My Brilliant Career: It's the 'aha' moments that make taking the risk worthwhile

What does your job as tax manager entail? 

I am responsible for the tax function in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. My team and I work on tax deliverables, managing tax risk and compliance, identifying tax efficiencies and contributing towards the organisation’s long-term value creation. 

What drew you to study to become an accountant? 

I initially registered to study towards a different course within the sciences faculty. One of my modules was from the commerce faculty — economics and accounting, I think. The following semester, I started to transition to the commerce faculty and changed to an accounting degree the following year.

As I was transitioning, I would attend campus career fairs and was drawn to the opportunities within the accountancy profession. 

What makes you good at what you do? 

The world of finance — specifically tax, for me — is dynamic and continues to evolve. Having spent a large part of my career involved with tax, I still learn and experience “aha” moments. Even when there is some despair (because if we could, we would all choose a world with no taxes), I remain encouraged.

What makes me good at what I do is my appreciation and love of tax law and finance, the intersection and how that translates commercially. 

What does a typical workday look like? 

No two days are identical. However, they all start the same, with me checking for any urgent communications from stakeholders and any open items from the previous day. I try to split my days to give time for urgent items, but also to focus on long-term initiatives.

A lot of my day-to-day work is shaped by the strategic direction the company is taking and the tax legislative framework in the countries we operate in, or with.

Throughout the life cycle of a business transaction, tax reviews are embedded into our organisation’s risk-review processes. It can be as simple as a quote for a product or service or a larger project, restructuring, or entry to or exiting a specific market. Tax forms part of what our business leaders consider in decision-making.

I oversee our tax reporting obligations to the various revenue authorities and any engagement with them. On a regular basis, I report our region’s tax positions to give a fair representation of the tax environment in our financial records in line with accounting standards.

Throughout the year, I analyse tax legislation changes and assess the effect for our business.

What is your advice for young people starting their careers? 

You may not feel 100% ready, but trust me you are and just need to take the leap. A good work ethic always wins; challenge yourself. And do not put off learning or education for tomorrow — do it now and do it continuously.

I read Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes a while back. The book is about Shonda saying yes to things she might have said no to. What I have seen in my career is male counterparts who appeared less or as competent as me take up opportunities I would tell myself I was not ready for, as the saying goes: “Not taking a risk is actually taking a risk.”