About Anlo Financial Solutions South Africa
Going strong since 2009!
It’s hard to believe that we started Anlo years ago here in South Africa, and yet here we are, with more people and experience than we could have imagined and still growing. In the span of those years we have not only grown our original business, but spread our wings, almost literally, and established Anlo in the United Kingdom.
The goals that underpinned our first baby steps into building our own business all those years ago have been refined but are still fundamentally the same: we believe that accountants should not be there simply to audit and sign off year end reports, they should be part of your business life, helping you understand your finances, offering advice, making life easier when it’s difficult and nurturing your business to ever greater success.
Esmerelda and her team continue to be the heart of Anlo in South Africa. Esi has been with Anlo since 2015 and is the lynchpin of our South African business.
Side by side with Annja, she is leading the constant changes and improvements that keep Anlo ahead of the game.
Who We Help
While we handle all aspects of accountancy and bookkeeping, we have specialist experience in the following areas:
Tax advice
Financial advice to medical practices
Small to Medium enterprises
The technological changes we have seen and had to get our heads around in this period are enormous.
If you had told us when we started that it would be possible to input expenses in real time through our phones and have them properly assigned and categorised, we would have probably laughed. Had you then said that we would be able to help our clients monitor their finances in real-time, 24/7 from anywhere in the world, we might have thought you were slightly unhinged, and yet, that is exactly where we are.
We have embraced Cloud computing, in our own business and for our clients. It gives unparallel insight and control over business finances making it easier than ever to make informed decisions about the direction of a business.
Tax regimes have changed, SARS is leaning increasingly towards online submission and away from the ‘traditional’ ways of doing things. We have all had to learn to cope with these changes, and we work very hard to ensure that all of our clients are as well informed and as well-equipped as we can make them to cope with all of these changes.
Like many newer businesses we have spent time improving not only our websites but on our use of newsletters and social media to communicate with our clients. We have tried to make these communications useful and personal but also entertaining. These are excellent tools to communicate during periods of rapid change, and that last ten years have certainly not lacked that 😊
As we start our eleventh year in business we are constantly looking for new ways to meet the needs of our clients, whether that is through new technology or simply by being accountants who are not satisfied to lurk in the background!
Our clients are our partners, if you need an accountant you can lean on, contact us.
Who We Are
Anlo was founded by Annja Louca in 2009. From Johannesburg, she now lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.
ANNJA LOUCA
“I became an accountant because my mom was an accountant for a big manufacturing company, and she ran that department like clockwork for 35 years. I worked at this company every holiday since I was 10 years old and did everything from receptionist to stock takes to debtors, creditors and event planning (Christmas parties). I learnt about work ethic from her. She never took a promotion to a FD because she loved her job, but she loved us and being a mom more. When I asked her recently if she has any regrets, she answered no.
I studied because of my dad. He believed a woman should be smart and he believed in me and now that I have kids, I understand how much he believed in me. My dad always said to me that you need to treat your clients like they are your dad or mom or family. Because they are someone’s mom, dad, family and I wouldn’t want someone to treat my family badly.
The best part about my job is that every single client is different and unique. It is very interesting to get to know the person behind the business or tax affair. It helps me understand the situation and get the best position for them.
We provide accounting, taxation, secretarial, bookkeeping and accounting recruitment services, and consulting services within the Johannesburg area. We also understand that as a business you need to use all the tools available out there and we love to work with technology to give you the best solution possible.
Our staff members have a clear job description and take responsibility and ownership of that job description for their allocated clients. The firm’s values are to form a personal relationship with our clients and make time to explain things to them, adding value not only to their business but to Anlo Financial Solutions as well.
Being good in business, and being a good leader doesn’t mean you need to be the best at it. It means doing the right thing for everyone, including your staff.
Success in business is always a team effort. Your clients rely on your team to deliver, your team rely on you to set the example and to plot the course for your business, and without your team, you cannot succeed in your company goals. You don’t need to be the best leader all the time; but you do need to be consistent, fair, and clear about destination you are all aiming for.”
Esmerelda Doman is Anlo’s Executive Director and Annja’s irreplaceable right-hand!
ESMERELDA DOMAN
I run Anlo Financial Solutions here in South Africa. I am a Chartered Accountant, married with two gorgeous girls. From a very young age I enjoyed academic challenges and the relief after completing complicated assignments! It was probably my curious nature that drew me to financial riddles. I realised that this is where I belonged.
Although I always studied hard, it was in my honours’ year that I realised that dedication and determination are as important as knowledge - without them I would not have been able to become a CA.
In 2009 when I started as a trainee accountant, I wanted to gain as much knowledge and experience as I could. I also had my first child while still studying and before qualifying as a CA. I soon realised that I needed to move to where my hard work would be rewarded, and my personal values would be shared as well.
Anlo currently has a staff of eight, and between us we manage in the region of 250 clients. I have to manage the work and wellbeing of our staff – numbers might be the bedrock of our business, but our people are vital.
We built Anlo’s reputation not just on the quality of our accountancy, but on providing a personal service; we don’t think you can do the job properly any other way. Whether that is simply offering advice on the best packages to use and how to use them or handling all aspects of a client’s finances, people skills are essential.
Nurturing, maintaining and building relationships is at the heart of our business and it is as important as anything else we do”.
Regardless of where you are, our team is available to help you, whether in the UK or in South Africa. The same technology mentioned earlier makes it possible for us to function as a tight-knit team, despite the continents between us 😊
We are always available to give advice and help – you don’t have to wait until your year-end to pick up the phone or drop us a line. We want to bring all the lessons we have learned and the skills we have acquired over the years to help you grow your business's success.
If you want accountants who are happy to speak to you more than once a year, then contact us.
“Hi Annja and Esmerelda,
We at Jenrolin would like to thank you and your team for your excellent service over the past few years. Since we have been working with you on a contract/retainer basis everything has gone really smoothly.
We always receive reminders for submissions and payments etc., and it is great that you do all the work and we just need to do the approvals.
Thank you for your great service.”
Jeni.
