CFO Talks - Idea Sharing for CFOs

The lockdown is based on bad science and wrong figures

Time for CFOs to step into the driving seat

Time for CFOs to step into the driving seat

A wealth of experience in banking and financial services

New Zealand sets the benchmark for public finance

New Zealand sets the benchmark for public finance

Rajen Pillay – CEO Garuda Capital

Professor Rajen Pillay, CEO of Garuda Capital and Faculty Member of Economic and Financial Sciences at the University of Johannesburg, explains why Africa is the market of the future following the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA).

Buhle Hanise explains why the SA vehicle market excites BAIC

It takes some guts to introduce new vehicle models into the market in the midst of an economic downturn, but that does not faze Buhle Hanise, CFO at BAIC South Africa. The Chinese vehicle producer is investing R11 billion in production facilities and sees plenty of opportunity in the South African vehicle market. Hanise explains why this makes sense at this time. 

Crafting finance and equipping advisors with data

Judge Bernard Ngoepe, Tax Ombudsman

Tax Ombud finds 'confusing' communication in SARS investigation into PAYE, dispute resolution

Nadine Chetty

Communication – and cash flow – are key to survival

Andrew Glenn - Opportunity in Crisis

Andrew Glenn, senior marketing manager at Intuit QuickBooks, points out that accountants are in a unique position to assist clients in this time of crisis. It’s time to tune out the panic, and focus on the opportunities to boom your practice.

Lauren du Plooy - Building a piggy-bank

Lauren du Plooy, a Saiba member and director at Rae & Associates, has been advising clients for years to set aside reserves sufficient to cover two or three months of expenses. Most of her clients followed this advice and are able to survive this crisis because of it.

Justine Hoppe - brace ourselves for a wave of liquidations and business rescue application

Justine Hoppe, director for restructuring and recovery at Mazars, says we should brace ourselves for a wave of liquidations and business rescue applications as a result of the Coronavirus lockdown. Confronting this early, rather than late, may be the less painful solution.

Bernard Schoeman explains the formula for running a successful practice

Bernard Schoeman set up The Tax Shop more than a decade ago as an accounting and tax consulting business and has seen it grow to more than 70 franchises across the sub-continent. He explains the formula for running a successful practice, and the benefits you get from being part of a large knowledge-based organisation – particularly now that clients are looking to accountants to help them through these tough times.

Pieter de Wit - stunning results in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic

Pieter de Wit, CFO at JSE-listed Afrimat, explains why the company – which announced a stunning set of results in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic – cut its debt to almost nothing at a time when debt is so cheap. Those companies that survive this crisis are those that get bullet-proof balance sheets.

Pieter de Wit - stunning results in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic

Pieter de Wit, CFO at JSE-listed Afrimat, explains why the company – which announced a stunning set of results in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic – cut its debt to almost nothing at a time when debt is so cheap. Those companies that survive this crisis are those that get bullet-proof balance sheets.

Earl Steyn - Welcome to the new world of accounting reports

Earl Steyn, founder and CEO of Draftworx, gives in in-depth insight into how accountants are grappling with increasingly complex reporting and compliance obligations during lockdown - and provides a fascinating look at which companies are likely to survive the lockdown, and those that won't.

Earl Steyn - Welcome to the new world of accounting reports

Earl Steyn, founder and CEO of Draftworx, gives in in-depth insight into how accountants are grappling with increasingly complex reporting and compliance obligations during lockdown - and provides a fascinating look at which companies are likely to survive the lockdown, and those that won't.

This lockdown is not a pretty picture - Gerhard Papenfus reports from the business frontline

Gerhard Papenfus, CEO of the National Employers Association of SA (Neasa), talks about the experience of small businesses trying to stay afloat during lockdown - and it's not a pretty picture.

Guillaume Oberholster - Unpacking the financial relief packages for businesses and staying positive

Guillaume Oberholster, regional manager for Mazars, delves into the various financial relief packages available to businesses as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and explains why some companies have been unable to access funds. He urges employers to stay positive in these extraordinary times as there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Guillaume Oberholster - Unpacking the financial relief packages for businesses and staying positive

Guillaume Oberholster, regional manager for Mazars, delves into the various financial relief packages available to businesses as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and explains why some companies have been unable to access funds. He urges employers to stay positive in these extraordinary times as there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Mark Silberman - Using technology to help you over the hard times

Accfin founder Mark Silberman says many companies won’t survive the economic lockdown. But new opportunities are opening up for those who embrace the right technologies.

Mike Schussler - Brace yourself for a massive second quarter economic slump

Economist Mike Schussler believes the worst is yet to come from the Covid-19 economic slump – though a recovery in the latter part of the year is on its way.

Mike Schussler - Brace yourself for a massive second quarter economic slump

Economist Mike Schussler believes the worst is yet to come from the Covid-19 economic slump – though a recovery in the latter part of the year is on its way.

Mark Silberman - Using technology to help you over the hard times

Accfin founder Mark Silberman says many companies won’t survive the economic lockdown. But new opportunities are opening up for those who embrace the right technologies.

Digitally transforming the retail industry

Digitally transforming the retail industry

Guillaume Oberholster - Surviving and thriving during lockdown, and rediscovering our humanity

Guillaume Oberholster is managing partner at accounting firm Mazars Central. Based in Bloemfontein, Free State, he has a staff of 110 at the regional who are now working remotely. Guillaume discusses how the COVID-19 lockdown has affected the business, and how accountants can position themselves to thrive once the lockdown is lifted. An interesting point he raises is how the lockdown is helping people re-discover their spiritual core and humanity - something that will hopefully survive the l...

Working remotely: get used to the new normal - Glen Ansell, Head of intelligent automation at Tangent Solutions

Glen Ansell is head of intelligent automation at Tangent Solutions, part of the Jurumani Solutions Group. Glen offers some interesting insights into the future of the accounting profession in the time of Coronavirus, including the need to automate routine functions so as to provide deeper-level business intelligence to companies. 

Rob Hutchinson - South Africans’ are virtually unanimous: end this lockdown now!

Participative democracy organisation Dear South Africa conducted a survey of 42,000 South Africans and the feedback was virtually unanimous: we want the lockdown ended now! If we don’t, the economic consequences could be worse than the actual COVID-19 disease.

Time to start preparing for the “unlock"

Panelists at the SA Institute of Business Accountants (Saiba) Practice Management Conference say it’s time to lift the lockdown and prepare for recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

Just how bad is it going to get during and after lockdown? Probably very bad, but there are silver linings, economist Russell Lamberti explains

The economy is likely to contract 10% this year as a result of the lockdown. That’s the bad news. The good news is that it may unleash a wave of new entrepreneurial ventures.

Justine Hoppe: Now is the perfect time to adjust your business practices for the “new normal

Justine Hoppe, senior legal counsel at Mazars, has already witnessed a revolution in the way companies are reacting to the COVID-19 crisis. Those that adjust their business practices to the “new normal” stand to benefit the most.

Leonard Benjamin - Should you take the banks’ offers of a repayment holiday? What are the legal consequences if things go wrong?

Lawyer and legal activist Leonard Benjamin explains what is likely to happen to those who default on their bank repayments in the coming months. There are likely legal consequences, but Benjamin explains how to protect yourself.

Nicolaas van Wyk - Time to start preparing for the “unlock"

Panelists at the SA Institute of Business Accountants (Saiba) Practice Management Conference say it’s time to lift the lockdown and prepare for recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

South Africans’ are virtually unanimous: end this lockdown now!

Participative democracy organisation Dear South Africa conducted a survey of 42,000 South Africans and the feedback was virtually unanimous: we want the lockdown ended now! If we don’t, the economic consequences could be worse than the actual COVID-19 disease.

Should you take the banks’ offers of a repayment holiday? What are the legal consequences if things go wrong?

Lawyer and legal activist Leonard Benjamin explains what is likely to happen to those who default on their bank repayments in the coming months. There are likely legal consequences, but Benjamin explains how to protect yourself.

Gina Bester - The lockdown is a hinderance to events organisers, but not the end of the world

Gina Bester of events organiser Terrapinn explains how the company is using technology and ingenuity to continue creating and promoting events during the lockdown.

Gina Bester - The lockdown is a hinderance to events organisers, but not the end of the world

Gina Bester of events organiser Terrapinn explains how the company is using technology and ingenuity to continue creating and promoting events during the lockdown.

How you can use this crisis to your advantage – Coenie Middel of Middel & Partners

Coenie Middel, serial entrepreneur, and founder of one of the largest private accounting practices in the country, with eight branches and more than 170 staff, sees opportunities aplenty coming out of the lockdown. For example, the ability to leverage the weak rand to spread your wings abroad and take on finance and consulting work and get paid in US dollars.

How Russel Ngobeni found liberation in training the next generation of accountants

Russel Ngobeni didn’t exactly have it easy growing up. As he explains here, he had to work harder than most to graduate as an accountant, but that experience spurred him on to assist pothers from disadvantaged backgrounds to make the grade as professional accountants. 

Ebrahim Boomgaard - Now is the best time in years to upgrade your skills as an accounting practitioner

The COVID-19 lockdown is the best time in years to upgrade your skills as an accountant, and the resources being made available online make this a no-brainer, says Ebrahim Boomgaard, director of research and planning at the Financial and Accounting Services Sector Education Training Authority (Fasset).

There is a silver lining in this Covid-19 cloud, says Alex Clark of Receipt Bank

Every crisis has a silver lining, and COVID-19 is no different. Alex Clark, regional manager of Receipt Bank in South Africa, says this is the perfect time for accounting practitioners to understand the digital universe in which they now find themselves, whether it be teleconferencing, the Cloud, or tools such as Receipt Bank.

Ettean Smit - Why many accountants are still stuck in the stone age, and how to get them out of it

Ettean Smit, founder of accounting practice Finovo, realised his fellow accountants were stuck in the stone age when it came to technology. He formed Smart Practice, a low-cost way for accountants to embrace technology in their practices, and what came out of this was astounding.

Yugen Pillay - Many small businesses will fail – many thousands of new businesses will be born

Yugen Pillay of SNG Grant Thornton has spent his life mentoring small businesses. While many will fail, many more will be born out of this COVID-19 crisis.

Yugen Pillay - Many small businesses will fail – many thousands of new businesses will be born

Yugen Pillay of SNG Grant Thornton has spent his life mentoring small businesses. While many will fail, many more will be born out of this COVID-19 crisis.

There are alternative sources of cash in these troubled times. Bridgement CEO Daniel Goldberg explains.

Fintech companies such as Bridgement can do what no bank can – give you a yes or no answer in 90 minutes, and then deposit cash in your account. CEO Daniel Goldberg explains how this works.

Ettean Smit - Why many accountants are still stuck in the stone age, and how to get them out of it

Ettean Smit, founder of accounting practice Finovo, realised his fellow accountants were stuck in the stone age when it came to technology. He formed Smart Practice, a low-cost way for accountants to embrace technology in their practices, and what came out of this was astounding.