
By Nabeelah Shaikh
Leading the country’s biggest Zakah organisation is no easy task. But the two women at the helm of it are doing it with such poise.
Chairperson Fayruz Mohamed and Chief Executive Officer, Yasmina Francke, recently achieved international acclaim for their work. Mohamed ranked in the top 10 of the Cambridge WOMANi 300 most Influential Women in Islamic Finance and Business, while Francke ranked in the top 20.
WOMANi is a world-wide recognition and felicitation programme, designed by Cambridge IFA, as part of its women empowerment initiative. It intends to redress gender imbalances by showcasing the achievements of women in Islamic business and finance.
Mohamed and Francke made the list based on their professional leadership, advocacy and industry-wide recognition. Mohamed is a Chartered Accountant and Certified Director.
She serves as a non-executive director and independent audit committee member on various boards. Her journey with SANZAF began more than two decades ago.
“I have loved every moment of it, as it has allowed me to use my professional skills and expertise on a voluntary basis. It has allowed me to be an advocate of zakat as a tool for social finance,” said Mohamed.
The mother of four is passionate about serving humanity.
She urges other professionals to use their skills to do the same.
“SANZAF has been an organisation that stands for accountability. It aligns with my personal values and my journey has been so fulfilling because of this,” said Mohamed.
As National Chairperson, she occupies an exceptional position.
“As women, we have rarely been given opportunities to lead organisations on this scale. Thus, my expertise and experience within the zakat institution and non-profit sector has definitely placed me at the forefront of leading efforts to strengthen national and international strategies to optimise zakat within Muslim communities.
The trustees at SANZAF are excellent and have fully supported us as women in these roles,” said Mohamed.
Beside her, is Francke, who became SANZAF’s first female CEO in 2018.
Before taking on this full time position, she served as a SANZAF Executive Board member for over a decade, in a voluntary capacity.
“It has been very rewarding but not without its challenges. So much has happened in the past three years during my tenure as CEO. But above all, what I like most about the journey I am on, is that every day presents a new opportunity to make a difference and every day I learn something new,” said Francke.
Financial
She holds qualifications in zakat management, Islamic finance, social science, social entrepreneurship, management and marketing.
In her current role she manages eight regional managers with a total of 108 staff members across 29 offices in South Africa. During the last financial period, the organisation’s revenue exceeded R160 million and was able to impact the lives of close to one million individuals in the country, striving to create financial self-sufficiency for the less fortunate.
“My main priorities as CEO is to ensure that we remain steadfast in delivering on our mandate of promoting the third pillar of Islam and serving those in need, especially when so much is happening in the external environment that could easily distract,” said Francke.
She says facing an unprecedented pandemic a year and a bit into a new role, was daunting for her, as there was no precedent or a manual to reference.
“So the challenge was to ensure that the resources are adequate for the vast needs of the various communities we serve. But Alhamdulillah – not only did we manage through all the aspects of the pandemic, but we were able to continue our much-needed service to the needy and in so doing, delivered a good set of results. We even managed to achieve international recognition,” she says.
As she continues to take on mammoth tasks, Francke says Muslim women have a responsibility to continue the legacy of the many women who played a significant role in Islam during its foundational period.
“These women fought, learned, worked and led during a time when Islam was growing and they were instrumental in strengthening that foundation that still serves the Ummah well today. They were leaders without leadership titles. Here I am referring to Umm Khadija (RA), Aisha bint Abu Bakr (RA), Hafsa bint Umar (RA), Umm Salama (RA), and the Prophet SAW’s daughter Fatima (RA) – to mention but a few,” said Francke.
Both Francke and Mohamed have committed to working hard to ensure that SANZAF flourishes under their leadership.