Finance Manager at Mdalisu Investment Pty Ltd (2025-04 – Present)
- Developed and implemented company-wide financial strategies aligned with executive business objectives, providing data-driven forecasting and scenario-based risk analysis to guide C-suite decision-making.
- Built and managed annual budgets across all departments; monitored expenditure against targets, identified variance root causes, and recommended corrective actions — instilling tighter cost-control disciplines throughout the organisation.
- Produced monthly financial statements, management reports, and board-level presentations, ensuring 100% on-time compliance with SARS requirements, tax legislation, and applicable financial regulations.
- Optimised accounts payable and receivable cycles to improve working capital efficiency, reducing collection lag and maintaining consistent cash flow stability across the fiscal year.
- Designed and enforced an internal controls framework and financial risk policy suite, proactively mitigating fraud exposure and financial mismanagement risk across all business units.
- Managed and coordinated relationships with banks, external auditors, SARS, and regulatory bodies, streamlining audit preparation and ensuring seamless statutory submission processes.
- Led, mentored, and developed the finance team, aligning individual KPIs with strategic business goals and building a culture of professional accountability and continuous improvement.
Financial Director at C Potco Pty Ltd (2023-02 – 2025-01)
- Directed full-function financial operations — debtors, creditors, management accounts, and bank reconciliations — ensuring accuracy and integrity across all financial records for a growing SME.
- Monitored revenue streams and cost of sales monthly, identifying operational cost inefficiencies and implementing targeted controls that protected company gross margins.
- Managed SARS statutory return submissions and external auditor liaison, achieving on-time regulatory compliance across all statutory deadlines throughout tenure.
- Maintained the fixed asset register and processed monthly depreciation journals in line with applicable accounting standards, ensuring accurate long-term asset tracking.
- Supervised and upskilled a junior finance team, measurably improving processing accuracy and reducing turnaround times for monthly financial reporting cycles.
- Concurrently managed all HR operations — payroll processing (VIP), staff onboarding, employment contract drafting, and IR administration — as dual Finance and HR Director.
Finance Manager & HR Manager at African Arete (2012-06 – 2023-01)
10-year tenure with four internal promotions: Finance Assistant → Bookkeeper → Senior Bookkeeper → Finance Manager
Finance Manager at African Arete (2016-07 – 2023-01)
- Oversaw full-function debtors and creditors portfolios across the full tenure, maintaining consistent collections efficiency, supplier payment compliance, and accurate reconciliations throughout.
- Prepared, analysed, and interpreted monthly management accounts, delivering timely financial insights that informed strategic business and operational decisions at executive level.
- Submitted all SARS statutory returns — VAT, PAYE, and related obligations — with a consistent on-time compliance record across all reporting periods.
- Prepared audit files and served as primary liaison with external auditors on an annual basis, streamlining the audit cycle and minimising query resolution turnaround time.
- Processed all accruals and journal entries, maintaining the integrity of the general ledger across multiple accounting periods and ensuring clean month-end close.
- Led and mentored junior finance staff, providing hands-on coaching that elevated team competency and sustained departmental output through periods of business growth.
Senior Bookkeeper at African Arete (2014-12 – 2016-06)
- Managed full payroll processing via VIP for all employees — including new-hire onboarding and banking detail updates — ensuring accurate and timely payroll disbursements each cycle.
- Prepared and submitted VAT returns and Workmen's Compensation filings, maintaining full statutory compliance across all applicable reporting obligations.
- Drafted employment contracts and performed bank reconciliations, providing cross-functional support to the broader finance and HR operation.
Bookkeeper at African Arete (2013-01 – 2014-11)
- Managed full-function creditors — invoicing, reconciliations, and payment runs — and full-function debtors including invoicing and reconciliation, building a foundation for escalating responsibilities.
Finance Assistant at African Arete (2012-06 – 2012-12)
- Supported debtors function including invoicing, collections, client reconciliations, and statement distribution; managed delivery note verification and general financial administration.
Debtors Manager at The Wet Zone (2011-03 – 2012-05)
- Managed the full debtors function — invoicing, collections, reconciliations, and client account queries — maintaining a healthy aged debtors book with proactive overdue account escalation.
- Conducted regular age analysis reviews to identify and escalate high-risk accounts, supporting improved debtor days and cash flow performance for the business.
- Supervised a junior finance team and provided cross-functional support across creditors processing, payroll administration, and fixed asset management.
Accounts Clerk at Business Solutions (2010-03 – 2011-02)
- Managed full-function creditors processing including invoice capture, reconciliations, and payment runs across multiple supplier accounts.
- Prepared and interpreted management accounts, developing core competencies in financial analysis and management reporting.
Accounts Clerk at Accounting Professionals Networks (2009-03 – 2010-02)
- Supported SARS compliance activities and audit file preparation for a professional accounting firm, gaining exposure to a range of client accounts and statutory requirements.
- Managed client correspondence, front-of-house reception, and general financial administration for a busy practice.
Assistant Creditors Clerk (Vacation Work) at Sappi (2006 – 2009)
- Verified supplier invoices against GRVs and supported general financial administration and filing — foundational early-career experience within a large corporate environment.
