Herman Mawela

Senior Financial Accountant with over 12 years of experience in financial reporting, tax compliance, payroll management, budgeting, audit support, and management accounting. Experienced in preparing monthly management accounts, overseeing statutory submissions, managing cash flow, and driving process improvements. Proficient in SAP, Sage Evolution, Pastel, and Advanced Excel.

Recognized for implementing automation and payment process improvements that enhanced accuracy, efficiency, and financial control.

Senior Financial Accountant at The Institute of Directors (IoDSA) (2021-10 – Present)

• SARS Compliance: Managed accurate and timeous monthly EMP201 and VAT201 submissions, including tax verifications and the resolution of SARS queries and assessments.
• Payroll Administration: Oversaw monthly payroll processing and pension fund submissions, ensuring full compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
• General Ledger Management: Maintained cashbooks, processed monthly journals, and performed General Ledger reconciliations, including accruals, prepayments, payroll, and balance sheet accounts.
• Financial Reporting: Supported the Finance Manager in analysing revenue and expenditure trends and preparing monthly management accounts and financial reports.
• Audit Coordination: Prepared comprehensive monthly audit files and facilitated external audit processes by providing accurate financial records and supporting documentation.
• Treasury & Banking: Controlled supplier payment processes and electronic fund transfers through FNB Online Banking, ensuring accuracy, security, and timely execution.
• Working Capital Management: Managed customer invoicing, transaction allocations, account queries, and debtor and creditor ageing to optimise cash flow and strengthen working capital.
• Process Improvement: Contributed to the development and implementation of accounting process improvements that enhanced efficiency, strengthened controls, and reduced processing delays.

Senior Financial Accountant at Hello Group (Pty) Ltd (2014-10 – 2021-10)

• SARS & Income Tax: Managed corporate tax compliance, encompassing monthly VAT201 and EMP201 submissions alongside Corporate Income Tax and Provisional Tax (IRP6) returns.
• Management Accounts & Budgeting: Compiled monthly management accounts and collaborated with the management team on annual budget formulation to align operational spending with financial targets.
• Financial Analysis & Flash Reporting: Delivered high-level financial analysis and rapid "flash results" to provide the management team with early visibility into monthly profitability and business performance.
• Audit File Review & Oversight: Exercised strict quality control by reviewing monthly audit files, ensuring all balance sheet accounts were fully reconciled and supported before management sign-off.
• Fixed Asset Register Maintenance: Maintained and the corporate Fixed Asset Register (FAR), ensuring accurate depreciation calculations, capital expenditure tracking, and compliance with accounting standards.
• Inventory Control & Valuations: Oversaw inventory processing, organized physical stock counts, and executed stock ledger reconciliations to identify and resolve valuation variances.
• Intercompany Account Reconciliations: Managed intercompany transactions across group entities, ensuring accurate matching, elimination, and reconciliation of loan accounts.
• General Ledger & Journal Governance: Controlled month-end closing procedures by processing complex journals and reviewing high-level GL reconciliations, including payroll clearings, accruals, and prepayments.
• Cash Flow & Liquidity Management: Monitored corporate liquidity and cash flow forecasts to ensure adequate funding was available for planned vendor payments and automated debit orders.
• FNB Banking Operations: Supervised and reviewing payment requisitions and loading bulk electronic fund transfers (EFTs) securely onto FNB Online Banking.
• Working Capital Optimization: Managed day-to-day transactional allocations, customer invoicing, and supplier/debtor ageing analysis to maximize cash collection efficiency.

Trainee Accountant at GMFA Accountants (Firm) (2013-07 – 2014-10)

• Client Portfolio Management: Spearheaded end-to-end accounting, payroll, and tax services for a diverse portfolio of corporate clients, acting as a trusted advisor to Managing Director on strategic financial matters.
• SARS & Statutory Tax: Managed comprehensive tax compliance for clients via SARS eFiling, including the submission of VAT201s, Corporate Income Tax, and Provisional Tax (IRP6) returns.
• Payroll & EMP501 Reconciliations: Directed monthly client payroll processing and executed accurate bi-annual and annual EMP501 reconciliations, ensuring seamless IRP5 generation.
• Management Accounts & Reporting: Compiled and delivered accurate monthly management accounts to clients, providing critical financial insights to support their business growth.
• Full-Function Bookkeeping: Maintained client books from source documentation up to Trial Balance, ensuring meticulous ledger accuracy and transaction allocation.
• Audit Readiness & Facilitation: Constructed comprehensive, audit-ready financial files for external auditors to facilitate seamless annual reviews for clients.
• CIPC & COIDA Compliance: Oversaw client statutory compliance by managing annual CIPC submissions and COIDA Return of Earnings filings.
• Company & Labour Registrations: Managed new business setups by executing company registrations, SARS tax registrations, and Department of Employment and Labour profiles (UIF and COIDA).
• Advisory & Client Relations: Provided expert consultation to clients regarding statutory compliance, South African labour legislation, and evolving SARS regulations to mitigate legal and financial risks.
• Office Administration: Handled general office administration and internal workflows to maintain high operational efficiency within the firm.

B-Com in Accounting – University of Johannesburg (2009 – 2012)