5 Successful Women in Finance

By Martin Hesse

The financial services industry is still dominated by men, but it is transforming relatively quickly and opening its arms to women, who are increasingly enjoying successful and rewarding careers in the world of money.

PAT MAGADLA

Pat has 17 years’ experience in the financial services industry, having worked for several large financial institutions spanning private client businesses, offshore multi-management, and local asset management firms. In her current role, as senior business development manager for the Old Mutual Investment Group, her persuasive communication skills, incisiveness and strategic mindedness blended with technical investment knowledge help drive the organisation’s retail distribution strategy. Pat is enthusiastic about helping investors achieve their investment outcomes and believes that prudent financial management is an intersection of art and science. She also has a keen interest in empowering women to take charge of their financial wellbeing.

LELANÉ BEZUIDENHOUT

Lelané started her career in financial services in 1999 when she joined one of the large life insurers. From 2006 she specialised in complaints resolution, and in 2010 she joined the office of the Ombud for Financial Services Providers as a case manager investigating complaints and preparing matters for the adjudication team. In early 2014 she joined the Financial Planning Institute (FPI) as certification manager and two years later she was promoted to head of certification and standards. A Certified Financial Planner professional, she is currently the CEO of the FPI, where she strives to ensure that the FPI delivers on its vision of “better financial planning for all”.

HESTER VAN DER MERWE

After graduating with a law degree from the University of Pretoria, Hester worked in debt collection at Boland Bank. Later, working for attorneys who specialised in collecting micro loans, she realised how few people understand the documents they sign. In 2003, after having taken a step back from work to raise her children, she took a half-day job with a financial planner. She obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning and became a Certified Financial Planner … she had finally found her calling. Hester joined Ultima Financial Planners in 2015, where she focuses on practical advice, detailed planning and unwavering commitment to her clients. In 2020 she was crowned Financial Planner of the Year.

YOZA JEKWA

Yoza qualified as a medical doctor from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1988 before switching careers to finance, completing an MBA in 2003. She was appointed joint managing director of Mergence Investment Managers in 2019 following 17 years of investment experience in private markets, and has just been appointed CEO. In her previous positions as senior dealmaker at Rand Merchant Bank and member of the Investment Banking Africa board, as well as in her role as principal in acquisition and leverage finance at Nedbank, Yoza gained solid experience in the financing of mid- to large-cap corporations in Southern Africa and Europe. She sits on the boards of Ascendis Health and Northern Platinum.

RAAZIA GANIE

Raazia is head of investments at employee benefits firm NMG Benefits, which, along with NMG Capital and NMG Consulting, is part of the global NMG financial services group. She completed a BCom at UCT intending to become a chartered accountant, but was attracted to the investment industry. Her first position was in the investment business unit at Old Mutual. She later joined Fifth Quadrant (now Willis Towers Watson), which launched her career in asset consulting. She then went abroad, working at consultancies in London and obtaining the Chartered Financial Analyst accreditation. On moving back to South Africa, Raazia spent 10 years at Alexander Forbes as a principal consultant before taking up her current position.