Future Females, Formulating Financial Freedom: CFA Day of the Girl Initiative 2026

Some mornings start with coffee. This one started with three young women walking through our doors, notebooks in hand and curiosity switched on, for the second year at Catalyst Fund Managers of the CFA Day of the Girl Initiative.

One of our guests came from Hector Peterson Secondary School. She was identified through the programme run by our partners at the African Scholars’ Fund. The other two came from Pelikan Park High School with their school counsellor. All three were ready for a day in the world of finance, and we were ready for them.

A day that didn’t wait for anyone

The day moved so fast that we didn’t get through everything we’d planned, and we took that as a good sign.

Our host, Zizipho Yose (Investment Trainee Graduate), opened the day by telling the girls what the Day of the Girl Initiative is about and why it matters to us. Liebe Tredoux (Office Manager) handled the admin behind the scenes and kept everything running smoothly.

Then the conversations got going:

• Zama Nkabinde (Global Investment Analyst) introduced the girls to the investment industry: What it is, how it works and why it shapes so much of the world around us.
• Kerri Sattary (Head of Distribution) and Marzanne Swanepoel (Business Development Consultant) talked about career paths in the industry and showed that there’s more than one way in and plenty of room to grow.
• Bahati Hassan (Internship Trainee at Aeon Investment Management) talked about the Fezeka Graduate Programme, which she and Zizipho both completed. The girls got to see two people who had stood where they’re standing now.
• Ruby Wilder (Global Investment Analyst) encouraged them to keep learning. She shared her own journey, including completing her Master’s in Finance in Spain, and showed that a classroom can take you further than you think.

Good food, great conversations

In between the sessions there was plenty of good food and lots of questions, laughter, and conversations that ran past their time slots because nobody wanted to stop. Those unscripted moments are often what people remember most.

A heartfelt thank you

Thank you to everyone who gave their time, shared their stories and made this day so special. Thank you to the African Scholars’ Fund and to Pelikan Park High School for trusting us with these three remarkable young women. Thank you to the CFA Institute for organising the CFA Day of the Girl Initiative.

Our guests left inspired and looking ahead to a future where females formulate financial freedom in a ferocious way.

We’re already looking forward to next year. 💛