Finance Director jobs in South Africa

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as the strategic financial leader of the organization, overseeing all fiscal operations, driving profitability, and ensuring compliance with South African regulations. This executive role integrates financial expertise with technological innovation to optimize capital allocation, risk management, and investor relations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute long-term financial strategies aligned with business growth.
• Lead M&A activities, capital raising, and IPO preparations (where applicable).
• Advise the Board of Directors on financial planning and risk mitigation.
• Ensure IFRS-compliant financial statements and King IV Corporate Governance adherence.
• Oversee SARS compliance (VAT, Corporate Tax, Transfer Pricing).
• Manage external audits (Big Four firms) and regulatory reporting (FSCA, JSE listings).

1. Treasury & Capital Management

• Optimize liquidity, cash flow, and working capital.
• Negotiate debt facilities with banks and oversee forex risk hedging.

1. Cost Optimization & Profitability

• Drive cost-reduction initiatives without compromising operations.
• Analyze business unit profitability and recommend restructuring.
• Oversee budgeting and forecasting (zero-based budgeting models).
• Establish enterprise risk management (ERM) frameworks.
• Mitigate fraud, cybersecurity, and operational risks.
• Ensure B-BBEE compliance and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) reporting.
• Implement ERP systems (SAP S/4HANA, Oracle Fusion).
• Leverage AI-driven financial analytics (Power BI, Tableau, Python).
• Automate financial processes with RPA (Robotic Process Automation).

Stakeholder Engagement

• Present financial results to shareholders, investors, and analysts.
• Liaise with banks, regulators, and government entities (DTIC, SARB).
• Mentor finance teams (accounting, tax, FP&A).

Technical Skills

Corporate Finance : M&A, Capital Structuring, Investor Relations

Technology : ERP Systems (SAP / Oracle), AI / ML for Finance, Blockchain

Soft Skills

• Strategic Vision – Balancing growth with fiscal discipline
• Leadership – Building high-performance finance teams
• Negotiation – Deal-making with investors and banks
• Crisis Management – Navigating economic downturns

Qualifications & Certifications

Mandatory :

• CA(SA) (Chartered Accountant)
• Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) or MCom Finance – Preferred