Women at Sol Plaatje University, including staff, students and alumni, have established themselves as pioneers, progressive leaders and change agents within the University and the community of Kimberley.
From having the first female Deputy Vice-Chancellor, first female Chief Financial Officer, first female Head of School and the first female SRC president, gender and transformation in Sol Plaatje University has made remarkable strands.
To commemorate National Women’s Month, SPU will feature a collection of narratives to provide insight into the remarkable undertakings of some of the women who were the first in their respective positions and how they became champions of transformation using their education, expertise and voices.
The highlight of the narrative showcase will be a visual seminar, theme: Gender and Transformation in Higher Education, on 30 August 2020 presented by Professor Mary Jean Baxen.
The seminar will be facilitated by the current SPU SRC President, Ms Ntesang Makutu.
Today we celebrate Ms Annalene Marais, SPU’s Chief Financial Officer, as she takes us on her remarkable journey. This is her story.
1. Tell us about your work
I am a qualified chartered accountant CA(SA) with 10 years’ experience in accounting and auditing in various sectors of the economy – including agriculture, mining, local and provincial government.
I have been employed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at SPU in Kimberley, South Africa, since 1 December 2018 – an exciting project which presents me with both great challenges and amazing opportunities!
Being chosen as the first Chief Financial Officer of SPU at the age of 33 was certainly one of the highlights in my career. Not only do I get to make a difference in my community, but I am writing history every day at work as I help to lay the foundations for establishing excellence in education in the vast Northern Cape province.
During 2018 I was fortunate enough to be selected as one of the finalists in the Top 35-under-35 CA(SA)’s competition hosted by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) which gave me the unique opportunity to engage with some of South Africa’s most inspirational and innovative young professionals.
2. Why or how did you become interested in this specific area of work?
I did not always know that I wanted to be a Chartered Accountant. Up until the very last minute before registering for a B. Accounting degree, I was still considering the possibility of becoming a musician. (It was my father who convinced me to pursue the CA(SA) route).
Only later, towards the end of my studies, I started to develop a love for the CA profession, as I began to understand the strategic role and importance of this profession in various sectors of the economy, and society as a whole.
During my time as an audit trainee, I realised that, whilst I enjoyed the auditing environment, I was not satisfied that I was making enough of an impact. I felt a sense of urgency to assist in addressing key issues identified during audits, rather than simply reporting on it.
This realisation eventually led me to become a financial manager at Sol Plaatje municipality to assist in achieving a turnaround in their audit outcomes, and finally to enter the Higher Education space, where I can make a tangible contribution to education in the Northern Cape.
I love the fact that I work in a dynamic, ever-changing and ever-challenging environment.
3. Why do you think this is such an important area of work for South African women?
The words of our former president, Mr Nelson Mandela immediately come to mind: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
In a country riddled with corruption, unemployment and economic challenges, I believe that investing in Education is the way to address most of these issues.
Women should take their rightful position in all sectors of the economy, but the Education sector is especially important due to the direct impact it has on society.
The workplace needs women, because we bring a different perspective – we are natural problem solvers and multi-taskers. Our diverse interests and responsibilities further promote creativity and the ability to work effectively under severe pressure.
4. What would you consider the greatest impact of your work on women in the country?
I remain passionate about making a difference in my community through education and sharing of best practices.
I therefore serve on various forums – including the Public Sector Accounting Forum (PSAF) during my tenure at the municipality, the SAICA Kimberley District Committee (I was recently elected as a member of the SAICA Central Region Council and Chairperson of the District) and was also elected as a Board Member of a Non-profit Company, the Chartered Institute of Finance, Audit and Risk Officers (CIGFARO) from 1 October 2018.
All these forums and platforms are aimed at capacitating, educating, developing and professionalising public servants and the furtherance of ethical and transparent leadership in South Africa.
It is also my goal to, through these platforms, inspire and motivate other women to reach their potential.
5. What would your message be for the next generation of women CFOs?
The role of female CFO’s (and women finance leaders in general) is constantly changing and evolving. We live in an era where the usual rules no longer apply – a time that requires creativity and innovation, and is unpredictable at its very core.
Very often, though, it is exactly these elements of unpredictability and imperfection which inspire exceptional achievement.
My message, therefore, to future women CFOs is to be adaptable to change and to continue to foster the essential traits, key relationships and skills which underpin great leadership. These include (in my view) an insatiable curiosity to learn new things, courage to step up to a challenge, accountability and ethical responsibility.
Lastly, it is true that men still outnumber women in the CFO job by about 6.5 to 1, according to a recent study published by Bloomberg. There is a lot of pressure on women in senior roles to compete with and outperform their male peers.
My advice in this regard is for women to remain true to their unique authenticity – don’t try too hard to be one of the boys!
