Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming decision-making across business, government, and society. Yet beneath the promise of objectivity lies a difficult question: whose ethics are embedded in the algorithms that increasingly influence our lives? AI IS OFTEN PORTRAYED as impartial and objective. In reality, it has no moral compass of its own. It learns from data…
Accounting remains a profession built on trust. Yet the environment in which accountants operate is changing quickly. The question is: are we preparing graduates who can think, adapt, communicate and make responsible decisions in a rapidly changing world? ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, automation, data analytics and digital platforms are transforming how information is generated, processed and interpreted.…
October marks Ethics Month. For chartered accountants, however, ethics has no calendar. WE WORK IN A PROFESSION that places enormous confidence in technical precision. Figures must reconcile. Evidence must withstand scrutiny. Judgements must be defensible. Yet some of the most consequential decisions made by finance professionals will never be settled by arithmetic alone. They require…
Prof Jimmy Winfield responds to members’ real questions about ethicsHere, Prof Jimmy responds to three of the many questions he discusses in Decoding the Code, the ethics course purpose-built for members, available on SAICA’s eVolve platform. For practical ethical guidance and an excellent way to meet CPD ethics requirements, enrol today. Q: Dear Prof Jimmy,…
Unlocking value through autonomous pattern recognition in financial services Part 1: Transforming customer acquisition and retentionThe financial services landscape is experiencing a fundamental shift. While artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) have dominated industry conversations for years, we have now moved decisively beyond pilot projects into operational reality. Across banking and insurance, AI/ML systems are…
Gary Stephenson and his best friend and business partner have swum, run and cycled thousands of kilometres as participants in Iron Man. That’s impressive, but more impressive still is the millions of rands they have raised at the same time, through their initiative IronMan4TheKidz. Gary was just eight years old when he first met Garth…
Zimkhita Matinyana CA(SA) sees a bigger role for accountants in the businesses they serve and in the profession they are building. Her work through Kazimo Accountants and Women in Accountancy (WINA) reflects a shift from compliance towards strategic involvement, where accountants help owners make better decisions and smaller firms find ways to grow together. It’s…
At first glance, koi fish might seem to have very little in common with the accounting profession. But as Abraham Wiggill, who is passionate about both explains, this is far from the case. As a CA(SA) as well as an enthusiastic member of South Africa’s koi keeping community, he should know. In fact, from being…
How do executives ensure their decisions uphold fairness and equity, even under commercial pressure? Employees expect those decisions to be fair, even under commercial pressure. For Cheree Dyers, CEO of Prescient Investment Management, equity means ensuring capable people can advance and addressing barriers that exclude them. She explains how CAs(SA) can use their influence to…