We are kicking off Women’s Month with a conversation with Sindi Mabaso-Koyana, the co-founder and executive chair of the AWCA Investment Holdings (AIH). She’s a rockstar in Finance; known for her role as a champion for the advancement of women in business and corporate. In this podcast we discuss her upbringing in rural KZN, her passion for auditing, and some of her investments.

Sindi matriculated from Ogwini Comprehensive High School in Umlazi, KwaZulu Natal. She then went on and completed her undergraduate degree in Accounting, and in 1991 completed her post graduate diploma in accounting at University of Natal PMB.

She began her career as an audit trainee at Deloitte (Durban), post her articles she paid her dues at Robertsons for a year, then went on to be a founding partner at Gobodo Inc. Her career includes being the financial director at Sarhwu Investments, managing director at Viamax a fleet management and logistics business within Transnet, to being the CFO of Transnet from 2001–2004, managing partner and director at Ernst & Young, group CFO at PRASA.

She has been named by the Financial Mail as one of the top 20 most powerful business women in South Africa and was a finalist for the Business Woman of The Year Award in 2004. In 2013 she was nominated by CEO Magazine as the most influential woman in business and public sector.

In 2008 she co-founded a non-profit AWCA, an organisation formed for the development of African Women CAs where she continues to bring the CA profession to young women from previously disadvantaged communities and continues to mentor them.

AWCA Investment Holdings (AIH) was subsequently founded to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of AWCA the non-profit. Investments in AIH include a stake Atos an IT company from France with SA operations, Atlas Motor Services, Hollard Insurance, Reef Tankers etc.

Today she sits on the boards of Adcorp, Public Investment Corporation, Phembani Group, MTN Zakhele Futhi, Toyota SA etc.