Interview with Sizwe Nxasana, interviewed by John Macomber, Johannesburg, South Africa

In this interview, Sizwe Nxasana describes his long and varied career in several sectors of the South African economy. He relates details of his education, his decision to become an accountant, and the problems he faced as a black professional in an apartheid state. Among other difficulties, he could not travel with his white colleagues, or even ride in the same elevators as they did. He describes many challenges resulting from legislation and government regulations which dictated the kinds of information available to black and white auditors, and other unusual arrangements resulting from the system of apartheid. He describes the early growth of his accounting firm and the changing business environment as that system was dismantled. He details the ways in which the firm trained new accountants and expanded opportunities for black students to enter the profession, and his efforts to create a culture of professionalism and excellence. Nxasana shares the background and process of the decision he made early in his life to think of his career in ten-year increments and the serendipitous encounters that led to his widely varied business endeavors. He discusses the transformation of the s