By Jim McFie, a Fellow of ICPAK
In New York on 13 November 2025, the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) named Mr. Barry Melancon from the United States and Prof. Lumkile Wiseman Nkuhlu from South Africa the 2025 recipients of the IFAC Global Leadership Award, which recognizes individuals who have made a positive and lasting impact on the global accountancy profession.
The Global Leadership Award was presented to Prof. Nkuhlu during IFAC’s Council meeting, held on November 12-13 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico. Mr. Melancon will attend next year’s IFAC Council meeting in Seoul, South Korea, to receive his Award.
Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, (in Kenya, James Mworia, the CEO of Centum plc is a CGMA) the former President and CEO of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, played a defining role for more than 30 years in advancing the accounting profession through a period of significant global, technological, and organizational changes. For over three decades, he championed innovation, public trust, and global collaboration, shaping strategic direction across such areas as digital transformation, audit quality, sustainability reporting, professional ethics, and competency development. His leadership helped unify the profession globally and strengthened its readiness to respond to a rapidly changing world. Mr. Melancon now serves in several key advisory and governance roles, including the Chair of the Board for Baker Tilly International: the Nairobi office of the firm is in New Rehema House on Rhapta Road in Nairobi; from there the managing partner, CPA Madhav Bhandari, together with his fellow partners CPA Dr. John Mucheru and CPA Rishi Bhandari, oversee the firm’s operations in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Somalia. Mr. Melancon also chairs the Global Advisory Board of Caseware (their software is used by a number of Kenya accountants), where he continues to support innovation and excellence across the profession worldwide.
Professor Lumkile Wiseman Nkuhlu, one of Africa’s most distinguished accounting pioneers and leaders, has dedicated his career to strengthening public trust, advancing education, and expanding opportunities within and beyond the profession. He was born on 5 February 1944 in Cala, Eastern Cape, a rural part of South Africa, during apartheid. He earned a BCom degree at the University of Fort Hare. Notable Kenyan graduates of this university include Charles Njonjo, with a degree in English and South African Law, he became Kenya’s first Attorney General and Minister of Justice; Dr. Munyua Waiyaki, who became an early Minister for Foreign Affairs and who shared accommodation with Mangosuthu Buthelezi, a South African politician and Zulu prince who served as the traditional prime minister to the Zulu royal family from 1954 until his death in 2023; Dr. Njoroge Mungai, another early Foreign Minister and a contemporary of Waiyaki and Buthelezi at the university; Henry Muli, a Bachelor of Science Graduate who became Kenya’s Ambassador to France and Germany and a Minister for Wildlife and Tourism; and Fred Mati, a Bachelor of Arts graduate who was the Speaker of the National Assembly for many years.
Nkuhlu later completed a Certificate in the Theory of Accounting (CTA) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and went abroad to attend New York University, where he obtained an MBA.
In 1976 he became the first Black South African to qualify as a Chartered Accountant — CA(SA), a landmark achievement. Immediately after qualifying, Nkuhlu balanced academia with professional practice. He lectured at the University of Fort Hare and later at the University of Transkei. In 1978, he founded his own audit practice in Umtata (now Mthatha). In 1981, he was appointed Professor of Accounting at the University of Transkei, rising through the academic ranks to become Principal and Vice-Chancellor from 1987 to 1991. His academic commitment was not just formal — Nkuhlu believed in nurturing Black talent. While running his firm, in 1982, two of the first five Black CAs in South Africa were his trainees. This dual role — as educator and practitioner — helped transform both the profession and higher education. One of Nkuhlu’s most visible roles in academia was as Chancellor of the University of Pretoria, a position he held from 2006 until June 2022. His long tenure reflected both his commitment and the high esteem in which he was held. In 2017, he was re-elected unanimously for another term. During this time, Nkuhlu continued to champion education as a vehicle for transformation, equity, and empowerment. Through the Wiseman Nkuhlu Trust, which he established, he has supported mentoring, funding, and leadership development — particularly for young Black accountants.
Beyond academia, Nkuhlu made crucial contributions to South Africa’s socio-economic transformation. From 1995, he chaired the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and played a leading role in its transformation, guiding its mission in development finance. In 1998, he became the inaugural Chairperson of the Council on Higher Education (CHE), serving through 2002. Under his leadership, the CHE played a pivotal role in restructuring South Africa’s higher education system during a critical post-apartheid era.
From 2000 to 2004, Nkuhlu served as Economic Advisor to President Thabo Mbeki, while also acting as Chief Executive of the Secretariat of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). In his NEPAD role, he helped shape Africa’s socio-economic renewal frameworks —addressing infrastructure, health, agriculture, peace, and conflict resolution — and championed Africa’s development agenda on the international stage.
Nkuhlu’s impact extended into the corporate world. Over his career, he served as a director in numerous major companies, such as Standard Bank, Old Mutual, BMW, Tongaat Hulett, and JCI, among others. He also co-founded and chaired companies: for example, Pan-African Capital Holdings, where he was the first chair of the board. Later in his career, he became Chairman of KPMG South Africa, playing a critical role in reinforcing governance and accountability within the South African branch of one of the world’s major auditing firms. Under his stewardship, KPMG worked to rebuild trust and ethical rigor, an especially important task given the reputational challenges during the “state capture” era in South Africa.
At the age of 81 he remains active in global accounting standards and oversight: he has engaged with organizations such as the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation and has served on advisory panels relating to accounting and public finance governance.
Nkuhlu’s contributions have not gone unnoticed. Among his many honours, he was awarded the Order of the Baobab in Silver for his service to the nation in economic development and the struggle against apartheid. He has also received honorary doctorates from a number of prestigious South African universities, including the University of the Free State, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Pretoria, Witwatersrand, and Fort Hare. As I have stated above, in 2025, the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) bestowed on him the Global Leadership Award, recognizing his profound impact on the global accountancy profession and his efforts to strengthen public-sector governance across Africa. Also in 2025, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) awarded him an honorary doctorate, highlighting his legacy of ethical leadership and his role in empowering future generations of Black accountants.
Professor Nkuhlu’s life philosophy centers on purposeful leadership.
In his book, “Purposeful Leadership for Africa in the 21st Century: Where it was, where it is, where it needs to be”, he argues that leadership must go beyond mere economic growth — it should fundamentally empower communities, uplift individuals, and prioritize ethics and responsibility. At a book launch hosted by the University of South Africa in Pretoria (UNISA), he emphasized that true leadership involves service, accountability, and long-term societal impact. This vision also underpins his philanthropic and institutional work: through his Trust, his mentoring, and his scholarship efforts, he has invested in future leaders who carry forward his values of integrity, inclusion, and development. For example, in 2025 KPMG South Africa and the University of Pretoria launched the Prof. Wiseman Nkuhlu Scholarship, which aims particularly to support newly qualified Black Chartered Accountants and to develop academic leaders in accounting.
In his professional life, stepping into leadership roles in both business and education during South Africa’s transition demanded not just technical skill but moral courage and vision. By guiding the DBSA, NEPAD, and KPMG through complex and often controversial times, he demonstrated that his leadership was deeply rooted in purpose — not just profit or prestige.
Nkuhlu is more than a pioneering accountant or corporate leader. He is a servant leader, an educator, a visionary, and a builder of institutions. His life, marked by firsts and by a steady climb through professional, academic, and public-service spheres, reflects a dedication to transformation — in South Africa, in the accounting profession, and across Africa. His legacy lives on, even while he is still alive, not only in the organizations he helped shape but in the new generation of Black accountants and leaders he continues to mentor and inspire. Through his writing, his institutional work, and his philanthropic investments, Nkuhlu ensures that the values of integrity, accountability, and purposeful leadership will endure far beyond his own lifetime. His story is a powerful reminder of how one individual, grounded in principle and committed to inclusive progress, can make a profound and lasting impact.
Let all of us accountants in Kenya not just admire him but put into practice his values and his actions.
