Retired, enjoying life with his wife Kalpana and four children, and sharing his experiences − this is Dr Suresh Kana, reputed ethical leader in our profession. Those who know Suresh are proud of his contributions through the pivotal roles in his career: PwC SA CEO and PwC Africa senior partner, chair of SAICA, non-executive chair…
It is not about change anymore; it is about audit transformation. Relevant technologies are changing rapidly and therefore capability requirements cannot be set in stone. As such, we cannot focus on just the acquisition of the latest technologies, we must focus on the auditor having the right skill set to embrace the changing technologies. Amé…
A true example of resilience and integrity, former Trillian Financial Advisory CEO Mosilo Mothepu had to sacrifice not only her job, her security and her peace of mind, but also had to endure immense trauma to do the right thing and blow the whistle on state capture. ‘My story is one of conviction, resilience and…
Over the past 15 years, Vincent Motholo has built a career marked by substantial development and success. As a qualified and experienced CA(SA) and registered auditor, Vincent is currently the chairperson of SAICA, having served on its audit and risk committee as an independent non-board member. He has also served on various other committees and…
By adopting a principles-based code, SAICA requires all its members to apply professional judgement at all times to identify, evaluate and address threats to professional accountants’ compliance with the fundamental principles of ethics. These principles determine the standard of behaviour that the public can expect of members of the profession, and adhering to the code…
Although billions are spent every year preparing and auditing financial statements, many people question the relevance and usefulness of IFRS-compliant financial statements. In this article I interrogate two common reasons given for IFRS’ declining relevance, discuss two additional considerations, and make a few suggestions I love IFRS. I think it is amazing what one can…
Obviously, you can’t avoid all distractions. As real people living in the real world, we will all be distracted from time to time. We can, however, ensure that we keep regular distractions to a minimum and that we focus on increasing our effectiveness and productivity You get to work, open up your computer and more…
Buzzwords like automation, mechanisation and digitisation can sound like the end of the human workforce and the loss of personalisation, but they offer a bright and efficient future for the assurance industry Digitisation, automation and transformation. Machine learning, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). The lexicon of technology buzzwords has become, for many sectors, representative of…
The corporate failures and changes that our profession was faced with of late ushered in a new era for us. We had to adapt and be agile and resilient whether we liked it or not. Some might say it was for the worst; others may just see the light at the end of the tunnel…
Among the many recent and upcoming initiatives to enhance audit quality there is one underdog that could really shift the landscape, but will it be soon enough? Could ISQM 1 be the secret weapon we do not even realise we have? There has been extensive debate lately on how to ‘fix’ audit quality. One must…