Johannesburg School of Finance

30/03/2026

You don’t need to be a finance expert to understand how business works. Even seasoned professionals have financial blind spots — and that’s exactly where a little learning can go a long way.

Click below to read the full article.

https://jhbfin.com/blog/learning-finance-later-in-life/

22/03/2026

When it comes to managing costs, it’s easy to think that reducing headcount is the answer. Fewer people on the payroll feels like progress — but in reality, it can give a false sense of security.

Click the link below to read more.

https://jhbfin.com/blog/head-count-vs-cost-to-company/

20/02/2026

Controlling costs starts with identifying them, eliminating waste, and improving efficiency. Learn how budgeting, monitoring, and team engagement can drive real results.

https://jhbfin.com/blog/how-to-control-costs-effectively/

09/02/2026

Hello!

You may remember attending one of our finance courses, or perhaps enquiring about training for yourself or your team, back when Peter van Ryneveld was leading the Johannesburg School of Finance. Wherever your career has taken you since, I wanted to reach out and reconnect.

Much has changed — and much has stayed the same.

Sadly, Peter passed away in October 2023. His passion for making finance clear, practical, and engaging left a deep mark on everyone who worked with him. I had the privilege of working alongside Peter since 1998, and today I’m honoured to continue his legacy as the new owner of the Johannesburg School of Finance.

Over the past year, I've refreshed our website, refined our range of online and in-person courses, and expanded our ability to tailor programmes for individuals, small groups, and larger organisations. Many of our core courses remain exactly as you may remember them — practical, hands-on, and grounded in real business experience — and I'm excited about what’s ahead.

If you or your team would benefit from a finance refresher, new budgeting or cost-control skills, or a different perspective on financial decision-making, I’d love you to explore what we have planned for 2026.

See our new website -> https://jhbfin.com/


Our plans for 2026 and beyond

I’ve started sharing more of what we’ve learned over the years — practical advice, useful tools, and trends I think may genuinely be worth your time.

A couple of recent posts you might find helpful:

How to Control Costs Effectively - My philosophy on cost control. -> https://jhbfin.com/blog/how-to-control-costs-effectively/

Excel Exercises: A Free Learning Tool - A great free Excel tool I am promoting because its fantastic. I have no affiliation. -> https://jhbfin.com/blog/excel-exercises-free-learning-tool/

I’ll be sharing these insights on our website, LinkedIn, and Facebook as well.

I plan to send updates like this quarterly — sharing what we’re working on, what we’re learning, and where the School is heading.

A small favour (only if it feels right)

If you’ve attended a course with us in the past and found it useful, a short Google review would make a real difference in helping others discover the Johannesburg School of Finance. There’s absolutely no pressure — but if you’re happy to share your experience, I’d be very grateful.

Leave a Google review here -> https://g.page/r/CUAa1xpKLKOuEBI/review

Warm regards,
John Mitchell

Post a review to our profile on Google

18/12/2025

20/09/2025

Cutting Costs Isn’t Enough — Profit Needs Both Sides of the Equation

Profit is simple:

Revenue (or earnings) minus expenses.

To increase profit, you can either increase revenue or reduce expenses. On paper, both are equally valid. But in reality, most businesses find it much easier to control costs than to drive sales.

Why? Because costs are internal. You can manage them. You can make immediate decisions about spending, restructure teams, delay projects, or cancel subscriptions. You can reduce budgets. In extreme cases, you can even fire staff.

But you can’t force customers to buy your product. Revenue depends on external forces — the market, the economy, buyer perceptions, timing, competition. That makes it unpredictable. That makes it harder.

We Focus on Costs — Especially in Tough Times

That’s why, when budgets get tight or pressure mounts, most organisations focus first on cost control. And it makes sense — it's what’s in your hands.

Click the link below to read more:

06/09/2025

A New Chapter Guided by a Lasting Legacy

I would like to share some personal news, and an update about the next chapter of Johannesburg School of Finance. As of 1 April this year, I have acquired the rights to JSF and its intellectual property (including the right to present the Business Game). We are fully operational as JSF Training (Pty) Ltd T/A Johannesburg School of Finance. We are in the process of registering the JSF name and logo as a trade mark.

I am working with a supporting team to inject new enthusiasm and innovation into the company. We shall be careful to retain the personal connection and simplicity which is fundamental to the Johannesburg School of Finance.

You will be able to see this reflected in the new website www.jhbfin.com

BACKGROUND
As many of you know, Peter van Ryneveld, the founder of the company, passed away suddenly in October 2023, leaving the business to his daughter, Saskia. He started the School in 1998 because he believed he could make Finance easier to understand, and much more interesting. And so he did for 25 years. His legacy has touched many.

I joined JSF when Peter registered the business, and have worked closely with him for those years.

To our past clients — thank you. Your trust and support over the years have been essential to the life of this business. My commitment is to preserve the values that have always defined our work: personal connection, clear and simple presentation, and courses that build confidence as well as competence.

I would be pleased to hear from you – whether you wish to reconnect, gain insight into what lies ahead, or simply to catch up.

Yours sincerely
John Mitchell

28/08/2025

Subject: Johannesburg School of Finance - A New Chapter Guided by a Lasting Legacy

I would like to share some personal news, and an update about the next chapter of Johannesburg School of Finance. As of 1 April this year, I have acquired the rights to JSF and its intellectual property (including the right to present the Business Game). We are fully operational as JSF Training (Pty) Ltd T/A Johannesburg School of Finance. We are in the process of registering the JSF name and logo as a trade mark.

I am working with a supporting team to inject new enthusiasm and innovation into the company. We shall be careful to retain the personal connection and simplicity which is fundamental to the Johannesburg School of Finance.

You will be able to see this reflected in the new website www.jhbfin.com

BACKGROUND
As many of you know, Peter van Ryneveld, the founder of the company, passed away suddenly in October 2023, leaving the business to his daughter, Saskia. He started the School in 1998 because he believed he could make Finance easier to understand, and much more interesting. And so he did for 25 years. His legacy has touched many.

I joined JSF when Peter registered the business, and have worked closely with him for those years.

To our past clients — thank you. Your trust and support over the years have been essential to the life of this business. My commitment is to preserve the values that have always defined our work: personal connection, clear and simple presentation, and courses that build confidence as well as competence.

I would be pleased to hear from you – whether you wish to reconnect, gain insight into what lies ahead, or simply to catch up.

Yours sincerely
John Mitchell
Johannesburg School of Finance
www.jhbfin.com
082 4944 663 cell or WhatsApp
[email protected]

14/04/2025

“WHENEVER WE SEND SOMEONE ON A TRAINING COURSE, THEY LEAVE. WHY?”

Usually, the person has already decided to leave the company before arranging to be sent on a course. They want the course to bolster their Bio, to help them get the job they are already eying. The training does not cause them to leave, it is a result of a decision already made. They may be leaving to go to another company, or to start their own business. In this case they are preparing themselves with the financial knowledge they know they will need to operate on their own.

Some companies feel more comfortable supplying technical training only, because they feel the results are more tangible. This can result in people who are already technically proficient learning a little more of what they already know. In some cases, there is definitely a need for technical training, e.g. with the development of new technology. Staff, however, may feel that this reflects a limited view of their career path, and then they start to look to move out of the restrictions of their technical speciality, and have an eye on management, and moving to a company that recognizes their potential.

There is a fallacy that if you provide someone with management skills, you are raising their expectations prematurely, and they will leave as a result of disappointed expectations. The result is often that a person is promoted into a new position without the necessary skills. The demands of increased responsibility prevent them from going on the training they now need. They develop bad habits from their peers who had the same lack of training, or rely on their subordinates to do their work for them. If there is good communication within the company, and the perceptions are fully discussed and acknowledged, it turns the training into a positive sign of recognition.

Sometimes a person marked as a ‘high – flyer’ does receive extensive training, specifically to prepare them for development within the company. However, by the time the person has earned this recognition, it is often too late. They have already identified their own potential, and started looking outside the company. They may even resent that they were not identified earlier. They merely delay their departure to complete the course before leaving. But the decision was already made.

Middle management can feel threatened by the development of younger or more talented people below them. They hold back their training and their development to retain their power. This leads to them leaving once they have the training.

It is not training that causes people to leave the company, but lack of training.

09/04/2025

https://businesstech.co.za/news/finance/820237/surprise-twist-for-interest-rates-in-south-africa/

The South African Reserve Bank may be able to cut interest rates despite the increased global uncertainty due to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

12/04/2023

South Africa’s growth prospects have been slashed – far more than any other major economy.

31/03/2023

Cash-strapped South Africans are going to face an onslaught of price hikes.