Thembi Tabata

Ms Thembi Tabata
Director: Supply Chain Management, Vaal University of Technology

Thembi Tabata is an accomplished finance, governance and business leader with over 18 years of experience spanning the public sector, higher education, financial services, construction, mining and consulting. A Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), she has held senior leadership positions including Director: Procurement and Chief Financial Officer in multiple Sectors. Her experience encompasses financial strategy and reporting, budgeting, supply chain and procurement management, governance, risk management, internal controls, taxation, audit management and organisational process improvement. Her career began at the Auditor-General of South Africa, where she developed a strong foundation in public-sector auditing, accountability and PFMA/MFMA compliance.

Thembi has led finance functions in complex and transforming organisations, including institutions operating under administration, and has supported the establishment of financial governance frameworks and business processes in both public and private-sector entities. Among her notable achievements is contributing to a certain TVET College achieving its first clean audit opinion, while her broader career has included leadership of finance, supply chain management and student financial aid functions, as well as advisory work with SMEs and major organisations. She brings to conference platforms a practical perspective on financial leadership, governance, organisational transformation, public-sector accountability and building sustainable financial management systems.