Themba Sithole

Themba Sithole
Procurement Officer, PURCO SA

Themba Sithole is an experienced finance, accounting and business professional with more than 17 years of experience spanning financial management, auditing, taxation, risk management and consulting.

He holds a Bachelor of Accounting (Honours) and a Bachelor of Accounting (CTA) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His professional development includes training in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), audit procedures, taxation, risk management, IT governance, financial statement preparation and business reporting. He has also been a member of the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Themba's career experience includes time with Deloitte and the establishment of Jobe Tax & Financial Solutions, a financial consultancy he founded to provide tax and financial advisory services to individuals and organisations across the public and private sectors.

Now associated with PURCO SA, Themba brings his financial and commercial experience into the higher education procurement environment. His combination of accounting expertise, financial analysis and exposure to institutional procurement provides a practical perspective on identifying efficiencies, managing expenditure and improving value from organisational resources.

His areas of expertise are particularly relevant to discussions around cost optimisation, financial sustainability, strategic procurement and improving value for money within South Africa's higher education sector.

Case study: Day 2

The future of university security is not simply about deploying more security officers or installing more cameras. It is about creating an intelligent security ecosystem in which technology, people, information and processes work together in an integrated manner. Cost optimisation does not mean reducing security; it means achieving the required level of security at the most efficient total cost.

This session will focus on the implementation of smart security in the provision of security services within institutions of higher learning, examining cost optimisation and its frequently missed opportunities. The security environment within these institutions has changed significantly in recent years. Universities can no longer be managed exclusively through security officers, physical barriers, patrols and conventional access-control mechanisms.

A modern university functions, in effect, as a small, complex city. It comprises students, employees, contractors and visitors; vehicles, buildings, laboratories and residences; and financial assets, information systems and critical infrastructure, all of which must be safeguarded. This complexity creates the need for a security model capable of managing large volumes of people, information and security events in real time. The concept of smart security presents such an opportunity.

This session will also address the potential gap between the availability of security technology, the value derived from that technology, and the broader cost optimisation initiatives that institutions must pursue.