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Mahlatse Moropane CA(SA), 34

Mahlatse Moropane CA(SA), 34

Principal – SA Debt, Absa Corporate & Investment Banking | Co-Chair – Absa CIB Employment Equity Forum

Finalist: Impact Champion | SAICA Top-35-Under-35 Awards 2025

Mahlatse Moropane is a Chartered Accountant and investment banker whose work is reshaping South Africa’s financial landscape through inclusive leadership, sustainable finance, and mentorship. At 34, she serves as Principal in the SA Corporate Finance Debt team within Absa’s Corporate and Investment Banking division, specialising in corporate and leveraged finance — and is a driving force behind some of the country’s most impactful transactions.

Born and raised in Tembisa, Mahlatse’s journey began in an under-resourced community where she learned the value of education, resilience, and purpose. Supported by the Thuthuka Bursary Fund, she studied accounting at the University of Pretoria, becoming the first CA(SA) in her family — a milestone that transformed not only her life, but her family’s trajectory.

Today, Mahlatse leads debt structuring and financing across mining, resources, public sector, and hospitality. Her work includes landmark transactions such as:

  • ZAR10 billion Sustainability-Linked Facility for Harmony Gold — one of South Africa’s largest syndicated ESG loans, supporting renewable energy and climate resilience in mining.
  • ZAR3 billion term debt for TCTA’s water infrastructure projects — improving water security for households and industries across Gauteng and Lephalale.
  • GBP58 million offshore acquisition financing for Excellerate Services — enabling strategic expansion and job creation.
  • Sappi Sustainability-Linked Facility –funding solution supporting Sappi’s South African operations, directly advancing the company’s environmental targets
  • Transnet Term Loan Facility – Provided critical liquidity to sustain South Africa’s largest logistics company, ensuring continued trade and infrastructure stability.
  • IHS Towers Acquisition of MTN SA Towers (ZAR3.47bn) – Funding facilitated the expansion of digital infrastructure

For Mahlatse, these are not just deals — they are instruments of development, employment, and transformation.

Her leadership extends beyond transactions. As Co-Chair of Absa’s CIB Employment Equity Forum, she drives transformation and representation in financial services, advocating for women and African, Coloured, and Indian (ACI) professionals. She works with management to build inclusive workplaces and empower emerging leaders.

Mahlatse is also a dedicated mentor, guiding students and young professionals — especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her mentorship is rooted in lived experience, offering not just technical guidance but emotional support and a roadmap for success.

Her career began at the National Treasury, where she completed her SAICA articles through the Chartered Accountant Academy. She rotated across departments, gaining experience in asset and liability management, credit risk, bond issuance, and financial reporting — laying the foundation for her future in investment banking.

She has been recognised in DealMakers Women 2023, nominated for Absa’s CIB Excellence Awards, and serves as a SAICA Registered Assessor and Reviewer. Her leadership development includes the IMD Foundations of Business Leadership (Switzerland) and the IgniteHeR Leadership Program.

Mahlatse’s journey — from Tembisa to the boardrooms of Absa — is a testament to the power of purpose, grit, and giving back. She believes finance must serve more than shareholders; it must serve society. Her work bridges commercial success with lasting impact, proving that where you start should never limit where you can go — but it should always inspire how you lift others along the way.