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11 December 2018 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Sonia Small
David Abbey
David Abbey is also serving on the UFS Council’s Finance, Audit, Risk and IT Governance Committee.

David Abbey, a senior banker and transactor in the Acquisition and Leveraged Finance Division at Rand Merchant Bank in Johannesburg, was appointed to the UFS Council.

An undergraduate student of Rhodes University, David is also a proud product of the UFS, having completed his Accounting honours degree at this university. For the past few years, he has also guest lectured on investment banking and financial instruments to Accounting honours students as part of the PwC Financial Instruments Programme.

Large-scale impact

Therefore, his appointment to the Council is particularly special to him.

“Being a member of the Council gives me the platform to have a more large-scale impact on the institution, academic community, the economy, and society. I’m thrilled to be serving alongside an astute body of incredible individuals from whom I will undoubtedly learn,” he says.

Realising his full potential

David is serving on the Council’s Finance, Audit, Risk and IT Governance Committee and his experience in, and knowledge of finance, technology, and audit skills will stand him in good stead. When he’s not developing and structuring innovative, multidisciplinary, and integrated financial solutions for his corporate clients, he loves to be active. He is a regular gym-goer and plays and watches all kinds of sport. Travel, the arts, and motoring are some of his other passions. 

On a personal level, there is still much he wants to achieve. “I want to continue to work hard, using my God-given talents to realise my full potential and to make a humble mark in society and in people’s lives.”

News Archive

Mafuma aims at elusive tournament victory with Junior Springboks
2016-06-03

Description: Mafuma Tags: Mafuma

The University of the Free State’s Mosolwa Mafuma
recently scored five tries in the Junior Springboks’
three practice matches against a Golden Lions U20
invitation team, a Maties team, and the
South Western Districts. Photo: SASPA

He has never won a rugby tournament, so Mosolwa Mafuma has only one goal: to win the Junior World Cup as Junior Springbok in England.

Even though the 20-year-old Shimlas wing has achieved success, and it is pleasing to excel individually, he believes it is more satisfying when his team triumphs. According to Mafuma, who could just as well be an athletics star, he wants to help the South African U20 team take a different approach.

He and the prop Kwenzo Blose are players from the University of the Free State who will represent the Junior Springboks from 7 to 25 June 2016 in Manchester. The team will play the first of three group matches on 7 June 2016 against Japan in the Academy Stadium.

New approach for SA U20 team
Mafuma, who was Player of the Tournament in his first Varsity Cup in 2016, says the Junior Springboks are well prepared. “We have the skills, and the structures at the Junior Springboks are different than before. There is not just one game plan like playing with big guys. We want to try new things and have a different approach.”

It is with this team that he wishes to achieve something. “It is one thing to be able to say that you are the Player of a Tournament, but your team did not win. I have not won something at school (with St. Benedict’s Boys College in Johannesburg) or this year with the Shimlas.”

Speedster on athletics track
The speedster is one of only a few rugby players who also have a profile on the IAAF website. His fastest time in the 100 m is 10.37 seconds (a national U17 record) and 20.37 s in the 200 m.

In high school, this first-year Psychology student played rugby during winter and took part in athletics during summer. Only at the end of Grade 11 did he started focusing on rugby. “I was more of an athlete than a rugby player,” he says.

It is no coincidence that the nickname he acquired due to his speed, is Dash. His other nickname, Senkie (derived from the Afrikaans word ‘seuntjie’) he received as a child from his parents because he was such a small child.

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