Outsourced CFO’s Founders Conference 2026 to Explore the Decisions Behind Business Growth

Founders, investors and business leaders will come together in Cape Town for candid conversations on what it takes to build, fund and grow a business.

Outsourced CFO (OCFO) will host Founders Conference 2026 at Nasdak Rooftop in Cape Town on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. The evening will bring founders, investors and business leaders together to share experiences and explore the decisions that come with building a growing business.

OCFO is a South African-founded financial services company that helps growing businesses strengthen their finance functions through fractional CFO services, cloud accounting and Talent Solutions. Working alongside founders and management teams, it helps them understand their finances and make informed decisions about their businesses’ futures.

Xero joins the conference as a sponsor. The global business platform, used by five million customers across more than 180 countries, brings together accounting, payroll, payments and a connected app ecosystem to give small businesses greater visibility over their finances.

We want founders to be able to ask honest questions, share what they’ve learned and make connections that continue beyond the evening.” - Louw Barnardt, CEO and Co-Founder of OCFO

For founders, growth often means navigating unfamiliar territory, whether that is bringing in an investor, building out a leadership team or reconsidering the role they want to play in the business. Founders Conference 2026 will create space for these conversations through keynotes, panels and fireside chats with people who understand the decisions that come with building and scaling a company.

“When you’re building a business, it’s easy to get caught up in keeping everything moving,” says Louw Barnardt, CEO and Co-Founder of OCFO. “Sometimes you need to step out of the day-to-day, sit with other founders and hear how they’ve worked through the questions you’re facing. That’s what we want this evening to offer.”

Marissa Brendel, award-winning growth and marketing expert and entrepreneur, will deliver a keynote on “Building a Business That Fits Your Life”. Her session will explore entrepreneurship as a lifestyle and how founders can build sustainable businesses around their personal goals, opening a conversation about what they want success to look like beyond the business itself.

The programme will also explore how founders earn attention in a changing marketing landscape and respond to the responsibilities that come with artificial intelligence and cyber risk. Discussions will connect these developments to the practical questions of running a business, from maintaining customer trust to making responsible decisions about technology.

Finance and funding sessions will examine how founders gain a clearer view of business performance and choose capital that suits their ambitions. Topics will include cash visibility, useful reporting and the systems growing companies need, alongside the differences between funding options and what each could mean for the business.

Another discussion will focus on the move from founder to CEO: learning to share responsibility, building a capable leadership team and creating room to lead as the company grows.

“You don’t need to have everything figured out to be part of the conversation,” Barnardt adds. “Often, someone else’s experience helps you see your own situation more clearly. We want founders to be able to ask honest questions, share what they’ve learned and make connections that continue beyond the evening.”

The event includes canapés, drinks and time to meet others who are building, funding and supporting businesses.

Founders Conference 2026 takes place from 17:30 to 20:30 SAST, with check-in opening at 17:00. Tickets are limited.

Event details:
Date: Tuesday, 10 November 2026
Time: 17:30 - 20:30 SAST; check-in from 17:00
Venue: Nasdak Rooftop, Cape Town
Tickets: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/401667-founders-conference-2026/

About Outsourced CFO
Outsourced CFO (OCFO) is a global financial consultancy that helps ambitious businesses build world-class finance functions and scale with confidence. Since its founding in South Africa in 2013, OCFO has supported more than 1,500 organisations across 35 countries through CFO advisory, cloud accounting, capital raising and finance talent solutions. With a team of 150 professionals and offices in Cape Town, Sandton, London and New York, OCFO combines deep financial expertise, technology and practical commercial insight to help founders and leadership teams strengthen financial control, improve decision-making and build more valuable, resilient businesses. For more information, visit www.ocfo.com.

About Xero
Xero is a global small business platform and trusted financial operating system used by five million customers across more than 180 countries. By bringing together accounting, payroll, payments and a connected app ecosystem, Xero helps small businesses and their advisors automate everyday administration, understand their numbers and make more confident decisions.