Connecting with people and effecting change and hope in their lives are two of the key drivers behind esteemed alumnus DShorne Human (44). He demonstrated par excellence in his current position as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the state-owned company (SOC) , SAFCOL - one of the first SOCs ever to declare a dividend to the state as opposed to requesting a government guarantee or bailout.

Nothing will make him happier than if South Africa could achieve this feat as a whole. “I hope each day that each one of us can try and move a step closer to materialising the motto of Unity in Diversity, because therein lies a powerful differentiating factor from many other countries in the world. The past is what it is: we now just need to focus on rebuilding all that we’ve lost. And it can be done. It must be done.” Read more about his sterling academic achievements, career, aspirations and hope for South Africa.

Q: Briefly summarise your studies (including the qualifications you obtained) and your professional career, with special mention of specific highlights/milestones.

A: I finished matric as the top student in the province with eight distinctions, then completed my BCom and BCom Hons at Tukkies. After qualifying as a CA, I also completed the exams for CIMA, and I currently hold fellowship with them. A few years ago, I obtained an MSc in Strategic Business Management from Manchester University. That was when I decided to stop studying…for now.

During my 44-month tenure as CFO in the public sector, the company (SAFCOL) has been the first in democratic South Africa that has declared a dividend to the State. This is quite a milestone! We don’t get bailouts, we don’t ask for Treasury guarantees. The SAFCOL Exco has done a sterling job, ensuring good governance and driving a performance culture from the top down.

When I started at SAFCOL almost four years ago, we had a return on equity of about -2%, so no value was being created. However, we’ve managed to achieve a significant turnaround and in the last financial year SAFCOL had a return on equity of 7%. As a result of this, the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation has requested that we discuss our game plan early next year, which clearly is working well, as well as share some knowledge. At the end of the day, in government we all face similar challenges, so this could serve as a blueprint.

Q: To what extent did your studies at UP benefit you in your career and contribute to your success?

A: I still firmly believe that UP offers students a world-class education. The demanding CA programme equipped me so well for the board exams that followed, that it was easy to pass both exams at my first attempt. The drive for excellence, which UP cemented in me, continued in my professional career and contributed greatly to my success to date.

Whenever I attend social events at UP, it is quite noticeable how like-minded professionals from EMS are: we all want to be the best at what we do, and we all want to make a difference. We know we have the ability to positively influence those around us. This, I believe, is what separates UP as a leader from the pack.

Q: Why did you choose your particular degree course/major(s) and did it meet your expectations…or, in hindsight, should you have opted for something else?

A: I have no regrets, especially not about what I studied or where I did it. Although I like numbers a lot, I was blessed as I excelled at all subjects at school and I loved most of them.

When I registered for my first year, I considered accounting, actuarial science and medicine (all at Tuks). Then I happened to get a bursary for accounting, and that is how the universe nudged me in this direction because my family couldn’t afford to pay for my university studies.

Ironically, six months after I accepted that bursary, I was also awarded a bursary for actuarial science. I believe my ethical side came to the fore and I decided that I already committed to the accounting bursary. I also think medicine would have taken me too long and actuaries don’t seem to enjoy working with people as much as I do.

When I looked at these options, I was ready to bury myself in the professional environment and start bringing about change.

I really like working with people, and now that I am CFO and leading a multi-national finance team of 65 people, I enjoy contributing to the financial strategy of the group and telling our value-creating story to stakeholders.

I like to spread hope in South Africa. We have all seen the worst of the public sector and now we have the opportunity to add to the storyline and tell how we are creating value. That is something that I will never regret. So, I’m very happy with my career choice…no regrets whatsoever.

Q: As a UP and EMS alumnus, what makes you proud to be associated with the UP?

A: UP’s CA programme is showing impressive pass rates at the SAICA board exam – if I’m not mistaken, in the last board exam, EMS graduates showed a 100% pass rate – and that attests to the quality of education that continues to be delivered at this institution, EMS in particular. Most UP alumni I know are still very proud to be linked to the institution and proudly carry the brand on their CV.

Q: Given your academic experience at UP, what advice can you pass on to current students?

A: Having completed a master’s degree, I still maintain that my honours year at Tukkies was the most difficult. It was incredibly gruelling, so I would advise students struggling to get to grips with the volume of work and the complexity of what they are preparing for to add value in the market, is: DO NOT GIVE UP.

It is the most difficult course in accounting, for a reason: only a limited number can become CAs. But once you’ve got the qualification under your belt, you will benefit from it for the rest of your life. No one can ever take it away from you!

Something I always told myself, is: If it were easy, everyone would do it. Try your best to stretch yourself in everything you do and go above and beyond what is expected, because that is how you start differentiating yourself.

Q: AI (ChatGPT-4/Generative AI/LLM) is expected to have a significant impact on both tertiary education and the workplace. What is your take on the advantages/disadvantages of AI for students and employees/employers?

A: I am by no means an AI specialist. Born at the end of GenX, I believe they call us Xennials. We grew up without cellphones or computers but now has to cope with everything technological that comes our way.

This said, I often think that we could be very close to crossing another Rubicon. I think AI could present the world with an unparalleled opportunity to optimise and streamline mundane activities. And a critical success factor for the student and employee of the future would be to efficiently harness that power.

In the future, it may become imperative that you stay on top of advances in that AI space and constantly ask yourself how this tool can make your life easier. At the moment it is still a challenge for AI to “create” original content, as, currently, it is predominantly rearranging large amounts of data and feeding the user what the middle of the bell curve (the average person) would like to see. But it doesn’t reflect those on the outskirts.

For now, I think humans will continue to differentiate themselves where they can creatively generate ideas and solutions that may not have been documented before. And that is why it is important for us to learn how to think, how to reason. This is a big part of what I learned during my studies at UP as opposed to the parrot-style learning at school. At university you are tested and need to apply the way you think, the way you solve a specific problem.

There could be a lot of synergy between AI and humans, but I do not believe it will reach the stage where it is going to replace jobs across the board. Ultimately, one must find a way to use AI to your advantage, but still come up with new and innovative ideas.

Q: Going forward, what are your professional/business/personal goals? What is your ultimate ‘dream job’?

A: This past decade I have been in executive finance (either FD or CFO) and I am very happy to add value in this specific space. It is a great opportunity to set/influence the company’s strategy and assist the executive committee and board to really start generating value for all stakeholders.

Sure, we have nice ideas for strategy, but at the end of the day, everybody wants to see the impact on the bottom line. On the employees. On the community you’re operating in. So, everything comes back to the numbers. And I’m very happy to be a master of coin. I always wanted to become a well-rounded CFO and then use that kind of cross pollination to implement best practices in finance and leverage whatever the company has at its disposal.

However, I do not see myself in the public sector forever. During my career, I’ve been exposed to a variety of sectors, including mining, heavy construction, oil and gas, private equity and now the public sector, so, in future, I would not be averse to taking on a CEO role, probably in the corporate sector and a company with a multinational footprint. It just enhances your scope significantly.

Q: Which business/trade-related publications (magazines/newspapers/blogs, etc) do you enjoy reading?

A: I enjoy reading international publications like The Economist as well as most publications by the World Economic Forum (WEF). I love the motivational and solutions-orientated approach of the latter to improve the livelihood of people across the globe, especially in developing countries.

On YouTube I particularly enjoy watching the channel Economics Explained, where a brilliant Australian economist explains the strengths and weaknesses of countries and how they could step up to compete with their peers.

Q: What inspires and motivates you personally?

A: About nine years ago, I was caught off guard by this very same question in an interview with a prospective employer. While it is such a simple question, I struggled to answer it because I had not unpacked it…

On my way home, it hit me that, like many of us, I am driven by a sense of purpose. If you don’t feel you’re making a difference, you lose that drive. So, I need to feel that I am making a difference, however big or small. I am often reminded of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote that says: “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” Even if I effect just one small change for the better in someone’s life, is what motivates me.

Q: What is your ‘compass’ in life that keeps you ‘on track’?

A: My two dogs (Beagles), Chase and Cody. Ever so often they will approach me for attention when I am wasting time on my phone or watching TV. This makes me realise that it is much more fulfilling to be present, in the moment.

Just by being there, they make me very happy. I still try to be more like them in terms of the unconditional love and happiness they spread, without even trying. So, I try to be self-aware and balance my lifestyle.

Q: If you could have a face-to-face meeting with an inspiring person - in any domain - who sets an example in transforming the world and inspiring others to do the same, who would it be and what would you like to discuss?

A: Many people would probably think, that, being a finance guy, I would prefer to speak to some or other financial boffin. However, I would have loved to share a fireside chat with Maya Angelou: to zoom in on our unique challenges in this beautiful country and hear her perspective on the best way forward. At present, we are struggling to marry our ideologies with our reality. We all have this great view of where we could be, but we are battling with the stark reality of a very high Gini coefficient.

Considering her background and how she managed to overcome the obstacles in her life, in my book, she’s one of the most inspiring people. Essentially, she embodies goodness and resilience. Connecting with people and effecting change in their lives, is, in essence, what I like to do most.

Q: Tell us more about yourself, including your likes/dislikes; strengths/weaknesses, business/life philosophy.

A: I always try to be kind. Sometimes I fail, because it is easier to give in to frustration when the pressure is on, or emotions run high. And at the same time, I am reminded of Judy Smith’s quote that says: “Don’t mistake kindness for weakness.” I try to live a balanced life and I consciously focus on increasing my awareness and being present here and now. I like balancing the high demands of my role with spending time outside doing trail runs, taking my dogs for a walk or just sitting by the swimming pool reading a relaxing book while the hadedas make a noise in the background.

Q: The prevalence of corruption and mismanagement in government, and significant unemployment, poverty, violent crime, insufficient infrastructure, etc are the order of the day, so South Africans find life in South Africa increasingly stressful. How do you handle stress/failure?

A: One thing we as South Africans have a lot of, is resilience. We face unique challenges and although it often feels like we are scoring own goals, there are always pockets of excellence to lead the way. For example, at the South African Forestry Company, we were one of the first state-owned companies (SOC) to ever declare a dividend to the state as opposed to requesting a government guarantee or bailout. And other SOCs are also stabilising and starting to turn around. The past is what it is: now we just need to focus on rebuilding all that we lost. And it can be done. It must be done. I’m lucky that I am quite stress-resilient. I handle such stressors by consciously focusing on the immediate next steps one can take to save the day, no matter how small. The power of momentum is amazing if you have the guts to just start.

Q: The year 2024 has set off against a backdrop of unprecedented devastation, division and instability as now no fewer than 27 world regions experience massive violence and political insecurity. If you could make a contribution to solving one/some of these problems, what would you like to tackle and why?

A: One of the saddest things about the world today, is that we are in the 21^st century and technologically (and one would also hope intellectually) at the most advanced stage the human race has probably ever been, but still, we suffer the unnecessary and wasteful destruction of warfare. As a child, I struggled to understand these lyrics from John Lennon’s song, but in recent years it makes more sense to me: “Imagine there's no countries. It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for. And no religion, too. Imagine all the people.
Livin' life in peace.”

Q: What are your hopes and aspirations for South Africa and its people?

A: Like many others, I have an unwavering faith in the untapped potential of this country. This country with its resilient population and abundant resources and natural beauty. I fervently hope each day that each one of us can try and move a step closer to materialising the motto of Unity in Diversity, because therein lies a powerful differentiating factor from many other countries in the world. I hope that South Africans can depart from a victim mentality to a collaborator one. We have so much to learn from each other and so much to give, that in this regard, I wish to echo the now popular Afrikaans saying: “Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie!” (They don’t know what we know.)