LATEST ARTICLES
ARTICLES FROM COVID-19 HUB
COVID-19: Future trends and their impact on the world
The trends shaping our world of tomorrow are changing rapidly with COVID-19. In this article, the multi-level perspective on societal change model will be used to explain various trends and their potential impact on the economy, politics, technology, society and resources. We are operating in a new, fast-evolving multipolar global landscape in which challenges are…
Covid-19: Humanity will rise as a force, stronger than a disease
Lockdown is like standing on the edge of what is known and unknown At the edge, you have options 1. You stand still, hoping that things go “back to normal” or 2. You wait to be rescued; or 3. You embrace the opportunity and boldly find your wings to fly. During Lockdown, there were many…
COVID-19 is likely to reshape the world – here’s how accountants can help
By Pieter Bensch, Executive Vice-President at Sage Africa & Middle East As an accountant, you have an invaluable role to play in helping your clients survive the COVID-19 outbreak and its economic effects. With the pandemic and the national lockdown battering nearly every company in South Africa, they need your counsel and practical advice more…
ITC and APC EXAM dates change due to Covid-19
We find ourselves in significantly challenging and difficult times: a constantly changing world which is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. With these uncertain circumstances we all need to rapidly adapt to change. Like many other organisations, SAICA finds itself in the position of having to make some very difficult decisions, particularly about the upcoming SAICA…
COVID-19 crisis – Audit offices responding in times of crisis
The outbreak of the global coronavirus pandemic has demanded an extraordinary response by governments around the world. The fight against the biggest health threat of our time requires of every parliament, organisation, company and individual to respond quickly to this challenge. It cannot be business as usual. The same applies to national audit offices. Not…
What good leaders do in a time of crisis
As part of SAICA’s Leadership in a time of crisis webinar series, CA(SA) and CFO of Discovery Health, Brett Tromp, shared his thoughts on what good leaders can do in a time of crisis. In good times, a leader’s role is straightforward: keep your company afloat, your staff employed, and your customers satisfied. It’s during…
The economic impact of COVID-19
SAICA hosted a webinar on 6 April 2020 where Annabel Bishop, Chief Economist for Investec Bank Limited South Africa, spoke about the effects of sub-investment grade status and the coronavirus on our country’s already struggling economy. SAICA is offering a ‘Leadership in a time of crisis’ webinar series as part of the Institute’s response to…
A Thought (or penny) to spare
While many have hunkered down literally ‘zooming’ across the net attending webinars, conference calls and Pilates classes from the comfort of their homes relatively safe from contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, fellow South Africans are facing an even bigger threat from the economic fallout created by the lockdown; the very tool deployed to prevent the spread…
SAICA Disciplinary Report Quarter 1 2020
Overview of the disciplinary process All member complaints received by SAICA are referred to the designated officer and allocated to the Legal and Discipline Unit staff for case management. All cases in which SAICA has jurisdiction are prepared for submission to the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC). The PCC is an independent committee chaired by either…
Wits PhD student wins award for invention vital to fighting COVID-19
Over five years Michael Lucas, a PhD student in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Wits, has developed a metallised coating that can be added to surfaces in hospitals to make them capable of self-sanitising. Lucas explains that most hospital surfaces are made of stainless steel and plastic and are sites of contamination. By adding…
ARTICLES FROM ACCOUNTANCY SA
Feature: Why accountants are taking up coding − and why you should too
There is still some uncertainty regarding the need or importance of coding, specifically for accountancy professionals. Are we all becoming programmers or has coding become a basic skill we need to now have? Chartered accountants and associate general accountants are rethinking their skills, behaviours, competencies and mindset as they continue to reflect in line with…
Feature: What it takes to rebuild trust at work
Many, if not most of us, are experiencing feelings of burnout, exhaustion, extreme stress, and even fatigue. To some extent, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought this on with the multitude of disruptions it has thrust on us at work and at home. And when you find yourself in an unsupportive work environment, this stress is…
Feature: Run the country to the top
Teamwork does make the dream work, writes Sheran Reddy about the Vitality Running Cup challenge After months of living like a turtle withdrawn into its shell, most of us are now slowly returning to normality. Either through a hybrid return-to-work policy or full-time back at the office, many of us are now having to re-adapt…
Feature: Whistleblowing and ethics
The accounting profession is currently facing significant pressure both locally and internationally, mainly due to corporate failures, alleged governance failures and alleged audit failures, all of which have had a paramount impact on the economy. In a panel discussion earlier this year, which was hosted by Milton Segal CA(SA), SAICA’s senior executive for corporate reporting…
Feature: Exposing the truth
The former spokesperson and CEO of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Themba Maseko, is part of the list of whistleblowers who came forward to expose the misdeeds of state capture. Themba Maseko, Former CEO of the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Themba is one of the few who accepted his responsibility, had…
Celebrating accountants on International Accounting Day
This is the first in a series of articles exploring XBRL. Our next article will consider how XBRL was developed and the wider advantages and disadvantages of XBRL as a financial reporting tool 10 November was the day when accountants around the world were honoured for the invaluable role they play in the world of…
Global race to net zero by 2050 is accelerating – will Africa realise a just transition or become a stranded asset? PwC Africa Energy review
With an acceleration of the global net-zero journey, there is increasing focus on developing countries and their lack of affordability to meet such net-zero targets. A clear contrast is evident when considering Africa; as home to 17% of the global population, producing less than 5% of global annual emissions and accounting for only 3% of…
November 2021 Issue
AN SERVICE MINDSET Track and field races are some of the most popular activities at the Olympic Games. And so Usain Bolt, the retired Jamaican sprinter, is widely considered the greatest sprinter of all time. He was determined to be himself and that, together with his unconventional and unique style, is probably one of the…
Recommend: XBRL and why it is important to CAs(SA)
This is the first in a series of articles exploring XBRL. Our next article will consider how XBRL was developed and the wider advantages and disadvantages of XBRL as a financial reporting tool The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era is characterised by an advanced interconnectivity of electronic data that has enabled machine learning to such…
Recommend: Over-disclosure and over-transparency?
As both accountants and good corporate citizens we advocate for accurate and transparent disclosure that will cater for a wide user audience and aid in decision-making. This also talks to acting in the public interest, which is one of the core mandates of an accountant Disclosure had advanced over the years. Originally disclosure was used…