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Transcript of Expatriate SA Magazine Issue 8
• Leroy Munetsi – M&F’s Man for Africa • Quartile Capital’s Modise Motloba • David Iraka – Head of Offshore Services, SA • African American at a Zulu Wedding • Jobs in Africa - backpage!
w w w . e x p a t r i a t e . c o . z a
A f r i c a n P r o f e s s i o n a l s B e y o n d B o r d e r s
Issue 8
R 29,95
9 772218 757007 >80011
IK Osakioduwa The Face of Big Brother Africa
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SA Generic Insert-AD A4.indd 1 08/08/12 14:41
eet Clara Masinde;
a woman who
has embraced a
r e v o l u t i o n a r y
lifestyle and
l i t e r a l l y
ran with
it. Clara
had been
o v e r w e i g h t
since turning 13
and struggled with
her weight through
her teenage years and
beyond. She had attempted
numerous fad diets - fruit
only, protein only, juice diets,
replacement meals, diet pills,
you name it! All with very
short lived results and yoyo
weight gain that left her quite
certain she would never shake the
fat monkey off her back. Resigned
to the fate of being the ‘big girl’,
she was a plus-sized clothing guru
and cleverly accessorized to shift
focus off her weight. This in time
became the famous pink elephant
(with bright gold speckles) in the
room that was neither discussed nor
dealt with.
After a lot of introspection
during the months leading up to her
34th birthday, she set some powerful
personal goals for her future. One of
these was dubbed “35 by 35” in other
words to lose 35 kilograms by her
35th birthday. With her mind in the
right place, she joined a gym after
a fifteen year hiatus and cautiously
begun a search for an eating regimen
that would help her achieve her
ambitious goal. The search ended
when she encountered and signed up
for the Fat Loss Laboratory program.
In just two months she had lost
17kilos and went on to attain her “35
by 35” in just under six months.
“What attracted me to Fat Loss
Lab was their approach,” she explains.
“For the first time ever, I heard it
acknowledged that the overweight
and obese have metabolisms that
don’t behave the same as thin
people. Fat Loss Lab is based on
the proven premise that hormonal
imbalance results in weight gain. In
people with weight problems, certain
hormones that regulate metabolism
are out of balance and sufferers
constantly crave food and gain
weight whether they eat a little or a
lot. I had finally found an explanation
for my frustration with food. Gone
was the ‘Eat less and exercise more!’
adage underlying all the diets I had
tried. Instead, here was a programme
that dealt with me as an individual,
a sheer hormonal masterpiece of
creation.”
In a nutshell, Fat Loss Lab requires
a set of blood tests which are read
together with your medical history
to determine an eating programme
specifically for you and your blood
diagnostics. This is in order to trigger
a chemical reaction in your body
that results in fat loss. Once the
desired goal weight is achieved, the
“I lost 17 kilos in just two months and went on to attain my goal of 35 kilo’s by my 35th birthday. The success convinced me to become a full-time Fat Loss Lab agent...”
next phases of the program are the
re-feeding and lifestyle maintenance
which reintroduce a wider variety of
foods and teach an individual how to
eat healthily for life as well as keep
the weight off for good!
“The outcomes of the
programme have been life (and
wardrobe) changing, far exceeding my
expectations,”
she beams.
“I have the
greatest sense
of wellbeing,
stable hunger
levels and
lots of energy
to be an
involved mum to my two young
sons. Following on this success and
having recently relocated to South
Africa with my mind and heart open
to new possibilities, I decided to
become a Fat Loss Lab agent here
and in my home country Kenya to
help other people along the journey
of revealing their best selves. I am
also a coach in training and aspire
to become a certified life coach. I
previously thought myself cut out for
the corporate world, having risen to
the top of my game as a formidable
call centre manager in the banking
industry with ten years local and
international experience. Whilst this
was professionally satisfying, it did
not resonate closely with my passion
for helping people make the best
of their present circumstances in
order to live authentic lives. Running
my Fat Loss
Lab business
is radically
different and
closely aligned
to my purpose.
I put love into
what I do and
strive to be a
blessing to everyone I encounter.”
Clara Masinde | +27 79 860 7362 | [email protected] | www.fatlosslab.co.za
Before After
A Story of Reinvention
One World Advert 210x297mm FA.indd 1 2/20/12 9:51:38 AM
One World Advert 210x297mm FA.indd 1 2/20/12 9:51:38 AM
Contents
8 Editorial
10 Inside Home Affairs: Here is the good news!
11 Expat-tivities
16 IK Osakioduwa - Face of Big Brother Africa
20 Leroy Munetsi - Mutual & Federal’s Man For Africa
25 Quartile Capital’s Modise Motloba
29 Delta Cab’s Emmanuel Omaruaye
32 Expat-towers - Tintswalo at Waterfall
36 Scholastica Kimaryo - Recent U.N Co-ordinator in SA
38 David Iraka - Head of Offshore
Services (Africa), Standard Bank
40 African American at a Zulu Wedding
43 Senkubuge - Cupid’s Rubik’s Cube
44 Book Review - You are not a country Africa
47 Know Your Envoy - Rwandan Ambassador
50 Hanging on with Hannington:
Community service for Expats
52 The Last Word
53 Jobs in Africa
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08 EXPATRIATE
spent three months in Boston,
USA in the winter season of 2009.
It was also the first time I got
to experience more snow than
sunlight. I remember, on the first day,
descending from the apartment my
employers had rented for me into
the City’s financial district and being
confronted by a sea of white matter
lining the sides of the road.
That will probably go down as
the coldest quarter of my life. In my
attempts to keep warm, I purchased
a woollen mask from a local clothing
store. With only holes for my eyes
and nose, it kept the rest of my
head nice and warm. I however had
to retire the apparel due to all the
frightened reactions I got from the
locals whenever they turned a corner
and met this extra dark East African
wearing a sock fit for a bank robber.
On a week in August, memories of
Boston were evoked by a countrywide
showing of snow so significant that
a Johannesburg newspaper renamed
the City “Sno’burg” in its headline
the following day.
But enough about the cold.
Spring is here and we celebrate these
brighter days by bringing you our
eighth issue. Our cover personality
epitomises the African professional
beyond borders. Probably no other
African entertainment personality is
viewed by as many people each year
than Big Brother’s I.K. from Nigeria
and we are pleased to bring you his
exclusive interview.
Another young achiever is
Zimbabwean-born Leroy Munetsi
who spearheads Mutual and
Federal’s charge into the African
market. Similarly, Ugandan-born
David Iraka is the man responsible
for offloading offshore products for
Standard Bank on the continent.
Read Modise Motloba’s story of over
100 billion rand in deals through his
Quartile Capital brand and Nigerian-
born Emmanuel Omaruaye’s bid to
revolutionalise corporate travel in
Sandton.
We have another inspiring profile
on Tanzanian-born Ms. Scholastica
Kimaryo as well as our regular story
categories – Tintswalo at Waterfall
Hotel (“Expat-towers), African
American at a Zulu Wedding (“Expat-
travel”), Rwandan Ambassador
(“Know Your Envoy”) and You Are Not
a Country, Africa (“Book Review”).
KC Rottok, CA (SA)
Creative & Fin. Journalism (Wits University)
Managing Editor.
SPRING IS HERE!Publisher: The Expatriate Forum andMagazine (Pty) LimitedReg. Number: 2010/012428/07P O Box 4935, Randburg, 2125Tel: +27 11 7917484www.expatriate.co.za
Director: Carol Malonza – [email protected] Editor:KC Rottok – [email protected] Deputy Editor and Content Advisor: Leah Maina – [email protected]
Publishing Executive: Sheila Lynn Senkubuge
Advertising and Event Enquiries [email protected] or 0822146421
Edition Writers:Keith Kundai, Hannington Kasirye, Yaw Peprah, Andreas Krensel, KC Rottok, Sheila Senkubuge, Carol Malonza
Contributors:Wanjiru Waichigo, Juanita Nene Ceesay
Art Direction, Design and Layout:Mike [email protected]
Photography:Mzu Nhlabati www.creativenation.co.zaWebsite: Drutech Media (0781121311)
To subscribe or contribute an article, email us at [email protected]
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 of the 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.
© Expatriate SA 2012: ISSN 2218 – 757X
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
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Inside Home Affairs
recently commented on an article
by Mr. Itumeleng Mahabane
published in the Business Day on
25th of April 2012. In that article,
he wrote about a personal experience
and praised the Department of Home
Affairs for world class service with
regards to the issuing of passports.
This resulted in an email exchange
in which I pointed out all the
shortcomings of the Department. He
agreed with my view and concluded
that he normally does not write
about personal experiences because
readers might have different ones.
However, one should generally
take advice from such a distinguished
writer and despite my misgivings
about the Department of Home
Affairs, I decided to do exactly the
same here and share with you some
positive news about the Department
in this issue.
We recently travelled to Pretoria
where we had an appointment with
a senior adjudicator to submit copies
of long overdue PR applications at
Home Affairs Head Office. Normally
the public is not allowed access to
this building to avoid the officials
from being “influenced”. However
our intention was only to submit
copies of about 25 applications,
which we actually feared to be lost in
the system. Most of them have been
pending for at least 2 years and our
numerous follow ups at the regional
office, head office and the “Customer
Service Centre” have yielded no
results so far.
H e r e i s t h e g o o d n e w s ! “We were also informed that a new permanent residence team was formed about six weeks ago. Before that, due to the enormous backlog of temporary residence applications (TRA’s), all resources were deployed to the processing of TRA’s....”
Being aware of these problems, Home
Affairs allowed us a visit. We are not
sure, how quickly these cases will be
resolved now but only two weeks
after our visit, some of the applicants
have already received calls from
officials about their applications.
So somebody is now taking care of
these applications. We were also
informed that a new permanent
residence team was formed about
six weeks ago. Before that, due to
the enormous backlog of temporary
residence applications (TRA’s), all
resources were deployed to the
processing of TRA’s. The effect of this
new team in expediting permanent
residence applications will start to
be seen in the near future.
In addition, we can confirm
that the processing times for all
temporary residence applications
are being reduced drastically. In
some cases we received results
within two weeks. According to the
Acting Chief Director Permitting
who recently travelled throughout
South Africa in order to engage
with Immigration Attorneys and
Immigration Practitioners, the
backlog of over 46,000 applications
has been substantially reduced to
16,669. The number of decision
making officials has been increased
and 1,100 new posts for permitting
have been approved and will be filled
in the coming months. Furthermore
the Department will handle most of
the application process electronically
in order to avoid the current risks
and delays caused by the sending of
physical files. He even emphasised the
strong role Immigration Practitioners
should play in the future.
I find these signs and results
encouraging. It seems that it is
possible to start turning around a
Department which during the last
years has not performed well. Of
course there are still many areas
which need significant improvement,
for instance the swift repayment of
repatriation fees, the non functioning
appeals process or processing
times with permanent residence to
name only a few. But one should
acknowledge the positive change
and hope that it is a start for a
permanent improvement in service
delivery.
Andreas Krensel is the owner and managing
director of IBN Consulting in Cape Town. He is
a qualified German attorney with an LLM from
UCT and has been assisting foreign investors
in South Africa for the past ten years. www.
ibncapetown.com
10 EXPATRIATE
ExpaT-TivitieS
1 - Event organiser Stella Nankya 2 - Miss Popularity 3 - Aziz Azion 4 - Mr. Uganda SA winner Reagan Reanal 5 - Talent competition winner Lillian Kamwine 6 - From left – Car Winner Miss Teen Uganda SA Shameelah Mthupi, middle Miss Photogenic Winner Babirye Luzuka and right Facebook votes winner Faridah Nanyanzi 7 - Ugandan High Commissioner H.E. Kweronda Ruhemba 8 - Audience
More pics available at www.facebook.com/expatmag
Miss Uganda SA Busisiwe Juuko
01
04
0203
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080706
“I was born in SA in 1995 and speak
Luganda, Sepedi, Xhosa and Zulu
fluently. I am a high school student in
Limpopo. I heard of Miss Uganda SA
on Facebook and think the event was a
success. I was very nervous and never
did think I would win; I entered the
competition for the experience. I was
disappointed not to be given a car as
advertised but winning the pageant
was the biggest prize of all. Since
winning my life has changed; I am
not as shy as I used to be. I intend to
partner up with Miss Uganda to form
an organisation that will highlight the
talent of Ugandan youth. My dream
career is to be an air hostess as I love
travelling and meeting new people.”
11WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
12 EXPATRIATE
ExpaT-TivitieS
04
WINTER WOMEN’S BREAKFAST, ISSUE 7 LAUNCH
1- Pure Romance prize recipient Esther Munyi, 2- Sold Out! 130 women in attendance, 3 - CEO of Tara Hospital, Dr. Florence Otieno, 4 - Consolidated prize recipient Makgotso Maponya, 5 - Nigerian born publisher, Moky Makura, 6 - Programme Director, Sheila Lynn Senkubuge, 7- African American blogger Juanita Ceesay, 8 - Namibian born Olivia Nghaamwa, 9 - Quiz winners from left, Judy Odero, Esther Munyi, Makgotso Maponya and Wambui Gachago, 10 - CEO of Helen Joseph, Gladys Bogoshi
More pics available at www.facebook.com/expatmag
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06
13WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
ExpaT-TivitieS
01
1 - Chair of Obaasima Ghanaian Women Social Club, Ophelia Akosah-Bempah, 2 - Dr. Dominique Stott of PPS, 3 - Accountant of Ugandan descent, Paula Kulubya, 4 - The Consolidated Financial Planning team, 5 - Tanzanian born Former U.N. Ambassador to SA, Scholastica Kimaryo, 6 - Zambian born proprietor of Ethnique Designs, Ezi Kilembe,7 - From left, Anita Munetsi and Brunhilda Essoka, 8 - Mercy Mureithi of Pure Romance, 9 - Women’s Breakfast Quiz10 - Evelyn Doubell of Consolidated giving her presentation, “Healthy, Wealthy and Wise”
More pics available at www.facebook.com/expatmag
WINTER WOMEN’S BREAKFAST, ISSUE 7 LAUNCH
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ExpaT-TivitieS
1 - Ugandan born veterinarian Dr. Agnes Ikatekit (right), 2 - NEPAD Head of Communications, Maureen Nkandu, Issue 7 cover personality, 3 - Sumptuous breakfast
WINTER WOMEN’S BREAKFAST, ISSUE 7 LAUNCH
14 EXPATRIATE
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1- Ambassador Yusuf Nzibo, IEBC Commissioner, 2- Kenya High Commissioner to SA, H.E. Tom Amolo, 3 - Programme Director Nanzala Mwaura, 4 - Lilian Mahiri-Zaja Vice Chair of IEBC, 5 - Meeting organiser Patrick Kabuya, 6 - KEDASA Chair Dr. Chomba Chuma, 7- Registrar of Political Parties, Lucy Ndung’u
KEDASA Hosts Kenya’s IEBC
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23WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
ExpaT-TivitieS
1 - Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma hosting various African diaspora groups at her residence in May 2012, 2 - Ethnique Designs Zambia Night Fashion Show 3 - ZASA hosts Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation at Broadacres, Johannesburg, 4 - Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards – Africa Finalists – Lindsay Stradley (Kenya,first from left), Julienne Ingabire (Rwanda,fourth from left) and Nthabi Sibanda (SA, second from right), 5 - Annual General Meeting of AUPSA – New Officials – S. Twinoburyo (Chair), A. Mutono (Public Relations), J. Zake (Admin), E. Mukwaya (Finance), S. Ogema (Secretary), H. Kasirye (Marketing) and P. Mugisha (IT) Dr. A. Sekeito, Dr. F. Senkubuge & F. Katasi (Committee Members)
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VARIOUS OTHER EVENTS
16 EXPATRIATE
IK Osakioduwa The Face of Big Brother Africa
“I don’t just want to be the MVP; I want to own the game. Hosting is great, but it is those who put together the shows and sell content who make the real money...”
17WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
t is mid-July at the Balfour Park
studios where the popular show
Big Brother Africa (BBA) is shot.
The Expatriate magazine team
(Xpatr8) sits for an interview with
the show’s presenter Ikponmwosa
(I.K.) Osakioduwa at a cafeteria right
next to the “Upville house” where
a handful of Africans live under the
watchful eye of millions across the
continent.
Xpatr8: So your full name is actually
Ikpoo...ah...hmmm
IK: Don’t even bother pronouncing it.
What kind of parents punish a child
with such a long name? Even worse
my surname sounds Japanese even
though I am 100% Edo from Nigeria.
Xpatr8: You actually don’t sound very
Nigerian, did you grow up outside
the country?
IK: Not really but we travelled a lot
within Nigeria when I was young
because my dad was in the army. As
a result of all the travelling, I ended
up not learning any of the local
languages and my parents spoke to
their kids in English. Always being
the new kid in the class, I learnt how
to break the ice and adapt which has
helped me a lot in my career.
Xpatr8: How did you get into
entertainment?
IK: When I was about 21, I joined
Rhythm 93.7 FM in Nigeria as an
understudy on the afternoon drive
show. The host didn’t like me and told
me to sit in the corner and shut up. I
have a fuel crisis to thank for bringing
me to the limelight. For about a week
and a half, many presenters who lived
far from the station were unable to
make it to work and I was called upon
to present for 12 hours straight each
day. This was my opportunity and I
went crazy earning me a lot of fans
and the nickname ‘The Wildchild’. As
a result, I got the afternoon show and
later moved up to the morning show.
Xpatr8: And MNET?
IK: My Head of Programmes at
Rhythm, Femi Sowolu insisted that I
take the day off and go for the Studio
53 audition in 2003. I wasn’t that
keen on it but I didn’t want to annoy
him so I went. There were close to
250 established TV faces there so
I felt like it was an achievement to
make the shortlist afterwards and
even more pleased to get the part.
After that I hosted other shows
including Temptation Nigeria and
Comedy Club Live in Lagos. In 2009,
I went for the BBA auditions which
were a disaster because I am used
to free-styling the script but the
director insisted on us mouthing it
verbatim. Fortunately, they gave me
a second chance with an interview
where I was asked to describe the
places I had been to. I killed it! I made
everywhere sound so exotic!
Xpatr8: How was your first show?
IK: Terrible! A live show is a different
kettle of fish. Halfway through the
show the director pulled me aside
and insisted that I stick to the script
as the crew was relying on certain
key words to know what happens
next. I had a problem with dyslexia
when I was young, so following the
auto cues was difficult. One ear
was plugged to the director and I
couldn’t hear myself from the other
as the crowd was screaming so hard.
Consequently, I sounded like a retard!
A wardrobe malfunction also meant
that I was stuck with this ridiculous
trench coat for the entire show
which was trending afterwards on
twitter. Ah men... I struggled for the
entire first season; I actually would
have fired me if I was in charge of the
show.
Xpatr8: And yet, here you are in
your fourth season being watched by
millions. How does it feel?
IK: Amazing! It means that I am
on a first name basis with millions
of people. It gets me to a place of
familiarity with people meaning that
I don’t have to introduce myself.
If I fly to Kenya for example, an
immigration official would recognise
me and that makes my life easier.
There is a downside though – the
constant scrutiny. If I am on my cell
phone while driving it would be a
radio topic in Nigeria all day and the
media are almost always on my case.
Xpatr8: Has anything untrue ever
been written about you?
IK: Are you kidding? All the time!
Just recently I was quoted on
taking a stand against the Nigerian
government on some topic I had
not even heard of. Look man, I am a
retiring flirt so occasionally I may be
seen being friendly with the ladies
which magazines make a big deal of
because I am a married man.
Xpatr8: Retiring flirt huh, recovering
alcoholic as well perhaps?
show on Sunday. Then a week later,
they flew her body from Mexico
where she was being treated for
cancer and I had to receive her body
at the airport then board a flight to
SA for another show. That was very
tough.
Xpatr8: Do you fly in and out of SA
for the show?
IK: Yes I still have a show on Rhythm
FM where I am also Head of
Programmes and MC a lot of events
in Lagos. Thank God for technology
because I occasionally do my radio
show over the internet from a quiet
place in an airport and record the
daily BBA shows from Nigeria which
I email to SA.
Xpatr8: Speaking of Nigeria, the
M.D. of MNET Africa is Nigerian, the
presenter is also Nigerian and the
last three seasons of BBA were won
by a Nigerian!
IK: Pure coincidence. The voting
platform is in no way skewed to
favour Nigeria as each country gets
one vote. In addition, a reputable
audit firm with multinational clients
that are a thousand times more
important to them than BBA always
checks the results.
Xpatr8: Who is the voice of Big
Brother?
IK: There is an individual who is here
almost 24 hours a day. His identity
remains a secret as the producers
reserve the right to change the
person. But it is not about him
because the concept is that the
public is big brother as they are the
IK: I actually don’t drink or smoke,
never really have. People do those
things for three reasons. They
either like the taste of alcohol or
need alcohol to loosen up and be
more confident or do it out of peer
pressure to socialise. None of those
apply to me.
Xpatr8: Let’s get back to your being
married.
IK: I met my wife Olo while I was
dating someone else who wanted
me to quit my radio gig and get a
‘real job’. Olo was the only friend
who seemed to get me and did not
want to change me, but she was
dating someone else. So I called her
and told her that she seems like the
kind of person I would be able to
spend my life with and asked her to
get in touch as soon as she had got
rid of the guy! We named our son
Osahar, Egyptian for ‘God hears me’.
I was praying that he would arrive
before I had to leave for SA for four
months during the first season of
BBA and he arrived three days before
my departure. Our second child is a
daughter called Micah.
Xpatr8: Was leaving your new-born
your hardest experience with the
show?
IK: It was hard but my mother’s
passing this season was worse. I
actually wanted to quit but my
father wouldn’t allow me to because
he knew she was the only one who
believed I could have a career in
entertainment. I found out she had
passed three days after my birthday
on Friday the 24th of May 2012. That
same morning I flew to SA to do the
ones watching and determining who
wins.
Xpatr8: What is your view of this
season, what will be its legacy given
the two violent incidences between
a guy and a girl resulting in all four
people involved being eliminated?
IK: What we are seeing is that the
quality of housemates is changing as
they now understand the dynamics
of the show. No one has used as much
profanity in any season as much as
these housemates. They understand
that to win the USD300,000 you have
to get the cameras to follow you and
that is why they are pushing their
personalities to the limit where you
find a girl provoking a guy to slap her
in the hope that he gets eliminated.
But next season’s housemates are
watching this season so I predict that
in as much as they will be crazy, they
will be careful not to get eliminated
by provoking violence.
Xpatr8: Where to from here? Have
you reached the pinnacle of your
career by hosting BBA?
IK: Not at all. I don’t just want to be
the MVP (Most Valuable Player), I
want to own the game. Hosting the
show is great and has a lot of perks
but it is the people who put shows
together and sell the content that
make the real money. One of my
role models is Ryan Seacrest who
not only has a radio show and is the
presenter of American Idols but also
owns a number of shows like Keeping
up with the Kardashians.
- Expatriate mag team
18 EXPATRIATE
LeRoy then joined Innscor Africa
as a Regional Financial Manager for
their Fast Foods division in March
1999. Here he led a team of 18 and
was given the opportunity to hone
his skills in a larger organisation.
“It was a great job and I was
exposed to the ups and downs of
management as I had a bigger team
reporting to me. Soon after I joined
the entity, the Zimbabwean economy
started to take a turn for the worse
which affected the company and
my prospects. Fortunately, voluntary
retrenchment packages were offered
and I took mine and left for South
Africa in October 2000.”
After a few months of job
hunting and burning into his “meagre
Zim-dollar savings”, he got a
contract financial manager job at the
advertising agency Leo Burnett before
joining Brunswick, an international
corporate communications outfit as
an analyst.
“That was in 2001 and a number
of interesting corporate case studies
were playing out. As an analyst, the
research involved was a good learning
experience for me and helped me
to gain a better understanding of
the local business landscape. I later
moved to Cadbury’s where I was a
commercial accountant supporting
the marketing and sales functions.”
“After a short stint in the
telecommunications industry with
the MTN Group, I joined the Standard
Bank Group in October 2003 and
started my MBA at the Wits Business
School in January 2004. By the time
I left Standard Bank, I was essentially
eRoy Munetsi’s father was
a Seventh - day Adventist
pastor and as a result, the
family travelled quite often
during his formative years. By the
time he went to Anderson High
School in Zimbabwe, LeRoy had lived
in and visited a number of countries
in North America, Europe, South-East
Asia and other parts of Africa.
Armed with a first degree in
business administration (accounting
major) from Andrews University in
Michigan in the United States, he
started his formal working career
in June 1996 as a workshop costing
clerk with Amtec Motors in Bulawayo.
“I used to be the guy who checks-
in your car for service in the morning,
making sure your jack and spanner
are in the car, then spending the rest
of the day tracking the progress of
the job and finally calculating the
charges for invoicing,” LeRoy recalled
in an interview. “It was a humble start
but I really enjoyed the experience...
probably because I love cars”
After a few months in the
workshop, LeRoy was moved to the
accounts department where shortly
after, the Group Finance Director
bought a division of the group and
poached a couple of “bright sparks”
including LeRoy from the department
to join him at Elida Automotive. Elida
was a smaller entity and LeRoy gained
invaluable management accounting
experience and developed a firm
appreciation for both the challenges
faced and opportunities available
when growing your business from
the ground up.
the CFO for the group corporate
entities which included Group Risk,
Group Finance, Corporate Human
Resources and Group Marketing to
name a few. One of the highlights
was my involvement in the multi-
million rand rebranding exercise
which took the bank from the
legendary ‘simpler, better, faster’ to
‘inspired, motivated and involved’.”
LeRoy moved to the Absa Group
in August 2006 with the goal of
moving away from ‘bean counting’
to a more business oriented role.
In 2008, he moved to the Absa Life
business unit as executive assistant
to the Managing Director. Shortly
after, he was appointed Chief
Operating Officer of the unit and
helped to drive a significant change
program which involved a technology
platform upgrade, process re-
engineering and the introduction
of output based remuneration in
the operations environment. His
mandate also included playing a
central role in the infusion of a more
progressive culture into the business
to support the changes going on with
the operating model.
In October 2011, he joined
Mutual & Federal Insurance Company
(M&F) as Executive: Africa & New
Markets with responsibility for its
interests in Namibia, Botswana,
Zimbabwe and Swaziland and leading
the expansion of the business into
new territories.
“Our overarching goal is to
position M&F as a pan-African
company with representation in
more countries than we presently
have and to participate in the
20 EXPATRIATE
emergence of the continent. As
a division, I believe we have the
opportunity to grow faster than the
South African business and expect
that in the next five to ten years,
our contribution to the group will be
significantly more than it currently
is. There is an immense opportunity
for insurance on the continent,
considering the level of socio-
economic development, coupled
with the emergence of a significant
middle class. Our vision is to ensure
M&F is relevant in the jurisdictions
we embark on rather than trying to
copy and paste solutions wholesale.
A range of successful African
companies like Multichoice, Dangote
and MTN are good examples of how
this can be done.”
M&F’s charge on the continent
is aided by the fact that it is a
member of the Old Mutual Group
which has a wider footprint and
greater experience on the continent.
LeRoy believes that collaboration,
relationships and innovation will be
key to the success of his division.
As an African expatriate, he also has
a good appreciation for the multi-
cultural aspects which are essential
to doing business in different
markets.
“I have a passion for the
continent and am keen to build
the “Africa” brand wherever and
whenever I can. At work, I have a
ritual of wearing an Africa themed
t-shirt every Friday and look forward
to this becoming a trend across the
company.”
LeRoy is married to Lee-Ann, who is
the founder of Germinate Consulting,
a market research consultancy.
Together they have two children;
daughter Lenhle (8) and son Luhle
(6).
- Keith Kundai
Mutual & Federal’s Man for Africa
“There is an immense opportunity for insur-ance on the continent, considering the level of social and economic de-velopment, coupled with the emergence of a sig-nificant middle class. Our vision is to ensure M&F is relevant in the jurisdictions we embark on rather than trying to
copy and paste solu-tions wholesale.
A range of suc-cessful African c o m p a n i e s like Mul-t i c h o i c e , D a n g o t e and MTN are good examples of how this can
be done...”
21WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
ZIMBABWEAN ART GENIUS
Basel Miami Beach 2009 and 2010.
His work featured on two major
international exhibitions in 2011:
Figures & Fictions: Contemporary
South African Photography at the
Victoria and Albert Museum in
he winner of the second
FNB Art Prize of R100,000
is Kudzanai Chiurai. Born in
1981 in Zimbabwe, he is an
internationally acclaimed young
artist now living and working in
SA.
Chiurai has participated
in a number of local and
international group exhibitions,
including the Dakar Biennale,
Senegal; Africa Now, a travelling
exhibition in Scandinavia; as
well as New Painting, a local
travelling exhibition in 2006. The
Goodman Gallery has exhibited
his work at Paris Photo 2009, the
2010 Armory fair in New York, and Art
London and Impressions from South
Africa, 1965 to Now at the Museum
of Modern Art in New York, which has
recently acquired Chiurai’s work for
their collection.
Despite his art hanging on
the walls of New York’s Museum
of Modern Art and in Elton John
and Richard Branson’s homes,
Chiurai remains unaffected: a
cut-off observer, clearly speaking
his truth. His only future agenda
is to return home to Zimbabwe
to teach kids about art.
The 2012 FNB Joburg Art Fair
takes place 7 – 9 September,
Sandton Convention Centre.
- Story by artlogic.co.za
odise Motloba grew up
and undertook his early
education in Soweto
before being admitted to
Wits University where he obtained
a Bachelor’s degree with a major
in Mathematics and Computer
Science in 1990. He spent a couple
of years applying his computer
science knowledge at Coopers
and Lybrand and subsequently at
Argus Newspapers prior to joining
Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) as an
investment banking trainee.
“Joining RMB and investment
banking was quite accidental as I
was looking for a job and heard that
the bank was looking to train black
graduates,” he says as we sit in the
boardroom at the Quartile Capital
offices in Illovo. “But I was quite
elated as this new career exposed me
to multiple sectors and broadened
my mind as opposed to computing
which was not much more than a
support role for an organisation.”
Modise spent five years at RMB
which included a stint with Goldman
Sachs in New York in 1995. He joined
African Merchant Bank in 1998
where he was the domestic treasurer
responsible for compliance and
liquidity matters. In 2000, he moved
on to African Harvest managers in
Cape Town where he was a portfolio
manager.
“It was a different kettle of
fish working in Cape Town; there is
certainly some truth to the notion
that things are much more relaxed
there. But it was a good two years for
my personal development to learn
that I could be successful and at the
same time enjoy life. I returned to
Johannesburg briefly before resigning
and I have been an entrepreneur ever
since.”
Modise and partner Sandile Njilo
were behind the early years of Africa
Vukani Investment Management
Services, an entity whose core service
lines were wealth management and
corporate advisory. Modise was
responsible for the latter and was
also the company’s chief executive.
“In 2008, the corporate advisory
business was separated from
Africa Vukani and the
new subsidiary
r e n a m e d
Q u a r t i l e
Capital
( Q C ) .
W e
chose
t h e
name
‘Quartile’
as we
aspire to
be at the
upper most
quartile of
the investment
arena and as
the term is
frequently used
in global financial
circles, it would
remain relevant
once we expanded
internationally.”
QC has a proud
record of being
involved in deals
Modise Motloba Quartile Capital’s Quest for R2 Billion Value By 2017
of over 100 billion rand to date. Their
signature deals include advising the
Public Investment Corporation (PIC)
regarding their restructuring of their
equity stake in MTN.
“The transaction was in excess of
R25 billion rand and took about three
years from 2004 to 2007. As a result,
significant value was unlocked for the
PIC, fellow shareholders Transnet and
the management and staff of MTN.
Another milestone deal was advising
Eyesizwe Mining in the merger of its
core assets with the assets of Anglo
American and subsequent formation
and listing of Kumba Iron Ore and
Exxaro.”
Across the border, QC was
involved in treasury related work
when they advised Bank of Namibia
regarding restructuring its portfolio
and managing rand denominated
funds. Their assistance involved
putting in place systems, policies
and procedures as well as providing
training to bank staff on portfolio
management.
“Other work includes assisting
the Development Bank of Southern
Africa reposition
t h e i r
treasury from a cost centre to
a profit centre. This involved
addressing issues around their
strategy and aligning their policies
to move into a profit making space.
We were also transaction advisors to
the PIC regarding the structuring of
the 16 billion rand BEE transaction at
Holcim (now Afrisam). More recently
we assisted the national treasury
in their efforts to raise two billion
dollars which involved working with
various local and international banks.
Beyond that we have done significant
consulting work with Transnet.”
QC has a vision of achieving a
company valuation of two billion
rand by 2017 which it intends to
do by focusing on achieving returns
in four areas: investment, fund
management, wealth management
and advisory services.
“We believe our target is
achievable given that the company
is 12 years old and we have learnt a
number of lessons that will enable us
to maximise on opportunities. We
also have strategic advantages over
our competitors including the fact
that we are owner managed which
allows us to be flexible and requires
us to be dependent on creating value
for our clients. This impacts the fee
that we generate. QC
provides
integrated service solutions that cut
across a number of service areas that
talk to each other while most other
companies provide only one or two
of these services. As a predominantly
black entity, we fare well in
transformation transactions as it is
something we believe in rather than
just a compliance issue.”
Modise says that the company’s
model will be replicated across
the continent with an imminent
acquisition of a Zambian finance
and insurance outfit. The company
is also in the process of acquiring
equity stakes in various entities in
South Africa where they believe they
can add value and obtain credible
returns. They recently acquired a
51% stake in Megarom, a video
gaming distribution company.
The company recently
appointed Dinao Lerutla as CEO
with Modise assuming the role
of Executive Chairman. There are
two other non-executive directors
and an executive committee is
responsible for executing the board’s
strategy. All in all the company has
a staff complement of 23 people
consisting mainly of professionals.
This structure works well given that
Modise has other roles to play outside
of the company including serving as
a director at Harmony Mining and
was recently a director at Land Bank,
RMB Structured Insurance and
Deutsche Bank. He has also
served as president of the
Association of Black
Securities and
Investment Professionals (ABSIP).
Modise credits his belief in God and
dedication to his personal vision for
his success.
“I am dedicated to the vision of
my own financial, intellectual and
social freedom. I think the harder
you work and the more focused you
are on your vision, the ‘luckier’ you
become. I also see this company as
a resource for my family, members of
staff and the community.”
QC’s only other external
shareholder is the Soweto-based
Phutanang Youth Trust who are the
company’s CSI (Corporate Social
Investment) beneficiaries. Some of
their members work at the company
and receive lifestyles training help.
“I think the only way to bridge
the gap is by going back to the basics.
I see this with these community
structures that are to a large extent
better organised than we the
professionals. I wish to extend a
challenge to all African professionals
to seek platforms that encourage
effective interaction irrespective
of their origin. We can succeed if
we embrace unity in our diversity
and create mega companies using
the knowledge obtained from our
different backgrounds.”
Modise is married to Rakgadi
who is also an entrepreneur running
her own events and decor company
called RPM. Together they have two
children – daughter Mamokete who
is 13 and three year old son Obakeng.
- Keith Kundai
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EMMANUEL OMARUAYE REVOLUTIONALISING CAB TRAVEL IN SANDTON
“We use advanced technology such that about 90% of
our operations are paperless. We were a finalist in the
service category of the Randburg Chamber of Com-
merce Industry /FNB Business Excellence awards...”
29WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
wanted to have my own thing hence
my relocation to SA in 2005 to set
up Deltaland Logistics Solutions T/A
Deltacab named after my state of
origin.”
Emmanuel’s entrepreneurial
spirit was cultivated in the Omaruaye
household where his late father ran
a successful concrete and trucking
business in Delta state. From the
age of 16, he would drive trucks and
assist in other aspects of the business
which his brothers run today.
He co-founded Deltaland
with his business and life partner
Nomvula. They started off with only
one Toyota Avanza and a small office
in Rivonia and Emmanuel was the
company’s only employee. It was
not an easy process as they had to
acquire shuttle service permits for
the company, amongst many other
challenges.
“It was also a challenge to get
corporate clients. We initially had
to make do with servicing private
individuals in need of cab services
from shopping centres and clubs. But
we persevered, grew thick skinned
and managed to crack the corporate
market, which is where we have
mmanuel Omaruaye was born
in 1975 in Delta State, Nigeria
and moved to South Africa in
2002 to pursue a private pilot
licence at the Johannesburg School
of Flying in Germiston, Johannesburg.
“I had to travel quite a long
distance to the school every day in old
taxis. This gave me the opportunity
to study Johannesburg’s transport
system. I found it interesting that
a world class city would be in such
obvious need of a proper transport
infrastructure and this convinced me
that there were opportunities in this
sector,” Emmanuel explained in an
interview at his company offices in
Rivonia.
His move to pursue flying was
inspired by his mother’s desire to
have a son who was a pilot but
Emmanuel knew from the outset
that he was not cut out to work in
the aviation industry.
“I just couldn’t see myself
working for somebody else who
paid me to fly a plane from one
point to another. Eight months into
the course, I obtained a certified
log book and returned to Nigeria to
re-join the family company. But I
always wanted to position ourselves
as we had identified this as a
lucrative niche market. I now believe
that when a company tells you NO,
that is an abbreviation for the ‘next
one’ and from moving on with your
head held high you find that a YES is
around the corner.”
From a single Avanza, Deltacab
today has five brand new Toyota
Corollas and one Hyundai H1 Bus
and at the time of this interview,
the company was close to securing
an assignment that would require
a fleet of about 36 vehicles. The
company is a cut above the rest using
advanced technology to track and
assign vehicles thus allowing them to
achieve a superior level of efficiency.
They also provide free WIFI service in
their vehicles.
“I estimate that close to 90%
of our operations are paperless.
Each driver has a device with which
they can accept jobs. The device
immediately acts as a navigation
system to where the customer is.
We on the other hand can track the
progress of the assignment in real
time from our systems at head office.
This tool also provides an accurate
record of each trip which we provide
to customers when invoicing them.”
Deltacab is a member of the Sandton
Tourism Association and some of
their high profile clients include
Deloitte & Touche, Anglo American,
Bain & Company and the Courtyard
Hotel. Emmanuel said their aim is to
provide a professional, executive and
corporate shuttle service as they do
not want to compete with the “taxi
on the street”.
“We are in a saturated industry
because people think that the taxi
industry is as easy as purchasing a
vehicle and expecting people to jump
in for a fee. This impacts pricing as
most operators are willing to accept
very low amounts as they do not
have to consider expenses like office
rent and other overhead costs.”
And DeltaCab is beginning to get
noticed. In 2011, the company was a
finalist in the service category of the
Randburg Chamber of Commerce
Industry /FNB Business Excellence
awards. Emmanuel attributed the
nomination to the firm’s culture
amongst the body of eight staff
members of putting the client first.
He cited his wife Nomvula
(with whom he has a new born son
Langa), his mother and his successful
entrepreneur mother-in-law as
his sources of inspiration. He said
he aspires to establish a transport
empire that includes haulage and
executive jets services with active
operations that stretch as far as his
country of origin Nigeria.
- Keith Kundai
32 EXPATRIATE
“Tint” and “swallow” are words in
the English language, but Tintswalo
couldn’t be further from the European
tongue. It is native Shangaan for “the
intangible feeling of love, gratitude
and peace bestowed upon someone
offering you a meaningful and
worthy gift”.
And so it is that I take a walk
through the five star Tintswalo at
Waterfall Hotel in the Sunninghill
area of Johannesburg. The entrance
sets the scene for what to expect
as my vehicle sits upon a wooden
plank bridge above a man-made river
that acts as an aquatic border to the
outside world.
get an aerial perspective to the
various rooms. The opposite of a rock
and a hard place must be a dam and a
polo field – the two aesthetic choices
available as a view to each room.
The architect who designed this
place must have grown up in a barn.
Every door looks like the opening to a
horses stall in a stable with a number
and name surrounding a horse shoe
label. Kirsty informs me that each
room is individually named after a
breed of horse.
“There are sixteen suites,” she
explains, “individually decorated
to the colours and characteristics
of specific horse breeds. They are
spacious and en-suite, leading on to
The petite Kirsty Coetzee cuts a
hospitable figure standing between
two large wood-fire cauldrons at the
main door. We proceed via the ten
metre high timber and steel doors
inviting you to enter the automatic
glass door and I immediately spot a
legendary endorsement in the form
of the framed picture of Nelson
Mandela with the hotel staff taken at
this very venue.
We skip past the lounge which
elicits a homely feel with comfortable
couches positioned around a fire-
place. The equestrian theme is clear;
the artwork and miniature statues
consist mainly of multiple horses.
We walk up the wooden steps and
Tintswalo at WaterfallA walk across a stable
ExpaT-Towers
33WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
a quaint balcony and all have air-
conditioning, under-floor heating,
flat screen TV, mini bar, wireless
connectivity and extra length king
size or twin beds.”
Still on the first floor, on the
opposite side of the building, is the
Vital Source Spa which offers a variety
of treatments. As we walk across to
the north end of the building, the
stable feel is compounded by the
timber boards that line the corridor.
Adjacent to the building, we
encounter a pebble-stone tower
in the shape of a lighthouse. The
steps to the top of the structure
attach beautifully to it like a vine
wrapped around a rainforest tree
To cap it all, Tintswalo at
Waterfall has boardroom facilities
that cater for groups of up to 45.
Certainly the ultimate ‘out of town’
experience for seminars, corporate
breakaways and special occasions.
The tour was certainly
a meaningful gift and with
peace and gratitude already
bestowed, I leave with a promise
to myself that I will return one
day soon for an extended stay.
- KC ROTTOK
and the top of this mini-tower offers
a compelling view of the northern
suburbs of the city. This roof-top
setting is occasionally used for
private functions.
“A number of wedding proposals
have been done right here,” Kirsty
informs me as we descend and re-
enter the main building from the
restaurant. In keeping with the
theme, it is called the Feedroom
but thankfully the menu indicates
that the cuisine is far from fodder.
Guests can enjoy life à la carte on
an eatery that extends to a covered
patio by the water and dine against a
countryside backdrop of singing birds
and floating ducks.
ExpaT-Towers
23WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
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threatened to ex-communicate him
that he allowed me to go to grade
five. I was aware that I should not let
myself or other women down and as
a result my career has been centred
on supporting women, children and
poor people.
How did you end up working for
the United Nations and in what
positions did you serve?
My first degree was in home
economics at the then University of
East Africa in Nairobi.
During my
studies I
w r o t e
articles
f o r
arly this quarter, The
Expatriate magazine met with
and interviewed Scholastica
Kimaryo, the former co-
ordinator of the United Nations
system in SA who now heads her
own leadership institute.
Tell us about your early upbringing.
I was raised on the slopes of Mt.
Kilimanjaro where I was the first girl
to go beyond primary school. My
father actually refused to “waste
his coffee money on a girl
who would end up
getting pregnant or
mess up in some
other way”. It
was only
after the
p r i e s t
various publications and joined
the newspapers thereafter
whilst pursuing a post-graduate
qualification in journalism. In
1977, I was appointed the first
executive secretary of the Tanzanian
Commission for children funded by
UNICEF. Although I had written
many articles/journals prior to that
appointment, this was the first
organisation where my writing was
used to make a difference. UNICEF is
a multi-lateral agency that researches
child-related issues, sources funding
and develops programs that improve
people’s lives. I stayed on and
progressed to be Head of Country
and thereafter worked for various UN
Agencies mainly in Southern Africa.
After 23 years I was promoted to
be the UNDP Representative to SA,
effectively responsible for the UN
here as this agency coordinates the
organisation’s system in the country.
What were the highlights of your
career at the U.N.?
There are several in every country that
I have worked. In Tanzania, UNICEF
helped to significantly reduce child
mortality so much so that it was
common to find children named
‘UNICEF’ there. In Botswana, we
highlighted the plight of the pastoral
communities who experienced a lack
of access to food. In SA, our work
focused on supporting the emerging
democracy in incorporating the
rights of children into the new
constitution. Also during
my time as the UNICEF
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e
here, our office
managed to
bring the
Scholastica Kimaryo – Recent U.N. Representative to SA
Duchess of Kent for a tour which
resulted in her raising five million
dollars for the local cause. Similarly,
during my tenure in Liberia which
happened to have been during its
civil war, we facilitated a tour by ‘the
Oprah of Japan’ Tetsuko Kuroyanagi
who raised a million dollars to help
our programmes there.
Did you experience any difficulties
in your work while at the U.N?
The organisation is an international
platform with significant resources
to make a
d i f fe rence
and where
all nations
have a
voice. My
long period
of service
opened up
my eyes to
the realities
of the world
including the fact that how much
money we were able to raise often
depended on the political priorities
of donor nations. It was also not
easy to reach certain communities
without their ‘gate-keepers’ making
it possible. Finally, most of the senior
employees only stay in one station
for four to five years which affects
continuity in the programmes that
they initiate.
Given how well you have travelled
on the continent, what is your view
of its prospects?
I think the biggest disservice
modernisation has had is to teach
people to be compliant which has
inhibited creativity. This is beginning
to change although the media rarely
focuses on this positive angle. Another
problem is that people are taught to
fear their leaders which prevents the
kind of interaction that can lead to
mentoring and intergenerational
beneficiation. For instance I learn
quite a lot from my children and
grand-children. I am 63 now and a
lot has changed since my childhood
when women on the continent
could only be teachers or nurses.
Now they can be anything and the
African Union is pushing the idea of
gender equality. This, amongst other
things, makes me truly believe that
an African renaissance is underway.
Why have you settled in SA and what
line of work are you involved in?
This is the only country where I
served for two different periods. I
really believe that God brought me
here for a reason. After independence,
Tanzania’s founding father Mwalimu
Nyerere said that the continent
would not be free unless the other
countries including SA were freed.
Similarly, I think that in the success
or failure of SA lies the hopes and
aspirations of the African people.
Here, I find vibrancy, a democratic
space and a hunger for success. It is
the last hope that we have to get our
act together and provide a platform
for a dynamic Africa.
I currently serve on the boards of
many international organisations
and about a decade ago I founded
the Tanzanian Women in Gauteng
(TWIGA).
After witnessing the toll that stress
in the workplace takes on individuals,
I made a promise to God that when I
retire I would learn to be a principle-
c e n t r e d
leader who
p r o m o t e s
b a l a n c e d
living for
people to be
healthy in
mind, body
and spirit.
I retired
in 2009
and went
to the Chopra Centre University in
California to learn about spiritual
health. I subsequently founded the
Maadili Conscious Leadership &
Healthy Lifestyles Coaching Institute.
Using Ayurvedic techniques, I help
individuals in the work place and
elsewhere identify their natural mind
body constitution and to understand
their behaviour patterns when they
are in and out of balance. On this
basis, I share with them knowledge
that enables them to access their
potential towards the attainment of
mind body balance through mindful
awareness and conscious choice
making. This helps tap into the healer
within all of us and supports the
fulfilment of our purpose in life.
- Carol Malonza
“I was raised on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro where I was the first girl to go beyond primary school. My father initially refused to “waste his coffee money on a girl who would end up getting pregnant or mess up in some other way”. I was aware that I should not let myself or other women down and as a result my career has been centred on supporting women, children and poor people.....”
37WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
avid Iraka was born in
Kampala in 1972 and
was the first born in a
family of four children. As
Uganda was politically volatile in the
early eighties, his father decided to
relocate the family to the Transkei
homeland of SA in 1983 where he
worked at Umtata General Hospital
as a specialist Paediatrician.
In 1990, soon after David
matriculated from St. Andrews
College in Grahamstown, Dr
Iraka got a position at Pretoria’s
Medical University of South Africa
(MEDUNSA). The family drove up to
the country’s capital looking forward
to life in the big city unprepared for
the rude shock that awaited them as
people there were not as hospitable
as they expected.
“Pretoria was still very much the
seat of the old regime,” David recalled
at an interview in his new Hyde Park
office. “We were turned away by one
of the hotels who claimed that they
had no rooms for us and we ended
up living in a “matchbox house”
in Ga-Rankuwa, a township north
of Pretoria. Eventually, we found
our feet and moved to the Pretoria
East suburb of Newlands where we
established a family home that we
still have to this day.”
Dr Iraka was determined to “hand
over his stethoscope” to David and
encouraged him to study medicine
at university. He joined Medunsa to
study for a Bachelor of Science degree
but six months into the course,
he was accepted at Indiana State
University for a Pre-med Degree
and thus relocated to the U.S.A.
DAVID IRAKA
“In just 18 months, he doubled his portfolio’s assets from three billion to six billion...”
38 EXPATRIATE
“I spent a few years in the U.S.,
first at Indiana State University then
later I transferred to Georgia State
University. I majored in psychology
and worked part time as a Mental
Health Counsellor at various hospitals
in Atlanta. One of my highlights was
working as a security guard during
the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta
and watching the events for free.”
David eventually got admitted
to Medical School but when the class
began to cut up and analyse cadavers,
he realised that medicine was not for
him and dropped out of the course
much to his father’s disappointment.
In 1999, David returned to SA and
decided to redesign his career path
to focus on Financial Services. His
first opportunity was as a call centre
agent at Momentum Life where he
enjoyed serving clients while earning
commission. Simultaneously, he
aggressively pursued and obtained
various qualifications in the financial
services Industry. In 2003, he Joined
Absa Private Bank as a Financial
Planner where he had great success
in attracting young doctors from
Medunsa as clients.
“After a year and a half, I was
promoted to the role of assistant
regional leader within the bank and
tasked with the mandate of recruiting
and developing young black financial
planners. Then in 2006, I was head
hunted by Stanlib to take up a
position as the head of retail sales in
the Africa division; I was responsible
for business development and
distribution in Namibia, Botswana,
Lesotho and Swaziland.”
One of the highlights of David’s
career was when he doubled
his portfolio’s “assets under
management” at Stanlib from three
to six billion rand in the span of only
eighteen months.
In 2009, he decided to start
his own brokerage firm which he
christened Ancestry Capital.
“Unfortunately, I started
Ancestry during the height of the
global recession and hence business
did not pick up as well as I would
have liked. That same year, I was
approached by Nedbank (Wealth)
and subsequently accepted an offer
as an Area Manager supervising a
team of senior financial planners
in the Private Bank & BOE Private
Clients divisions. After just a year at
Nedbank, I was selected to attend an
Executive Program at the prestigious
INSEAD School of business in
Fontainebleau, France.”
The INSEAD programme was
a great networking opportunity as
David interacted with some of the
best financial minds from across
the globe. The course focused on
“Channel Distribution” and on
completion, he implemented a
process whereby the head office
began providing financial planning
services to its employees/staff for
a subsidised fee which became an
additional revenue stream for the
bank.
“I needed a new challenge
afterwards and I came across an
advert in the newspapers by Standard
Bank for a role I thought I could fulfil.
When I applied, they suggested a
different role for me which was to
head offshore sales for 14 countries
in Africa. After a series of interviews,
I got the position and commenced
work at the beginning of August
2012.”
An excited David has taken
up Portuguese and French lessons
(to add to his fluency in Afrikaans,
Xhosa, Zulu and Ankole) to be more
effective in the countries that speak
these languages. Offshore services
offer a range of products; from hard
currency bank deposits, to capital-
protected structured products, funds
and offshore trusts.
“Our aim is to create and preserve
wealth for our clients through
innovative tax and estate planning
solutions as well as diversification
across different geographies. The
bank’s presence in the tax havens of
the Isle of Man, Jersey and Mauritius
combined with highly skilled
resources in stock-broking , asset
management and fiduciary services
make our proposal “a must have” for
any high net worth individual.”
He concluded by confidently
predicting that he will not reach but
surpass his initial sales target of 25
million british pounds (approx. R310
million) worth of business.
David is married to Dana, an
African American he met in 1998.
They have two (2) sons; Amani, 13,
and Khaya, 10.
- Keith Kundai
HEAD OF OFFSHORE SERVICES, AFRICA AT STANDARD BANK
39WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
the opportunity arose for me
to undertake professional work
which would positively impact
communities and countries across
Africa, I signed off on my acceptance
letter and haven’t looked back ever
since.
I can say without a doubt
that this has been one of the best
decisions I ever made. Living and
working in Africa is beautiful in
every way imaginable and I cannot
emphasize enough how refreshing
it feels to live in an environment
that appreciates the importance of
having a good work and life balance.
A recent trip out of Johannesburg
illustrates how revitalizing the
wealth of culture here is.
arlier in the year, I set off to
pursue one of my life long
missions; to live and work in
Africa. And so it was that I,
Juanita Nene Ceesay, a girl born in
America to African parents, left the
confines of my secure life in New
York to venture into the unknown
world with only two suitcases to my
name.
I sometimes wonder how I ever
convinced myself to make such a
bold career and personal move. My
conclusion so far is simple really, “I
want to participate in the change
which I envision for the African
continent”. Walking the walk and
not just talking the talk has always
been a saying that resonated
with me strongly. Therefore, when
One of the best ways to enjoy Africa’s
vibrancy is by attending a traditional
African Wedding. Electrifying,
emotional, spellbinding, beautiful,
dramatic are amongst the many
adjectives I would use to describe
what goes on. Last weekend I had
the great privilege of accompanying
my friend Trixie Koki, to her cousins’
traditional Zulu wedding in the
township of Kroonstad, South Africa.
We left the city of Johannesburg
in the early hours of the morning and
set off for our three hour road trip to
the township. Since arriving in South
Africa, this was my first time visiting
the rural part of the country, so
needless to say, I was pretty excited.
Kroonstad is a cosy little place
with the most amazingly hospitable
people. Upon arriving in the town, I
felt right at home. However as
is common with rural
AFRICAN AMERICAN AT A ZULU WEDDING
communities in Africa, you could
immediately tell that the village was
taking a hit from rapid urbanization.
In other words, most of the able
members of the community had
left in search of greener pastures
in the cities. Everywhere you
looked, you could see the signs of
a disproportionate amount of older
folks and young children. However,
for those who have remained in
Kroonstad, life is one happy, laid back
and content affair.
From the moment I arrived
at the wedding hall, I knew I was
in for a treat. Like a typical girl, I
was mesmerized by the colourful
and fabulous attire of the guests in
attendance, evidenced in my photos
which focused on the dressing.
The ceremony was absolutely
breath-taking. African culture and
traditions are truly a sight to behold.
The chants, singing, and music gave
me goose bumps and the insanely
talented dancing made me get on
YouTube right away in a quest to
learn the moves.
All in all, my first Zulu wedding
experience convinced me that when I
do get married, I am definitely doing
so in Africa.
- Juanita Nene Ceesay
“One of the best ways to enjoy Africa’s vibrancy is by attend-ing a traditional African Wed-ding. Electrifying, emotional, spellbinding, beautiful, dramatic are amongst the many adjectives I would use to describe what goes on....”
Juanita Nene Ceesay
ExpaT-TraveL
43WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
hen I sat with a
close friend recently
for an “intellectual
c o n v e r s a t i o n ” ,
anyone listening would have
concluded that Socrates himself
couldn’t have thoughts that delve
so deep. The discussion centred on
how well we know ourselves and our
best and worst attributes. I boasted
that one of my best attributes must
be my unlimited ability to love.
To which my “fellow philosopher”
replied “what is love?” And though
in my mind and heart I know exactly
what it is, putting
into words was
near impossible.
The love
between lovers
is something
that has become
so multifaceted
that every individual has their own
opinion about it. Areas that used to
be black or white have now become
grey areas. A woman thinks: “the
man is financially stable, his looks
are fair and he seems to have a
bright future ahead of him.” She
then positions herself next to the
man claiming to love him. A man
thinks: “she is beautiful, intelligent
(not overwhelmingly so) and has a
career that earns enough for her to
contribute.” Society approves the
match, and off they waltz down the
aisle and declare their love for one
another. Welcome to love in 2012.
When did price tags become
a pre-requisite for our hearts
to experience an emotion that
is supposed to be pure? Love is
not an emotion that is based on
achievements and it has no cost.
Ironically, all material things can very
easily disappear and the only things
that are irreplaceable in this life are
the people that are around us. Why
then measure the irreplaceable with
replaceable things?
Looks fade, money comes
and goes, status and prestige are
unpredictable. And when this happens
a ‘loving one’ leaves claiming that this
is not what they signed up for. That
said, certain logical decisions have to
be made, regardless of how deeply
you love someone. When a penniless
pastoral student wanted to marry a
young girl, his father asked “What are
you going to eat? Prayers?”
I am not saying that people
shouldn’t plan for a comfortable
life but I think making material
things a predictor about how you
are going to feel about someone is
a grave mistake. True love is not a
premeditated emotion, it doesn’t
include calculating, planning and
scheming. If one schemes and
gets the one they’re after, I can
confidently say, that what they have
found is definitely not love,
and sooner or later the cracks
begin to show.
So, having said everything
love isn’t, it’s much easier for
CUPID’S RUBIK’S CUBE me to say what love is. It happens
spontaneously and doesn’t involve
dishonesty. It is unconditional,
nothing that anyone says can waver
your emotion towards that particular
person. It is steadfast, trusting, having
an unwavering faith in someone and
builds both people in the relationship.
It involves mutual respect, protecting
one another and is completely
selfless. Perhaps most frightening
of all is that it is a risk because you
take what is most precious to you
and hold it out to someone else in
the hope that they will treasure it as
much as you do.
I may not
have the insight
of the greatest
philosophers of all
time (yet), but of
this one thing I am
sure…I know what
love is. Putting it in words may be a
challenge but I know love is real and
tangible. When it comes my way, I
will grab onto it with both hands
and never let it go. If we could all
do a little more of this, that in my
philosophy would be good enough!
- SHEILA LYNN SENKUBUGE
“Looks fade, money comes and goes, status and prestige are unpredict-able. And when this happens a ‘lov-ing one’ leaves claiming that this is not what they signed up for....”
and currently working in Canada
as a professor of English, Adesami
writes of his physical, emotional and
intellectual movements in Africa and
in Euro-America as an African. His
he 21st century is
characterised by the
disintegration of the
geographical boundaries
that initially constrained people and
culture. Investors are trading
on the New York Stock
Exchange in the comfort
of their homes in Eastern
Cape, South Africa. There
are Africans who are more
passionate about the English
Premier League than the
English themselves. Twitter
has enabled a Syrian activist to
connect with a Zimbabwean
strategist. So, what does it
mean to be African these
days? What does Africa mean
to you? Pius Adesami’s latest
creative non-fiction flirts with
such questions.
You are not a country Africa
is Adesami’s autobiography
of ideas. It is a collection of
essays which highlights the
complexities of Africa and of
being African. Born in Nigeria
book helps one understand African
culture and everyday history as well
as the manifestations of modern
African identities.
As African
expatriates in South Africa,
many have encountered
infamous questions such
as, “Where are you from?”,
“How do you pronounce your
name?”, “That’s an interesting
accent?” or “What tribe
do you belong to?” These
questions force us to engage
with the politics of identity.
For that split of a second
we reflect on who we are as
defined either by our accent,
that small dictatorial booklet
called the passport, or the
tiny thing referred to as the
“identity” card. You are not a
country Africa articulates and
politicizes everyday living
while embracing the different
identities of Africa and
Africans.
You are not a country,
AfricaBook Review
44 EXPATRIATE
Adesami’s title borrows from
a line in Abioseh Nicol’s poem, The
Meaning of Africa. The line describes
Africa as unique to its billions of
inhabitants and complicates the
African narrative. Remember while
reading the book that the authors
choice of words describe his
perceptions, hence the very fitting
title. Every African whether in Africa
or in diaspora has unique experiences
and meanings of Africa and this,
according to the poet and author, is
what defines Africa and what makes
one African.
Reiterating Chimamanda
Adichie’s thoughts on the danger
of a single African story, the author
unravels what Africa means to him
and by extension to all those who
populate this continent of extremes.
He tells of Africa the beautiful,
Africa the powerful, Africa the
intellectual, Africa the corrupt, Africa
the complicated, Africa the poor and
Africa the xenophobic.
There are references to his
country Nigeria but he makes an
effort to relate it to other countries in
the continent and beyond. The book
corroborates the various meanings
of Africa that are shared regionally
(in Africa) and internationally. The
author’s experiences evoke in the
reader episodes of self-reflection,
laughter, and mmmhhhh, aaahhhh,
I-know-that-feeling moments.
The reader feels as if they were
in their local bar listening to the
experiences of an old honest friend,
philosophising the most mundane
activities and having passionate
constructive debates.
From a feminist perspective one
can’t help but notice his reference
to African culture, history and the
traditional literary canon, all of
which are highly patriarchal. There
are a few pages dotted with feminist
talks, but one gets the feeling that it
is an unsuccessful attempt to silence
gender critics. On the other hand, it
has always been complicated when a
male author takes it upon himself to
tell herstory.
Overall, it is a book that can
be enjoyed by anyone interested
in a fresh perspective of the good
old debate of distorted and sorted
images and representations of
Africa (ns). It gives useful pointers
to the conversation of culture and
the verbiage will undoubtedly tickle
those who hunger for new words.
- Wanjiru Waichigo is an MA (Literature)
graduate from the University of Witwatersrand. She
currently works with CIET in Southern Africa as a
researcher and programme manager.
“Many have encountered questions that make you engage in the politics of identity such as, “Where are you from?” or “How do you pronounce your name?” You are not a country Africa articulates and politicizes everyday living while embracing the dif-ferent identities of Africa and Africans....”
Book Review
45WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
160 Helen Road (off Grayston Drive), Strathavon, Sandton, Johannesburg • +27 11 384 [email protected] • +27 861 MOLOKO (66 56 56) • www.strathavonhotel.co.za
More than just somewhere to sleep, the Moloko Strathavon Hotel is a style statement. It’s the future of the boutique hospitality industry which embodies all that is great in the modern luxury hotel market, and then takes it one step beyond. The exclusive hotel encompasses an award-winning organic spa, fine dining at the Ambassador Restaurant and the sought-after post-dinner night spot Off the Record cigar lounge. Taking its cue from Mother Nature, the hotel has been designed to blend seamlessly into the indigenous gardens surrounding it. Moloko Strathavon Hotel is a mere stone’s throw from Sandton, Johannesburg’s trendsetting business and shopping hub.
SERENE • TRANQUIL • EXCLUSIVE
Moloko.indd 30 2011/06/20 10:49 AM
160 Helen Road (off Grayston Drive), Strathavon, Sandton, Johannesburg • +27 11 384 [email protected] • +27 861 MOLOKO (66 56 56) • www.strathavonhotel.co.za
More than just somewhere to sleep, the Moloko Strathavon Hotel is a style statement. It’s the future of the boutique hospitality industry which embodies all that is great in the modern luxury hotel market, and then takes it one step beyond. The exclusive hotel encompasses an award-winning organic spa, fine dining at the Ambassador Restaurant and the sought-after post-dinner night spot Off the Record cigar lounge. Taking its cue from Mother Nature, the hotel has been designed to blend seamlessly into the indigenous gardens surrounding it. Moloko Strathavon Hotel is a mere stone’s throw from Sandton, Johannesburg’s trendsetting business and shopping hub.
SERENE • TRANQUIL • EXCLUSIVE
Moloko.indd 30 2011/06/20 10:49 AM
Describe your career path leading up
to your appointment.
I have had a career spanning
22 years which includes five years
in the private sector spent in the
DRC and here in SA. I joined the
Rwandan government as a civil
servant working as a director then
as permanent secretary in various
ministries. In 2006, I was appointed
a cabinet minister initially as the
minister responsible for industry
and investment before a brief stint
as mining and environment minister.
Prior to my appointment as the
Ambassador to SA, I served as the
minister responsible for Rwanda’s
infrastructure.
How did you receive the news of your
appointment?
I am a cadre of the Rwanda
Patriotic Front headed by President
Paul Kagame. As a cadre you are
required to serve where the country
needs you most so we are not in
a position to question whether
each position is higher than the
other. I leave it up to the party and
government that I have joined to
decide for me where it is suitable
for me to serve. But I must say that
I have been quite fortunate in the
appointments accorded to me. It
pleases me to be in positions where
I can contribute to the ongoing
transformation of my country. We
have one of the cleanest cities in the
world and the incredibly fast rate at
which we are developing in many
sectors is being described by many
as a miracle.
How does working as an envoy differ
from working as a government
minister?
I think it is good to be a minister
when one has already been in
government as I have participated
in the formulation of the policies of
my government and can therefore
communicate these abroad with
much authority. I can also link up
people here with the appropriate
person in our government quite
easily.
What do you view as your priorities
as envoy to SA?
My role is to ensure bilateral
relations are strengthened between
the two countries. We need to attract
investment to Rwanda while seizing
the opportunities presented to us by
SA. As it is the foremost economic
powerhouse on the continent, there
is a lot of knowledge to be acquired
from here. The mission also acts
as a conduit given that there are a
number of South Africans who have
invested in Rwanda and we also have
a number of Rwandan businessmen
in SA as well as a significant number
of students. We host a number of
gatherings for the Rwandan diaspora
here and try and help them as much
as we can when they have difficulties.
Describe the state of the relationship
between Rwanda and SA.
They are very good and the
interaction between the two
countries is continuously increasing.
Flights to Rwanda are frequently full
and a good number of the passengers
H.E. Vincent Karega Rwandan Ambassador to SA
47WWW.EXPATRIATE.CO.ZA
are South African. Rwandans also
frequent SA freely; a number of our
high ranking government officials
travel here in their capacities,
business people visit for meetings
and other individuals come here for
purposes such as medical treatment
or private tours. In spite of SA having
accorded a few dissidents political
asylum, the relationship between
our two governments is good; our
president was here for the centenary
celebrations of the ANC.
What would you describe as the
highlights of your career?
As an official in the Gender Ministry
I took part in the empowerment
of the women of Rwanda such
that today they make up 56% of
parliamentarians and the proportion
of women in our cabinet is the highest
in the world. I also participated in the
development of poverty alleviation
programmes; today we celebrate
every five years lifting millions
of our people from poverty. I am
also proud of my role in increasing
both domestic and international
investment and working with
other cadres in establishing key
infrastructure agencies.
Tell us more about yourself, your
family, your hobbies and future
plans.
I am married with two daughters. I
participate in sports to keep fit and I
enjoy reading and sightseeing. I also
have an interest in different cultures
and learning new languages. I leave
my future to God as I am not the
kind of person who dreams of being
this or the other but because I am
very passionate about my country I
intend to retire in Rwanda when my
career comes to an end.
We note that both you and President
Kagame are on twitter which is quite
unique for politicians/diplomats,
what is your view of the role of social
media?
We are not a bureaucratic
establishment like most
governments. We are looking to be
as close as possible to people and to
the world and therefore use social
media to communicate what is going
on and to reach out to people. These
tools are also useful in marketing our
country.
- Carol Malonza
“As a civil servant, I participated in vari-ous landmark programmes like gender equality and today 56% of our parlia-mentarians are women. We also have one of the cleanest cities in the world and the incredibly fast rate at which we are developing in many sectors is be-ing described by many as a miracle.....”
48 EXPATRIATE
For more information on the event including payment for your invitation cards please go to www.upendoinvestments.com or www.kenya.org.za or contact any of the following:
Nanzala Mwaura | +27 76 052 6723 | [email protected] Aluha | +27 82 476 8389 | [email protected]
The organising committee, Kenya Night, in collaboration
with His Excellency The High Commissioner of Kenya
in South Africa, Ambassador Tom Amolo
Cordially Invite you To
Venue:Date:Time:Cost:Entertainment:Dress Code:
Indaba Hotel, Injabulo Room3 November 201218h00 for 18h30 till lateR350 per personTamasha band, Bongani and DJ JemoSmart / Traditional
Kenya Nigh 2t 1 20The New Kenyan Constitution: Challenges and Opportunities
Kenya Night 2012Great Entertainment, Delicious Food and Opportunities for Networking
The New Kenyan Constitution: Challenges and Opportunities
05
ONE YEAR COMPULSORY COMMUNITY SERVICE FOR EXPATS
recent experience has me convinced that expats should do one year of community service in the
townships before being granted work permits.
A little over seven months ago, a friend of mine called Emmy Muzamil
of Asur Civil Engineers, offered me an opportunity to be murdered in a township. He tasked me with managing a government low-cost housing project in the Diepsloot West township of Johannesburg.
Having handled all sorts of construction projects in predominantly black areas, this progressive SA educated engineer
must have known that this was an opportunity to have me stabbed to death.
Working in a black township like Diepsloot is a task would engulf any foreigner with anxiety. That said, people there are good natured even when conditions and circumstances programme them to hate foreigners.This desolate but dense slum is 30kms in the west of Pretoria and lines the route that stretches to the capital of debauchery - Sandton City. You can spot the rich in tinted shiny SUVs speeding to important meetings past this township. Many call tinned shacks their homes and these make up a squatter colony far removed from what we commonly view as civilization. It’s a sea of poverty, degradation and humiliation that I know many white collar expats have never experienced.
One morning, after I alighted from a taxi, I saw a group of children standing in a heap of refuse playing with the carcass of a dead cat. One rugged boy continued to flog the carcass until the insides were spewing everywhere! Not too far from them were elderly women sifting through rubbish pits for used cans. Their companions were stray dogs feasting on rotting food while flies buzzed around all of them in some kind of symphonic orchestra.
Under these conditions, the residents of Diepsloot are understandably angry as many have died waiting for decades for the government to deliver its promise of a better life. It is easy for them to hate foreigners which the same government may be seen to be affording that better life. Hence my discomfort at the fact that they could
Hanging on with Hannington
easily identify me as a foreigner as I look somewhat different, speak only English and don’t eat chicken feet. I am thankful that I never got stabbed to death during my stint at the township.
The point of this missive is that I think African expats need to integrate with poor locals. We easily forget that most of us are also the products of some poverty and become mere voyeurs of misery once we get a work permit and settle in the suburbs.
It would be a fantastic idea for the SA government to force expats to do some community service as a pre-requisite to getting a work permit. Locals would see us as a positive contributor and many expats would learn to be grateful for their circumstances. While this is not a statutory requirement, I urge expats to volunteer some time and make a difference. You could volunteer at the local clinics or schools that are massively understaffed or do something as simple as donating old clothes.
It is a sad thing if your answer is “nothing” to the question: “What did you do for your 67 minutes on Nelson Mandela’s birthday?”
- HANNINGTON KASIRYE
“Township residents are understandably angry as they feel like they are missing out on the promise of a better life which government seems to deliver to foreigners.....”
50 EXPATRIATE
52 EXPATRIATE
The Last Word
Send your CV to [email protected] quoting the relevant reference
0861 788 788 www.antonapps.com 073 788 7880 +27 11 788 7880
BotswanaMANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT:ManufacturingUS$45k – US$60kPreparation of budgets and nancial planning to assist the business in decision making and risk management. Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements as relating to the business. Ref: BC 01
DRCFINANCIAL CONTROLLER: MiningUS$130k – US$175kMining background essential. You will be involved in operational and commercial decisions for the business from a nancial perspective. Leadership of the team is of utmost importance for the smooth running of the department.Ref: BC 05
KenyaPRIVATE EQUITY TRANSACTOR:Private EquityUS$70k – US$90kBoutique Private Equity house requires the skills of an experienced transactor to initiate and manage deals across the East Africa Region. Minimum four years PE experience.Ref: PM 04
TanzaniaFINANCE MANAGER:TelecomsUS$130k – US$150kManaging a team, implementing nancial procedures, cross country reporting and involvement in strategic operations.Ref: PM 01
FINANCE MANAGER:TourismUS$80k – US$120kFull responsibility for the management of nance and compliance functions.Ref: PM 03
Malawi SENIOR ACCOUNTANT:EngineeringUS$50k – US$70kA large group needs a Senior Accountant with solid experience in managing the full accounting function with import/export experience. Must have at least two years local tax experience. Ref: BC 02
MozambiqueFINANCIAL CONTROLLER: ManufacturingUS$80k – US$100kDevelop, monitor and review departmental and company accounting policies, procedures and processes. Complete nancial control role of the business including staff management. Portuguese mandatory.Ref: BC 03
Zambia CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER:AgricultureUS$140k – US$190kStrategically guiding the business from a nancial perspective this role involves controlling the nance function and ultimately supporting the CEO.Ref: PM 02
NigeriaFINANCE MANAGER:FMCGUS$110k – US$140kMinimum 5 years experience in FMCG. To establish and maintain nancial procedures for a fast growing business.Ref: BC 04
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER:MediaUS$80k – US$120kAfrican media and TV business requires experienced FC to manage Nigerian operations.Ref: PM 05
ZimbabweASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT:LogisticsUS$20k – US$30kCA with a minimum of two years post qualifying experience to assist Group CFO.Ref: KH 03
FINANCIAL ANALYST:Venture CapitalUS$24k – US$30kGlobal VC rm is growing rapidly and needs a CA with a love for analysing numbers.Ref: KH 04
FINANCIAL MANAGER:TourismUS$35k – US$45kManaging a team reporting into the MD and a dotted line to SA. You will have previous management skills, budgeting, annual reporting and reconciliation skills.Ref: KH 05
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER:MiningUS$24k – US$45kBlue chip organization requires a CA to manage full nance function. Ref: KH 06
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT:BankingUS$18k – US$24kRecently quali ed CA required to join a leading retail bank as part of the nance team. You will receive good exposure to the industry and will be trained accordingly.Ref: KH 01
MIDDLE MANAGER REPORTING:BankingUS$35k – US$50kLeading bank requires a three year post quali ed accountant to join their reporting team working closely with group head of ce in South Africa on delivering nancial results.Ref: KH 02
Opportunities in Africaantonapps is a leading private recruitment rm specialising in placing distinctive quali ed Accountants holding one of the following quali cations: CA, CPA, CIMA, ACCA. Based out of Johannesburg and Harare, we place these individuals across Africa and South Africa into Accounting, Finance, Tax and Banking opportunities. antonapps works across sectors including Mining and Resources, Telcos, FMCG, Manufacturing, Services, Hotels & Gaming, Construction, Motor, Retail, IT, Pharma, Banking & Financial Services and Professional Services.
Founded in 2003 by Anton Apps, a PwC-trained CA with 16 years’ experience in international nancial recruitment and executive search, antonapps has well-established relationships and access to decision-makers in leading blue-chip and private companies. Customised career management and company pro ling enables us to selectively connect quality individuals to career-building opportunities.
Textbooks…uring the last quarter
Ghana lost her president,
Juju continues to go
from “kill for” Zuma to
‘kill’ Zuma, we had our first double
amputee compete in the able bodied
Olympics, Jackie Selebi unsurprisingly
was granted medical parole and it
snowed in Joburg.
But most notably, NASA sent a
probe to Mars yet the SA government
cannot send textbooks to Limpopo.
In August 2012, some students still
hadn’t got textbooks and some blind
students had received books meant
for full sighted children. What grates
my cheese though is the fact that
people are just dumping these books
in velds or burning them instead of
delivering them to those in need.
When we were at school we had
hand me downs with books returned
by the outgoing students for use
by the new class each year. Doesn’t
the system work like that anymore?
Other than heads rolling, what needs
to happen is an honest review aimed
at taking lasting steps to ensure that
this never happens again. We should
not play the blame game; I heard
the president blamed Verwoerd for
the mess. Well then this should have
been an issue since 1994 then and
not just in 2012!
Tradition… A few weekends ago, I was
involved in the traditional wedding
of my youngest brother Nana and
his fiancée Aso. Having been born
in Accra but raised in the Transkei,
I have little knowledge of my roots
hence this was educational.
Ghanaians follow a maternal
line, which makes sense, because
there could always be doubt about
who the father is but there is never
any question about who the mother
of a child is. We approached this in
the knowledge that my mother’s
bloodline is linked to that of royalty
in some shape or form.
The process began with my father
doing the “knocking”. He sourced an
elder who took gifts to my in-laws
and initiated a conversation along
the lines of “if you see my son walking
in the streets with your daughter, do
not be alarmed.” The bride’s family
sent a list of requirements which
included alcohol, cloth, cash, a ring, a
Bible and other odds and ends.
We arrived at their home in
Maritzburg dressed in Ghanaian
attire with these items wrapped
in beautiful baskets. The two
families sat on opposite sides
of the room each with a chief
negotiator. We are offered
water to drink because
whenever anyone knocks
on your door, you offer
them water. Once their
thirst has been quenched,
you ask them what their
business is and then the fun
negotiations begin.
It was a light hearted and
enjoyable process albeit time
consuming, but that’s all
part of the experience.
Once most of the
gifts and
negotiations had been done, we
were then asked to go and fetch my
brother so that they can ‘inspect’ him
to see whether he is a fitting match
for their daughter. He was ushered in
to much voice and fanfare, inspected,
interrogated and then allowed to sit.
An aunt then ‘extorted’ more money
from us “to buy sunglasses for the
bride to be and for taxi fare to go and
fetch her.”
Finally, with music blazing in
the background, she danced her
way in. She was asked whether
this is the man that she had
chosen and once she replied in the
affirmative, a pastor performed a
ceremony which concluded with
a ring being placed on her finger.
We then ate, drank and played out
a weekend of sheer merriment.
Yaw Peprah is a self employed entrepreneur pursuing interests in business advisory, consultancy and
commodity brokering. www.asitissoitis.blogspot.com
TEXTBOOKS AND TRADITION“NASA sent a probe to Mars yet the SA government can’t send textbooks to Limpopo.”
Send your CV to [email protected] quoting the relevant reference
0861 788 788 www.antonapps.com 073 788 7880 +27 11 788 7880
BotswanaMANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT:ManufacturingUS$45k – US$60kPreparation of budgets and nancial planning to assist the business in decision making and risk management. Ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements as relating to the business. Ref: BC 01
DRCFINANCIAL CONTROLLER: MiningUS$130k – US$175kMining background essential. You will be involved in operational and commercial decisions for the business from a nancial perspective. Leadership of the team is of utmost importance for the smooth running of the department.Ref: BC 05
KenyaPRIVATE EQUITY TRANSACTOR:Private EquityUS$70k – US$90kBoutique Private Equity house requires the skills of an experienced transactor to initiate and manage deals across the East Africa Region. Minimum four years PE experience.Ref: PM 04
TanzaniaFINANCE MANAGER:TelecomsUS$130k – US$150kManaging a team, implementing nancial procedures, cross country reporting and involvement in strategic operations.Ref: PM 01
FINANCE MANAGER:TourismUS$80k – US$120kFull responsibility for the management of nance and compliance functions.Ref: PM 03
Malawi SENIOR ACCOUNTANT:EngineeringUS$50k – US$70kA large group needs a Senior Accountant with solid experience in managing the full accounting function with import/export experience. Must have at least two years local tax experience. Ref: BC 02
MozambiqueFINANCIAL CONTROLLER: ManufacturingUS$80k – US$100kDevelop, monitor and review departmental and company accounting policies, procedures and processes. Complete nancial control role of the business including staff management. Portuguese mandatory.Ref: BC 03
Zambia CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER:AgricultureUS$140k – US$190kStrategically guiding the business from a nancial perspective this role involves controlling the nance function and ultimately supporting the CEO.Ref: PM 02
NigeriaFINANCE MANAGER:FMCGUS$110k – US$140kMinimum 5 years experience in FMCG. To establish and maintain nancial procedures for a fast growing business.Ref: BC 04
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER:MediaUS$80k – US$120kAfrican media and TV business requires experienced FC to manage Nigerian operations.Ref: PM 05
ZimbabweASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT:LogisticsUS$20k – US$30kCA with a minimum of two years post qualifying experience to assist Group CFO.Ref: KH 03
FINANCIAL ANALYST:Venture CapitalUS$24k – US$30kGlobal VC rm is growing rapidly and needs a CA with a love for analysing numbers.Ref: KH 04
FINANCIAL MANAGER:TourismUS$35k – US$45kManaging a team reporting into the MD and a dotted line to SA. You will have previous management skills, budgeting, annual reporting and reconciliation skills.Ref: KH 05
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER:MiningUS$24k – US$45kBlue chip organization requires a CA to manage full nance function. Ref: KH 06
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTANT:BankingUS$18k – US$24kRecently quali ed CA required to join a leading retail bank as part of the nance team. You will receive good exposure to the industry and will be trained accordingly.Ref: KH 01
MIDDLE MANAGER REPORTING:BankingUS$35k – US$50kLeading bank requires a three year post quali ed accountant to join their reporting team working closely with group head of ce in South Africa on delivering nancial results.Ref: KH 02
Opportunities in Africaantonapps is a leading private recruitment rm specialising in placing distinctive quali ed Accountants holding one of the following quali cations: CA, CPA, CIMA, ACCA. Based out of Johannesburg and Harare, we place these individuals across Africa and South Africa into Accounting, Finance, Tax and Banking opportunities. antonapps works across sectors including Mining and Resources, Telcos, FMCG, Manufacturing, Services, Hotels & Gaming, Construction, Motor, Retail, IT, Pharma, Banking & Financial Services and Professional Services.
Founded in 2003 by Anton Apps, a PwC-trained CA with 16 years’ experience in international nancial recruitment and executive search, antonapps has well-established relationships and access to decision-makers in leading blue-chip and private companies. Customised career management and company pro ling enables us to selectively connect quality individuals to career-building opportunities.
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