Mohammed ‘Ashraf’ Dindar

Mohammed ‘Ashraf’ Dindar was appointed CFO effective 1 July 2020. He joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) from Foskor, where he was the CFO and executive director from January 2016 until recently, a position he was seconded to from the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). At the IDC, Ashraf was the head of financial management from January 2002 to December 2015.

He has extensive experience in executive and board-level leadership and has also served as non-executive director on various Boards. He participated in the working group on the integration of Khula and the South African Micro-Finance Apex Fund to establish the Small Enterprise Finance Agency. He was also part of the National Treasury task team that worked on the proposed BRICS bank.

Ashraf is a qualified CA(SA), holds bachelors of commerce and accounting degrees from the University of Witwatersrand, and executive and development programme certificates from the Gordon Institute of Business Science and the Global Institute of Leadership Development.

For his role as the CFO of the CSIR, Ashraf was nominated for the 2022 CFO Awards and walked away with the Public Sector CFO of the Year title. 

Work
2020 – Present      Chief Financial Officer, CSIR
2016 – 2019           Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, Foskor
2002 – 2015           Head: Financial Management, IDC
1999 – 2002           Manager: Financial Reporting, IDC
1996 – 1999           Financial Accountant, IDC
1993 – 1996           Audit Manager and Trainee Accountant, Karolia Jeena

Education
1992                         BAcc, University of Witwaresrand
1991                         BCom, University of Witwatersrand
2004                         MDP, GIBS
2009                         GEDP, Global Institute of Leadership Development

About the CSIR: The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, commonly known as the CSIR, is a world-class African research and development organisation established through an Act of Parliament in 1945. The CSIR undertakes directed, multidisciplinary research and technological innovation that contributes to the improved quality of life of South Africans.