Aphile Molefe

Aphile Molefe - Head: eFX Sales SA at ABSA

“I’d like to be remembered as someone who has had a lasting impact on how my bank and its competitors conduct their business. To be the man who trailblazed the transformation of FX on the continent.”

Q1: When did you join The Grind? How did you get to know about the Foundation?

A1: I joined The Grind in 2015 or 2016 through Thebe Mabiletsa. He is a friend and was an official mentor at the time, he impressed on me the value of networking and he recommended I join the group. Through the social group I was then introduced to the Foundation and the ideals it was trying to achieve which struck a chord with me as a fairly recent(ish) graduate.

Q2: Tell us about your career journey and where you are today.

A2: In 2011, I joined the Absa Capital grad program where I worked in Client Planning which was a team that reported to the head of Sales at the time, Temi Ofong. I wanted to get closer to Sales so I managed to get into the mining coverage team. After a couple of years I wanted to improve my product knowledge, client engagement skills and to travel more so I joined the electronic FX sales team which was rolling out our trading platform into our presence countries on the continent.

I enjoyed the role which combined my passions of technology and finance and client solutioning, and I was eventually put in charge of its South African sales efforts in 2018, something I still do now.

Q3: What personal sacrifices have you had to make in your career?

A3: Getting the right experience in a small company while earning very little. Early on in coverage I had to work some very long hours and often on weekends in order to meet deadlines, but luckily my roles have always appealed to my interests so it was never too much of a struggle to put in that extra effort. The extra hours also meant I had little time to further my education since everyday I would get home exhausted! And I needed to be social and explore the world and visit family on the weekends where I did have time.

Q4: Looking back on the past 2 years, what has been the impact of Covid-19 on you and your family, as well as the way you work? 

A4:  Covid has impacted our lives in 2 ways, the change to working from home has meant more time with my now wife and less time in traffic, which is a big plus. But it has also meant less time networking in the office and after work drinks, so the colleagues and friends that I would normally interact with in the corridors have become strangers. But on the balance it has been a positive experience with more flexibility and balance.

Q5: How do you see the industry in which you work change post-Covid?

A5: Covid has accelerated the demand for the digitization of FX, this has prompted liquidity providers to really invest in their digital capabilities to meet this client demand. Going forward we expect this virtual arms race to continue and to unearth some exciting innovations in retail FX, options trading and payments processing.

Q6: What would you like to be remembered for - what type of legacy would you like to leave?

A6: I’d like to be remembered as someone who has had a lasting impact on how my bank and its competitors conduct their business. To be the man who trailblazed the transformation of FX on the continent.

Q7: As we wrap up the year and reflect on where we are, are you happy with what you achieved this year?

A7: Proud is an understatement, and this was in spite of all the changes that I and my team had to navigate during these uncertain times. I look forward to introducing more game changing innovations to FX trading in the near future.

Q8: Which fictional character do you resonate with, and why?

A8: According to my wife it’s Dexter from Dexter’s Laboratory… I like to think I am more a McGyver!

Grind Feed: Aphile Molefe