Johannesburg – The winner for 2022 of the Top 35 under 35 competition was announced at a prestigious gala dinner hosted by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) on Friday 25 November 2022 in Johannesburg.
This initiative was started by SAICA in 2014. The Top-35-Under-35 competition recognises young CAs(SA) achievers who are not only excelling in their professional capacity, but who are also making a meaningful contribution to society.
Louw Barnardt (age 34), CEO and co-founder of Outsourced CFO was announced as the winner in the Lead Category for the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Top 35 under 35 competition of 2022.
Barnardt started the award-winning finance firm Outsourced CFO with fellow Top 35 chartered accountant Dana Pretorius at the end of 2013. Under his leadership as managing director, the company has grown from two desk spaces to seventy people in just under nine years, posting more than an average of 50% growth per year. Outsourced CFO now serves clients from over 25 different countries around the world, and their staff operate from six provinces in South Africa and three continents around the world.
No stranger to winning awards, Barnardt has been recognised as a Top 35 chartered accountant (2015/16), a Top 3 finalist for Young Professional of the Year (SAPSA Awards 2016), and the Sanlam/Business Partners Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year winner (EOY Awards 2018). He has been included among the Fast Company Top 20 under 30 (2016), the Fast Company Most Productive People in Business (2018) and Insights Success magazine’s Top 40 under 40 (2021).
Barnardt is passionate about making a difference in the entrepreneurship and business community, especially when it comes to transfer of hard- and soft-skills of entrepreneurs from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.
Not satisfied only with his professional career, Barnardt also spearheaded the formation of Founders Foundation NPC, a non-profit vehicle that runs various programmes and initiatives for young and previously disadvantaged entrepreneurs who are starting out on their journey. Together with corporate partners, they have helped to secure more than R80 million in funding opportunities for young entrepreneurs and have supported more than a hundred and fifty entrepreneurs with financial mentorship.
“We are extremely proud of Louw’s achievements,” says business-partner and co-founder Dana Pretorius. “His steady leadership has been an asset to the company in ways that cannot always be quantified.
“It’s an honour and privilege to work with Louw on our vision. I can’t think of anyone more deserving than the recognition awarded to him by SAICA.”
Barnardt is one of the youngest members of Entrepreneurs’ Organization, among three hundred South African founders that form part of their global network of over seventeen thousand million dollar companies. He has also been working closely with Entrepreneur Organization to develop an upscaling process as a “boot-camp” for entrepreneurs to grow their business into a place where it qualifies to join EO as a fully-fledged business.
Outsourced CFO, with headquarters based in Cape Town, has a global vision to enable and develop entrepreneurship across the globe. You can find out more on their website at www.ocfo.com.
For media queries and interview opportunities, please contact Loucile Botma at loucile@ocfo.com
