November is a month of celebration at Executive Communities, as the organisation hosts the CFO Awards, the CHRO Awards and the CIO Awards, recognising the most impactful leaders in finance, human resources and information technology in South Africa.
Held over three consecutive nights – 11, 12 and 13 November – at the opulent Polo Room, at the Inanda Club in Johannesburg, the three awards ceremonies recognise those who drive transformation, innovation, and strategic value within their organisations. These events bring together top executives to celebrate their peers, reinforcing the critical role these leaders play in shaping the country’s businesses, government and society.
The CFO of the Year hails from the public sector
CFO Awards, famously dubbed the “Oscars of Finance” kicked off the celebrations on 11 November. The event spotlighted finance leaders who are evolving the function from mere compliance to strategic partnership, focusing on ethics and commercial value creation.
Kevin Jacoby, CFO of the City of Cape Town, was crowned South Africa’s CFO of the Year. Kevin, who began his career in local government at age 19, was celebrated for redefining the role of CFO in the public sector, driven by integrity and precision. In addition to the top title, Jacoby also secured the Compliance & Governance Award. His leadership played a crucial role in enabling the City of Cape Town to escalate its capital delivery plan from R5.9 billion to R9.4 billion annually.
The full list of the 2025 CFO Awards winners:
- CFO of the Year – Kevin Jacoby, CFO, City of Cape Town
- Young CFO of the Year – Christiaan Barnard, CFO, Spear REIT
- Public Sector CFO of the Year – Andisa Zinja, CFO, Council of Medical Schemes
- Strategy Execution Award – Carel Snyman, group CFO, Altron
- Transformation & Empowerment Award – Dineo Molefe, CFO, MTN South Africa
- High-Performance Team Award – Zaf Mahomed, CFO, Oceana Group
- Finance & ESG Award - Bothwell Mazarura, outgoing CFO, Kumba Iron Ore
- Compliance & Governance Award – Kevin Jacoby, CFO, City of Cape Town
- Finance Transformation Award – Carel Snyman, group CFO, Altron
- Finance & Technology Award – Jurgens Myburgh, group CFO, Mediclinic International
The Annual CFO Awards is proudly supported by iOCO Technology Group, Marsh, Old Mutual Corporate, Oracle, Sage and Workday.
Absa’s CHRO scoops the top award
Next up, on 12 November, leaders in the HR profession gathered for the CHRO Awards, celebrating excellence, reaffirming the vital commitment of HR leaders to positively impacting the lives of those they serve.
Jeanett Modise, Absa’s group chief human capital officer, was named the 2025 CHRO of the Year. She emerged as the biggest winner of the night, also scooping the Talent Management Award and the Learning & Development Award. Jeanett was honored for her exceptional work championing an inclusive work culture within the Absa Group through the Pan-African One Absa Initiative.
The full list of the 2025 CHRO Awards winners:
- CHRO of the Year – Jeanett Modise, group chief human capital officer, Absa
- Young CHRO of the Year – Gcobisa Ntshona, group CPO, African Bank
- Public Sector CHRO of the Year – Lindiwe Miyambu, former CPO, AGSA
- Strategy & Leadership Award – Charlotte Mokoena, executive VP: HR and corporate affairs, Sasol
- Transformation & Empowerment Award – Nolo Thobejane, chief people, culture and purpose officer, KFC Africa
- HR & Technology Award – Lindiwe Miyambu, former CPO, AGSA
- Employee Value Proposition Award – Charlotte Mokoena, executive VP: HR and corporate affairs, Sasol
- Talent Management Award – Jeanett Modise, group chief human capital officer, Absa
- Learning & Development Award – Jeanett Modise, group chief human capital officer, Absa
The CHRO Awards is sponsored by AM Comms, GIBS, LRMG, Mercer, Momentum Corporate, Old Mutual Corporate, Standard Bank South Africa, Regenesys and Workday.
Absa takes top honours again at the CIO Awards
The trilogy of ceremonies concluded on 13 November with the CIO Awards, described as the most glamorous night in the digital calendar. The awards celebrate IT leaders who demonstrate exceptional leadership and innovation, contributing significantly to their organisations’ success.
In a double-whammy for Absa, Johnson Idesoh, group CITO at the bank, was crowned CIO of the Year. Johnson was a dominant force, also taking home the Smart Data Award and the Digital Innovation Award. Under his guidance, Absa became the first major South African bank to achieve ISO 27001:2022 certification, elevating its cybersecurity to global standards. His leadership champions a cloud-first approach, unlocking agility and innovation, and utilising early AI adoption to reshape customer experience in financial services.
The full list of 2025 CIO Awards winners:
- CIO of the Year – Johnson Idesoh, group CITO, Absa
- Young CIO of the Year – Irwhan Rakiep, CIO, Metropolitan Life
- Public Sector CIO of the Year – Mathabo Nakene-Mginqi, vice principal: ICT and CIO, Unisa
- High-Performance Team Award – Kim Sim, CIO, Mr Price Group
- Strategy & Leadership Award – Kim Sim, CIO, Mr Price Group
- IT Project of the Year – Mary Mahuma, CIO: Southern Africa, Philip Morris International
- Cybersecurity Award – Hans Zachar, group CTIO, Nutun
- Smart Data Award – Johnson Idesoh, group CITO, Absa
- Digital Innovation Award – Johnson Idesoh, group CITO, Absa
The Annual CIO Awards was proudly supported by Award sponsors Cassava Technologies, Deloitte, Entelect, iOCO Technology Group, Huawei, MakwaIT, Welanga Investments, and Workday.
These three awards ceremonies showcase the powerful leaders whose strategies and integrity are essential for sustainable growth and success across South Africa’s corporate landscape.
If you would like to nominate a high-performing executive for the 2026 celebrations, please visit the CFO Awards, CHRO Awards and CIO Awards websites to complete the nomination forms.
And if you would like to become a sponsor of these prestigious awards ceremonies, reach out to Executive Communities head of sales Nick Smith on [email protected].