Sandiso Gcwabe will join Wesgro as their CFO in 2023. Gcwabe faces the task of restoring Wesgro to clean audits. The official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for the Western Cape last achieved a clean audit in 2018/19.
Wesgro’s audit results were discussed recently at a budget committee meeting of the Western Cape provincial parliament. Sangeeta Kallen from Auditor General told the meeting problems include Wesgro’s failure to implement preventative controls and timeously implement an action plan to address material irregularities. Kallen also flagged leadership instability and a lack of consequence management.
Gcwabe is well versed in what the Auditor General expects, having completed his articles at the Auditor General. “I had a few options at the time, but the Auditor-General one made sense to me at the time,” Gcwabe told CFOTalks.
Nor is this the first time Gcwabe has been tasked with implementing the Auditor General’s recommendations at a public entity. After working at the Auditor General, Gcwabe joined the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality.
“One of the reasons I joined that municipality was because I had audited them previously and the municipal manager, the CFO, at the time said we see the recommendations that you make, when we try to explain the context upon which we are experiencing challenges, you’re always insisting that the right thing must be done,” Gcwabe explained.
Gcwabe is currently CFO at the Western Cape Liquor Authority, which has achieved three clean audits in a row.
Gcwabe is well known to CFOClub Africa, having been part of CIBA’s delegation to the CFO Alliance Summit in Capri in 2022. Regarding the appointment, Gcwabe said,“I look forward to bringing my expertise in understanding context, having a clear long-term view, and navigating ambiguity to an already-successful agency in the Cape. I am relentlessly solutions-driven and aim to create sustainable value for the agency as well as key stakeholders in the public and private sector.”
CFOTalks hopes to hear about Gcwabe’s plans for turning around Wesgro’s audit results once he assumes office next year.
