Cornerstone Institute Chief Financial Officer is now an MBA Graduate
Cornerstone Institute Chief Financial Officer Abdul-Basier Dramat has just completed his master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) after more than 20 years since he first graduated.
Basier, a Cape Town native from Belhar in the Cape Flats, matriculated from Symphony Road Senior Secondary School in 1990. He graduated with a Bachelor Of Commerce (Accounting) Degree at the University of Western Cape in 1996 and thereafter served articles and registered as a Professional Accountant (SA) duly registered with the South African Institute of Professional Accountants.
After graduating from University, Basier got married, started a family and undertook to provide for his family. He subsequently worked as an Audit Manager and Financial Advisor at Shrand & Eckermans and then Audit Manager and Economic Development Consultant at HS Accounting.
Basier is also a sports administrator and currently serves as a trustee of Primrose Rugby and serves on the general council and the finance committee of Western Province Rugby Football Union. He also has experience in projects working with emerging farmers, in land reform and is the Financial Director at Earthlife Africa JHB and the Financial Director at The
Green Connection NPC.
Basier started his accounting practice, AB Dramat Professional Accountants (SA), in 2004. He specialises in Financial Accounting, Taxation, Business Development, and community-based projects. Through this practice, Basier
noticed that small businesses in South Africa needed assistance beyond accounting that he could not provide.
“Deciding to return to full-time studies was difficult. As a native Afrikaans speaker, this degree was the first time that I was studying in English. I was also enrolling at University in a completely different era. I was nervous about every single assignment.”
Basier says that one of his primary motivations for furthering his studies is learning tools that would help him assist South African businesses beyond accounting services. He attributes his decision to further his studies after more than 20 years to his colleagues at Cornerstone Institute. Basier joined Cornerstone Institute in 2015 and was inspired and encouraged by colleagues to further his studies so that he could gain a more holistic view of the business.
“ I started my MBA studies after my daughter had just graduated with her honours degree and my son had started his university studies. I was fortunate to have my children assisting me in navigating learning technology that did not exist when I first graduated in the 1990’s.”
Despite the challenges of new technologies, nerves and full-time work, Basier has managed to complete his MBA. Basier’s graduation is a much-needed encouragement for Cornerstone Institute staff and students to continue pursuing their dreams through education.
- You can learn more about Basier through his Community Champions interview with Cornerstone CEO Noel Daniels here: https://cornerstone.ac.za/events/community-champions/#1633936126308-76ac9f4f-1821
- To learn about the programmes offered at Cornerstone, visit: https://cornerstone.ac.za/programmes/