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

Sibongile Zungu

Organisation / Company

Standard Bank Group

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

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

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