Riyaad Cruywagen, Webber Wentzel

For Tshepisho Makofane, corporate finance is an act of conviction. As Managing Director at Tamela — a boutique investment bank offering advisory, debt fund management, and principal investments — Tshepisho leads the advisory business with a clear purpose: to unlock the opportunities that South Africa holds in abundance.

That belief in South Africa's potential is not abstract. For Tshepisho, it is grounded in the country's history. South Africans have faced significant challenges and overcome them, earning a reputation globally for resilience and a strong work ethic. At Tamela, that same spirit shapes how the team shows up for clients and for the market.

"There's a lot that the country can do, and we want to be there to unlock those opportunities," he says. "We've got the skills, the experience to be able to contribute to that."

In practice, unlocking opportunity requires the right tools. For Tshepisho, technology — and Ansarada specifically — has been a meaningful part of how the advisory industry has evolved. Where inefficiencies once slowed transactions, platforms like Ansarada have introduced a new standard.

"Ansarada certainly is one of those tools that has brought about enormous amounts of efficiency so far as running transactions is concerned," he explains. From managing access controls and tracking engagement to streamlining Q&A on both the buy side and the sell side, the platform makes the full interaction easier, more responsive, and more current.

The integration of AI has taken that efficiency further still. For a team where speed and precision matter, AI tools within Ansarada amplify what the team can achieve — making an already capable group even more effective.

"AI really makes the efficiency of the team even greater," Tshepisho says. "It is really quite a refreshing way of working."

Tshepisho Makofane is a Pathfinder.