Speaking at the CFO Leadership Summit in Dar es Salaam on 12 June, Sekou Tidiane, CFO of Africa Global Logistics (AGL) Tanzania, reflected on the human side of finance leadership, explaining why managing numbers is only a fraction of the executive role.

Alfred Ramosedi, FCMA, CGMA, president at The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and co-chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, who is based predominantly in Africa, and Tariro Mutizwa, FCMA, CGMA, vice president – Africa at CIMA, agree that AI will change what finance professionals do, but not who leads. They speak to CFO East Africa about the shifts changing the profession across the continent.

Mastercard Foundation finance director Winnie Waweru asks the same question in every room she enters: Where is the voice of the young people?

While 88 percent of organisations now use AI, fewer than six percent see major earnings impact. In this article, CFO Amir Parpia explores how C-suite leaders can combine AI-driven insight with human judgement and collaboration to create sustainable enterprise value.

When we discuss financial excellence on a pan-African scale, the spotlight often lands on massive conglomerates. Yet, true financial agility is forged in the trenches of the SME sector, where strategy meets execution in real-time.

CFO and executive coach Jay Atara outlines the vital transition from a numbers-focused finance director to an influential strategic partner. Drawing on deep industry experience and the rise of AI, he delivers a roadmap for finance leaders ready to step off their technical island and lead with commercial foresight.

Relief Mtenga, finance director at Deloitte Consulting, shares thoughts from her experience leading finance operations in volatile environments, explaining why rigid rules fail in unpredictable contexts.

Dr Mark Nasila, chief data and analytics officer at First National Bank (FNB) South Africa, says CFOs must define the business value of artificial intelligence before committing capital, then measure whether the promised gains materialise.

While 88 percent of organisations now use AI, fewer than six percent see major earnings impact. In this article, CFO Amir Parpia explores how C-suite leaders can combine AI-driven insight with human judgement and collaboration to create sustainable enterprise value.

Car & General is entering another period of reinvention after nine decades of surviving changing markets. For CFO Sam Njenga, staying relevant necessitates remaining close to customers, investing in people, embracing technology and being willing to rethink what comes next.

At the CFO East Africa Sustainability Summit in Kampala, Stanbic Bank Uganda CEO Mumba Kalifungwa said sustainability needs to be understood across the enterprise while finance leaders connect reporting requirements with long-term value.

Daisy Wanjie has spent her career at the intersection of finance and impact. She explains how the organisation she helps lead is closing one of the continent's most persistent financing gaps.