Mary Vilakazi Biography
At the moment, Mary Vilakazi is employed by FirstRand Bank Ltd. as well as FirstRand Ltd. as Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director. In addition, she serves on the boards of thirteen additional businesses and is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.
She has previously held the following positions: Chief Financial Officer at Mineral Services Group, Audit Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Inc., Group Finance Director & Deputy CEO at Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Ltd. and MMI Group Ltd. (a subsidiary of Momentum Metropolitan Holdings Ltd.). She graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand with a bachelor’s degree.
Basic Information |
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| Stage Name: | Mary Vilakazi |
| Real Name: | Mary Vilakazi |
| Occupation: | Banking Executive, Chartered Accountant |
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Date Of Birth/Age: |
42 years old (as of 2023) |
| Place of Birth: | Alexandra, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Gender: | Female |
| Nationality: | South Africa |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Education: | St. Enda’s Community College
University of the Witwatersrand |
Mary Vilakazi Age
In 2023, Mary Vilakazi’s age was stated to be 42. In South Africa’s Gauteng province, Alexandra is her birthplace.
Mary Vilakazi Net Worth
Mary Vilakazi reportedly earned $24 million in total remuneration, making her one of FirstRand’s highest-paid executives. Only two FirstRand executives were paid more at the time of the reports, Alan Pullinger earning the highest salary of $41,265,000.
Mary Vilakazi Education
Vilakazi discussed her education with CFO South Africa, stating that she was provided with opportunities that aided in her ascent. She remarked, “I participated in a Saturday program at Redhill School in Morningside as part of the Gifted Child Program. After that, I received a Rotary Fund scholarship to attend St Enda’s Community College, and PwC subsequently gave me a bursary to pursue a BCom degree. That was the deciding factor.
Vilakazi became a chartered accountant in 2002 after earning his degree in 1999 from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Mary Vilakazi Career
Mary joined the Financial Services audit practice as a partner in 2005. Her areas of expertise were investment management firms and insurance. In 2008, she quit her job as an auditor to become the CFO of the MS Group.
Before Momentum and Metropolitan Holdings merged in 2010, she was appointed as a non-executive director of the former board in 2009. In 2010, she was appointed to the board of MMI Holdings.
Vilakazi managed her own accounting, tax, and advising firm from 2011 until 2014. In addition, she held positions on the boards of MMI Holdings Limited, which she joined in May 2014 as CEO of Balance Sheet Management, and the MS Group subsidiaries Kagiso Media Limited, Holdsport Limited, and Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA).
She was promoted to group finance director in July 2025. She was named deputy chief executive officer in June 2017 and given control over the Momentum and Metropolitan retail divisions.
In 2018, she was appointed Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at FirstRand. In October 2023, Vilakazi was named CEO of FirstRand, with effect from April 2024.
Mary Vilakazi as CEO of FirstRand
Mary Vilakazi has faced many challenges throughout her life, and as a result of her unwavering commitment and diligence, she is now poised to take on the role of FirstRand Limited’s first female CEO. She began working with FirstRand Limited in 2018. She was the executive director of FirstRand Limited while holding the role of COO there. The news reports claimed that she had made a strong gesture in opposition to the group’s decision. Being the head of one of Africa’s biggest financial institutions brings her great joy.
Mary Vilakazi Husband
Mary Vilakazi is content in her marriage, but she keeps her spouse and marriage a secret. She has not disclosed to the public any information about her family.
Mary Vilakazi Children
It is Mary Vilakazi who has kids. She once mentioned losing Kamogelo, her oldest daughter, in a car accident.
In an interview with CFO South Africa, she talked about her oldest daughter and how she affected her professional decisions. “I had to slow down a little bit since my oldest daughter started high school and I wanted to be more present. There are deadlines everywhere you look in an audit and consultancy firm, and finding time for your family is hard. Working in a more entrepreneurial atmosphere rather than a large corporation also piqued my curiosity.
“What made me come back to work was the supportive environment at MMI, but also the fact that Kamogelo was very excited about my job that I had started on July 1,” she said in reference to her death. Many of her friends showed me texts she had sent me after she passed away, in which she expressed her pride in me. According to Mary, her life has consistently been “a tussle between being present for my children and working.”
She claimed that Kamogelo was her biggest supporter and that the best way to honor her memory would be to be successful as a chief financial officer.
House
Mary Vilakazi refrains from posting images of her home online.
Cars
On social media, Mary Vilakazi doesn’t share pictures of her cars.
