Condolences on the passing of Vassi Naidoo

Vassi held an honorary lifetime SAICA membership, granted in 2011 for his contribution to the development of the profession in South Africa. SAICA is proud and honoured to have known him as a member and we can unreservedly say that he was well loved and highly respected in the chartered accountancy profession.

He was instrumental and passionate about transformation of the profession. When SAICA first started the Thuthuka Education Upliftment Fund in the early 2000s, we met with all the CEOs of the firms, including Vassi who was the CEO of Deloitte at the time. He was the first person to commit to Thuthuka with a donation of R2.5 million. His faith in Thuthuka has given thousands of disadvantaged African and coloured young people access to the profession and his support will be appreciated by each and every one whose lives Thuthuka has since had an impact on.

Vassi had an illustrious career. He was appointed to the boards of Nedbank Group Limited and Nedbank Limited as a Non-Executive Director and Chair-Designate on 1 May 2015 and then as Chair on 11 May 2015. On 1 November 2016, Vassi was also appointed as a Senior Independent Director of Liquid Telecommunications Holdings Limited, which is based in Mauritius, and as Chair of Africa Property Development Managers/Gateway Delta Development Holdings. On 4 May 2020, Vassi was appointed as Non-Executive Director and Deputy Chairman of Vedanta Zinc International. Vassi was also the Chairman of the WWF Green Trust.

Vassi was Chief Executive of Deloitte Southern Africa from 1998 to 2006, a member of the Deloitte UK Executive from 2006 to 2009 and a member of the Deloitte Global Executive from 2007 to 2011. Thereafter, he was Vice-Chair of Deloitte UK from 2009 to 2014. He was also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and a Professor of Practice in the Department of Accountancy at the University of Johannesburg.

SAICA’s Board, management and staff send our heartfelt condolences to the Naidoo family, Vassi’s friends and all those who loved him. We are proud to have experienced him as a valued member of SAICA. We will miss him dearly.