"Do whatever you think is best, don’t be limited by the path others walked before you."
Khanyisa Cingo-Ngandu leads the Tax division at SNG Grant Thornton, guiding clients through an increasingly complex global tax and trade environment. She focuses on helping businesses adapt to shifting tariffs, evolving transfer pricing rules, and rapidly changing cross-border tax obligations. Her leadership combines technical expertise with a passion for building more equitable, inclusive growth across Africa.
Khanyisa’s career began in tax advisory, where she quickly saw how technical expertise could influence broader business and economic outcomes. Early on, she worked with diverse clients across industries, gaining exposure to both local compliance and the complexities of cross-border taxation.
These experiences deepened her understanding of how tax policies directly shape business growth, investment flows, and community development.
A pivotal point came when she helped establish the Africa Tax Desk, which brought together expertise from 24 member firms of Grant Thorntion to serve clients seamlessly across the continent. This initiative not only showcased her technical leadership but also her ability to build collaborative platforms that deliver value on a large scale.
Over time, Khanyisa has complemented her technical work with active involvement in tax policy and advocacy, ensuring that businesses, large and small, have a voice in shaping the regulatory environment.
For Khanyisa, Women Powering Progress means amplifying women’s voices in decision-making spaces and ensuring they remain authentic to who they are.
Khanyisa reflects her advice to the young generation:
"Women who are in the right rooms and at the right tables must have their voices heard, without changing themselves to match the spirit of the room. We honour the`women who came before us by continuing to inspire those who come after us."
Khanyisa sees tax services being reshaped by:
changing tariffs and new market dynamics impacting African exporters and investors.
revenue authorities moving from manual checks to AI-driven compliance and risk assessments.
the need for advisors to actively engage in legislation development to ensure laws reflect business realities.
She believes tax leaders must balance innovation with advocacy, ensuring both businesses and communities benefit from a fair and forward-looking tax environment.
When asked what Turning Growth into Shared Progress means to her, Khanyisa says:
"In my space it means active participation in policy development to ensure no one is left behind. It is about making sure that small and medium businesses, those without years of experienced advisors, are also represented when policy is being discussed."
Khanyisa’s team provides clients with:
Her approach ensures that clients are not only compliant but also positioned for sustainable growth across Africa and beyond.
Khanyisa believes the future of tax lies in digital transformation, cross-border collaboration, and inclusive policy-making. She remains committed to ensuring businesses thrive while contributing to economic growth that uplifts communities and creates opportunities for all.
Let’s shape a future where growth uplifts everyone.
Partner with SNG Grant Thornton, Turning Growth into Shared Progress.
