Zaheer Essack Email & Phone Number

South Africa

United Kingdom

Manage comprehensive financial operations and drive financial planning and analysis (FP&A) across multiple regions including the UK, APAC, USA, Middle East, and Africa. My expertise includes:Leading the production of yearly budgets, revenue forecasts, and the annual financial planning process, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and long-term strategies.Driving monthly accounting close and financial reporting for P&L and balance sheets in accordance with IFRS, delivering accurate, timely, and actionable insights.Conducting in-depth financial analysis of operational performance, identifying trends, risks, and opportunities to inform strategic business decisions.Leading FP&A initiatives, providing robust financial analysis and modeling to support growth, profitability, and operational efficiency.Managing commission accruals and margin analysis, delivering precise quarterly reports that support revenue forecasting and accountability.Overseeing financial teams and office managers, as well as liaising with third-party financial counterparts such as banks, ensuring smooth financial operations across all regions.Preparing and presenting financial strategies, performance updates, and forecasts to C-level executives, enabling data-driven decision-making.Leading company-wide audits, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations in each territory, as well as IFRS consolidations.Spearheading the implementation of transfer pricing policies, ensuring tax and financial compliance across regions.Driving key financial initiatives including ERP migration and finance automation projects to streamline processes and enhance financial reporting capabilities.

Gauteng, South Africa

Ensure that the general ledger process for MTN OPCO Opex is being applied properly• Ensure that all transactions in payables and cash management sub-systems map through to the general ledger correctly• Ensure that all transactions processed in the GL comply with GAAP and IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) requirements• Ensure all general ledger and associated reconciliations are prepared and reviewed• Ensure validity of the prepared journals • Monitor and manage risks associated within MTN Opco financials by ensuring all financial policies and procedures are adhered to • Manage risk by ensuring all payments are duly authorizedReportingResponsible for month-end closure and reporting (monthly commentary) for General Ledger and Cash Flow • First layer analyzing of results, highlighting variances and suggesting corrective action.• Consolidate and prepare financial commentary on a quarterly and bi annual basis.• Review and provide input to financial policies & procedures, making recommendations as necessary.• Ensure monthly results are uploaded on Hyperion Financial Management.• Collaborate with Group Tax in the preparation of responses in respect of tax queries from SARS.• Assist with preparation of tax computations and assist with preparation of tax schedules( this should be included in Manger Tax)Assist in managing the external statutory audits for year-end and interim.• Assist with compiling annual financial statements for the company Ensuring that all IFRS requirements are met• Report on a monthly basis to the Senior Manager: MTN OPCO Opex on performance of the department and outstanding/ contentious issues.• Ensure distribution of monthly reports. • Keep abreast of technical updates relating to IFRS and ensure compliance• Obtain translated targets and operational plans and compile action plans for execution for a year or two ahead. • Provide input into the long-term plan (1-2 years) for the MTN OPCO Opex Unit

South Africa

Operational Planning • Consider the impact of solutions on other areas of the business, as well as the interdependency of units• Drive best practice, continuous improvement and innovation at process and procedure level within the unitFinancial Reporting• Assist with implementation of financial accounting and reporting policies for company-wide financial reporting• Maintain MTN SA Financial Reporting Manual• Responsible for the consolidation of MTN SA results – support the HFM/FCCS loading team in ensuring that the consolidation is correct.• Responsible for the integrity of the reported numbers – vis. The reported segment information (CBU, EBU, Wholesale, Financial KPI’s (such as ARPU’s etc.)• Assist with defining OPEX allocation methodologies for reporting of segmented financial reporting.• Maintain mapping of accounts from the chart of accounts providing input and advisory to other business units for recording of expenses.• Preparation of commentaries to be issued out by Group investor relations in order to ensure accuracy and story line to the market.• Assist with ensuring the results of the company are presented internally and externally in accordance with IFRS, Companies Act and any other statutory and regulatory requirement.• Preparation of MTN SA monthly and quarterly reporting packs.• Facilitate insightful commentaries in reporting packs to actuals and budget.• Assist with the definition of PPP’s for the appropriate complex financial provisions.• Actively manage the design, implementation and ongoing integrity of the chart of accounts• Assist with reporting queries from stakeholders, including Exco, other functional units, Manco, Investor Relations, Regulatory departments and others.• Facilitate insightful competitor analysis on results of significant competitors.• Ensure the integrity of reported numbers on Dashboards managed by Finance

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

• Accounts receivable management• Accounts Payable management• Inventory management in terms of IAS2• Fixed assets management• WIP management • General ledger maintenance• Perform all financial control procedures• Preparation of Budgets• Company Taxation• Submission of Vat returns• Approval of Foreign payments• Authorize forward cover contracts• Preparation of management reports• Cash forecasting• Implementation of policies and procedures• Lease accounting in accordance with IFRS16 • Revenue recognition in accordance with IFRS15 • Reconciliation and maintenance of balance sheet accounts• Responsible for monthly closings and preparation of monthly financial statements• Income statement monthly analysis• Responsible for co-ordination of internal and external audit process• Review and sign off accounts payable reconciliation.• Review statutory BEE reports• Fulfillment of sound financial reporting requirements to the Senior Financial manager and Financial Director

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

Financial Accounting• Accounting for inventory in terms of IAS2• Define specific information required from sources to account for revenue in accordance with IFRS 15 standards• Evaluate the need of official processes/procedures for the tasks under responsibility and implement them.• Perform Stock obsolescence calculation in accordance with company policy and IAS2.Intercompany• Processing of monthly intercompany journals between separate entities as per intercompany agreement.• Generate monthly intercompany invoices .• Preparation of intercompany invoice schedule to be submitted to tax specialist.• Balance intercompany before trial balance close deadline.Prepaid• Calculation of unearned revenue in accordance with IFRS15 & company policy.• Calculation of voucher discounts per channel type in line with channel agreements and recognition of discounts in accordance with IFRS standards• Ensure correct discount rates are applied and investigate discrepancies.• Perform reallocation journals of monthly prepaid usage.Management• Approval of inventory related invoices processed by Accounts payable team in order to review accuracy and allocation of invoices and to avoid risk of making payment for stock which has not been received as well as manage over/under accrualsAnalysis & Reporting activities• Preparation of monthly stock movement reports• Preparation of monthly inventory detailed breakdown reports • Quarterly purchases report• Preparation of reports requested by internal and external stakeholders • Preparation of monthly equipment analysis report and providing logical explanations for movements • Preparation of Quarterly timing and recognition of revenue report.• Preparation of handset financing subsidy reports and graphs• Preparation of monthly gross margin reports ( Handsets, Data Hardware, Staterpacks) & analysis of GP% movement• Analyze movement in balance sheet and provide reasons for increase/decrease in monthly figures

Johannesburg Area, South Africa

• Reconcile fixed assets and property supplier accounts ( Local and Foreign)• General ledger Reconciliation• Processing of Journals• Drawdown Instruction Payment Processing into AP• Preparation of automated and manual payments.• Matching invoices to PO and GRN for supplier accounts.• Process electricity and rental payment requisitions.• Franchise variable analysis and payments.• Generate monthly age analysis on accounts and follow up.• Approval of leases.• Control all base station electricity vendor accounts through monthly reports and exports from system database • Follow up on queries detailed on preliminary payment batches with operations department timeously.• Co-ordinate workflow amongst team members• Supervision of 3 creditors administrators• Checking of reconciliations • Communicate efficiently with departments; hand over necessary information to operation, when resolving queries• Develop efficient processing within the department• Automation of invoices uploads to system database• To ensure all invoices are valid tax invoices and adheres to VAT requirements as well currency and exchange rate dates.• Comply with Cell C policies and procedures.Reporting- Submit relevant expenditure control reports to regional executives- Unaccounted transaction reports- Invoice on Hold report- Trial balance- Arrears reports on various faculties within the departmentAd-Hoc-Assisting Executives expenditure reports- Assisting Auditors

Associate Chartered Certified Accountant, Accounting And Finance

Bachelor'S Degree, Accounting Science In Financial Accounting

High School, Matric, Matric