grow its full-year trading profit by 4.6% to R6 billion, defying challenging market conditions, in a results statement issued on Monday.

“Change is the only constant in these times. In that situation of volatility and uncertainty, we always try to stay adaptable to change. Being a more agile and adaptable organisation is critical in enabling us to survive and thrive,” says Nyasha Dzumbunu, CFO of Shanduka Black Umbrellas (SBU), one of the leading enterprises in supplier development organisations in South Africa. While she may be a powerhouse CFO Monday to Friday, in her downtime, Nyasha likes to design women’s clothing – a passion she hopes might one day blossom into a full line of corporate and casual wear. “It’s about power dressing – helping women look and feel spectacular – and I’m very passionate about this. I feel it’s important to express one’s femininity even when you’re in a power role.”

BP Southern Africa (BPSA) has appointed its first black female, Priscillah Mabelane, to the role of CEO. Mabelane, a CA, takes over from outgoing CEO, Daniel Odogwu, on 1 September – six years after joining the organisation as CFO in 2011.

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) and the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong have entered into an agreement to establish a framework of cooperation on FinTech innovation. The agreement will further strengthen the efforts of both authorities to develop an innovations-friendly ecosystem in their respective markets. The signing took place between Mr Ian Johnston, CEO of the DFSA, and Ashley Alder, SFC CEO, in Hong Kong. Under the agreement, both authorities will share information on developments and innovations in FinTech in their respective markets. The agreement also intends to encourage both regulators to refer innovative firms to one another’s markets and to provide them with regulatory guidance. Mr Johnston said: “Providing a regime that fosters innovation in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), is a strategic priority for us. This agreement with Hong Kong’s SFC deepens cooperation between our two markets and will build a common understanding of the principles of good innovation.” “This agreement underscores the SFC’s efforts to strengthen regulatory collaboration and promote innovation in financial services," said Mr Alder. “We look forward to working closely with the DFSA to support FinTech development in both our markets.” The agreement extends the existing relationship between the SFC and the DFSA with a joint commitment to maintain the highest standards of cooperation. Both regulators are signatories to the IOSCO Multi-lateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMoU). They also entered into a bi-lateral MoU in 2008. The agreement marks the latest step in the DFSA’s roadmap to build a framework that supports innovation in the DIFC. It follows the introduction of regulations formalising a tailored regime for loan and investment crowdfunding platforms on August 1, the first in the GCC. On May 24, the DFSA launched its Innovation Testing Licence (ITL), a special class of financial services licence that allows FinTech firms to develop and test innovative FinTech concepts from the DIFC. The DFSA's innovation strategy is aligned with the National Innovation Strategy set out by UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to make the UAE a global hub for innovation. It follows the launch of the FinTech Hive at DIFC, which will bring together the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs to compete and address the growing needs of the region's financial services industry, using innovative technology solutions. It intends to catalyse growth and efficiency in a variety of areas including trade finance, alternative finance and Shari'ah-based services. For its part, the SFC established the FinTech Contact Point (FTCP) in March 2016 to enhance communication with businesses involved in the development and application of FinTech and regulatory technology in Hong Kong. The FTCP also facilitates an understanding of the SFC’s current regulatory regime while enabling it to stay informed of the development of the local industry.