Clean eating

With many people working from home, it seems that this comes with its fair set of challenges regarding balancing work and life. Boundaries have been blurred and most are working more than their usual hours, often neglecting their health and family time. As much as demands have increased during this chaotic time, it is very…

Audits of legal practitioners’ business accounts

Audit requirements relating to the business accounts of legal practitioners have now been clarified. In October 2019, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) issued a notice of the withdrawal of the non-binding opinion pertaining to Regulation 28(2)(a) of the Companies Regulations 2011 to the Companies Act 2008. This opinion applied to legal practitioners who…

Professional scepticism explained

Following another spate of corporate governance and audit failures both locally and internationally, lack of professional scepticism is a phrase frequently quoted in the media. This article attempts to clarify the concept of professional scepticism and how auditors can practically apply this.   The misconception The media seems to use the blanket statement ‘lack of…

Financial reporting in a brave new world

Unprecedented. It’s a word that’s often bandied about in a hyperbolic sense, but in the case of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it’s one of the most apt descriptions of what the world is facing. COVID-19 is an unprecedented event that has affected every single part of life on the planet, including leaving an indelible mark…

Paolo Giuricich

Viewpoints: Collars and caps

Wealth Advisor‘Collars and caps’ may sound like the dress code for a country outing. But when the VIX (volatility index) hit a record high of 83% in March 2020, it was time for ‘circuit breakers’. COVID-19, a black swan, was the uninvited guest to the investment party. Mike Lledo CA(SA)IndependentFinancial Services Consultant Unprecedented volatility The…

CFO optimism falls to all-time low

The coronavirus pandemic has reduced CFO business optimism to an extremely low point, according to a SAICA and Duke University business outlook survey. The quarterly survey was conducted over six weeks beginning February 25 and the results document the impact of COVID-19 on businesses around the world. Results below are for South Africa and Africa,…