(October 2019, London) As part of their ongoing commitment to gender equality and transformation in the sector, top South African accounting, auditing and consulting firm Nexia SAB&T were recognised at the The Accountant & International Accounting Bulletin Digital Accountancy Forum Awards hosted by the International Accounting Bulletin, the premier global awards evening for the accounting sector which was held in London, celebrating worldwide best practice in the accounting profession. The campaign, ‘We are HERstory in the making,’ which launched in February 2019, was recognised as the Communication Campaign of the Year at a prestigious event in a room full of their sector peers from across the world.
Since inception, the company has actively supported equal opportunities for women, and provided a work environment that nurtures local talent. The result is female employees now account for 61% of the firm’s staff contingency, and most are in key decision-making roles. In comparison, despite comprising 51% of the South African population, only 32% of managerial roles in SA are filled by women.
The launch coincided with Bashier Adam, CEO and one of the company’s founders, signing the organisation’s endorsement of the United Nations Women’s Empowerment Principles, reaffirming the company’s ongoing commitment to transformation and equal opportunity.
‘We are HERstory’ is the culmination of Nexia SAB&T’s 25 years of commitment. The campaign highlights personal success stories of several female employees including company board and EXCO chairperson, Ndumi Medupe. “Having grown up in the villages, I know that once you empower a woman, you empower the whole village,” commented Medupe at the campaign launch. “Gender equality, transformation and addressing income inequality are the lifeline of any business that is sustainable,” she added.
Founded in 1994, the firm has always been committed to transformation. “Meeting government objectives has never been a challenge for us. We’ve done it easily since day one,” explained Adam. “The principles of fairness in business created a fibre and a structure in our organisation that was conducive to transformation. We have a genuine commitment to addressing social inequality because we believe there is strength in diversity.”
Nexia SAB&T is part of Nexia International, the world’s 9th largest accounting network. Not limited to South Africa, gender equality in the sector is a global issue, and the South African success stories serve as a blueprint for change in other markets.
For further information on Nexia SAB&T visit https://herstory.africa/ or www.nexia-sabt.co.za.
