The Chartered Accountancy profession is both locally and internationally well recognised as providing attractive career opportunities in various industries, highlighting the flexibility of the Chartered Accountancy, CA(SA) designation. Thinking back why I decided to study Accountancy, I chose the CA(SA) route as a bullet-proof qualification that would provide me with job security and a diverse…
The world’s population reached 7 billion in October 2011 and this inspired a US organisation called 100 People Foundation to do some research and frame the global population as 100 people based on the statistics gathered. The statistics make for interesting reading. Of the 100 people representing the world’s population 83 would be able to…
Education is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university”.1 Former president Nelson Mandela put it more simply by declaring that education is “the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. At the moment South Africa is definitely not…
As a developing economy, South Africa has a pressing need for individuals who are equipped with sound financial skills and an ability to think laterally. Our Wits accountancy graduates will possess a strong problem-solving ability; critical thinking and a qualification from a world-leading educational institution which will provide for a distinct competitive career advantage. The…
So you’re a CA(SA). You’ve studied for years and you’re a highly qualified professional with lots of workplace experience to boot. Why on earth would you consider adding a notoriously expensive and demanding MBA to your already impressive qualifications? Well, for starters, you’d be learning to apply management concepts, enhance your consultancy skills, advise businesses…
In January, Finweek published an opinion piece written by Johan Fourie, an Economics lecturer at Stellenbosch University, titled ‘Why you should think twice before going for that accounting degree’ In summary, he stated the following. Reasons why an accounting degree should not be the default option for South Africa’s brightest kids: Academic freedom in the…
Subaru has always been different in its design and styling. The Forester has been a huge success with families around the world. In its latest guise, Subaru has bowed to the pressure and made the latest Forester look more like the usual soft roaders on the road. Gone is the high-roof station-wagon look and in…
Prospect Theory shows us that we measure gains and losses relative to a set reference point or status quo (see my previous article). This particular reference point is subjective and can be different for different people in different scenarios. In 1974, Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman performed an experiment where they asked participants: “What is…
Budgeting and forecasting are major tasks for the ‘office of finance’ in any organisation and the collection and collation of financial data can take months of preparation. However, in today’s fast-paced world, these time-consuming manual processes can prove to be a major hindrance. More than often, by the time budgets have been set, market influences…
We live in testing and uncertain times, with global and local economies struggling to come to grips with slow growth, high unemployment and rising living costs. This phenomenon is often associated with entities embarking on cost cutting and cost containment, with employees bearing the brunt of low salary increases and decreased disposable income. The implication…