The African Professional Issue 26

I ss u e 26 R 29, 95

Winners' edition

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

8 Editorial 10 Abe Thela and Nyeleti 15 Sally Hutton and Webber Wentzel 18 Dion Shango and PWC 22 The Personal Brand 24 Holding up the sky - Water Aid 26 Book Review 6

28 William Mzimba and Accenture 30 Young Professional of the Year 32 Leon Cronje and RLB Pentad 34 Anthony Orelowitz and Paragon 36 Ian Donaldson and Turner and Townsend 38 Sindi Zilwa and Nkonki 40 Charles Mwaura and Pamoja 42 Alan Keep and Bowmans 44 Ebrahim Dhorat and EY 46 Lifetime Achievement Awards 49 SAPSA Awards Pictorial www.theafricanpro.com

EDITORIAL

CELEBRATING OUR BEST PROFESSIONALS turned down the opportunity to bid for a second term.

What this all means for us remains to be seen.

What I do know is that in our first issue of the year we celebrate Professionals, Managing Partners, Business Leaders, and Entrepreneurs in various professional services sectors. We also profile the winning companies and individuals at the recently held South African Professional Services Awards.

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T

he political and economic landscape of South Africa has been a matter of great interest to investors – both foreign and domestic, business people, political and institutional communities, decisionmakers and thought leaders alike.

The country’s structural problems hold back growth and job creation, leaving it increasingly vulnerable to emerging risks. On the continent level, though Africa’s prospects have improved and investors are optimistic about its future.

Africa is receiving unparalleled attention from global companies, with substantial opportunities.

Traditional values and expectations from leaders are changing rapidly and new leadership both locally and internationally is upon us. We have seen Donald Trump inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States followed

by Chadian Foreign Minister Moussa Faki Mahamat taking over as AU Commission Chairperson from South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma who

Among other interviews, we speak to Abe Thela from Nyeleti Consulting who was judged to be South African Professional of the year. We also profile Sally Hutton, Managing Partner at Webber Wentzel about her journey, and the great honour bestowed on her by her fellow partners in 2015 - alongside Christo Els Senior Partner - to lead the firm for a five-year term.

Worth a mention is our chat with PwC Southern Africa CEO Dion Shango about the one perception he wants to change: That PwC is a white firm. He tells us how he intends to change that perception and take the company’s transformation strategies to the next level.

Chaitwa Mamoyo writes about how we all have a Personal Brand whether or not we choose to acknowledge that and we have another book review from Wanjiru Waichigo-Njogu.

Enjoy the READ! MZUKONA MANTSHONTSHO Publishing Executive www.theafricanpro.com

Publisher: The Proud African Professional (Pty) Limited Reg. Number: 2010/012428/07 10 Madison Square, 195 President Fouche Drive, Randburg Republic of South Africa Tel: 011 251 6325 www.theafricanpro.com Director: Carol Malonza – carol@africanpro.co.za Twitter: @mueni8 Managing Editor: KC Rottok – kc@africanpro.co.za Twitter: @africankc Deputy Editor & Content Advisor: Leah Maina Publishing Executive: Mzukona Mantshontsho Sales Executive: Noleen Vito Edition Writers/Contributors: Keith Kundai Wanjiru Waichigo-Njogu Chaitwa Mamoyo Photography: Mzu Nhlabati www.creativenation.co.za Design: O'Brien Design Website: Drutech Media www.drutechmedia.co.za Advertising Enquiries: info@africanpro.co.za To subscribe or contribute an article, email us at info@africanpro.co.za All rights reserved. Excerpts may be used as long as this magazine is credited as the source.

Longer versions of our content may only be used with the written permission of the Publisher.

Neither the publisher nor the editor accept responsibility for any information from edition writers or contributors. Whilst we have taken care in preparing this publication, the publisher/ editor does not warrant its completeness or accuracy. The editor retains the right to edit all contributions. Advertisers are responsible for their material.

© The African Professional / The Expatriate SA: ISSN 2218 – 757X.

The opportunity: Africa

Africa’s a continent of contrasts, unique challenges and amazing opportunities. Succeeding here depends on having a deep understanding of local issues, a global perspective, and the ability to use these to build tailored solutions. We’ve been doing business in Africa for almost acentury, and over 9 000 professionals in 66 offices are working with ourclients to add value to their businesses. It’s what we do.

At PwC in Africa, we see opportunities where others see challenges. www.pwc.com/africa

©2017. PricewaterhouseCoopers (“PwC”). All rights reserved. (17-19896)

ABE THELA & NYELETI SA PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR & ENGINEERING FIRM OF THE YEAR

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s a black-owned South African consulting engineering company, Nyeleti Consulting specialises in various civil engineering infrastructure fields, specifically structural, water and transportation engineering.

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Nyeleti Consulting also provides services with regard to forensic engineering investigations, occupational health and safety (OHS) and construction management. The word "Nyeleti" - which means star - symbolises the high aspirations of the firm to deliver excellent services to its clients in line with its slogan ‘Engineered to Excel”.

It was therefore no surprise when Nyeleti Consulting, and Vice Chairperson Abe Thela won the Overall Professional Engineering Services Company of the Year, and Professional Engineer of the Year respectively at the South African Professional Services Awards sponsored

by Sanlam. The awards are important as they give visibility to disciplines that are desperately needed in South Africa. They also reward entities for performing well in important areas such as transformation, customer service, contribution to the community and commitment to ethical best practice.

Well known for his endurance, determination, and hard work by his peers, Abe Thela – when receiving the Professional Engineer of the Year Award - said: “Thank you to the organisers of the awards and thank you for the recognition given to me. There is an African saying that says if you

want travel fast, go alone. If you want to travel far, go together. My family, represented by my two daughters today in the absence of my wife and Nyeleti my company have been walking with me in this journey. Thank you to the engineering industry for affording me the opportunity to serve my people and my country”.

Mr Thela is a civil engineer with over 20 years’ experience, mainly in civil engineering consulting. He completed his schooling in Soweto and he was selected to attend a pilot phase of the organisation called Programme for Technological Careers (Protec), which started in Soweto. It was during his participation at Protec that he was exposed to various technological careers including civil engineering.

In 1998, Thela became a director of the South Africa’s largest engineering consulting Aurecon, at the very young age of 33 - a good indicator of his leadership skills even at a young age.

He joined Nyeleti Consulting in 2000, when it was still a small engineering consulting firm with a staff complement of less than 10.

Over the years, he played a leading role in growing Nyeleti to a significant company, providing services within the total spectrum of the civil engineering field. Thela is the divisional director responsible for municipal services, a major shareholder, and executive deputy chairman of the board.

Thela has over the years led the provision of professional engineering services to www.theafricanpro.com

client bodies and been a driving force in ensuring that services delivered to clients are of the highest quality. His commitment to enhancing the quality of services delivered by Nyeleti is illustrated by his strong support for the formal Quality Management System which Nyeleti has put in place. This system is based on the requirements of International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and is ISO 9001 certified.

When receiving the award for Overall Professional Services Company of the Year Award later in the evening, he said: “Once more I am overwhelmed with emotions. One stands tall because he stands on the shoulders of great giants.

I have a few giants that I am standing with, starting with my number one our Heavenly Father followed by my cheerleaders at Nyeleti Consulting.

I will single out my CEO Pine Pienaar who has always been there and supported me in my journey. Thank you to my two daughters Nomathemba and Phumi, who are representing my wife and family. Thank you for putting up with me for all those times I worked late or was not at home because of work commitments, you still kept the family warm and homely, I appreciate that.

I am a product of the construction and consulting engineering industries, I will forever be grateful to one Cliff McMillan who picked us up from the dusty streets of Soweto and helped us join the engineering industry. The industry paid for me, the industry employed me, the industry elected me President of CESA [Consulting Engineers South

Africa], and I am indeed a product of the industry, thank you”.

During his tenure as President of CESA, Thela led 540 member firms and close to 25,000 employees. His presidential theme was ‘Sustaining Consulting Engineering is Key to Growing the Economy’ which accurately reflects Thela’s commitment and passion for development, empowerment and transformation within his field of expertise - civil engineering.

Nyeleti has done a lot to contribute to the Engineering profession. The role of people like Stanford Mkhacane (2014 President of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE), Abe Thela (2014 – 2015 CESA President) and Sundran Naicker (current SAICE President), are testament to Nyeleti’s depth of professionalism and contribution to the engineering profession. The fact that Mkhacane and Thela – chairperson and vice chairperson of Nyeleti - were the presidents of SAICE and CESA at the same time is probably a first in the engineering industry.

Nyeleti has been involved in the Eskom projects to build the Medupi and Kusile power stations since 2007 and leads a multi-disciplinary team which includes: architects, mechanical and electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, fire protection engineers, building management specialists, geotechnical engineers and acoustic designers. The team is responsible for the design of many of the plant and administrative island buildings - a total of approximately 60 buildings per power station – which include the office building, canteen, fire and medical building, access control building, various workshops, water treatment plant, station services building and a large number of substation structures.

Nyeleti has been one of the main sponsors of the Totally Concrete Expo for the past two years that was held at the Sandton Convention Centre.

These sponsorships included an exhibition, the presentation of three technical papers and chairing one of the conference sessions. The focus with this sponsorship was to showcase Nyeleti’s expertise in terms of concrete technology.

In September, Nyeleti was appointed to design a number of access roads in the Maputo Special Reserve which was originally established to protect the elephant population in the area. The Reserve is considered an important component in the protected areas system of Mozambique as it conserves the exceptional biodiversity of a coastal zone linking marine, coastal and inland components.

On the issue of transformation, the founders, Stanford Mkhacane and CEO Pine Pienaar, had a core focus in common, to employ and empower previously disadvantaged individuals.

Currently 60 percent of the 120 staff members are from historically disadvantaged backgrounds and 42 percent are female. This level of empowerment is remarkable compared to other firms in the industry. The

With respect to customer service, Nyeleti staff consistently display a high level of dedication and commitment.

The firm has a reputation for meeting stringent requirements to the client’s satisfaction and addressing any arising problems quickly and effectively.

company consists of 20 shareholders all employees - and 60% black-owned.

Nyeleti has a focussed Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) strategy in place which addresses all the cornerstones of the construction charter.

These include black ownership, black and female representation on management level, employment equity, skills development, preferential procurement, enterprise development and social responsibility. The company is rated by a BEE Verification Agency on an annual basis, and has consistently been certified as a Level Two Contributor.

Job creation is a high priority both within the civil engineering industry and at Nyeleti. By planning one’s design innovatively, the construction of infrastructure can be accomplished effectively. This specifically applies to projects such as rural water network installation where the excavation of trenches can either be done manually, or by specifying concrete block pavement layers rather than asphalt. One of the directors, Dr Pine Pienaar, has written several conference papers on this subject.

Nyeleti’s staff is its biggest asset and the highest care is taken in the selection of new staff. Nyeleti Consulting encourages staff to develop and expand their professional knowledge and skills

A. Thela (left) receives trophy from P.Dube

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and promote their careers through further study, attending conferences and seminars, and holding in-house discussions to contribute towards empowerment. Continued professional development plays an integral role in transforming the workplace and establishing a culture of lifelong learning at Nyeleti Consulting.

Nyeleti also has a formal mentorship program in place which has been setup with the objective of guiding the training and development of engineers, technologists and technicians to enable them to register professionally.

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SALLY HUTTON & WEBBER WENTZEL PROFESSIONAL WOMAN OF THE YEAR &

LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR lead our firm for a five-year term from 1 March 2015, and to continue the legacy of all those that have gone before us. For me, the real value of being in a leadership position is that it gives you the opportunity to effect change and the platform to make a difference.

What would you like to have achieved by the end of your term as Managing Partner?

S

ally Hutton is the Managing Partner at Webber Wentzel specialising in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with a primary focus on leveraged buy-out and exit transactions (both public and private) for private equity funds.

Her work includes structuring the consortium and shareholders’ arrangements, management participation arrangements, broadbased black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) structures, funding arrangements and reorganisation.

What does it mean to you that your colleagues have entrusted you with the position of Managing Partner?

I have spent my entire career at Webber Wentzel, so it was a great honour that my fellow partners entrusted me, alongside Christo Els as our Senior Partner, to

We have a clearly articulated rolling five-year strategy for achieving our vision. The strong firm culture of excellence and client-centricity has brought us this far and I want us to leverage off that and collaborate with our clients to build stronger businesses in South Africa, and across the African continent. Our people are central to this - we can only do great work for great clients if we have great people. It is our ambition to continue building a transformed workplace that embraces diversity, where all our people feel at home to be their best and do their best work, and against this increasingly competitive landscape to continue our legacy of being a firm where the very best talent come to shape their careers.

If, at the end of our five-year term of office, we have made substantial progress in achieving this, that will feel like success to me.

How would you describe your management and leadership styles?

I would like to think I am collaborative, open-minded honest and fair. I am fiercely protective of the culture and values that underpin the success of www.theafricanpro.com

a firm that has produced some of the greatest legal minds South Africa has to offer.

Having said that, I believe that 'what got us here, won't necessarily get us there' so as leaders we have to manage the balance between preserving all the good that got us to this point whilst remaining flexible and nimble enough to change where necessary so as to stay ahead.

My leadership philosophy is always to harness the benefits of diversity around a common goal. We are operating in a rapidly changing legal and economic landscape and to compete effectively we have to learn from our successes and failures and adapt accordingly.

Are there any particular challenges you have experienced as a woman in a leadership position?

I don't think the challenges I have faced in building my career are particularly different from those faced by any man or woman juggling the demands of work and family. At no point have I felt explicitly disadvantaged because I am a woman, although I have experienced the far more subtle effects of gender stereotyping and unconscious bias.

I think though that women in senior positions have a responsibility to be role models, to be more visible and more vocal. We can help dispel stereotypes and demonstrate what is possible - especially by providing working examples for young women and girls who want successful corporate careers after children.

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What makes you tick or keeps you awake at night with respect to your position as Managing Partner?

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Leading a law firm is very different from leading a corporate - as a partnership, there are over 100 individual owners of the business - they are highly intelligent, autonomous individuals with a deep vested interest in the success of our business. The challenge as a leadership team is to persuade all of them to move in the same direction for the greater good. Christo and I are leaders, but we are elected leaders as well as peers to our partners. It is our role to provide a clear and compelling vision, set out the plan to achieve it and then contextualise how everything fits together. In our busy dayto- day work it is also critical for us to make the time to have individual conversations, because although we are a big business, we are still ultimately a partnership which is dependent on personal relationships, and we need to work at keeping the bonds between partners strong. Our challenge is always managing the tension between the need to run our large business in a business-like fashion and the need to keep the collegiality that attracts partners to private practice.

How do you take part in mentoring others?

In my view, there is no better way to learn than to do the job, so I provide exposure and access to clients and quality work. I am always accessible - by email if not always in person as I travel weekly between both offices - and have an open-door policy so people can pop in to bounce ideas around or brainstorm solutions. I believe mentoring should happen in 'real time' when the discussion is focused on something relevant to that moment, so I prefer a more informal approach to formal scheduled engagements.

If you had to relate a couple of experiences, what would be the highs and what would be the lows of your working career?

The high of my career would probably be my election by my partners as their managing partner. My low was probably the six-month period immediately preceding that election where I had to stand down from the board for a year as I had served the maximum permitted term of four successive years.

As a result, I spent six months feeling completely disconnected from what was going on in the firm. I realised then as much as I love my practice - how important it was for me to have a seat at the table setting the direction of the firm. The fact that we have split the senior partner role into two roles - the senior partner and managing partner role, allows Christo and I to continue to practice in addition to our leadership roles, which for me is the best of both worlds.

How has the firm fared in terms of achieving its business growth objectives?

Our revenue continues to increase year on year. In a flat growth environment, this is a clear sign of the strength of our proposition for clients. The partnership has grown from 110 partners 5 years ago, to 150 today, but the most important indicator of growth and success for me is the growing number of blue chip clients that instruct us to lead on their most commercially critical matters, as well as the growing number of coveted awards we receive in recognition of our standing in the market.

For example, we advised on the highly complex African Bank restructuring, as well as the trillion-rand deal involving Anheuser-Busch InBev's (AB InBev) acquisition of SABMiller, which was named Deal of the Year at the DealMakers Awards. We acted for AB InBev in respect of both the South African and African aspects of this R 1, 53 trillion deal, said to be the third largest M&A transaction in history.

www.theafricanpro.com

How does the organisation ensure that the firm maintains high level of ethics and integrity?

Webber Wentzel has always had an impeccable record when it comes to ethics and integrity. Our vision and strategy are founded on a set of seven core values which we communicate widely and reinforce in each and every business decision we make. We have made some tough decisions where we have clearly chosen our values over our commercial interests. The firm has a risk committee, made up of partners and managers, who are always available to discuss and address any questions or concerns.

Is transformation considered a key objective at the firm, and if so, how is it attended to?

At Webber Wentzel transformation and diversity is one of our top strategic priorities - we do not believe that we can be the dominant South African law firm unless we also lead the way on transformation and diversity. Through our continuous efforts, the firm's transformation strategy has gained momentum, with a positive change in the firm's demographics, both from a race and gender perspective. Significant progress has been made in achieving a diverse leadership pipeline within all our business units. That said, we still have a lot of work to do and it is a key priority for Christo and I who both sit on the Transformation Committee.

We are also making great progress on gender transformation and boast the highest female equity partnership of any major South African law firm (35%), which exceeds the global target threshold of 30%. Our commitment is to push this target to 50%. There is also strong female representation in leadership positions across the firm: 33% of our board, 50% of our executive committee (including our head of Corporate and head of Tax), and 50% of all business services heads of

department, including the firm's Chief Financial Officer, are women.

Highlight some recent contributions by the firm to the community We are committed to improving the lives of all South Africans by encouraging the economic participation of previously disadvantaged individuals and communities; the protection and promotion of human rights; and the safeguarding of the rule of law and equal justice for all.

We invested R4.9million last year in setting-up the Webber Wentzel Empowerment Trust (WWET) which is aimed at contributing to the transformation of the South African legal sector, and creating access to careers in law. The WWET scholarship programme is currently supporting 7 black South African law students for the duration of their studies. These students whose selection was based on both academic excellence and financial need, are supported through a mentorship programme and a series of life skills workshops. They receive full funding for their tuition, catered residence and textbook fees as well as a monthly stipend.

How does the firm ensure that professionalism and good customer service are upheld?

We employ only the best people. When recruiting, we are not only looking for a commitment to excellence, exceptional skills and commercial judgment, we are also looking for stand-out individuals who can demonstrate a natural understanding of and dedication to the highest level of service to external and internal clients alike. Once they join the firm they received on-the-job training and coaching on how to deliver excellent, and consistent client service.

KC ROTTOK

When it comes to Sub-Saharan Africa, we know the lay of the land As the leading* and most highly ranked** legal advisor on some of the most significant deals in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, Webber Wentzel believes that the deeper we immerse ourselves in our client’s world, the better we are at adding value to their business.

We craft pioneering legal and tax solutions for our clients across Africa and the world by accessing the very best legal minds through our alliances and networks. Providing you with outstanding advice, wherever your business takes you, is at the heart of everything we do.

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Webber Wentzel - Lead Advisor on Deal of the Year 2015 - Dealmakers Awards

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Webber Wentzel - most higly ranked South African law firm and first place winner in The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa directory listing 2016 - top tier Chambers Global 2016 ranking with the highest number of lawyer ranking than any other SA law firm

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DION SHANGO & PWC BIG 4 ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONAL FINALIST

& BIG 4 FIRM OF THE YEAR WINNER What thoughts run through your head when you were appointed the Southern Africa CEO of PWC effective 1 July 2015 at the young age of 39?

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I give credit to everybody in my life who has directly or indirectly played some role in shaping me into the person that I am today. And that goes right back from my parents and grandparents particularly my maternal grandmother to whom I was quite close growing up. She was a strict mentor. Within the firm, all the partners and managers I have worked with have played a role in my progression. I feel fortunate to be afforded this great opportunity. Even if I was not appointed to this position, I would still feel quite priviledged to be a partner at this firm. It is daunting to have this much responsibility at my age.

The first thought that goes through your mind is how to interact and put through perspectives to partners who are older and more experienced and gain their respect. But having been in the role for the past eight months, I must say it has been a remarkable experience and I have experienced nothing but support from the partners. It is quite heartwarming; sometimes it actually makes me emotional.

What would you like to have achieved by the time your first term ends in 2019?

One perception in South Africa is that PwC is a white firm. As you know the politics of race in South Africa particularly are quite deep and intense, and this perception of PwC being

a white firm has a bearing on how we perform in the market. I will be working to change that perception and take our transformation strategies to the next level. Currently approximately 28% of our partners in South Africa are from previously disadvantaged groups namely African, Coloured or Indian (ACI). I would like to see that number upped to at least 35% by the time my term comes to an end. Ultimately we would like to see a PwC in South Africa that is representing all demographics of our society, meaning the ACI component should represent 80% of the firm. I would like to leave a legacy where the previously disadvantaged are inspired and motivated to be a part of the significant growth story we are writing here.

What do you consider your management and leadership style?

My leadership style is, first and foremost consultative. I believe strongly in the power of engaging with people. I do not subscribe to an autocratic style of leadership. I think what makes me successful with that style is my people and relationship-building skills. I am blessed with ability of warming up to people fairly quickly and establishing good relationships in a short period of time. And I think that this style of leadership is one that is probably more conducive to a partnership type of environment. As I have said, I have 280 other CEO’s that I have to call on for support. So in making a decision or leading people in a different direction it always helps to consult with your fellow partners to avoid the danger of believing www.theafricanpro.com

your own hype. I am also a believer of the whole concept of servant leadership, where people see me as one of the team members through my actions, and in the manner in which I interact with them.   What keeps you awake at night?

In addition to the transformation objectives, I would say operationally we are currently in a tough economy.

Our clients are taking significant pain in the market and we see that come through in our own financial results.

There is significant fee pressure from clients which is causing us to do some deep introspection in terms of how we do things and challenge ourselves to be more efficient. Although the profitability of our business and our margins have been under pressure for the last couple of years, I still believe that there are good opportunities in this market. South Africa is a part of the global village which is experiencing some tough times but we are working at growing this business to leave a better firm than we found for the next generation.

How has PwC fared in terms of meeting its growth objectives?

The business experiencing the most pressure is advisory which makes up 30% of our business. I feel we may need to be competitive in this space given the possibility of legislation that may require audit firm rotation. Currently audit or assurance work comprises 60% of our business. We are the dominant player in this space. If you look at JSE-

listed companies, we have the largest market share in terms of the number of JSE-listed companies to whom we are external auditors. As a result we would have more to lose should firm rotation become mandatory.

Our continued business growth is anchored on the need to maintain the best possible relationships with our existing clients such that if we are required to rotate off as auditors, we still have relationships that allow us to provide advisory services to the same clients.

How do you take part in mentoring others?

I have an open door policy and try to be as interactive as possible with our people. People get surprised to know that they are welcome to call my PA directly and make appointments.

That cuts across the board to even first year audit clerks. So I play an informal mentoring role by being approachable and accessible. I also have many discussions and offer guidance to ensure that our people are kept informed of our goals and objectives. I feel that mentoring is a very important responsibility which enables me to give back and help other people just as I was mentored along the way.

What do you consider the high points of your career?

In the years before I was appointed CEO, I was given the opportunity to lead the utilities and mining group. As that is a very significant part of our assurance business I was very honoured to be given that role. As CEO, I cannot yet point to a single occurrence or event that I would consider my high point as I have only been in the role for some eight months. I think every day interactions and the opportunity to engage with people in the organisation that I wouldn’t otherwise engage with

are a continuous high. And with people being our greatest asset, it will always be that every success that comes about will be linked to how I see my role in the development of others.

What low points have you experienced in your working career?

Again if you allow me to reference it to people, whenever we lose people in the form of resignations, I consider that to some extent a low for the firm, even though I always say that we are always proud of our people who we send out into commerce and industry.

As a firm, we do a great job of training and developing people that are highly skilled and found to be attractive by the market. When they leave us, we see them as our ambassadors as they often refer work back to us in future. Because we work so hard in building a family environment, a resignation feels as though we are losing a family member.

From a market perspective, whenever we lose work or lose a client that is also considered a low but that is the reality of life, you lose some and you win some.

What accolades has PwC received recently?

In the last ten months or so, we have been awarded three awards in the space of diversity and empowerment, two from Standard Bank and one from the Oliver Empowerment Awards.

This shows our commitment in this area coupled with the fact that we are the headline sponsor of the Gender Mainstreaming Awards. We have also signed up for the United Nations initiative called He For She which has the goal of driving gender equality.

Our global chairman based in the US, Dennis Nally, has actually personally signed up and the involvement cuts right across our organisation.

PwC has been named the strongest business to business brand by Brand

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Finance, and one of the world’s ten most powerful brands in their annual index. The Brand Finance index is an annual assessment of the brand value of over 500 of the world’s best known businesses. PwC achieved the highest score (AAA+) for the sixth year in a row assessing the brand as ‘exceptionally strong and well managed’.

How do you ensure that ethics and integrity are observed within the firm?

That is a very good question. Years ago, we did some introspection as a global firm that centred around what differentiates us and defines us as PwC. From that process came a purpose statement that is quite simple: our purpose is to build trust in our society and to solve problems. Ethics and integrity goes to the very heart of what we stand for. It defines who we are because if we get that wrong then our brand is worthless. People like to tell me that at PwC we are doing too much training because we spend a heck of a lot of our time reinforcing the issue of ethics. My simple response is, in

a changing world, we need to ensure that we are on top of our game when it comes to matters of integrity.

How does the firm give back to the community?

Our corporate social responsibility is run by one of our partners, Megan Naidoo, as a national initiative.

There is the normal process of cash donations to worthy causes and charities but more importantly is the work we do in equipping females from underpriviledged backgrounds with skills to run their own businesses. It is something that I think allows us to demonstrate our commitment to seeing a better South Africa through improving the standards of living of our people. In addition to that, there are a whole host of initiatives in our firm involving donation of clothing and toys to children’s homes and an active schools programme to educate children about the accounting profession which is also linked to our bursary programme.

What makes you sure the company is providing good customer service?

www.theafricanpro.com

The normal standard that we use with all our clients is that we run a client satisfactory survey at the end of each engagement. But I personally believe that if a client is not happy they will tell you or simply walk away. We have put our bodies on the line by having a brand promise that holds us to a high standard.

If we keep that brand promise then we will be able to keep all our clients happy. When I look at the clients that we have lost, the vast majority would have left for reasons other than quality of service. Quality is something that in non-negotiable in terms of how we go to market.

What activities do you undertake outside the firm?

I love spending time with my wife Tebogo and our three kids. Even though I am a terrible golfer, I occasionally venture onto a golf course every now and then. I also dabble in a bit of cycling as well.

KC ROTTOK

Introducing our new logo...

PASSION. PRECISION. VISION. Precision prɪˈsɪʒ(ə)n/ [prĭ-sĭzh′ən] noun; the quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate.

Project Management

Construction

Property Development

Logistics

CIDB 6GB PE | ISO 9001:2008 Certified | BBBEE Level 3 011 486 3315 011 486 3314 litebohom@akweni.co.za www.akweni.co.za Headquartered in Johannesburg, and with offices in Accra

Facilities Management

YOU HAVE A PERSONAL BRAND “Your personal brand is one of the biggest investments you are ever going to make. It’s an asset that will maximize the value of existing opportunities and create new ones,” said John Hall, CEO of Influence & Co, author and keynote speaker. And yet, despite this, very few of us pay real attention to who we tell the world we are."

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The question is no longer IF you have a personal brand, but if you choose to guide and cultivate the brand or to let it be defined on your behalf.” ~ this is quoted on so many websites that I can’t even tell who said it first."

The premise of this article is simple enough. Whether consciously or not, each one of us has a personal brand. It’s what silently but effectively, announces you when you enter a room and what people say of you when you leave the room. It is the impression we make in the minds of others.

In today’s tiny global village, the personal brand has multiple facets: the online presence (social and business media or the absence thereof), the physical presence (appearance – clothing, hair, nails, breath etc.), your manner of self-expression (how you speak, body language, emails you write etc.) and your personality traits (honesty, reliability, likeability, edginess or lack thereof).

Perhaps one of the most successful examples of the power of personal branding in South Africa today is Bonang Matheba. Love her or hate her, she has made her name into a formidable brand in the entertainment industry. How did she do this? By realising early on that she had the power to shape the world’s perception of who and what she is and then delivering on that perception.

I remember getting this impression of her a few years ago when I read an article on how she started out as a presenter on SABC 1’s music show, Live. I can’t for the life of me find that article now but she often speaks openly of the failures that preceded her success. In another article she mentions that it took 9 failed auditions to get the presenter job on Live. What stood out for me in that first article I read was how she responded to the panel judging candidates auditioning for the job when they criticised her style and manner of speaking. She went back to the drawing board and, using that criticism, remade herself into the classier, edgier and well-spoken woman they were after and returned the next year for another attempt. She got the job. She was one of the first SA celebrities to set up a website www.theafricanpro.com

dedicated to espousing her brand.

Her social media accounts all serve to reinforce that brand. AKA, already an established name in his own right when he started dating her, a few months into the relationship commented “I always had style‚ I guess now I have the money and made the connections to dress nice.

I’m in close proximity to someone who has made me rethink what it means to be a brand.”

What’s even more interesting about Bonang is she gets a wide spectrum of jobs and recognition: a presenter, speaker, MC, hostess, style icon, brand ambassador (liquor, makeup, underwear) etc. She is not boxed in.

Why is that? It’s because she is the brand that she sells, not the service she provides. This lends credence to the idea that people don’t just buy what you are selling, they buy into who you are and consequently buy what you are selling. Just look at Apple.

In addition to selling, there is also selfprotection in branding yourself rather your product/service according to Deep Patel. “Brand yourself separately from the projects in which you are involved.

If you just focus on branding your company or start-up and it fails, you lose all that work. But a personal brand can transcend the failure of any project.”

Brian D. Evans, founder of Influencive. com, adds: “Branding also allows you to transcend your current project or job. It falls in line with the idea of ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket.’”

A personal brand can be developed and grown no matter what industry you operate in. It also applies to your

personal life and personality traits.

You are a lawyer: can your clients trust that the agreement you have handed over articulates what they have requested clearly and concisely? You are a consultant: do your clients know you will show up on time, prepared to engage and give meaningful advice?

You are a student: does your lecturer associate your name with wellresearched assignments and out of the box answers? Are you the go-to person when someone needs something done with excellence and efficiency or quite the opposite? Worse still, are you decidedly mediocre? Just another cog in the wheel at work? At church? At home?

At school? In life? #thehorror (unless of course that is your desired brand).

Are you the perpetual complainer?

The shoddy dresser? The listener?

Honest? Reliable? Temperamental?

Gossip? Negative? Reactive? A leader?

A follower? A coward? Conservative?

Political? Soap box preacher? S***stirrer?

Builder?

Change-maker?

Peacemaker? Pacifist? Fighter? The person whose Instagram account is characterised by posts about how many f**** you don’t give? The owner of the angst-dripping Twitter account?

Don’t for a second imagine you don’t have a personal brand. You do. We all do. “The question is no longer IF you have a personal brand, but if you choose to guide and cultivate the brand or to let it be defined on your behalf.” It may be worthwhile to pay attention to what you unwittingly advertise about yourself.

CHAITWA MAMOYO

"Perhaps one of the most successful examples of the power of personal branding in South Africa is Bonang Matheba"

WATER AID'S ACTIVITIES & CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP

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ATERAID is based in 37 countries globally and has a vision of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation.

Since 1981, WaterAid has reached 25 million people with safe water and 24 million people with sanitation since 2004.

WASHwatch estimates that 319 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are without access to improved reliable drinking water sources, and 695 million of a global 2.4 billion people living without improved sanitation facilities live in Sub-Saharan Africa. WaterAid supports six countries in the Southern African region (Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Swaziland) and has a regional office in South Africa.

Commitment and prioritising improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for all citizens by African leaders will go a long way in the fight against poverty.

All members of community need to play a part in meeting the 2030 Global Goal of universal access, we need to reach 18 million more people every year with clean water and 61 million more with safe sanitation.

WaterAid’s outgoing Chief Executive Barbara Frost had this to say in an interview held with TAP: “During my time with WaterAid, I have been struck by the true grit and determination of women who are leading their communities to a better future by providing access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene. Women and girls are more likely to be responsible for fetching water and caring for those made sick by poor sanitation and dirty water. They are also made more vulnerable by not having a toilet in or close to their homes and know

only too well, that having access to these basic services would not only ease their domestic burdens, but would also mean a brighter future for their families.

Over the last decade WaterAid has made huge progress globally. Now, nine out of ten people have basic access to water, and six out of ten to a toilet. This could not have been achieved without some extraordinarily strong leadership and the work of committed women determined to improve the lives of their countries and communities.

We encourage governments to make clean water and decent toilets for all a priority i.e. delivering Global Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals; working with companies as they embed the goals in their businesses; partnering with other sectors and non-profit organisations to make water, hygiene and toilets a central issue for health, gender equality and livelihoods; and empowering communities with the skills and confidence to manage their facilities and call for their rights.”

On 9 January 2017, WaterAid announced the appointment of Tim Wainwright as the Chief Executive to take over from Barbara Frost when she retires in May. For the past six years www.theafricanpro.com

Wainwright has been Chief Executive of Action on Disability and Development (ADD) International, an NGO working to promote independence, equality and opportunity for disabled people living in poverty in Africa and Asia.

In his speech, Wainwright said that “After many years of admiring WaterAid’s work, I feel privileged and incredibly excited to be taking up the role of Chief Executive. Water, sanitation and hygiene underpin so many other aspects of development and I look forward to working with the team at WaterAid, along with supporters and partners, to help bring these basic essentials to everyone everywhere by 2030 - ensuring that no one is left behind”.

Tim Clark, Chair of WaterAid UK said:

“We are very much looking forward to welcoming Tim and continuing the extraordinary work which WaterAid does to address these key areas of poverty. At the same time, we are naturally very sad to be saying goodbye to Barbara Frost. Barbara’s contribution to WaterAid, and to the challenge of water, sanitation and hygiene, over the last 11 years has been outstanding”.

MZUKONA MANTSHONTSHO

TAP Book-Review:

BORN A CRIME AND OTHER STORIES

BY TREVOR NOAH

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hen it was announced in 2015 that South African born comedian Trevor Noah would host the American satirical news programme The Daily Show, there was a cocktail of reactions. A recurring concern was his ability to fit in. Would Noah be able to critique American and global culture and politics with the same skill as his predecessor? More importantly would Americans understand and accept him? It was after all an American show.

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It turns out that being an outsider has been Noah’s lived experience since he was born. Navigating different spaces and cultures as an outsider is a skill he has perfected since childhood. He didn’t need to live in the townships but he chose to because that is where he came alive. Legally he was considered coloured, yet he is half-black and halfwhite (there’s a difference), but it is with the black African community that he felt alive. All this – as explained in his debut autobiography Born A Crime And Other Stories - was a journey that was filled with confusion, determination and hope. It is when an individual has achieved a sense of arrival that they feel it necessary to share the details of their journey so far. Noah earned our attention with his intelligent jokes and ability to navigate different cultures.

Born A Crime is a collection of the comedian’s childhood stories while living in Johannesburg South Africa.

Noah shares his story from pre-birth, that is, from when he was just an idea in his mother’s mind to his days as a “restless young man.” The tone is that of reflection. Noah blurs the line between

personal perception, communal/social perception and the law. He shares his identity struggle as a boy born to a Xhosa mother and a German Swiss father in a time when the colour of your skin determined the quality of your life, hence the title. The book opens with an excerpt from the South African Immorality Act, No. 5 of 1927. It was illegal for a black person to have intimate relations with a white person in the South Africa in which Noah was conceived and born.

His autobiography tells of life in South Africa under apartheid and the country’s entry into a post-apartheid era in the 1990s.

These experiences are deep but presented with a heavy dose of humour.

His ability to blend jokes with earnest insights comes through in this fast-paced book. There is always a lesson or a slice of history being revisited, but just as he always does with his stand-up comedy, the reader will have a good laugh in the process. A case of “you laugh, but it’s true.”

Born A Crime tells of Noah’s ability to observe and quickly ‘code switch' to not only survive but also thrive. Here is a half-black, half-white man that speaks multiple South African local languages and defines himself as black because of his life experiences. “I soon learned that the quickest way to bridge the race gap was through language. Soweto was a melting pot…families from different cultural groups, and thus different homelands. Most kids in the township spoke only their home language, but I learned several languages because I grew up in a house where there was no option www.theafricanpro.com

but to learn them.”

Mr. Noah further makes references to both colonial and pre-colonial South Africa, and how apartheid destabilized the social, economic and political status of the black African. More than just a biography, the book is a social and political commentary. It contributes to the documentation and archival of the history of race relations and identity politics in South Africa. A concept that is important to the writer. “In Germany, no child finishes high school without learning about the Holocaust…British schools treat colonialism the same way, to an extent. Their children are taught the history of the Empire with a kind of disclaimer hanging over the whole thing.

‘Well, that was shameful, now wasn’t it?’…In South Africa the atrocities of apartheid have never been taught the same way. We aren’t taught judgement or shame.”

Noah’s book also demystifies the hustle in South African townships. As a young man with no money for college or University, he earned his keep by DJing in the townships, selling pirated CD’s and whatever he could find to sell.

“We had created this idea of ourselves [as tough hoodlums] as a defence mechanism to survive the world we were living in. Bongani and the other East Bank guys – because of where they were from, what they looked like – they just had very little hope. You got two options in that situation. You take the retail job, flip burgers at McDonalds, if you’re one of the lucky few who even gets that much.

The other option is to toughen up, put on

this facade. You can’t leave the ‘hood’, so you survive by the rules of the ‘hood’.

I chose to live in that world, but I wasn’t from that world. If anything, I was an imposter.”

WANJIRU WAICHIGO-NJOGU

The book pays tribute to his fearless and rebellious mother who was determined to save her son from poverty and black tax. He writes this in the book dedication, “For my mother. My first fan.

Thank you for making me a man.” The matriarchal narrative is consistent, strong and passionate. It is the women who worked, it is the women who prayed, and it is the women who raised the children.

Noah juxtaposes the matriarchal narrative with masculinity. He discusses the performance of masculinity and how the matriarchal figures in his life negotiated such performances. The harrowing physical abuse that his mother endured, but survived, in the hands of his stepfather, is a powerful and moving story in the book through which Noah references the patriarchal culture that enables such abuse.

If you want to understand how Noah made it big as a comedian this is not the book, but if you are looking to understand Noah as a man, thinker and entrepreneur, then Born A Crime offers a good start.

WANJIRU WAICHIGO-NJOGU

World Water Day -22 March 2017 1.WaterAid has produced the second State of the World’s Water media report, highlighting the impact of extreme weather and threat of climate change on the world’s poorest and their struggle for water. The report is targeting influential global media to raise awareness of the WASH crisis and our work to change this.

2. #Blue4Water We will go #Blue4Water; encouraging people to show their support by wearing blue, producing blue products, hosting blue-themed events. We will also use #Blue4Water on social media and

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World Water Day -22 March 2017 1.WaterAid has produced the second State of the World’s Water media report, highlighting the impact of extreme weather and threat of climate change on the world’s poorest and their struggle for water. The report is targeting influential global media to raise awareness of the WASH crisis and our work to change this.

2. #Blue4Water We will go #Blue4Water; encouraging people to show their support by wearing blue, producing blue products, hosting blue-themed events. We will also use #Blue4Water on social media and encourage people to say why they have gone ‘blue for water’ and the issues that the lack of water causes. To learn more, please see www.wateraid.org

ACCENTURE SA PROFESSIONAL SERVICES FIRM OF THE YEAR

What accolades have you received recently?

“In 2010, I was recognized by the CRF Institute as one of the leading CEOs in the country. This accolade links all the processes, teams and people I work with. Accenture has won many local and international awards.

We have been certified as a Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute for the seventh consecutive year and ranked fourth in South Africa for our excellent employee offering, which includes our working conditions and the way we look after our employees. This recognition reinforces the value we place on our people and their personal and professional growth. We have also received awards from various partners including SAP, Oracle and Microsoft.

Some of our projects have won awards such as one recently received from the prestigious Smithsonian institute in America.”

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How has Accenture fared in terms of its business growth objectives?

“In the context of the current state of the market, and looking at our performance pegged against our peers, I can say that we have done extremely well. We have grown this business from a very small base in numbers of employees as well as from a turnover perspective. We have over 2500 employees; when we started we didn’t have any practice around areas, such as business processing, which now has over 1000 employees.

Additionally, we have an industrial technology delivery capability centre in Centurion and a sub central business www.theafricanpro.com

outsourcing centre in Braamfontein.

Accenture has managed to entrench itself in very meaningful places and boasts a diversified portfolio of clients.”

In terms of ethics and professionalism how do you maintain those two?

“In 2015, the Ethisphere Institute designated Accenture as one of the world’s most ethical companies for the 8th time. When you look at our value system, we are very strong. Integrity and Respect are paramount. We strive to ensure that our people understand the importance of working in the most ethical way and provide mandatory training in this area which every employee has to complete, regardless of position. There are about five compulsory courses on dealing with difficult situations.

If this training is incomplete, annual performance reviews and salaries are impacted.”

Is transformation a key objective at Accenture?

“We made transformation a key business requirement even before government mandated businesses to address transformation. One of our key principles is to be demographically representative and to ensure that ownership is in the hands of locals.

We ensure there is a diverse and representative management team. In 2005, we established a trust comprising previously disadvantaged individuals who now own 30% of our business.

Transformation is tantamount to what we do every day; it is not just driven by compliance requirements, but is taken seriously all the way up to the Accenture global board. “ What type of professionals does Accenture hire and how do you contribute to the various professions?

“Accenture hires diverse professionals including engineers, actuaries, artists, economists, accountants, medical doctors, accountants, scientists and accounting professionals. Our day to www.theafricanpro.com

day business is solving problems, hence we require a diversity of thought and skills. Every employee is allocated an annual training budget and is at liberty to choose how to use it to facilitate their continued professional development. “ What makes you confident that the firm is rendering good customer service?

“We have an independent unnamed customer service satisfaction review done on every project that scores quality of our performance on a 10-point basis.

If it falls below a certain threshold, there is an intervention. Thus far, such interventions are rare, meaning our clients are happy and we have met or exceeded their expectations. However, the biggest measure of our success today is the fact that we have about 10 key clients who have retained us for over a decade.”

KEITH KUNDAI

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MARTIN MUDAU YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

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udau credits his accounting teacher, the late Mr Sabatha, as the person who first introduced his class to the chartered accountancy [CA (SA)] profession in the eighth grade. Coincidentally, in the same high school class sat his close friend Justice Muhanelwa, who also qualified as a CA (SA), and is now his business partner at the Harvest Chartered Accountants Inc.

contract employees. The Harvest Group in total employs over 80 staff members.

As a young boy from a disadvantaged background, his options seemed limited until that day. That was the start of many late nights spent working towards the dream of becoming a chartered accountant.

The Harvest group is made of a number of companies that offer a variety of services, we have managed to diversify our services and products by partnering up with industry experts.

He started his first year at Wits University at the age of 16. Although it was a difficult time financially for his family, he was fortunate to receive a study bursary from KPMG in the third year of his studies. After qualifying as a CA (SA), Martin moved to the Corporate Finance division of KPMG as a manager where he worked for 18 months before moving to the University of South Africa (UNISA) to take up the position of senior lecturer in auditing.

The position offered flexible hours with a fixed income and being recently married with a little one on the way, he felt this would be the perfect environment to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions with the financial stability the job provided.

Mudau serves on two USAASA (Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa) board committees. He is one of the new trustees and donors that resuscitated a school in the informal settlement of Ramaphosa, which had been shut down after allegations of fraud.

The group is composed of the following entities:

One of Mudau’s breakthrough moments was being appointed in joint partnership with KPMG to provide project advisory services to the City of Tshwane on its Bus Rapid Transit business plan.

This was during his tenure at UNISA and he had just established Malamba Enterprise Development Services which was later rebranded to Harvest Chartered Accountants Inc. It was their first project, which gave them a significant advantage towards achieving financial growth and stability.

Since then, the company has grown to achieve sustainability and create employment across five branches in Limpopo, North West and Gauteng.

Harvest Chartered Accountants currently employs 42 permanent and 24

• Harvest Chartered Accountants Inc. which provides Accounting, Audit, Tax, BEE verifications and Advisory services (www.harvestca. co.za) • Harvest Risk Solutions, providing Insurance, Medical aid and Investments (www.harvestrisk. co.za) • Harvest Marketing and Media.

This company provides Branding and marketing services (www. harvestmedia.co.za) • Harvest Institute of Commerce which provides online and long distance ICB and CIMA studies.

• Harvest Office Technologies which provides IT services and sales of IT and office automation products (www.harvestofficetech.co.za)

Mudau cites these as the business lessons he has gathered:

have a wider footprint in brick and mortar can be built at minimal cost.

“Building a sustainable business is achieved from the day that you start planning your business and a balance must be maintained between outsourcing and building internal capacity.

An additional advantage of an online platform for your business is that it will continue to work for you around the clock where conventional human resources are limited by operating hours. An online platform can also accelerate the growth of your brand, which is a key towards creating longterm sustainability.

Depending on the nature of business and industry, one of the expenses a business cannot afford to compromise on is marketing and sales. Many businesses will respond directly, and one would see a direct and positive correlation between sales expenditure and revenue.

To maintain a low overhead structure, a business can also make use of online business platforms. It is advisable to incorporate an online platform as this allows the entity to grow and access nation and worldwide markets. A credible and fully functional website that competes with well-established businesses that

RE-DEFINE YOUR

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY GROW your business by reaching NEW markets.

Talk to us and find out how

info@drutechmedia.co.za | +27 79 524 0905

www.drutechmedia.co.za

DESIGN WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT DOMAIN SERVICES

Continuous business survival also highly depends on the ability to retain clients. This could be achieved by maintaining a high standard of services and seeking continuous feedback from clients.”

KEITH KUNDAI

RLB PENTAD QUANTITY SURVEYING FIRM OF THE YEAR

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LB Pentad is a South African based, registered Quantity Surveying and Construction Cost Consulting Practice that operates both locally and internationally.

The company’s head office is based in Johannesburg, South Africa with other offices in Pretoria, Cape Town, Botswana, Mozambique and Mauritius.

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The company was founded in 1997 and the name, Pentad, originated from the five founding members who were symbolic of the definition of the word Pentad, being the “group of five”.

One of the founding members Leon Cronje spoke to SAprofessionals.com about his career and the company.

How do you view your role as a director of the company?

From the time we founded the company, I was always the director who was responsible for the finance side of the company. In fact, initially I was the book-keeper beyond my role as a quantity surveyor. Of course the company has now grown into this massive monster such that we have had to allocate different people to different roles where we have different directors responsible for different areas with Nick Sheard as the CEO. I view our role as more of a leadership and mentorship role for the younger quantity surveyors although we all still service clients such that there is always a senior member in every client meeting.

What makes you tick?

The building industry is strange whereby each project is never the same as the previous one. No two buildings are the same and each new one brings new challenges. Technology has really changed. When I studied at university, it was before calculators. Furthermore, the laws change and the materials in use are also different from what we had a decade ago. It keeps you thinking and the learning never stops. That’s what makes me tick. In addition, the young people coming through have a different energy and ideas which keep me thoroughly motivated.

What do you consider the highs and lows of your long working career?

The high is probably when I resigned from a secure job in 1994 to start my own company which has evolved to RLB Pentad today. I was very lucky to work with some amazing people at that company who mentored me. I knew at the time that I needed to make a decision as to whether I should stay on and carry on what I was doing or to take a leap of faith. I had nothing other than the hunger and yearning to make it work.

The low has to be the 2008 global financial crisis when over 50% of the projects we had going on suddenly stopped. We had to let go about 15% of our staff which was horrible. It was probably the worst time in my life.

How would you describe your management and leadership style? www.theafricanpro.com

We have a very informal set up here where we know each other on a first name basis. My fellow directors and I always say that we would never expect a staff member to do something that we wouldn’t do ourselves. Personally, I have always been responsible for HR and over the years I have lent an ear to a number of personal stories from staff. Perhaps as I have got older I have become less patient but the freedom to talk to me from a staff point of view is still there. In the morning, I try and make a point of walking around and greeting everyone. Occasionally I stop and discuss what they are working on.

As you can see, we have a very open working environment that is relaxed and engaging.

What is your contribution and that of your partners to the quantity survey profession?

I was appointed a council member of the South African Council for the Quantity Surveying Profession. It was an appointment ratified by the Minister for Public Works for a fouryear period ending in 2013. I also make a contribution through academia; I am on the accreditation panel for the Royal Institution for Chartered Surveyors and I am also set to begin lecturing viability studies part time at the University of Pretoria.

We are also members of the Association of South African Quantity Surveyors and we encourage all our staff to actively take part in their activities. Other than giving talks to university students, our directors also take up invitations to

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speak to other organisations such as architectural firms on topics such as viability.

What has been the contribution of Pentad to the community?

We take black empowerment very seriously and we also engage in community upliftment projects. For instance, we were recently invited to assist in a building project at a school in Pretoria East where we provided our services free of charge.

What awards has Pentad received recently?

Over the past 11 years we have won either a gold or diamond award at the PMR Africa Awards for small to medium firms.

How would you describe your business growth in recent years?

We currently have about 75 members of staff which is the biggest we have ever been. Our growth has been massive and an important development has been our joining the RLB international family. As a result, we have been able to adopt their customised quantity surveying software and four of our staff have gone been to Melbourne on an international secondment. Our company is now seen as part of a global brand by young quantity surveyors. In addition, we have also been working on large projects in the region including the Sasol and Discovery buildings and a USD 120,000,000 multi-use project in Maputo.

What is your firm’s view on professional ethics and integrity? www.theafricanpro.com

We have always taken a view that we would run an ethical company. This has been our perspective from even when we started out with no projects. I recall on one of our first projects, a high profile client asked us to pay the builder more than what was on the invoice which the client was intending to recover from the builder. We immediately withdrew from the job. We keep a gift register and there is a monetary limit to the gifts we can accept from contractors. If I get a case of wine for example, I would only keep one or two bottles and return the rest.

We also avoid lunches with contractors and decline such things as paid trips. It is important to set an example for the young staff. You get kicked out of the profession for unethical practices so in our view it is not worth it.

KC ROTTOK

ARCHITECTURE FIRM AND ARCHITECT PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

PARAGON AND ANTHONY ORELOWITZ

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nthony Orelowitz is one of the founding partners of The Paragon Group. He has a degree in Architecture and an MBA from Wits University. Anthony specialised in property finance and, after graduation, worked for Standard Bank’s Property Division. In 1997, Anthony returned to Architecture and founded the Paragon Group with his partner Henning Rasmuss.

He spoke to KC Rottok at the Paragon Illovo offices.

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What do you consider the highs and lows of your career?

One of the lows has been the departure of several good staff members in the past 24 months. Most have moved to places like Australia seeking a different way of life. I guess the positive here is that few people

have moved to our competitors; most have either relocated or retired. Another change has been developments in academic institutions where Technikons have become academic universities.

As a result, there has been a decline in technical knowledge standards and we are finding that we have to do more training of the people we recruit. Those are operational lows. Commercially, we obviously have our wins and losses like any practice. For instance, we lost a job whose pitch cost us two million rand and seven months of work. But we won the commission to do the interiors and we find with a lot of jobs if we don’t get the architecture, we are often appointed to do the work on the interiors side. That is good synergy in our business. Finally, we have been trying to expand our African footprint and it is taking longer than we anticipated particularly in countries such as Angola and Nigeria where the slump

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in oil prices has affected the economy.

The highs are that we have been building bigger more complicated buildings, better. For instance, if you look at the Sasol building on Katherine Street Sandton, there are very few buildings like that in the world or even in Africa.

The technology we used is very advanced; most of the building’s façades are double curved glass. It is also double glazed meaning there are two layers of glass which are bent and they need to align perfectly when manufactured.

These kinds of buildings are advancing our skillset and this is a high for me personally, as I am involved in the core design of all our commercial buildings.

How do you take part in mentorship?

We spend a lot of time at Wits University and the University of Johannesburg

(UJ). Paragon is a Visiting Professor at UJ and a many of our young staff members assist with the Design Resolution Portfolio. It has been very successful. Some of our women Project Architects interacted with the students, revealing that age and gender barriers can be breached in this male dominated industry. I probably spend over 10 days a year working with students including time spent as an external examiner.

square metres and from there we went to Alexander Forbes which is 47 000 square metres and now Sasol which is 67 000 square metres. We have expanded our portfolio from commercial office buildings to education, residential, mixed use and industrial buildings. Our employees have grown to 100, we are the biggest we have ever been though we are not sure we want to be bigger because size is not our driver.

for the Alexander Forbes building and we also took home the SAPOA Award for a commercial office development for Alice Lane Phase one. In 2013, we won awards from Gauteng Institute for Architecture, the Loerie Awards and we were the overall winner of the SAPOA Awards.

When you eventually retire, what would you like to have achieved with Paragon?

What has been your contribution to the architecture profession?

We have formed and support a separate fully black owned entity – Paragon Architects South Africa. We believe this is a better approach rather than giving say 30% shareholding to a black owned trust. We have people who collectively assist both divisions with legal services, occupational health and safety and so on. And we are seeing that business growing significantly, so that I believe it will ultimately surpass the original Paragon Architects.

I would like to see Paragon acknowledged as the best practice in Africa. I would like to leave beautiful buildings behind as a personal legacy.

I would also like to leave our business strong with a generation of competent people to drive the business forward.

What would you say your business growth trajectory has been?

It has been enormous. The first four or five years were quite slow. Then we started getting some small commissions.

As you come through Woodmead on the left hand side you will see some buildings that we designed like the buildings for Oracle, Group 5 and Motorola. After buildings of that size, we won a competition for a project within the Melrose Arch Precinct which became our first “building with a lift”.

Then we commenced on the Alice Lane Precinct in Sandton. The Norton Rose building would be a turning point for us, as it was our first very distinctive iconic building of that size. It was 18 000

We recently sponsored the Architect Africa Film Festival which is important to us because we get to showcase what Africans are doing in architecture which is making beautiful buildings with less money. We also have contributed to architecture through our portfolio of work. We were amongst the first architectural practitioners to use AutodeskRevit software. We have also pioneered the use of various material systems including unitized panels, double glazed units, and paper thin stone tiles. We are early adopters of technology and leaders in innovation in architecture in South Africa.

What awards have you won in the recently?

This year we won 3rd prize in the Casalgrande Grande Prix award ceremony in Venice, Italy. Last year we won a merit award for a Commercial Office Development at the SA Property Owners Association (SAPOA) Awards for Alice Lane 2. In 2014, we received the AfriSam SAIA Sustainable Award www.theafricanpro.com

Is transformation a key objective for you?

How do you measure your customer service?

Our projects are very interactive in nature so we engage our clients continuously. Fifteen developers control 80% of the market so it is quite easy to gauge how well you are servicing the market from your interactions with the main players. We also make sure that each project is supervised by a senior staff member. In addition, we assess client service as part of our four-month assessment of our staff.

KC ROTTOK

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QUANTITY SURVEYORS PROFESSIONAL

OF THE YEAR TURNER & TOWNSEND'S IAN DONALDSON How do you view your role at the moment as CEO and what are your strategic priorities?

I have been with the company for almost three decades now and worked in various business segments. That is one of the attractions of a company of this size. I ran the Cape Town office for ten years before taking over as the CEO of Africa.

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The company is run from a perspective of five year plans. We have just completed our vision 2015 and have now set our sights on what to achieve by 2020.

Our approach is from the perspective of setting strategic objectives as to where we want to go. The company has changed a lot from a traditional U.K. based firm to a global business with 80 offices across all continents. That diversity helps us massively. We are expanding within the African continent which I find presents us with the challenge of remaining a global brand but also touching on the things that you have to do on the continent to make yourself successful.

Whether we are in London, Hong Kong or Kinshasa, we need to make sure that we are providing the same level of service. Externally, we ask what are our markets, who are our clients and what is our geographic focus. Internally, it is all about people, quality and capability.

I believe if we can merge our internal to the external we will arrive at the right answer.

We have grown our business from 10% outside South Africa to about 30%. Our www.theafricanpro.com

intention is to push that up to 50% from the rest of Africa whilst maintaining our growth projections within South Africa.

How has your business fared in terms of achieving its business growth objectives?

It panned out very well given that we have managed to meet the targets set in 2010. Our business has three focus areas: property, infrastructure and mining. The mining industry has experienced a significant decline but we managed to bolster that effect with work in the other areas. We have learnt that we need to have a flexible strategy given that there are certain things we cannot predict. For instance, Nigeria was seen as very lucrative a couple of years ago but the economy has suffered sharply as a result of oil prices and currency reduction.

This company has been in Africa for 35 years and therefore it is not about a short term goal but we are in it for the long haul. We have seen the importance of diversification; in 2008 during the global financial crisis, the UK took a hit but our business weathered the storm because of the expansion during that decade to other markets. It is the same ethos we are applying now in securing market share in other parts of Africa rather than being solely reliant on South Africa.

What would you like to achieve by the time you retire?

By 2020, I would like to see that we have a South African business that

is totally transformed. Ideally, that should include having a black person as Managing Director of our local operations. I would like to see all our offices across the continent reach a level of maturity such that they are within the top two of the markets they serve.

I would like them to all be involved in design which a number of them are not currently doing. They should also be recognized for quality and an ability to deliver. There should be no excuses about giving poor service because we are in a different location. In terms of number of employees, we are currently 250 people; I prophesy we will have about 300 by 2020, hopefully with a large number coming from the rest of the continent.

What makes you tick or keeps you awake at night?

What makes me tick is the fact that I know we have really good people who can deliver quality services. What concerns me is that the projects we are handling are getting more and more complex and a lot of the companies out there are not set for success. I wonder whether our clients are just getting the cheapest solution rather than the best solution. In addition, corruption is a concern for me; it needs to be managed.

The other problem is economic growth, a lack of which will result in flight of good professionals seeing as the world is now a global village. South Africa is now like the West where companies struggle to retain intellectual capital who can go elsewhere to earn a better wage. www.theafricanpro.com

What is your management and leadership style?

Bureaucracy is something that we try to keep to an absolute minimum because it wastes everybody’s time. I would like to think that my personal style is pretty much open and engaging; a flat management structure with no airs and graces. I am also happy to give people autonomy to do their thing as long as they are doing what they are supposed to. To be successful in my job, I need to allow the people around me to be successful.

There are people who are a lot better at what they do than I am and I am always happy to learn from them. On the other hand, I do think that while our people are technically trained, only a few of them are trained on soft skills. Those skills are difficult to build and sometimes you have to have frank discussions with people.

I have an executive team around me and we have known each other for a long time. As a result, we can be open to the extent that they can tell me when they think something should be handled differently. We have a nice mix such that there are the younger guys with new ideas and the older guys who give us a level of consistency of culture.

KC ROTTOK

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SINDI ZILWA & NKONKI

NON BIG 4 PROFESSIONAL AND FIRM OF THE YEAR

S

indi Zilwa has enjoyed outstanding achievements in her time. She qualified as the second black woman to become a chartered accountant in South Africa at age 23, and also became co-founder and CEO of Nkonki, one of the country’s leading indigenous firms of chartered accountants.

What does it mean to you that your colleagues have entrusted you with the position of CEO?

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It has been a daunting task from the very beginning when we were looking for office space and buying office basics. Twenty-three years later, I am pleased to look around and see what my brother and I founded is now an organisation with more than 400 people and 40 partners and directors.

What would you like to have achieved by the end of your term as CEO? What matters is the leadership pipeline behind you. The more I see the bench filling up, the more I have comfort in letting go. I was invited to speak at a conference in London and I was happy to send one of my partners Thuto Masasa. We are working towards having leadership that has the emotional strength and mental capability to hang on in this business.

What do you consider the highs and lows that you have experienced running the firm?

The highs have been the opportunities we have been granted, delivering on

those opportunities, fulfilling our purpose of increasing the number of black chartered accountants and black professionals in South Africa, and.having enough cash to meet your obligations as they would arise. The lows being not having enough capital to deliver - the reward then becomes the intangibles like the previously disadvantaged people who have qualified as CA’s.

We always chose to create a trusted brand. When a brand is trusted, a mistake will not end the brand as the market will perceive the mistake as isolated. We came up with five traits of our brand personality – we must always be Ingenious, Inspirational, Insightful, Impactful and act with utmost Integrity.

What challenges in your professional environment can you attribute to your gender?

I think the challenges are more about the nature of the game than the people.

The prejudice I have experienced is more because I am black than because I am a woman. If you look at whiteowned firms of our size, it is difficult to compete because they have had this opportunity for over 100 years.

If I was in a similar position, I would have inherited this business from my father but these opportunities only opened up in 1994. So for us it is not easy to break into the market because the medium sector doesn’t have a sizeable number of black businesses as yet.

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The scorecard is now dealing with that but unfortunately I don’t think it will make a significant difference for medium size professional services firms as our service are not viewed as “black services” in most quarters.

What is your leadership style?

It depends on what’s at hand. If there is a crisis I am one person and if things are going smoothly then I am another person. There are times when one has to be firm because a task has to be done. One quote stands out, “never be intimidated by the distance between your dreams and your reality”. I am not intimidated by the significant distance between the two; I get down to action and close the gap.

Do you take part in mentorship?

I do because if there is a big task that I have to give it to someone, she may be scared because she has not done it before. I walk hand in hand to make sure the task gets accomplished. So my mentorship ambitions are specific and self-driven and that is what I expect of the people who seek mentorship from me.

What keeps you awake at night?

Four things: Do we have adequate opportunities, excellent delivery on the ground, intellectual capital enhancement and cash in the bank. You will find that you have two or three of the deliverables at a given time but not all four so you have to keep working on the one that is missing.

Sindi Zilwa (2nd from left) with some of the Nkonki staff

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How do you maintain ethics and integrity?

We’ve got our quality control systems and training modules around integrity.

The main brand personality for Nkonki is ‘Integrity’. When the SAPSA Award came, we were pleased to see that someone was finally recognising us for our stance which was driven by integrity rather than business considerations.

How has the firm fared in terms of maintaining its transformation objectives?

We are a 100% black owned firm with 51% female ownership. That said, we bring in people with the skills and expertise that we are looking for who are not equity candidates. Skills are a priority but not at the expense of protecting our black ownership status.

What is your contribution to the accounting profession?

We are in year six of our Integrated Reporting Awards which recognise companies for the quality of their integrated financial reports both as State Owned Companies and Top 100 Listed www.theafricanpro.com

Companies. Our flagship remains the Audit Committee conferences. Our partners also contribute their time to the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and to the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA). In addition, I have written two books: Creating Effective Boards and Committees and The Ace Model – Winning formula for Audit Committees.

KC ROTTOK

CONSULTING PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

CHARLES MWAURA How do you view your role within the various organisations you are responsible for?

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I believe a good leader is one that rallies his or her team to commit to a cause, execute the cause with precision and efficiency while making money sustainably. A good leader is a team player and thus only as good as the team he leads. It is incumbent on me to direct our vision given that I am involved in the companies on a daily basis, including overseeing such aspects as business development and client engagement. Within BrightWave, I am heavily invested currently after taking over as acting CEO. As a leader I feel that my role is to provide overall leadership and vision to entities that are not only making money, but making a difference while doing it.

How would you leadership style?

describe

your

My leadership style has somehow evolved due to many challenges and lessons learnt along the way. I guess I am calmer now, but still battle-hardened.

I think in the position I find myself where you are building businesses from scratch, you cannot afford to be one who is striving to win the congeniality award of the company. I am not afraid to make the difficult decisions that nobody else is willing to take and I encourage my staff to do the same. I urge them not to be afraid to make decisions and to have a clear focus when doing so.

What would you say are the highs and lows you have experienced recently?

There have been very few lows at Pamoja where we have built a solid business with a good leadership. It is a Pan African franchise which will soon be celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

We are grateful to God for the success we have achieved. We compete with the big consulting firms out there and beat them fairly. It is a high to look at the people we have; people who wear their hearts and loyalty on their sleeves.

At BrightWave, this is a business of the future that requires a long term view and deep pockets to run. Unfortunately, due to the pioneer role we play, the plan has not always worked out as well as we would have hoped. The biggest challenge is to convince the key shareholders and stakeholders that we still have a plan despite the many changes. We think we have now found a sweet spot and we are turning the corner. Although it has been a rough ride, the joy of seeing it coming together and the validation we are receiving that what we are doing is revolutionary and the fact that this validation is coming from major international organisations such as Microsoft and Facebook, has been a very satisfying feeling. based on our market study, Soweto on its own is a 5-billion-rand a month economy and we plan on expanding our offering to other townships in Gauteng and ultimately in the country and across the continent.

What would you like to have achieved by the time you step down from the leadership of these companies?

At Pamoja we have a very good succession plan in place. We have a www.theafricanpro.com

Southern Africa CEO Faith Mwaura in place who is leading the local office impressively alongside Executive Director Thathi Makunga. In Kenya, we have two consummate professionals in Jeff Gangla and Ed Wachira who have made great strides for an office that is barely a decade old.

At BrightWave, I would like to leave the organisation with a fine tuned model and with every township connected. We are well on the way and soon shall be making some big announcement with respect to the direction of the business, which is quite exciting. From 1 August 2016, we will be rolling out our E-learning offering called BrightWave Lightbulb.

This platform will ensure that access to quality learning material and quality tutors is not a preserve of the halves.

Any student in Soweto under the areas of our coverage will have access to this platform for free. We will be increasing our offering to cover the more than 350,000 households in Soweto and other townships. Our signature product, the 30GB of data for R149 Home-Connect product is fast becoming popular and we expect to expand the coverage. Our message to the people in the township is simple: Fast, affordable and good user experience quality internet is no longer a myth or a preserve of those with means. With our partners we are also rolling out E-Health solutions and soon we shall be launching video-on-demand services which will be zero-rated from a data perspective. The people of Soweto will have access to blockbuster movies & access to their favorite series in the comfort of their homes, on their palms and at their parks. We are proud

C. Mwaura (right) receives trophy from V. Nti (Awards judge)

to be the first company to roll out the first data centre in a township. This data centre was commissioned at the beginning of July 2016 in the heart of Soweto and it will enable residents within the environs of the centre to benefit from multiple cloud solutions.

We are calling on all entrepreneurs that would like to have hosting services at affordable rates to visit our data centre at Protea Point. The data centre will also enable SMME’s to have access to our cloud based business applications such as Microsoft-In-A-Box at a low cost that will enable them to transact more efficiently with their customers and also give access to essential services such as banking. Lastly, people in Soweto will have access to quality voice services that are zero-rated for on-net calls within Soweto and very low cost if they breakout of Soweto or call other service providers.

We have been approached in the past and we are of the view that this is not sustainable. Sometimes we lose jobs as a result, but we are happy that you will not open a newspaper today and find a scandal about us.

If you look at some of the entities we were competing against a decade ago, very few are still standing. It is all about your name and once you ruin it, you have no leg to stand on. We also have joint bids with international companies who conduct intensive vetting of our company before working with us.

KC ROTTOK www.theafricanpro.com

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ALAN KEEP

LAW PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

A

lan Keep has been a Managing Partner at Bowman Gilfillan since 2014 during which time he has advised on the structuring and implementation of numerous significant black economic empowerment transactions in the South African market.

What does it mean to you that your colleagues have entrusted you with the position of CEO?

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It is an incredible honour to have been nominated by the board and subsequently voted in by the body of partners to this position. On the one hand, I feel there is pressure that comes with running a business of this size while on the other I feel an even greater sense of duty to my partner colleagues.

What do you hope to have achieved by the end of your five-year term?

The broad objective for my term is to better our one firm approach across our offices in Africa. I would also like to see the firm through the changing environment in which we are practicing where we now compete with a number of global firms that have entered our market. We need to demonstrate that African players can play a leading role in the practice of law.

What would you say is your leadership and management style?

I believe in leading with humility and understanding the challenges in which one operates. I am naturally curious and engaging which is essential in an environment that comprises many

different areas involving very diverse people.

have with them. That keeps me awake at night.

What qualities do you believe led to your election as CEO?

What accolades have you and the firm won?

I have worked across many disciplines.

My passion for taking the firm forward from a young age and my interest in the business, rather than just the practice of law, held me in good standing. It is a challenge managing people and finances with limited training in this area, but fortunately I have had the opportunity to upskill myself on the leadership of law firms which has helped.

We were recently ranked the South African law firm of the year by Who’s Who Legal. At the Dealmakers Award, we won the mergers and acquisitions award in Africa for the past two years.

I was also recognised as the Managing Partner of the year for the African continent at the Law Digest Awards last year which was significant.

What events would you cite as highs and lows of your working career?

I think one of the lows would be coming to work one day and finding the CEO of one of our biggest clients remonstrating with a partner - he felt that a particular transaction had not been handled properly and we needed to work hard to bring the client back on track. The highs would be the recognition of peers and colleagues, and of course my appointment to the position of Managing Partner.

What makes you tick or what keeps you awake at night?

Are we doing enough to make our clients keep coming back to us? That depends on the people we employ and how we treat them. Clients are attracted to smart lawyers who give them the right solutions in the right way. The brand is only as good as the talent of our people and the experience that clients www.theafricanpro.com

Is transformation a key objective for the firm?

In our market, we need to unlock the potential of all the people across demographics. Of the South African partners elected to our board four are black. It is sometimes inevitable that we lose good people but we take pride in watching them grow even outside our business. Businessman Patrice Motsepe and Standard Bank CEO Sim Tshabalala were trained here.

How does your firm ensure that the professionals practice ethics and integrity?

Our law firm has only its people and its reputation at the end of the day so they are our key focus in both our operations and training. It is something we consistently work at to create an ethical environment. We are quick to check inappropriate partner behaviour and engage clients on any conduct that concerns them.

How has your firm contributed to the legal profession?

One of our partners sits on the Law Society Council and we undertake pro bono projects. We also give bursaries and prizes for academic excellence and work with universities to attract disadvantaged students to the law profession which is our long-term objective. Our South African lawyers provided over 8 000 hours of pro bono legal services, valued at approximately R15,9 million for the financial year ending 28 February 2016.

How has the firm fared in terms of achieving its business growth objectives?

In East Africa, we have experienced phenomenal growth. As a group, we have grown well in challenging markets where we are competing against foreign firms which was not the case five years ago. We are pleased with how things have gone.

What are you passionate about?

I am passionate about the work we doing on the African continent and the progress we have made. My focus is on moving forward while acknowledging a difficult past that should have been different. I believe that if we bring the good from our different backgrounds we could be very powerful in making life better for all.

KC ROTTOK www.theafricanpro.com

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EBRAHIM DHORAT BIG 4 PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR preserving to achieve what is definitely a worthwhile goal.

What has been the highlight of your career?

There are many things to be appreciative off, but as I reflect probably the highlight to mention would be the feedback and stories I hear from individuals who mention my having a positive impact on their lives and careers. This is indeed a legacy I am proud of and strive daily to achieve.

What principles and values do you think are important for any professional and why?

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Demonstrating integrity, honesty, respect and teaming which is underpinned by hard work and energy (or fighting spirit).

These values define who we are. They influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve and engage with our communities.

E

brahim Dhorat CA (SA), Partner at EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young).- Head of the Real Estate, Construction and Hospitality sector.

What advice do you have for younger professionals who are looking forward to joining the profession?

Hard work, teamwork and passion – putting your heart in your work and

Explain what contribution you have made to your current company since joining it?

Taken as a given, matters relating to early warning & quality were addressed admirably where the reputation of the firm is soundly protected. On the markets front, good sales were made on the back of a large diverse portfolio.

Over and above, I have been involved in setting of strategy, leading a market segment for the African business www.theafricanpro.com

(construction, hospitality and real estate) and passionately serving in the role of group & staff manager which encompassed people matters.

What has been your contribution to your profession and the community at large?

As a profession, visiting schools to discuss the profession, coaching and mentoring individuals that are now at SAICA and serve on various boards, listed companies, IRBA etc.

Interestingly, my own entrepreneurial spirit supported individuals in using the skills from the profession to start up their own business. Proudly, I see my role as churning out true leaders who in themselves will foster a productive society of the future.

What is your management and leadership philosophy?

Having observed and worked under differing management approaches, I found that leading by example, listening, collaborating (or mutual consultation) and not micro-managing are important to ensure success is achieved. I value integrity in personal and professional advancement, looking for credible, hard working and dedicated team players.

What are you passionate about/keeps you awake at night/makes you tick?

People, people, people. It’s all about building capabilities, such capabilities that involve diversity, inclusiveness, creativity and leaders that are responsive by adapting to changing conditions

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– not just for themselves but for the organisation as well. Never manage the money, manage those who produce the money, or as I like to say manage those who produce the enthusiasm to ensure the right outcomes.

What mentorship activities do you undertake?

Certain activities have been noted in question 1 point 8 as follows – ‘… application of his skill and talents towards his keen interest and visible passion around progression of individuals, the broader community

and helping to create leaders that will take this country forward. This is aptly depicted by his active involvement in providing services pro bono to the local school (1100+ students), Burial Services, Bursary Fund and Community Police Forum (CPF) in the area. He is the Secretary now for over a decade on the Executive of one of our major local NGO’s in the Johannesburg area with annual operational expenditure in excess of R4.5million (all funded exclusively through donations). He is equipped with a track record of success evidenced through senior community references’ www.theafricanpro.com

This is a great question and should be a KPI of every Professional, I remind myself regularly that we should use every day on the job coaching to ensure we create a great place to do great work in the process create outstanding entrepreneurs and leaders for a better working world. This type of mentorship especially when the mentor and mentee are both committed yields outstanding results.

Let’s be driven by principle not profits.

KEITH KUNDAI

PROF. MICHAEL KATZ

P

CHAIRMAN OF ENSAFRICA

rofessor Michael Katz is chairman of ENSafrica specialising in corporate and commercial law, including advising on several areas including mergers and acquisitions. Michael is regularly quoted in the media and speaks at a number of international and domestic conferences and high profile events.

Michael publishes numerous articles, chapters and papers on legal and fiscal topics. He has held the position of chair at several significant private and public levels and he is recognised as a professor at various institutions including Wits, Tuks, Free State University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His accolades include recognition at the Dealmakers Awards, The International Who’s Who of Merger and Acquisition Lawyers and the ACQ Global Awards.

M. Katz (left) and B.Eaton (right) 46

LAVERY MODISE

CHAIRMAN OF HOGAN LOVELLS

I

n addition to his duties as Chairman of Hogan Lovells in South Africa, Lavery Modise focuses on all aspects of employment and labour law and represents clients in all courts up to the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court.

He has been called upon to act as a judge of the Labour Court from time to time. In addition, he acts as arbitrator and mediator in labour related matters for corporate and government institutions.

Lavery has advised a number of prominent companies and boards as well as state-owned entities. In addition, he has chaired various disciplinary inquiries relating to misconduct committed by senior management executives at entities such as various government departments. Lavery has received Best Lawyers of South Africa awards for Labour and Employment, and has been recommended in Legal 500 as a “seasoned professional with extensive court experience”. He had a monthly employment law column in the Sowetan for eight years and has been featured in Financial Mail’s Little Black Book since 2005.

www.theafricanpro.com

SURESH KANA

CHAIRMAN OF IMPERIAL HOLDINGS

S

uresh Kana was the Chief Executive Officer of PWC Southern Africa and also acted as the Africa Region Senior Partner until June 2016. Prior to assuming this position on 1 June 2009, Suresh held the position as the PwC Southern Africa Assurance leader. During this time he lead the largest service line within PwC Southern Africa, and deepened his relationships with large and small corporates, top 40 listed companies, government departments and regulators. He has vast experience in writing and commenting on matters that affect the auditing and accounting profession and serves on a number of key industry bodies. He served on the PwC Global Board and its Strategy Council. He is the Chairman of the Financial Standards Reporting Council of South Africa, and a member of the King Committee on Governance. He is a non-executive director of Murray & Roberts Limited and the JSE Limited, and is a Professor of Accounting at the University of Johannesburg. Suresh was appointed as a non-executive director to the board of Imperial Holdings on 1 September 2015 and appointed as independent non-executive chairman of the board on 3 November 2015.

S. Kana (left) and D. Shango (right) 47

TREVOR BROWN

CHAIRMAN DELOITTE AFRICA

T

revor joined Deloitte in 1979 and was admitted to the partnership in 1988. He was appointed Partner-in-Charge of the Johannesburg Audit office in 1997 and was appointed to the firm's Executive Committee (Exco) in 1998 as the Service Line Leader of Audit. During 2005, he was appointed as the Clients & Markets leader of the Southern African firm and continued to serve on Exco. In 2011, Trevor resigned from Exco and was elected to the Southern Africa Board on 1 September 2011 as the Johannesburg representative. He was then elected by the Board as its Chairman and was re-elected to this role in August 2014.

He has been actively involved as Advisory Partner to many of the firm’s audit clients and is currently the Relationship Partner to The Bidvest Group.

Trevor says he believes in a culture that displays a "tone at the top" which is above reproach, and which drives a robust and effective governance process.

www.theafricanpro.com

PHILL MASHABANE

FOUNDER OF MASHABANE ROSE ARCHITECTS

P

hill completed his studies in Paris where he obtained his degree in Architecture, and three years later enrolled and completed his LLB in the same city. In 1995, he registered Mashabane Rose architects together with Jeremy Rose. In 2012, he completed his studies in Alternative Dispute Resolution with the University of Pretoria and he also boasts a Master of Science degree in Knowledge and Project Management through the University of Salford. Phill has been an external examiner at several tertiary institutions in South Africa and on the African continent covering areas of Professional Practice. With over thirty years in the industry and many awards under his belt.

He has contributed to a broad variety of prestigious projects including the Apartheid Museum, and most recently the sculpture of Nelson Mandela in Howick. Amongst other competencies, Phill is an accredited Mediator, also a skilled Facilitator, Negotiator and a Commercial and Construction Arbitrator.

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HASHIM BHAM

FOUNDER OF BTKM QUANTITY SURVEYORS

H

ashim Bham started working in his father’s hardware shop where he got inspiration to work in the Built Environment. Of the options available, quantity surveying sounded most interesting to him. Being of Indian descent, it was difficult to obtain a permit from the apartheid government to study this discipline at Wits instead of at Durban Westville University. However, Hashim obtained the permit after a three month wait and after graduating he decided to pursue a post-graduate qualification in town planning at the University of Natal.

He served an internship at a quantity surveying firm in Johannesburg before teaming up with Imtiaz Tayob to start their own firm in 1984. It was a difficult start given that most government and private work was preserved for their white competitors. Tayob moved to Durban in 1986 and the firm was later joined by Thembi Matunda based in Port Elizabeth and Nazeem Khan based in Cape Town.

H. Bham (left) and B. Adam (right)

Today the firm Hashim co-founded BTKM is a fully-fledged national practice with offices in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, King Williams Town, Umtata, Pretoria and Polokwane. www.theafricanpro.com

Illusionist W. Riebe

P. Dube (Sanlam)

Commendation for Z. Sithole (Pentad)

Commendation for W. Cele (Hatch)

MC J. Goliath

Commendation for B. Adam (Nexia)

Commendation for RSM

Commendation for N. Ntshona (NNAQS)

Commendation for A. Louca (ANLO)

Commendation for Akweni

Commendation for V. Sekese (SNG)

Commendation for I. Beaumont (WSP)

Commendation for X. Huyberechts (GLH)

Commendation for M. Sudarkasa (ABG)

Shining a light on Zimbabwean achievement globally

Contact: info@enrichzimbabwe.com

CUB3D/SAA534

THE ART OF FLYING REDEFINED

OUR NEW A330-300 SIGNAL A NEW LUXURY IN FLYING. We’re proud to bring the ultimate in luxury and comfort on board our new Airbus A330-300.

These additions to our fleet feature elegantly decorated interiors and high-resolution in-flight entertainment systems for both Economy and Business Class.

Passengers can now experience improved privacy and room to relax. The new fleet is testament to our commitment to improve every journey and go to uncharted territories.

Go to flysaa.com or call +27 11 978 1111 or contact your local travel agent to book.

The new aircraft currently only fly on selected international routes. Interiors are not standard across all fleet. *Only in Business Class.