Siphiwo Dumisani Lwazi Mhlongo, Financial Accountant
Financial Accountant
Current Experience:
Financial Accountant at The SPAR Group Ltd Apr 2024 - Present · (1 yr 11 mos)
Past Experience:
Assistant Financial Controller at Tsogo Sun Oct 2023 - Mar 2024 · (6 mos)
Junior Associate at BDO South Africa · Full-time Sep 2022 - Sep 2023 · (1 yr 1 mo)
Senior Consultant at SAPRO Jan 2022 - Sep 2022 · (9 mos)
Education:
BCom Accounting
Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy
Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Accounting Sciences
Country of Residence:
South Africa
LinkedIn Profile:
From almost dropping accounting in Grade 10 to preparing board-level reports for some of South Africa’s top executives, Siphiwo Dumisani Lwazi Mhlongo’s journey is proof that your beginnings don’t define your ceiling.
A CA(SA) who once dreamed of becoming a civil engineer, Siphiwo now plays a critical role inside The SPAR Group Limited, delivering the numbers, insights, and financial intelligence that guide strategic decisions at the highest level. His story is not just about passing exams or earning designations. It’s about backing yourself when it counts, building credibility brick by brick, and understanding that in this profession, your reputation is your real currency.
What time do you usually wake up on weekends?
08:00 AM
Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Night Owl
How do you spend the first hour of your day?
I usually start my morning by having breakfast and checking X to catch up on the latest news and updates.
What sparked your interest in accounting and finance?
I originally wanted to be a civil engineer. That changed after attending a career expo in Amanzimtoti, where SAICA presented the CA(SA) designation and its benefits. The financial rewards really stood out to me, and from that day I decided I wanted to become a Chartered Accountant.
Interestingly, before that I didn’t enjoy accounting at all. In Grade 10, I actually wanted to drop it in favour of technical drawing, which aligned more closely with engineering. My mom wouldn’t allow it, saying I might need accounting one day. She turned out to be right.
Can you share some key career milestones or defining moments?
Here are some of the key milestones and defining moments in my career:
I was recognised as a top student by ABASA while studying at the University of Zululand. I was also part of the first intake of the Thuthuka Bursary Fund at the university, which played a major role in shaping my journey.
In 2019 and 2020, I achieved a 100% rating from the Auditor-General of South Africa for audit work completed on municipal audits. That was a very proud professional achievement.
In my current role at The SPAR Group Limited, I prepare reports that provide insights to the Group CEO, Group CFO, SA CEO, and SA Finance Executive. Knowing that senior executives rely on my work regularly reminds me how far I’ve come.
I completed my articles at Platinum Accounting in Musgrave. The constant encouragement and support from Imtiaz Rajah and Mohamed Simjee helped carry me through some of the most challenging periods of my life.
Passing my APC on the first attempt was a defining moment. I had written a supplementary exam through the UCT Board Course and only narrowly qualified to sit for the exam. With limited preparation time, I focused intentionally on my weak areas. Seeing those areas come up in the final exam and being ready for them reinforced an important lesson for me: always back yourself and do what works best for you.
What is your role within your company’s finance department?
Within the finance department at The SPAR Group Limited, my role covers a broad range of reporting, analysis, and compliance responsibilities. These include:
Preparing loan exposure reports for loans owed by the Group to external parties, as well as monthly loan reconciliation reports for loans receivable by SPAR South Africa.
Producing weekly sales reports for both Groceries and TOPS, tracking the performance of the six distribution centres within SPAR South Africa.
Performing weekly and monthly debtors analysis across all six distribution centres.
Preparing board and executive-level presentation slides for the SPAR South Africa finance executive.
Conducting monthly ratio analysis using key performance metrics to assess the performance of each distribution centre.
Assisting with the preparation of monthly management accounts distributed to senior executives.
Completing quarterly Statistics South Africa submissions and handling iXBRL filings for both dormant and non-dormant SPAR South Africa entities.
Preparing monthly intercompany matrix workings and processing elimination entries across SPAR South Africa companies and distribution centres.
Compiling the capex budget reconciliation workbook, detailing planned asset purchases for each distribution centre in the upcoming financial year.
Preparing IFRS 9 supporting schedules at year-end.
Producing a monthly performance workbook covering all SPAR distribution centre–owned stores for executive review.
Preparing and distributing the preliminary and final monthly profit figures for the business.
How do you contribute to the overall financial strategy of the business?
I contribute to the business’s financial strategy by providing executives with key metrics that allow them to assess performance on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. These include measures like debtors’ days, overdue debtors as a percentage of total debtors, cases lost as a percentage of cases sold, and comparisons of current-year performance against both budgeted targets and prior-year results. This data helps guide decision-making and identify areas for improvement across the business.
What is one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your role? How did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges in my role has been delivering high-quality reports to executives and senior personnel on time. I’ve overcome this by preparing a day or two in advance whenever possible. I also identify ways to streamline the process ahead of the due date, so that on the day itself, I can focus on analysis and reasonableness checks to ensure the reports are accurate and ready for distribution.
What tools or strategies do you use to manage the financial operations of the company effectively?
I rely heavily on SAP BI to manage financial operations effectively. It allows me to analyze movements in both percentage and rand value terms. Based on these analyses and any anomalies I identify, I follow up with the responsible distribution centre’s divisional accountant or finance executive to ensure everything is accurate and justified.
Share your strategies for staying balanced, especially during busy periods
To stay balanced during busy periods, I make sure to drink plenty of water, take multivitamins, and dedicate 45–60 minutes each day to a workout.
What do you enjoy outside of work? Any hobbies or activities that help you recharge?
Outside of work, I enjoy playing soccer and watching matches with friends.
Do you mentor or support other team members in the finance department? How do you help develop the skills of others?
I’m not part of a formal mentorship program, but I do support colleagues who are pursuing accounting qualifications while working. I provide guidance and assistance as needed, and I make an effort to teach them along the way so that, in the future, they can handle the same tasks independently and confidently.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to work in a finance department?
I would advise anyone aspiring to work in a finance department to focus on continuously learning and developing new skills. Short courses can be very useful, platforms like Udemy offer practical Excel courses that come in handy for daily tasks. Being efficient in a deadline-driven environment really sets you apart and can influence future promotions. Familiarity with commonly used systems, such as SAP, is also valuable and can make a candidate stand out when applying for finance roles.
“To whom much is given much is tested.”
Share a leadership lesson or a piece of advice that’s been valuable to you in your career.
A leadership lesson that has been valuable to me is realizing how long it takes to build a strong reputation, and how quickly it can be undone. This has reinforced the importance of attention to detail in everything I do. The credibility of the reports I prepare is critical, as some are used in public presentations and by investors to make decisions about investing in my current employer. Ensuring accuracy and reliability is essential to maintaining trust and professional integrity.
What’s something surprising about you that isn’t in your professional bio? A hobby, interest, or fun fact?
Something surprising about me is that I’m a fairly skilled chess player and often spend my spare time playing chess online.
If you could have any superpower to help you in your job, what would it be? Predicting financial trends? Master multitasking?
If I could have any superpower for my job, it would be endless energy, so I could stay alert at all times and maintain peak performance even during long workdays.
What’s your go-to strategy for staying productive during long workdays?
My go-to strategy for staying productive during long workdays is taking short walks every hour to clear my head and reset my focus.
If you could relive one day from your career, which day would it be and why? What made that day special?
If I could relive one day from my career, it would be the BDO APC dinner. It was just a few days after I passed the exam, and I was still in disbelief. The venue chosen by the firm was elegant, far beyond any restaurant I’d normally go to, which made the night feel even more special. It reminded me that I had achieved something significant, and that the CA(SA) designation would open doors to opportunities and experiences, including greater financial freedom.
Siphiwo’s story isn’t just about passing the APC or preparing board packs. It’s about earning trust in rooms where the stakes are high and the margin for error is zero. In a profession where one mistake can cost you clients, credibility, or capital, he understands that preparation is profit, and reputation is everything.
If you’re a finance professional carrying the pressure of compliance, executive reporting, and tight deadlines, you know exactly what that feels like. The question is: are you getting the recognition and professional standing you deserve for it?
Join CIBA and we’ll show you how to strengthen your credibility, protect your reputation, and position yourself as the trusted expert businesses can’t afford to lose.
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