Ms Marisna Nel
Chief Financial Officer


Marisna Nel has been serving as Chief Financial Officer of the University of the Free State (UFS) since 1 January 2024. She is a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) with more than 20 years of experience in auditing, financial management, governance, and strategic planning, including extensive experience in the higher education sector.

She holds a B Accounting degree and an honours degree in Accounting from the University of the Free State. She is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA).

Before her appointment as Chief Financial Officer, Nel served as Director of Finance: Governance and Policies at the UFS from 2011 to 2023, and as Deputy Director: Finance from 2009 to 2010. In these roles, she was responsible for financial governance, policy development, statutory reporting, and oversight of financial reporting processes and audits.

Earlier in her career, she held positions at PwC Bloemfontein, including as Senior and Group Manager, and completed an international secondment at PwC Washington DC. She also worked at KPMG Ireland as a qualified senior, where she was involved in providing assurance services to international clients.

In her current role, Nel is responsible for financial strategy, budgeting, financial reporting, compliance, risk management, and oversight of revenue streams and expenditure at the university. Her responsibilities include advising executive leadership on financial planning, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and overseeing financial systems and processes.

She serves on the audit committee of Engo SA, is a director of PURCO, and has participated in national higher education finance structures, including USAf finance forums and task teams.