Strategies for growth

eThekwini Municipality secures unqualified audit opinion

The eThekwini Municipality has released its annual report detailing its solid performance over the past year

Discovery posts strong results

The Group invested 8% of earnings in new initiatives, including in Discovery Bank, Umbrella Funds, Vitality Invest, and Discovery Insure Commercial Insurance

Comair delivers record-breaking results

The set of results continue a 71-year streak of profits for the aviation group, which goes all the way back to its founding

Marriott International to open 40 new luxury properties this year

40 new hotels for Marriott in 2018 will increase its property portfolio to 422 

SA companies invest over R9 billion in CSI in 2016/2017

According to Trialogue, companies in SA invested more than R9 billion in CSI last year

Murray & Roberts buys another 17% stake in Bombela

Construction firm Murray & Roberts has increased its stake in Bombela to 50%

Alexander Forbes continues turnaround with solid results

Alexander Forbes posted a positive set of interim results for the six months to end-September, as it continues with the implementation of its much-vaunted turnaround strategy

Decision Inc. mergers with Resolve Immix

The result is an IT global force that will use data and digital capabilities to empower decision-makers

Long4Life to buy SA drinks company

Brian Joffe's investment firm Long4Life has agreed to buy Cape Town-based Chill Beverages for R452 million

Barloworld makes gains, considers logistics exit

Listed distribution and industrial brand management company Barloworld maintained its revenue and operating profit levels from continuing operations

Acquisitions on the agenda in 2018 - EY

A new EY survey shows that more than one-half of financial executives globally intend to pursue acquisitions in the coming year

Clients first! FD Arno Daehnke reveals Standard Bank's five value drivers

Standard Bank operates with a model that lists five value drivers. And financial outcomes are not even number 1, 2 or 3.

Bidvest Bank to buy FinGlobal

Bidvest Group's banking unit has agreed to buy Hermanus-based FinGlobal for an as-yet-undisclosed sum.

To drive innovation, you need to allow failure, says Standard Bank's Josef Langerman

Josef Langerman, Group Head: Software Engineering and Organisational Change, talks about new ways of working at scale.

"Join us in transforming Africa" - Kalon Venture Partners at the African FinTech Awards

This is the most transformative era in history and Section 12J venture capital company Kalon Venture Partners, formerly known as Grotech, is expecting to be at the forefront of change in Africa, said CEO Clive Butkow in an informative session at the African FinTech Awards at Finance Indaba Africa at the Sandton Convention Centre on 13 October.

Create a broader environment to drive innovation, says CIB's Anré Klopper-Stroh

“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.”

Tourism growth will boost SSA economies

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.

Capitec becomes SA's second-biggest bank

As at June 2017, Capitec bank hit nine million retail customers – a number which makes it SA’s second-largest bank (using this metric - customer numbers).

Standard Bank's Richard Stout talks IPOs at CFO Summit

“There has to be a pretty compelling case as to why a company should list. You have to know why you're doing it because it's a costly endeavour both from a time perspective as well as economically,” said Richard Stout, Head of Equity Capital Markets Standard Bank. Stout was speaking at the recent CFO summit about sentiment in capital markets and whether initial public offerings (IPOs) are a useful avenue for raising cash in the current economic environment. “You're moving to an environment where you have a responsibility to a bunch of institutions that are going to expect you to execute a strategy and create value. I've done IPOs for the better part of 20 years and I think they are a great way of raising capital, but not every company should take that route.”

ClarkHouse joins Finance Indaba 2017

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

Leaders are there to grow and empower staff, not to be their friend, says Rajesh Mahabeer

For his work as CFO of SANParks, Rajesh Mahabeer, now Head of Public Sector Finance and Deal Origination at Garuda Capital (Pty) Ltd, was nominated for the CFO Awards 2017. We chatted to Rajesh about his tenure at SANParks and how he turned the finance team around, setting a new strategic direction for the entity in doing so, as well as his new role in the M&A and corporate finance space.

Agriculture and mining growth forecast lifted by IMF

The Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) has raised its forecast for economic growth in South Africa. It forecast growth of one percent for South Africa this year, up from the 0.8 percent prediction made in April.

Kenya Africa's second-best investment destination

EY, in its Africa Attractiveness Index 2017 (AAI 2017), has named Kenya as this year’s second-most attractive investment destination, pipped only by Morocco.

SA FinTech Synthesis acquired for R132m

JSE-listed speciality finance company Capital Appreciation has acquired FinTech firm Synthesis for R132,1 million.

Rajesh Mahabeer joins Garuda Capital from SANParks

Rajesh Mahabeer, previously CFO of SANParks, has moved to Garuda Capital, effective 1 May 2017. His new role as Head of Public Sector Finance and Deal Origination will see him working in the space of mergers and acquisitions and funds mobilisation.

M&A in sub-Saharan Africa soars

According to analysis by Thomson Reuters, the value of announced M&A transactions with any sub-Saharan African involvement reached $10.1 billion during the first quarter of 2017 – the highest opening quarter total in six years.

Kenyan economy grew 5.8 percent last year

According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, Kenya’s economy grew 5.8 percent during 2016, slightly short of forecasts (government officials estimated the economy to have expanded by 5.9 percent), but a little above the 5.7 percent growth it saw during 2015. Moreover, the current account deficit narrowed 11.9 percent in 2016, to 5.2 percent of GDP.

Struggling ArcelorMittal raises R3.5 billion

ArcelorMittal South Africa is in discussions to borrow R3.5 billion as part of a capital raising plan, though it has not specified what the funds will be used for.

Capitec grows by 1.3 million new customers

Capitec Bank has reported record growth of some 1.3 million new clients for the financial year ending February 2017, bringing their total customer base to 8.6 million. This makes Capitec the third-largest bank in the country by way of active clients, ahead of FNB and behind Absa by only a fraction. Standard Bank holds first place.

Sea Harvest lists 42% of company, raises R1.3 billion

The Sea Harvest Group raised a staggering R1.3 billion by listing 42% of the company on the JSE, where it floated its shares at R12.50 each, leading to a group market capitalisation of some R3.14 billion. The company has said this will allow it to realise its vision of becoming a diversified global seafood company.

Fiscal prudence needed in SA, says Deloitte in its latest report

South Africa’s economy continues to be stifled by weak growth on one side and the need for fiscal consolidation on the other. So says Deloitte in its recently published Global Economic Outlook Q1, 2017, which features a section on the South African economy titled ‘South Africa: In a tight spot’.

Shoprite and Steinhoff end merger talks

Steinhoff International and Shoprite Holdings have terminated their merger negotiations. This follows much criticism levelled at the deal by various parties, as well as Shoprite minority shareholders arguing that the transaction was not in their best interests. Under the proposed deal, Steinhoff would have sold its African assets to Shoprite in exchange for a controlling stake in the latter.

Organise HR events that are different and engaging: CHRO SA meets Nova Human Capital

Nova Human Capital Solutions is a company that offers turnkey HR solutions to companies of all shapes and sizes. From simply providing payroll services to doing a total overhaul of a business’s HR function, they do it all. Last week, CFO Enterprise CEO Melle Eijckelhoff and Didi Sehume of CHRO South Africa met with director Debbie Victor and MD Scott Barrett from NOVA in the build-up to the executive HR round table to be hosted by Vodacom HR director Matimba Mbungela on 9 March.

Mondi Group acquires Excelsior Technologies

JSE-listed Mondi Group has acquired 100% of the outstanding share capital of Excelsior Technologies (a vertically integrated producer of innovative flexible packaging solutions) from funds managed by Endless LLP and certain other minority shareholders, for a total consideration of £33 million, on a debt and cash- free basis.

Twinsaver Group diversifies in FMCGs, acquires Validus Medical

The Twinsaver Group has announced its acquisition of Validus Medical, a leading manufacturer of hygienic disposable products. The sale, yet to be approved by the Competition Commission, signals a new chapter in Twinsaver’s journey as it moves to focus on establishing the business as a diversified FMCG company.

Deloitte celebrates Reporting Accountants award at DealMakers Gala 2017

Professional services firm Deloitte went home with the Reporting Accountants awards by Deal Flow during the 16th annual DealMakers Gala Awards Banquet on 15 February 2017 at the Sandton Convention Centre. A jovial CFO South Africa MD Graham Fehrsen handed the prize to Deloitte's senior manager Aubrey Sebothoma, together with DealMakers director Marylou Greig. KPMG won the Reporting Accounts award by Deal Value, just like last year.

Insider's guide to a successful acquisition strategy

To achieve superior growth, a company needs to get its organic growth right, but acquisition strategy is a crucial and very powerful tool. In this article, I delve into my experience as a CFO to provide an insider’s guide to a successful M&A strategy.

ARC acquires 10% stake in Alexander Forbes Ltd

Shareholders of listed specialised financial services group Alexander Forbes have approved African Rainbow Capital’s (ARC’s) acquisition of a 10% stake in its African operations, Alexander Forbes Limited. The price tag on the deal is some R753 million.

Higher global growth in 2017 says World Bank

The World Bank, in its latest Global Economic Prospects report, said it expected real gross domestic product (GDP) growth during 2017 to rebound to 2.7%, up from a post-financial crisis low of 2.3% in 2016. The multilateral lender added that growth in advanced economies is expected to rise to 1.8% in 2017, from 1.6% in 2016, while emerging and developing economies will see growth accelerate to 4.2%, up from 3.4% last year.

OPIC pledges $5 million towards emerging market investments

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), the US Government’s Development Finance Institution has announced the financing of up to $5 million to support Unreasonable Capital Fund I. Unreasonable Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in scalable and profitable companies working to address social and environmental issues that improve the lives of people living in underserved communities across Latin America, India, Asia and Africa.

Slow growth for SA in Q4

According to the latest survey from the Bureau for Economic Research (BER), the last quarter of 2016 will show only subdued growth.

Oceana sees good profit, great potential for more growth

Oceana, Africa’s largest black-owned fishing company, whose finance head Imraan Soomra (pictured) was recipient of the Transformation & Empowerment Award at the CFO Awards 2015, has seen impressive results for the year ending 30 September. Group revenue grew by 34% to R8.2bn, operating profit increased by 69% to R1.7bn, earnings per share was up by 34% and headline earnings per share was up by 20%.

Situl Jobanputra new CFO of Capital & Counties Properties

Capital & Counties Properties PLC (Capco) has announced that Situl Jobanputra (pictured) will be appointed to the executive director position of CFO effective 1 January 2017. This follows the resignation of Soumen Das as MD and CFO, announced on 26 July 2016.

ABSA Capital, RMB and Nedbank big winners at JSE Spire awards

ABSA Capital, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) and Nedbank took home big awards at the 15th annual Spire awards, hosted by the JSE. ABSA Capital, RMB and Nedbank were crowned winners of the Best Bonds House, Best Fixed Income and Currencies House, Best FX House and Best Research House and Best Interest Derivative House respectively. RMB alone took home a total of 11 awards on the evening. Bernard Claassens (pictured), Manager: Fixed Income at the JSE, said:

Global investment firm buys KWV for R1.15 billion

UK-based investment group Vasari has finalised its acquisition of the operational assets of KWV for a sum of R1.15 billion. Vasari sees the South African wine and spirits producer as a “strategic asset” that will enable it to capitalise on growth opportunities in the wine and brandy sector. KWV was sold to Vasari by Niveus Holdings, the listed investment holding company majority controlled by HCI. John Copelyn, HCI CEO, writing in the company’s latest annual report, said that the exit from KWV was “very lucrative”, and that “the price achieved effectively doubled the value of Niveus’s investment over five years”. Boyce Lloyd (pictured), an SABMiller executive with more than 20 years of experience in the beverage industry, will become the new KWV CEO from November. Until recently Lloyd was the integration director for the AB InBev-SABMiller merger. Vasari has investments in various areas, such as alcoholic beverages, confectionary, soft drinks, and foods, across various markets, including Europe, Africa and Asia. Among its brands are independent Scotch whisky producer Whyte & Mackay, and Ethiopian brewer, Dashen Brewery.

Finance Indaba programme: SME Growth and Profitability - #findaba16

The Finance Indaba Africa 2016 is almost upon us and it is time to start looking at what exactly lies ahead at the Sandton Convention Centre on 13 and 14 October 2016. Every day until the event, we will shine a light on the parts of the amazing programme. Today: SME Growth and Profitability, a two-day programme for finance professionals working for smaller firms and medium-sized businesses.

Feeding a passion for growth: a chat to Finance Indaba founder Alex van Groningen

“We have been blown away by the number of partners and visitors the Finance Indaba Africa is attracting in its very first year,” says Alex van Groningen, the Dutch entrepreneur behind the successful knowledge sharing event on 13 and 14 October 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Sasfin profits rise

Sasfin has successfully circumvented the effects of the currently tough economic environment to grow shareholder value by 29%. Operating profit improved 31% (from R232 million in 2015 to R304 million), while profit was up 23.7%, to R238.7m. In addition, total income growth was up 25.1%. Tyrone Soondarjee (pictured), Sasfin group financial director, speaking at the recent financial results presentation, said the group reported growth across all its divisions, bar Treasury and Transactional banking, which collectively declined in profitability from R10.39 million to R6.559 million. Soondarjee noted, however, that the Treasury division did show strong performance, with a stable deposit base of R3.32 billion. According to the FD, group costs increased 19.8% to R828.3 million, largely as a result of increased investment in risk, compliance and IT, along with the inclusion of FinTech in its cost base. The cost-to-income ratio improved from 71.07% in the previous year to 68.89%, thanks to its cost containment strategy, which Soondarjee said has been “key to manage and showed notable improvement”.

New deal means possible black-controlled franchise stores for Kauai

In the hopes of introducing black-controlled franchise stores, Kleoss Capital Fund 1, a 100-percent-black-owned South African PE investment manager managed by Kleoss Capital, has acquired a minority stake in Real Foods, which owns the KAUAI, NÜ Health Café and Kohu brands. Hale Matsipa, Kleoss Capital CEO, has said that the company is excited about BEE transformation within Real Foods and believes there is potential to introduce black-controlled franchise stores within Kauai. Matsipa was quoted by Fin 24 as saying:

Badibanga Promesse new CIMA Regional Director Africa

Badibanga ‘Badi’ Promesse (pictured) was appointed Regional Director at CIMA Africa, effective 1 August. Badi has been a Strategic Account Director at CIMA since 2010, leading the region’s direct activities by managing its operations and driving both growth and strategy across Africa.

Balancing personalities is key to a strong team, says Graham McGregor, New GX Capital Holdings CFO

“The most unsettling thing for anyone is uncertainty,” says Graham McGregor, CFO of New GX Capital Holdings, a BEE investment holding company with interests in the environmental solutions, logistics, power and telecoms, and corporate finance advisory sectors. Sharing his experience, while in his previous position, of a merger that happened between two very different businesses under one umbrella company McGregor says keeping staff abreast of what was happening at all times was crucial: “Because if there’s a communication gap, people fill in the gap themselves.” He also learnt an important lesson:

New mining model needed, says 'most inspiring' accountant Coenie Middel

“In every industry, ground-breaking leaps into the future are being reported on an almost daily basis. All except for one – mining. Could it be that our current world view limits the way we think about mining companies? Could we invent a more powerful, more soulful, more meaningful way to mining? I think we can,” says expert accountant Coenie Middel.

Essential learning as CFO Colin Brown shares how critical treasury is to Super Group

Through some incredible tech-enabled financial discipline, CFO Colin Brown helped saving Super Group from the abyss, setting the South African flagship firm on course again for massive expansion. Since then successes have been commonplace, with Colin (pictured with Discovery's Terrence Taylor) winning no less than three CFO Awards and the group regularly reporting spectacular growth. On 21 July 2016, at the CFO event on M&A, Colin provided some candid insight and valuable tips during a round table discussion with a select group of CFOs.

SAA halts R15 billion debt restructuring deal

Clarkhouse Human Capital's Roy Clark talks diversity and transformation

Roy Clark, MD of Clarkhouse Human Capital, recently moderated a thought leadership session where 20 CFOs were invited to discuss the role of transformation and diversity in the workplace, and what the role of a CFO is in fostering this. In this self-penned piece, Clark delves into why transformation and diversity are such misunderstood notions, and looks at how corporate South Africa can make these ideas work within their organisations.

Incredible lineup at CFO M&A event 21 July: post-deal integration

The ink is dry. The deal is done. You have just successfully completed an M&A transaction. The question is: what now? At our CFO event on 21 July 2016 at the African Pride Melrose Arch Hotel we will unpack how to go about integration or separation after a deal under the theme ‘Where the rubber meets the road’. An incredible lineup of top five CFOs will help us unpack what needs to happen after a merger, acquisition or sale.

Nigeria to inject $1.7 billion into capital projects

Nigeria's budget minister Udoma Udo Udoma has said that the government will soon be pumping much of the $1.76 billion earmarked for capital projects this quarter into Africa's biggest economy in a bid to encourage growth.

Minister Rob Davies: latest Ipap key to inclusive growth

Rob Davies (pictured), Trade and Industry Minister, speaking at a recent Cape Town launch of the latest Industrial policy action plan (Ipap), said there is a pressing need for South Africa to break away from a commodity-dependent economy, and that economic growth should not be based on unsustainable models. Davies further noted that there should be a move to a more diversified base in which employment creation and export-intensity, among other things, define South Africa’s growth trajectory. Davies said:

Zuma: We will reduce policy uncertainty and boost confidence

President Jacob Zuma, speaking at a recent press briefing at the Union Buildings, said government will reduce policy uncertainty to boost economic growth. The President said:

It's time to disrupt the funding landscape in SA, says Outsourced CFO's Louw Barnardt

Massive outflows of foreign capital from our borders. Slow economic growth and tough global trading conditions. Difficult regulations and red tape. Upscaling private companies in SA is a massive task. But if we’re serious about growing our base of job-creating private companies, something needs to be done. As a nation desperate for job creation, we need to delve deep in order to understand the critical constraints for unlocking growth. These are the thoughts of Louw Barnardt, co-founder and MD of Outsourced CFO, a financial management boutique of CAs which assists private company clients in gaining access to innovative funding solutions. The SAICA SME report states that, “According to SMEs, the main reasons for business failure are overwhelmingly cash-flow related”. A business of any size and in whichever industry needs financial stability to operate sustainably. Aiming to expand is an even more complex objective that requires SMEs to raise growth finance. Taking this into consideration, how can SMEs be expected to operate sustainably as well as grow, if accessing finance proves to be one of their greatest obstacles? The SAICA SME report concluded that SMEs start with too little capital, collect debtors late, are subject to bad debts, and have overheads that are too high. Government expects that 90 percent of new jobs will come from SMEs. Therefore, big businesses and the public sector need to realise that SMEs will be crucial for growth of the fiscus as well as the private sectors turnover. This then concludes that SME growth is not only to the benefit of the SME, but in the best interest of big business and the public sector.

Finance Indaba 2016: Future-focused HR is Clarkhouse Human Capital's game

Finance Indaba 2016: Transparent aims to help firms recover funds

“We will be talking about how businesses can recover working capital, not only from eliminating double- and over-payments, but also from improving efficiencies and using our payment analysis reports,” says Carolina van der Ark from Transparent, a gold partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2016 on 13 and 14 October 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. In the coming weeks and months, we will be chatting to all the Indaba partners, asking them why they are joining the event and what their most important message for finance professionals is.

How Oceana bought Daybrook Fisheries - CFO Imraan Soomra reveals

“The acquisition of Daybrook has put us years ahead,” says Imraan Soomra, CFO of Oceana. The Cape Town-based fishing company was already Africa's biggest, but burst onto the global stage with the spectacular acquisition of Daybrook Fisheries in the US last year. We spoke to Imraan about the finance transformation and culture change that laid the platform, the adrenaline of the deal and his future ambitions.

IMF cuts Nigeria's growth forecast

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has cut its growth forecast for Nigeria as the oil-exporting country faces considerable challenges from low crude prices.

Top CFOs reveal their M&A dreams & nightmares - join us on 6 April 2016

Oceana CFO Imraan Soomra played a huge role in the acquisition of Daybrook Fisheries in New Orleans, growing the market cap of the Cape Town-based fishing firm with about 50%. DigiCore CFO Cobus Grove was instrumental in saving the vehicle-tracking company from demise and selling it to the US firm Novatel Wireless. Deon Fredericks rose through the ranks at Telkom, to eventually take over the CFO job in the most difficult of times and guiding the acquisition of Business Connexion through tricky turns. All the while, these three finance bosses also still had a normal business to run...

To SPAC or not to SPAC? An interview with #FinTech financier Greg Voigt

"The traditional PE model is stale and battling with an ever increasing amount of regulations and complexity," says Greg Voigt, chief investment officer at special purpose acquisition company M-FiTEC that listed on the JSE’s AltX board at the end of last year. We spoke to him about the advantages of a SPAC over other financing forms, the opportunities for FinTech in South Africa and his ambitions with M-FiTEC.

Quietly confident about deals in 2016, says KPMG's M&A guru John Geel

KPMG’s M&A guru John Geel says he is “quietly confident” that 2016 is going to be a good year for mergers and acquisitions in South Africa. In an exclusive interview with CFO South Africa he reveals that he expects the number of deals to be “at least equal to last year, if not more”.

Bonitas and Liberty discuss merger

Two of South Africa’s largest medical schemes‚ Bonitas Medical Fund and Liberty Medical Scheme (LMS)‚ have announced they are in discussions to merge.

Goodwell Investments acquires minority stake in Musoni Services

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.

KPMG scoops Reporting Accountants awards at DealMakers Gala

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.

EY: Distress and divestments to dominate mining deals in 2016

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:

International investors are eyeing African healthcare, says KPMG's Anuschka Coovadia

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.

CFOs should know PE firms want asset growth in Africa, says KPMG's Michael Rudnicki

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.

RMB's Africa Outlook 2016 - GDP growth in a slump

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.

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.

AB InBev lists on JSE

MTN acquires rival Nigerian operator, Visafone

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.

Investec acquires R623-million Australian property investment

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.

Advisory banks selected for SABMiller JV

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.

AMG acquires equity stake in Abax Investments

Global asset management company, Affiliated Managers Group (AMG), reached an agreement during November to acquire an equity interest in Cape Town-based Abax Investments.

Sasol Inzalo shares now trading on the JSE

Sasol Inzalo shares have started trading on the JSE empowerment segment. With MTN Zakhele shares having commenced trading in early November, this marks only the second listing on this segment.

China Resources to buy SABMiller's Snow beer stake

State-backed China Resources Beer (Holdings) Co, currently in a joint venture (JV) with SABMiller, is considering a potential purchase of all or part of SABMiller’s 49% stake in China Resources Snow Breweries Co. China Resources has requested investment banks to pitch for an advisory role to aide them in making this decision, saying it will choose an advisor before this year is out.

Funding and regulation hindering startup success South Africa

Industry experts agree that South African startups have what it takes to succeed on the global stage, but structural issues are hindering development. While executives from South Africa’s leading enterprise development incubators are bullish about the progress being made and about the standard of South African startups, they are also concerned about government regulation, lack of funding direction and market access and inequitable distribution.*

What can CFOs and entrepreneurs learn from each other?

CFOs and entrepreneurs are known to sometimes bump heads. Why wouldn't they, there's so much to disagree on. But, if last night's CFO South Africa event was anything to go by, these two actually have more to agree on than disagree. The master class aimed to answer the question, 'What can CFOs and entrepreneurs learn from each other?' The conclusion was that they certainly can learn from each other if they just open their minds; the "crankier" CFO learning to be more open to risk, the "cowboy" entrepreneur paying more attention to the figures. And ultimately, both need to be aware of the "higher purpose" they are working towards.

ABInBev and SABMiller reach an agreement

On Wednesday 11 November, Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI or AB InBev) made a formal offer of $107 billion to buy SABMiller. This seals the long-awaited deal that will see the world's two largest brewers combine, and in so doing, control around half the industry's profit.

Will Telkom be successful in buying Cell C?

According to reports, Telkom – 40% of which is owned by the South African government – is in talks to buy Cell C.

David Jones, B-BBEE and success, a chat to Woolworths CFO Reeza Isaacs

"Finance had to make sure that common sense trumped emotion" during the acquisition of the Australian department store chain David Jones, says Woolworths CFO Reeza Isaacs during an interview with CFO South Africa. "We now have to ensure that the business is focused on delivering on the deal synergies.”

Virtual data rooms essential for M&A - Arie Maree, Ansarada

Virtual data rooms are crucial in ensuring that the acquisition process is as smooth as possible. That is according to Arie Maree, director at Ansarada, a world leader in merger and acquisition technology and headline sponsor of the Knife Capital Exit Conference, held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 21 August. A virtual data room is a limited-access website or software platform that bidders and advisers can use to peruse confidential corporate information before making a decision to purchase. These rooms offer significant cost savings on physical centres, especially when large teams of experts are required to perform extensive due diligence processes. They can be used for data storage, document exchange, file sharing, financial transactions and legal transactions, among other functions.

Economic cloud has silver lining, says PwC's Maija de Rijk-Uys

“Local is not so lekker at the moment." Maija de Rijk-Uys, who is responsible for the setup and roll-out of the PwC Accelerator Programme in SA, began her presentation at the Knife Capital Exit Conference at the Sandton Convention Centre on 21 August on a sour note. "There is negative investor sentiment, labour unrest, a dearth of skills, low economic growth, regulation and government interference and no cultural flair for entrepreneurism. Our established business rate, at just 2,9%, is 4th lowest in the world,” she lamented.

Adapt IT buys CQS Technology Holdings for R217 million

For some R217 million, listed technology firm, Adapt IT has bought CQS Technology Holdings – a company which provides audit, financial and risk management software services solutions to over 4,000 customers in 30 countries.

Breaking news: AB InBev to buy SABMiller for R1.4 trillion

Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev has agreed to purchase SABMiller for a staggering R1.4 trillion (£68 billion). This follows two weeks of negotiations, during which time SABMiller repeatedly rejected AB InBev's offers.

Sibanya acquires Aquarius Platinum; companies' share prices soar

Sibanye Gold has acquired the entire share capital of Aquarius Platinum for a sum of R4 billion. The purchase makes Sibanye one of the five largest global platinum group metals miners.

Cash in, cash out - the amazing Fundamo journey

How Hannes van Rensburg’s start-up became a lynchpin of banking in emerging markets

AB InBev makes third offer to purchase SABMiller

In an effort to combine the world's two largest brewers, Anheuser-Busch InBev NV is trying to buy its nearest competitor, SABMiller Plc, in what would be a record industry deal. The current and also third offer on the table is $104 billion; SABMiller having declined the first two.

Colin Vallis: attitude change financial institutions crucial for Afican FinTech

Big financial institutions in South Africa have changed their attitude and are now ready to collaborate with FinTech companies, says investment professional Colin Vallis (PlatCol Investments), who was on the panel during the successful 2nd FinTech Africa event in Johannesburg. In the lead up to our 3rd event - in Cape Town on 20 October - Ebrahim Moolla spoke to Colin and got his vision on the state of FinTech in the country. Are there too many virtual payment solutions? Where are the venture capitalists? What should entrepreneurs do better?

Lessons from a successful exit: iKubu bought by Garmin

Franz Struwig learnt some valuable lessons on the way to seeing his start-up iKubu bought out by global navigation provider Garmin.

Brait sells bonds worth $540 million to fund acquisitions

Investment company Brait SE, controlled by Christo Wiese, has sold $539 million of five-year convertible bonds in order to fund acquisitions. According to the company, it intends to use the proceeds for general purposes, with a primary focus on funding strategic acquisitions.

McKinsey: Infrastructure is the way to grow SA's GDP

According to a recently released McKinsey Global Institute report entitled, "South Africa's Big Five: Bold priorities to unleash inclusive growth", if we focus on better infrastructure delivery we could boost the country's annual GDP by some R260 billion by 2030.

Coricraft stake sold to Actis

Actis, one of the largest private equity firms in Africa, announced on 1 September that it has acquired a significant minority stake in one of South Africa's leading home furniture retailers: Coricraft Group. The group has a South African footprint of 115 stores, as well as several stores in Namibia and Botswana.

10 steps to a successful exit strategy

Imperial Holdings seeks acquisitions to expand its African business

In a bid to counter slower growth in its home market, Imperial Holdings, which owns South Africa's largest network of car dealerships, is in search of new acquisitions that will allow it to expand its logistics business on the continent.

Triple CFO Award winner Colin Brown raises the bar at Super Group

“You need to understand what world class means and then raise the bar for your own company.” There is no doubt that Colin Brown knows what he is talking about. In his position as Group CFO, he assisted the Group Chief Executive Officer, Peter Mountford, and the current leadership in rescuing the flailing Super Group from the abyss five years ago, turning it into a profitable transport logistics and mobility group once again.

FinTech innovators and capital need to partner - Charles Savage, GT247.com

In South Africa entrepreneurs tend to be very poor at articulating or selling their ideas to capital, that’s according to Charles Savage, Chief Executive Officer at online trading company GT247.com. “When it comes to valuing an income statement, we can compete with the best in the world, but when it comes to valuing a business plan, not so much, because it requires a greater leap of faith,” says Savage.

Meet Bongani Nqwababa (Sasol), winner Finance Transformation Award 2015

After Sasol CFO Bongani Nqwababa had given an impressive and well-received talk about his tenure at Anglo American Platinum during the Stategy Execution round table discussion at the 2015 CFO Awards, he told me he doesn't like to speak off-the-cuff. "As an accountant I am rather big on structure and order," he had already explained during the interview with the panel of awards judges. "When you talk, you can’t do that in free-flow without using key messages and without knowing what you want from a meeting."

Risk in Africa - an Expert Insight by Dianna Games

African stalwart and Shoprite chief executive Whitey Basson is well known for looking on the bright side of risk in African markets. The tougher the country, the less competition there is likely to be, he maintains. He has benefited not just from early mover advantage in Africa, where the company is the market leader by far, but by leaving nothing to chance.

The CFO's approach to analysing an M&A transaction

An Expert Insight by Johann de Lange, founder of M&A advisory firm Pollination Capital*

Mike Brown, CEO Nedbank: Brilliant CFOs are persuasive

"The best CFOs are intellectually persuasive without being arrogant," says Nedbank CEO Mike Brown, a former Chief Financial Officer himself. In a candid interview with CFO South Africa Brown talks about himself, growth opportunities in the rest of Africa, the importance of small businesses to jumpstart the South African economy and the characteristics that set brilliant CFOs apart from merely solid ones. "You need to be able to read the tea leaves and persuade others about what this means for the future and what the organisation needs to do differently as a result."

CFO South Africa Newsletter | CFO Event gives CFOs insight in fraud risk | Better (not more!) data important for CFOs | Reach 5000 CFOs in CFO Magazine | Register for CFO Event Digital Transformation

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday July 16 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Corporate Growth Event July 10 offers fascinating insights Peter Goss, Head of Forensica at SizweNtsalubaGobodo gives CFOs ins... A fascinating talk on the governance of fraud risks was one of the highlights of a very successful CFO South Africa event around Corporate Growth on 10 July 2014 in the immaculate Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg. It was Peter Goss, Head of Forensics at audit and advisory firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo (SNG), who captivated CFOs and finance leaders with a master class on the detection, prevention and governance of corruption and fraud. Photos CFO South Africa Event Corporate Growth Most CFOs will agree that it would be ideal if the talents in their finance team could be freed up to support the leadership with acquisitions, shareholder engagement and other value adding activities. Outsourcing company WNS Global Services offers them exactly that opportunity, says Johann Kunz, Managing Director at WNS in South Africa. “Outsourcing of financial functions is slowly taking off in South Africa and will become a standard part of a CFO’s toolkit.” Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles CFO SA meets Andrew Hannington, CEO at Grant Thornton Johannesburg Futuresense directors Steven Hyslop & Simon Jackson: better (no... CFO South Africa meets with Fintech's CEO Glen Christopulo and CFO ... CFO SA meets with Mark Buwalda, Client Partner Sub Saharan Africa a... Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Join us for the CFO Event on Digital Transformation Thursday September 11 at the Tintswalo at Waterfall In the new digital reality, people have the opportunity to freely share their opinions, experiences, ideas, emotions and complaints en masse and anonymously. Markets have never been so transparent, putting the customer back in charge. How can we understand this digital transformation, and see the financial opportunities and consequences for the business? Join this event with keynote speaker and CFO of the Year winner Simon Ridley, CFO at Standard Bank. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on Digital Transformation and how it can help your company! 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. Reach 5000 CFOs in the first CFO Magazine South Africa CFOs want to know your story Showcase your work and that of your company via CFO Magazine and demonstrate your added value to 5000 CFOs, finance leaders and their direct reports as well as hundreds of international investors looking in how to move in to Africa. Get the undivided attention of the top financial decision makers and deliver the latest insights on improving the finance function. CFO Magazine: Knowledge and know-how for CFOs Read the latest insights from award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, John King, EOH, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Mike Brown CEO Nedbank and Brett Tromp CFO Discovery Health. Covered topics: - Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? - How do successful CFOs move into Africa? - Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? - How do you attract and retain talent? - Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? - How do you make the shift towards the digital world? You should not miss out. Put your company in the spot light, get your message across. Advertise or get interviewed for CFO Magazine. Interested? Contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] 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 improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. 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, Melle Eijckelhoff 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"

Peter Goss (SizweNtsalubaGobodo) gives CFOs insight in fraud risks

A fascinating talk on the governance of fraud risks was one of the highlights of a very successful CFO South Africa event around Corporate Growth on 10 July 2014 in the immaculate Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg. It was Peter Goss, Head of Forensics at audit and advisory firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo (SNG), who captivated CFOs and finance leaders with a master class on the detection, prevention and governance of corruption and fraud.

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Carving out your role as CFO | Reach 5000 CFOs in CFO Magazine | Financial outsourcing in CFO toolkits | Don't find fault, find a remedy

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday July 3 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Karl Kumbier, CEO Mercantile Bank "Weight behind entrepreneurs" “The difference between a good and a great CFO is that the latter assists his CEO pro-actively and spends a lot of time in the business,” says Karl Kumbier, Chief Executive Officer of Mercantile Bank. In a candid interview with CFO South Africa he talks about his impressive career in the banking industry and the way his bank can help spur on economic development and employment by providing financial solutions for entrepreneurs. Johann Kunz, Managing Director at WNS "Financial outsourcing in CFO toolkits" Most CFOs will agree that it would be ideal if the talents in their finance team could be freed up to support the leadership with acquisitions, shareholder engagement and other value adding activities. Outsourcing company WNS Global Services offers them exactly that opportunity, says Johann Kunz, Managing Director at WNS in South Africa. “Outsourcing of financial functions is slowly taking off in South Africa and will become a standard part of a CFO’s toolkit.” Tyrone Soondarjee, Financial Director at Sasfin "Carving out your role as CFO" “As a commercially-orientated CFO, I like to play a leading role in business which is why Sasfin is good fit for me. It offers opportunities to broaden my horizons and that is what appeals to me,” says Tyrone Soondarjee, Financial Director at Sasfin bank and the JSE-listed Sasfin Holdings Group. Speaking about the Group, Soondarjee says: “We understand entrepreneurs, because we are entrepreneurial ourselves.” More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Philip Panaino, Division President South Africa at Mastercard: Cont... Stanford Payne: Exeptional Business Leaders - "Don't find fault, fi... Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Join us for the CFO Event on Corporate Growth Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. Join the Master Class with: - Deon Fredericks, Acting CFO at Telkom - Jacco van der Sandt, Financial Director at Mutual & Federal - Megan Pydigadu Group Financial Director at Mix Telematics Afterwards you will meet and greet your peers from Absa, Business Connexion, Eskom, Old Mutual, PetroSA, SAA, Standard Bank, Telkom and many more at the CFO Café with a presentation from Dario Drago, CFO Novartis SA. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! 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. Reach 5000 CFOs in the first CFO Magazine South Africa CFOs want to know your story Showcase your work and that of your company via CFO Magazine and demonstrate your added value to 5000 CFOs, finance leaders and their direct reports as well as hundreds of international investors looking in how to move in to Africa. Get the undivided attention of the top financial decision makers and deliver the latest insights on improving the finance function. CFO Magazine: Knowledge and know-how for CFOs Read the latest insights from award winning CFOs: Simon Ridley, Standard Bank, Anoj Singh, Transnet, John King, EOH, Colin Brown, Super Group and Aarti Takoordeen, JSE and also featured interviews with Mike Brown CEO Nedbank and Brett Tromp CFO Discovery Health. Covered topics: - Who are South Africa's leading CFOs? - How do successful CFOs move into Africa? - Why should you transform your finance function and how can you do it? - How do you attract and retain talent? - Who are the preferred advisors to South African CFOs? - How do you make the shift towards the digital world? You should not miss out. Put your company in the spot light, get your message across. Advertise or get interviewed for CFO Magazine. Interested? Contact Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] 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 improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 July 10 Sandton | Corporate Growth Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. 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, Melle Eijckelhoff 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"

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Register for CFO Event July 10 | Rewarding innovative CFOs | CFOs playing a more significant role | Africa should be a net food exporter

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday June 4 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Bikash Prasad, CFO South and East Africa at Olam "Africa's agricultural future" Africa should be a net food exporter, but it is a net importer at the moment,” says Bikash Prasad, CFO South and East Africa at Olam International, a Singapore-headquartered integrated supply chain managing firm and processor of agricultural products and food ingredients. The Durban-based Prasad has a passion for the continent. “We want to play an important role in the growth of Africa. Mteto Nyati, Managing Director South Africa at Microsoft "Connecting the next billion" There are still billions of people that have not been touched by technology. That is where our enormous potential lies,” says Mteto Nyati, Managing Director at Microsoft South Africa. “Technology is not an end goal; it is all about what it can do to help humanity reach its potential.” As the famous IT-company shifts from being a software company to a device and cloud company, Nyati is full of ambition and enthusiasm about opportunities in South Africa.” Deon Fredericks, Acting CFO at Telkom "Learning from each other" We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” says Deon Fredericks, Acting Chief Financial Officer at Telkom, Africa's largest integrated communications company. Fredericks joined the then state-owned landline monopolist in 1993 as a senior manager in internal audit and has worked himself up the finance ladder in an admirable fashion. Fredericks says he fully supports CFO South Africa’s mission to connect the country’s finance leaders. “CFOs are starting to play a more significant role, specifically on strategy. It is very valuable to learn from each other. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Pieter Bensch, Vice President SA Oracle: Rewarding innovative CFOs Gregory Nott, Director at Werksmans Attorneys: Follow the trends, n... Adriana de Roock, MD Greymatter & Finch: Use reporting to impro... Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Join us for the CFO Event on Corporate Growth Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Meet CFOs from Absa, Business Connexion, Eskom, Old Mutual, PetroSA, SAA, Standard Bank, Telkom and many more. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event from 4pm - 8pm and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! 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. Top CFOs should become a Member of CFO South Africa Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network for finance executives in South Africa Various CFOs and finance directors from companies like Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike and Gauteng Department of Finance 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 brochure for more information or sign up here. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: 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 improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 July 10 Sandton | Corporate Growth Sept 11 Sandton | Digital Transformation Nov 13 Cape Town | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. 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, Melle Eijckelhoff 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"

CFO Awards tremendous success | Simon Ridley named CFO of the Year | Top CFOs from PPC, EOH, Siemens share knowledge | Join CFO Event Corporate Growth July 10

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday May 21 CFO Awards Tremendous success Standard Bank’s Simon Ridley named CFO of the Year 2014 Simon Ridley, Group Financial Director at Standard Bank, has been elected South Africa’s CFO of the Year for 2014. The coveted award was handed out on Thursday 15 May 2014 by jury member Victor Sekese, CEO at accounting and auditing firm SizweNtsalubaGobodo, during a riveting black tie event in the Summer Place in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. The evening was attended by some 200 CFOs and prominent business leaders. Other prestigious awards were won by CFOs Colin Brown (Super Group), Anoj Singh (Transnet), John King (EOH) and Aarti Takoordeen (JSE Limited). Read the full report of the CFO Awards See all the pictures of the CFO Awards Meet the other CFO Award Winners Colin Brown, CFO Supergroup winner Finance Transformation The Finance Transformation Award was handed out by jury member Asher Bohbot, CEO of EOH. Colin Brown has been very successful in redefining the financial function and made great efforts to become a cost-effective, service-oriented partner to the business. Check out Colin Brown's profile here. Anoj Singh, CFO Transnet winner Compliance & Governance Award Claudelle von Eck, CEO of the Institute of Internal Auditors had the privelege to award the Compliance & Governance Award. Anoj has contributed heavily to build and implement systems designed to detect and prevent compliance breaches. Last but not least he or she is leading the development of a strong compliance culture and best practices that secure buy-in from executives, managers, employees, contractors and business partners all at levels. Check out Anoj Singh's profile here. Colin Brown, CFO Supergroup winner Strategy Execution Award Anton Roux. Chairman & CEO South Africa and Africa Region of Aon handed over the 2nd award for Colin Brown. He has shown great steermanship in creating the right (financial) conditions to execute the new strategy. He and his team contributed with valuable insights, analyses, the (re)allocation of assets and the alignment of the finance function with the new strategy of Supergroup. Check out Colin Brown's profile here. John King, CFO EOH winner High Performance Team Award The High Performance Team Award was handed out by jury member Rob Otty, Managing Director of Norton Rose Fulbright SA to John King. John has been an inspiring coach for his co-workers and has given the special attention to personal & professional development of his employees to win the . Check out John King's profile here. Anoj Singh, CFO Transnet winner Public Finance Award Anoj took up his 2nd award from jury member Richard Etemesi, CEO South Africa & Southern Africa of Standard Chartered Bank. Check out Anoj Singh's profile here. Aarti Takoordeen, CFO JSE winner Young Talent Award The Young Talent Award was handed out by Taddy Blecher CEO Community Individual Development Association and Maharishi Institute and World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader of the World" to Aarti Takoordeen. At only 32 she has shown remarkable professional development - a leader of the future. Check out Aarti Takoordeen's profile here. Join us for the CFO Event on Corporate Growth Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Meet CFOs from Absa, Business Connexion, Eskom, Old Mutual, PetroSA, SAA, Standard Bank, Telkom and many more. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! 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. Top CFOs should become Platinum Member of CFO South Africa Join the ultimate peer to peer advisory network for finance executives in South Africa Various CFOs and finance directors from companies like Nedbank, Transnet, SAB, Nike and Gauteng Department of Finance 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 brochure for more information or sign up here. Agenda 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 now and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth, Sandton Sept 11 | Digital Transformation, Sandton Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control, Cape Town 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold and 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. 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, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | +27 11 083 7515 | [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"

Who will win the CFO Awards? | Meet speakers from Allianz, Siemens and SNG | Reserve your seat today

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday April 30 The CFO Awards 2014, May 15 Join CFO Awards with Transnet, Aveng, Sasol and many more CFO South Africa’s first CFO Awards are held on Thursday May 15 at the breathtaking Summer Place in Hyde Park Johannesburg. Chaired by Semeyi Zake, CFOs of Transnet, Sasol, Siemens, Aveng, SAB, Standard Bank, Discovery, McDonalds, Department of Finance, Olam, PRASA, Telkom and many more will share knowledge, extend their network and boost business. You do not want to miss out on this great afternoon with Round Tables, Master Class, an enjoyable award ceremony and dinner with the awarding of the 7 CFO Awards. For more information on the program and to register go to cfoawards.co.za Who will win the CFO Awards? Who will become the CFO of the Year? Who will win the Finance Transformation Award, the Strategy Execution Award, the Compliance & Governance Award, the High Performance Team Award, the Public Finance Award and the Young Talent Award? Jury members of the 2014 CFO Awards have had their last interviews last week and they have started the difficult process of electing the 7 winners of the prestegious CFO Awards. Check out all the nominees at cfo.co.za. Meet interesting speakers from Allianz, Siemens and SNG Join the Master Class with Delpine Maïdou (CEO Allianz), Sabine Dall'Omo (CFO Siemens), Jo-Ann Pohl (CFO Standard Chartered), Andrey Bogdanov (CFO JTI) and Bikash Prasad (CFO Olam). And afterwards an enjoyable award ceremony and dinner with the awarding of the 7 CFO Awards and presentations from Victor Sekese (CEO SNG), Taddy Blecher (World Economic Forum "Young Global Leader of the World" and CEO of the Maharishi Institute), Claudelle von Eck (CEO Institute of Internal Auditors), Anton Roux (CEO Aon Africa) and Rob Otty (MD Norton Rose). See all the speakers at cfoawards.co.za. Reserve your table at the CFO Awards today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the awards ceremony. Join leading companies like Transnet, Aon, IBM, Oracle, Bowman Gilfillan, KPMG, Transparent, SA Post Office and Genpact to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] New upcoming CFO South Africa Event Not able to join us on May 15? Join the CFO South Africa Event Corporate Growth, Thursday July 10 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? Would you sacrifice your bottom line for market share? Do you need to consider a merger or acquisition? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! 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. Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Agenda 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 now and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold and 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. 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, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | +27 11 083 7515 | [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"

InnoVent and Transparent impress at Capital & Finance event

Ground breaking businesses InnoVent and Transparent presented impressive masterclasses during a well-attended CFO South Africa event in the Tintswalo at Waterfall 5-star Boutique Hotel just north of Johannesburg. The theme of the gathering on Thursday 10 April was Capital & Finance and the attending CFOs and finance experts were treated to new ideas and a range of innovative solutions.

Get Smart CFO Event offers fascinating insights | CFO Awards jury start interviewing CFOs | Register for CFO Event Capital & Finance

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Monday March 17 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Get Smart Event offers fascinating insights Balancing your financial leadership Smart CFOs save money by renting fast-depreciating assets like IT-equipment, instead of buying them. That was the message of Shane Merriman, Managing Director at InnoVent Rental & Asset Management Solutions. During the CFO South Africa ‘Get Smart’ event of 13 March 2014 in the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg, Merriman gave the attending CFOs some fascinating and challenging insights in ways to make money go further. Marie McCrea, Partner CIL "CFO - A Vision for the Future" Marie McCrea, partner at the Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), held an interesting presentation on the role and challenges of modern CFOs at the CFO South Africa Event Get Smart in 2014, March 13 at the Saxon. See pictures of the Get Smart Event While we are busy with our day to day tasks and routines, we sometimes overlook those smart solutions, new approaches and clever ideas that others have successfully implemented. During the first CFO Event of 2014 we shared and discussed smart ideas to improve your business New! CFO profiles on CFO.co.za: Anoj Singh, CFO Transnet Simon Ridley, Group Financial Director Standard Bank Tryphosa Ramano, CFO PPC Cement Rob Evans, CFO Datatec And many more Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] New upcoming CFO South Africa Events Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know-how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautiful Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please take a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. Corporate Growth, Thursday July 10 It’s in our nature; the will to grow our organizations and to strive for profitability. But Corporate Growth also brings new challenges for the CFO. You need to align capital structures, human resources and operations with the demands of a growing company. You will need to challenge your business model and be ready to make changes, But how will you stay agile? What are the financial consequences? Would you sacrifice your bottom line for market share? Do you need to consider a merger or acquisition? And is your team ready to provide the information for strategic decision making? Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now. Discuss with your peers issues on corporate growth and how it can help your company! 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. The CFO Awards 2014, May 15 CFO Awards jury starts interview process Last Monday interviews with South Africa's best CFOs officially kicked off the interview process to decide who wins this year's inaugural CFO Awards. Over the next two months an impressive team of jury members will chat to the nominated CFOs for the decision who wins the 7 prestigious CFO Awards. The first CFOs who were visited on Monday, were Craig Barnard CFO of Invicta Holdings and Tryphosa Ramano, CFO of PPC Cement. Read the full article on cfo.co.za. Jury interviews CFOs of Afrocentric, Howden & Eqstra Jury members of the 2014 CFO Awards on last Tuesday interviewed three talented gentlemen, who have made a name for themselves as CFO. Wallace Holmes, CFO of Afrocentric`, Kevin Johnson, CFO of Howden and Jannie Serfontein, CFO of Eqstra Holdings were interviewed by our jury. Read the full article on cfo.co.za. CFO Awards interview with Simon Ridley, FD at Standard Bank As part of the jury process for the 2014 CFO Awards our jury members interviewed Simon Ridley, Financial Director at the Standard Bank Group. Has been a CFO for a quarter of a century - mainly with Absa and Standard Bank. Read the full article on cfo.co.za. Check out all the nominated CFOs and find more information about the CFO Awards at cfoawards.co.za and at cfo.co.za Reserve your table at the CFO Awards today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the awards ceremony. Join leading companies like Aon and Genpact to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Agenda 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 improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. 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, Melle Eijckelhoff 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"

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Last chance to register CFO Event March 13 | Courage crucial for success | New nominees CFO Awards | Does your firm need a CIO?

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday February 26 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Etienne Prowse, CFO Cashbuild "Being accountable for IT innovation" Does a firm hire a Chief Information Officer or should IT and ERP-systems fall directly under line management? Building materials retailer Cashbuild has elected to put the responsibility squarely with each line executive and CFO Etienne Prowse says the company is reaping the benefits. Liesl Tweedie, Acting CFO Gijima "Courage crucial for success" Liesl Tweedie knows all about courage, having stepped into the acting CFO position at Gijima, the listed South African IT-company that has been struggling lately. “Either you look like a star or you fail,” she says. “But I have always enjoyed a challenge and have often volunteered for difficult projects when I was working at ABB.” So it is no surprise that Tweedie believes that today’s young finance talents should possess “confidence and courage.” Tanuja Naidoo, CFO Transnet Pipelines "Invest time in people" “My best contribution as a CFO is that I aim to develop leaders,” says Tanuja Naidoo, who has been in charge of finance at Transnet Pipelines since 2009. After turning around the finance department, she was recently tasked to do the same in procurement and risk management at their Durban headquarters. The key to every successful manager is investing time in people, she says. “That is something I live by. I lead by example. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Dario Drago, CFO Novartis SA: Appreciating curiosity and communicat... André du Plessis, Finance Director Capitec Bank: Be brutally honest Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Register for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 Last chance to register: Get Smart in 2014, Thursday March 13 During the first CFO Event of 2014 we will share and discuss smart ideas to improve your business. Discovery Health, Marie McCrea, Partner at Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), Shane Merriman, Managing Director at InnoVent and Pierre Heistein, lecturer at the UCT and writer for Business Report will share their visions on this topic. Meet CFOs and finance professionals from top tier companies such as Nedbank, Tiger Brands, Barclays, Business Connexion, De Beers, Standard Bank, Transnet, Cashbuild, Novartis, FNB, McDonald's and many more. Get Smart in 2014 will be held on Thursday March 13 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Sandton. For more information please take a look here. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now! It might be the smartest thing you did in 2014. Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know-how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautifull Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please take a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. 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. The CFO Awards 2014, May 15 New CFO Award nominees Every week CFO South Africa announces new nominated CFOs. This week the nominated CFOs are: - Rob Evans - CFO of Datatec - Aarti Takoordeen - CFO of JSE - Dudley Saayman - CFO of BAT - Michael Fleming - CFO of Clicks Group Check out all the nominated CFOs and find more information about the CFO Awards: cfoawards.co.za Become a partner of the CFO Awards. Reserve your table today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the awards ceremony. The CFO Awards enables leading consultants, suppliers, banks and law firms to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, InnoVent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in partnering up? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: 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 improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 March 13 | Get Smart in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. 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, Melle Eijckelhoff 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"

CFO South Africa Newsletter | CFOs need more recognition | Nominee CFO Awards: Andre du Plessis CFO Capitec | Get Smart in 2014

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday February 12 Dear CFO South Africa Member, Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Daryl Edwards, CFO of Universal Coal "Soaking it up" Which CFO would not like to build their financial team, IT systems and processes up from scratch, not worrying about existing culture, equipment and other legacy issues? Daryl Edwards got the chance to do just that at Universal Coal and he is pretty excited about the result. Rob Otty, Managing Director of Norton Rose Fulbright "CFOs need more recognition" “One of the fascinating things in the South African business world is that the success of a company is usually solely attributed to the CEO,” says Rob Otty, Managing Director of international law firm Norton Rose Fulbright in South Africa. “We should get better in recognizing people behind the scenes, like the CFO. I hope the CFO Awards will contribute to that.” Delphine Maidou, CEO of Allianz AGCS "CFOs should plan for succession" “Succession planning will be on the top of my list when I do my research and when I interview candidates for the CFO Awards,” says Delphine Maidou, CEO in Johannesburg for risk insurance firm Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). Over the last year the Burkina Faso-born executive has successfully spear-headed the business expansion of the German multinational into (South) Africa. “Capacity building is a concern, not just for the financial world but for the insurance world as well,” she has noticed. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Pierre Heistein, business analyst: dealing with a changing work force André du Plessis, Finance Director Capitec Bank: Be brutally honest Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Register now for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 Get Smart in 2014, Thursday March 13 During the first CFO Event of 2014 we will share and discuss smart ideas to improve your business. Discovery Health, Marie McCrea, Partner at Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), Shane Merriman, Managing Director at Innovent, Pierre Heistein, lecturer at the UCT and writer for Business Report and The IBM Institute for Business Value will share their visions on this topic. Meet CFOs and finance professionals from top tier companies such as Nedbank, Tiger Brands, Barclays, Business Connexion, De Beers, Standard Bank, Transnet, Cashbuild, Novartis, FNB, McDonald's and many more. Get Smart in 2014 will be held on Thursday March 13 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Sandton. For more information please take a look here. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now! It might be the smartest thing you did in 2014. Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautifull Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please take a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. 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. The CFO Awards 2014 New CFO Awards nominees Every week CFO South Africa announces new nominated CFOs. This week the nominated CFOs are: - André du Plessis - CFO of Capitec Bank - Anoj Singh - CFO of Transnet - Mike Levitt - CFO of Ellies - Brian Jacobs - CFO of Metair To see all the nominated CFOs untill now and to find more information about the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za Meet top CFOs at the awards ceremony An influential group of CFOs and CEOs from prominent international and South African companies have already registered for the awards ceremony. A selection of companies that are represented: - Standard Bank - Telkom - Afgri - G4S - Massmart - EOH - African Bank - Nedbank - Santam - Business Connexion - Transnet - Liberty To see a list of all the attending CFOs go to cfoawards.co.za Become a partner of the CFO Awards. Reserve your table today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the award ceremony. The CFO Awards enables leading consultants, suppliers, banks and law firms to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards fill out the form on cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, Innovent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in a partnership? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events We have planned new CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts that with share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 March 13 | Get Smart in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff 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"

CFO South Africa Newsletter | New CFO Awards nominees | Andre du Plessis: Be brutally honest | CFO ArcelorMittal: Pick your battles

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Thursday January 30 Dear CFO South Africa member, Join the CFO Awards 2014 New CFO Awards nominees Every week CFO South Africa announces new nominated CFOs. This week the nominated CFOs are: - John Snalam - CFO of Coronation Fund Managers - Wallace Holmes - CFO of Afrocentric - Tryphosa Ramano - CFO of PPC - Craig Barnard - CFO of Invicta Holdings To see all the nominated CFOs untill now and to find more information about the CFO Awards visit cfoawards.co.za Meet top CFOs at the awards ceremony An influential group of CFOs and CEOs from prominent international and South African companies have already registered for the awards ceremony. A selection of companies that are represented: - Standard Bank - Telkom - Afgri - G4S - Massmart - EOH - African Bank - Nedbank - Santam - Business Connexion - Transnet - Liberty To see a list of all the attending CFOs go to cfoawards.co.za Become a partner of the CFO Awards. Reserve your table today. Partners support the awards and are invited to buy a table for the award ceremony. The CFO Awards enables leading consultants, suppliers, banks and law firms to meet African top tier CFOs, to demonstrate thought leadership, to make friends and to develop their business. Becoming a partner enables your executives to meet CFOs, share ideas and experience excellence during the awards ceremony. To become a partner of the CFO Awards fill out form on cfoawards.co.za or contact [email protected] Register now for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 Get Smart in 2014, Thursday March 13 It’s a jungle out there. Survival of the fittest? Nope, 2014 is all about survival of the smartest! While we are busy with our day to day tasks and routines, we sometimes overlook those smart solutions, new approaches and clever ideas that others have successfully implemented. During the first CFO Event of 2014 we will share and discuss smart ideas to improve your business. Brett Tromp, CFO of Discovery Health, Marie McCrea, Partner at Centre for Innovative Leadership (CIL), Shane Merriman, Managing Director at Innovent, Pierre Heistein, lecturer at the UCT and writer for Business Report and The IBM Institute for Business Value will share their visions on this topic. Get Smart in 2014 will be held on Thursday March 13 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Sandton. For more information please take a look here. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now! It might be the smartest thing you did in 2014. Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautifull Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please take a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. 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. Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles André du Plessis, Finance Director Capitec Bank "Be brutally honest" "Tackling adventures is all about teamwork and planning and realizing beforehand that there will be things that go wrong.” It is unclear if André du Plessis is talking about the amazing story of Capitec Bank, of which he is Financial Director and cofounder, or about one of his many impressive leisure exploits – scaling mountains, cycling races, jumping out of airplanes or bridges and riding motor bikes for thousands of kilometres at a time. Most likely, he is talking about both. Matthias Wellhausen, CFO ArcelorMittal South Africa "Pick your battles" “More than in the past you have to pick your battles and prioritize,” says the experienced Matthias Wellhausen, CFO at steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa. “There are a zillion things going on that are challenging. You have to focus your resources on the most important ones. This goes as much for an individual CFO as for the company as a whole, which should also put its energy into a limited amount of challenges.” Nicky Dewar, CFO of Post Bank "Testing the boundaries" “Don’t be afraid to get boxed in by going for opportunities as they present themselves,” says Nicky Dewar, CFO Post Bank at the South African Post Office. “If I look at my career, especially in the beginning, I did not know what to do,” says Dewar, when asked what she would advise young accountants. “But I have noticed that all experiences build on the others – nothing goes to waste. You should not be worried that you will be limited if you choose a certain direction. Don’t worry and just go for it.” More interesting CFO South Africa Articles Introducing the first jury members of the CFO Awards A game changer for CFOs and the finance organisation Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, Innovent, ACCA, SNG and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in a partnership? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events We have planned new CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts that with share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 March 13 | Get Smart in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sept 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold en 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff 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"

CFO South Africa Newsletter; Register now for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 | A game changer for CFOs | CFO Awards 2014

CFO South Africa Newsletter | Wednesday January 15 Dear CFO South Africa member, First of all a happy New Year! Wishing you all the best for a wonderful 2014. This year CFO South Africa will bring you many more CFO events, interviews, insights and the first CFO Awards ceremony in South Africa May 15. Register now for the first CFO South Africa Events of 2014 Get Smart in 2014, Thursday March 13 It’s a jungle out there. Survival of the fittest? Nope, 2014 is all about survival of the smartest! While we are busy with our day to day tasks and routines, we sometimes overlook those smart solutions, new approaches and clever ideas that others have successfully implemented. During the first CFO Event of 2014 we will share and discuss smart ideas to improve your business. Brett Tromp, CFO of Discovery Health and Pierre Heistein, lecturer at the UCT and writer for Business Report, will be sharing their visions on this topic. Get Smart in 2014 will be held on Thursday March 13 at the Saxon Boutique Hotel in Sandton. For more information please have a look here. Don’t miss out on this CFO Event and register now! It might be the smartest thing you did in 2014. Capital & Finance, Thursday April 10 We cannot underestimate the importance of professional Capital & Finance management. Every CFO knows that managing cash flow, working capital and cost of capital should be a top priority. During this CFO event we share our know how and experiences with issues like balance sheet optimization, staying agile, supply chain financing, refinancing loans and attracting new capital. Capital & Finance will be held at the beautifull Tintswalo at Waterfall in Halfway House, Johannesburg. For more information please have a look here. Join us for this CFO event and improve the way you manage your capital and finance agenda. CFO Awards, Thursday May 15 CFO South Africa's first CFO Awards are held on May 15 2014, at the breathtaking Summer Place in Hyde Park Johannesburg. CFOs of listed companies and large corporations are awarded for outstanding performance and financial leadership by our jury. CFOs of among others Liberty, Business Connexion, African Bank, Santam and many more will join approximately 200 top tier CFOs for the Awards ceremony. Find more information on the CFO Awards and how to join on CFOAwards.co.za. 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. Read Exclusive CFO South Africa Articles Introducing the first jury members of the CFO Awards They will embark on a process to elect the best Chief Financial Officers of South Africa Victor Sekese, CEO of SNG (picture) is was one of the first to join the jury of prestigious CFO Awards. To see the whole jury please click on read more. Dikeledi Nakene, CFO Palabora Mining Company "Resist temptation of short-term gains" Surround yourself with people that encourage you, believe in yourself and resist the temptation of lucrative offers before finishing your degree or articles. That is some of the great advice that Dikeledi Nakene, CFO at Palabora Mining Company Limited, has for young, aspiring talents in the finance world. Dick Borsboom, Regional CFO Dangote Industries "Employees key to success" Employees are the key to success in every company,” says Dick Borsboom, the Nigeria-based Regional CFO for Dangote Industries in East and Southern Africa. More interesting CFO South Africa Articles David Gleason, Owner of Dealmakers: "There are deals cooking" A game changer for CFOs and the finance organisation Showcase your work on CFO South Africa's Website! Showcase your work and that of your company to over 3500 members of CFO South Africa. If you are interested send an email to Jurrien Morsch at [email protected] Become a Partner of CFO South Africa Meet top CFOs, claim thought leadership, create value and develop business. Various companies like Oracle, IBM, Innovent and Transparent are partners of CFO South Africa. Just like us, they believe we can contribute to the growth of their business and network in South Africa. As a partner of CFO South Africa you find yourself in a network in which you can contribute to sharing knowledge, seizing opportunities and growing your business. Are you interested in a partnership? Please contact [email protected] Partners CFO South Africa: Upcoming CFO South Africa Events We have planned new CFO Events with inspiring hosts and experts that with share their insights and experiences with you. Register now for these events and improve your company, network, career and knowledge. CFO South Africa Events in 2014 March 13 | Get Smart in 2014 April 10 | Capital & Finance May 15 | CFO Awards 2014 July 10 | Corporate Growth Sep 11 | Digital Transformation Nov 13 | Risk, Compliance & Control 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 working in companies with revenues exceeding 100 million rand. CFO South Africa offers Gold and 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 and LinkedIn Stay up to date and in the loop on what is happening in the world of finance by following us on Twitter @CFOSouthAfrica and LinkedIn. Also to keep track of newly published interviews with CFOs and CEOs. Feel free to contact us Do you have any requests, please let us know. Any suggestions or comments are welcome. Kind Regards, Melle Eijckelhoff Director CFO South Africa | [email protected]

David Gleason, Owner of DealMakers Magazine: There are deals cooking

“There are several merger and acquisition deals on the table at the moment,” says Business Day columnist David Gleason, who publishes the quarterly M&A magazine DealMakers. He says those deals are being “worked on and discussed”, but they’re “cooking in the pot for now” because of the political uncertainty in South Africa. “We have to get through the elections and see what sort of cabinet we will get. If it is a team of reasonable people, it will unlock a lot of energy for the economy.”