CFO Botswana is breaking ground in community building, bringing finance executives together to share perspective, challenge thinking and learn from each other’s experiences, under the Executive Communities banner.
“We are extremely excited about the launch of this new community in the beautiful country of Botswana, at a time when Executive Communities has a growing presence on the African continent,” says Joël Roerig, MD of Executive Communities.
“Finance, HR and IT execs across South and East Africa are incredibly enthusiastic about their communities and that’s contagious. It is all the encouragement we need to follow our purpose, which is lofty and simple at the same time. We exist to boost executives’ knowledge, networks and careers through down-to-earth engagement, world-class events and original content. Through everything we do, we aim to positively influence individuals’ lives and careers, inspire organisations and contribute to the countries we are active in,” he adds.
ExCo has been actively engaging with CFOs in Botswana for the better part of this year, with a debut dinner in Gaborone, as well as an online community conversation to kickstart brainstorming sessions for the community.
Attended by top finance execs from companies including Air Botswana, Bank Gaborone, Barloworld Equipment Botswana, Botswana Stock Exchange, MMG, NTT Nissan, Old Mutual Botswana and Standard Chartered Bank, the event brought together at least 30 of Botswana’s top chief finance officers.
“This has to be the first of many,” one CFO said at the gathering. “We’ve reached a point where a CFO community is not optional. We can all learn from this.”
Read more about the dinner.
The inaugural Community Conversation, which brought together CFOs and finance leaders from sectors including healthcare, banking, mining, logistics and utilities, focused on liquidity challenges, economic uncertainty and mounting pressure on businesses.
Modiri Seoke, financial manager at Unitrans, said CFOs are no longer confined to traditional finance responsibilities. “There’s no more time for simply number crunching. We’re expected to go out, network, find new business and contribute directly to growing the organisation. If you’re not saving costs, restructuring the business and helping bring in new opportunities, then you’re not part of the conversation.”
Read more about the conversation.
Access Bank Botswana CFO Ratang Icho-Molebatsi noted in a recent interview with CFO Botswana she believes when the economy is tough, CFOs need a strong community of fellow CFOs to share perspective, challenge thinking and learn from each other’s experiences, because complex decisions are better navigated together than in isolation.
“While organisations like BICA and ACCA have done well in bringing professionals together, and there is a finance community through the Bankers Association, there is more that can still be done. There are critical topics we need to engage on together – IFRS 17 in the insurance sector is a good example, where many are struggling with implementation. CFOs need spaces where they can speak openly, learn from each other and collectively raise the standard of the profession,” she added, welcoming the idea of Executive Communities setting up a community for CFOs in Botswana.
An official launch in the form of a summit will take place on 20 May 2027, bringing Botswana’s senior finance leaders together to tackle what comes next in the country’s growth story. For more details, please contact Puseletso Mompei at [email protected].