“You don’t have to see the whole staircase — just take the first step” — Martin Luther King Jr

Sibongile Zungu

Category

Financial Services
 

Organisation / Company

Standard Bank Group

 

Position

Head of finance: Business solutioning consolidation

 

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Qualifications

  • Chartered Accountant – CA(SA), 2017
  • Master of Commerce, University of the Witwatersrand
  • Bachelor of Accounting Sciences Honours in Accounting Sciences, University of Pretoria
  • Bachelor of Accounting Sciences degree, University of Pretoria

Achievements

  • Appointed youngest member of the IGSA Executive Committee at age 29
  • Fast-tracked to management at Unilever – achieved one of the fastest promotions in Unilever South Africa’s finance division — rising to management after just one role and within 18 months
  • TransUnion Rising Star Awards finalist (2022)
  • Standard Bank Group Individual Excellence Award finalist
  • Led the finance automation and dashboard innovation
  • Championing the career navigator programme at Standard Bank Group – spearheaded the design and launch of a Diversity & Inclusion Career Navigator initiative
  • Led and supported financial governance improvements across the Netherlands, West Africa, and Malaysia through internal audit secondments and special projects
  • Contributed to executive-level discussions by delivering strategic financial insights, consolidated reporting, and performance analysis to support key decisions across Business and Commercial Banking
  • Selected to be part of Yolanda Cuba’s Mentorship Circle—an elite mentorship programme led by the Vice President of MTN Group
  • Completed university in record time with first-time passes in both chartered accountancy board exams

Mentors

  • My parents, who both come from rural areas — Richmond and Bulwer, respectively, instilled the values of hard work and perseverance despite limited resources.
  • Thembeka Maseko, chief financial officer of Standard Bank Group’s Personal and Professional Banking division, has a journey marked by adversity and remains a true inspiration.
  • Yolanda Cuba, vice-president at MTN Group, has provided guidance under which the importance of building a personal brand — “udume ngani” (what are you known for) — has become clear.
  • Vishwanath Nirgin, Africa controls director at Unilever, recognised potential early on and provided opportunities for international exposure, helping me to develop the skills and confidence needed to thrive in the finance team