Efficiency Is the New Profit
Every CFO in South Africa knows the feeling. Payroll is due, Eskom has issued another tariff increase, and a supplier has quietly added a “fuel surcharge.” It is not chaos; it is business as usual. Yet this familiar tension highlights a new truth: efficiency is no longer a nice-to-have. It is the single most important […]
Strong Numbers, Faster Moves
Finance used to be defined by precision. Close the books, reconcile the numbers, and report on time, month after month. But today, precision is only the starting point. The real challenge is to deliver insight fast enough to influence decisions while keeping the organisation stable and compliant. Building a future-ready finance team is not about […]
Making AI Work for Finance Teams
AI is no longer a futuristic concept or a boardroom buzzword. It has become a practical tool in finance departments where accuracy, control, and speed matter most. For CFOs, the real opportunity lies in using AI to make daily operations simpler, cleaner, and more reliable. The goal is not to replace people but to remove […]
Liquidity Made Simple
When you hear “decentralised finance” (DeFi), your first thought might be: “That’s something for crypto enthusiasts, not CFOs.” But here’s the reality: ignoring DeFi today could mean missing out on tools that drastically cut costs, speed up cross-border transactions, and simplify liquidity management. In a country where treasury teams are constantly
Not Everything That Counts Can Be Counted
Operators are the guardians of systems, controls, and reliable reporting. Their credibility rests on one simple truth: the numbers must be right. But in today’s ESG-driven world, CFOs face a new complexity. They are being asked to measure social impact with the same rigour as financial performance. The challenge is that not everything that matters […]
Forget EBITDA, Your Real KPI Is Whether You Made It to Dinner: The Myth of the “Iron CFO”
Let’s get this out of the way: CFOs are not robots. We like to think we are, crunching numbers at midnight, surviving on coffee strong enough to dissolve a spoon, keeping companies afloat while everyone else dreams about beach holidays. But behind every “iron CFO” lies a very human body and mind, both of which, […]
Turning Management Into True Leadership
Step into any boardroom today and you will notice a common thread: technical brilliance is abundant, but true leadership often feels scarce. Across industries, organisations pour resources into management training, teaching teams how to run processes, optimise performance, and deliver results. Yet, they often neglect the subtler but far more powerful dimension
From 2G to 5G: Bridging South Africa’s Digital Divide
South Africa is a country of contrasts. On the one hand, it boasts one of the highest mobile penetration rates in Africa, with millions of citizens connected daily through their devices. On the other, a significant number of people still rely on 2G phones that limit their access to the digital economy. For finance leaders, […]
Beyond the Balance Sheet : CFOs leading cross-functional transformation projects such as ERP implementations and legal frameworks
A business can invest in the best technology available, employ highly skilled people, and still struggle if its transformation projects are not led with clarity and discipline. Behind every successful shift, whether it is a new enterprise system, a regulatory framework, or a compliance overhaul, there is usually one person ensuring that the pieces fit […
CFOs Who Grew from the Ground Up:
The advantages of internal career progression and deep organisational knowledge In boardrooms across South Africa, many CFOs carry impressive titles and equally impressive qualifications. But ask a few how they arrived at the seat they now occupy, and you will notice two clear paths. Some joined the company already holding the CFO title. Others started [&hell