Fransua van der WesthuizenOwner & Principal
The advisory practice of a career CFO.
Twenty years as CFO, Financial Director and GM Finance of groups between ZAR 1.5 billion and ZAR 4 billion in revenue, across South Africa, the DRC, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Mauritius and Australia. Every client deals with me directly.
In an era where AI can assist with finance functions, staying relevant is best practice. I deliver AI solutions where required, fluent in Claude Cowork and Claude Code. Best of both worlds, equipped for the new era, the experience behind it.
Track Record
Kanton-West is the practice of one career CFO. The record below was earned in employment, as CFO, Financial Director and GM Finance of the groups named. It is a career record, not a client list. The practice's own client work appears here as it completes, and as clients permit.
Roles held
CFO of a ZAR 1.5 billion engineering group. Financial Director of a USD 175 million multi-country group. GM Finance of a ZAR 4 billion operation. Exco, board and risk committee seats.
Raised
More than USD 300 million. Over ZAR 4 billion in asset, project and working-capital finance.
Jurisdictions
South Africa, the DRC, Zambia, Namibia, Mozambique, Mauritius and Australia. A UK subsidiary incorporated. Consolidation across more than six currencies and three accounting frameworks.
Banking
Two decades on the borrowing side of every major South African bank. Fifteen-plus DFIs, Afreximbank among them, and export credit agencies.
Systems
IFS Cloud, Sage X3, SAP, PeopleSoft. Implemented or run. Claude Code in daily use.
Treasury
A group treasury department established and run. Centralised cash pooling across multiple jurisdictions. Cash forecasting and working capital optimisation as the weekly discipline.
Selected projects
The seat in each case: CFO, Financial Director or GM Finance of the group doing the work. The project named is where that work landed.
- Vertically integrated 8 000 ha maize farm and milling plantSouthern DRCUSD 80m+
- Hydro-electric dam wall civils, BarrickNorthern DRCUSD 200m+
- Koeberg steam generator replacement, two units, FramatomeSouth AfricaZAR 450m+
- Zinc plant relocation, KenmareMozambiqueUSD 80m+
- Atlantis 7 MW solar plant, design and constructionWestern CapeZAR 100m+
- Koeberg backup power supply, EskomSouth AfricaZAR 800m+
- Main Road 91 upgraded to bitumen standardNamibiaZAR 1.2bn+
- ERP implementations: IFS Cloud, Sage X3, PeopleSoftAcross the group--