Recommend: The evolving ownership of accounting firms (part 2)

The first article in this series discusses aspects of the history of accounting firm mergers and acquisitions. The evolution of firm ownership continues to advance with Private Equity (PE) active in the acquisition of accounting businesses. What lessons can be gained from the Consolidators? PARTNER DISCONNECT I have interviewed several partners who sold their accountancy…

Focus: The changing role of accounting education in a digital world

Artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and other emerging technologies are transforming the way businesses operate and as these tools reshape industries, the role of chartered accountants (CAs) continues to evolve. Key questions are: what exactly is a CA’s role in a digital business ecosystem, and how are tomorrow’s CAs being equipped with the digital fluency and…

Focus: AI and the accountant of the future

Artificial intelligence is changing accounting faster than universities can update their curricula. That was the starting point for of the SAICA and UCT Accounting Education Symposium, where presenters dug into what AI means for future accountants, how students are already using it, and why AI-enabled grading brings both efficiency and new complexity. AI AND ACCOUNTING…

Focus: How AI is re-shaping continuous professional development for the CA(SA)

The accountancy profession is at an educational inflection point. The profession has always evolved in response to economic, regulatory, and technological change. Today, however, the pace and nature of that change are fundamentally different. Artificial intelligence (AI) is not merely automating tasks; it is reshaping how knowledge is created, accessed, and applied. For the chartered…

Recommend: The tender trap: How bureaucracy and bid design are locking small businesses out of opportunity

For over a decade, much has been said about Black Economic Empowerment (BEE), its implementation, and the so-called ‘red tape’ that supposedly chokes innovation in South Africa’s economy. While there is truth in the idea that regulatory burdens can be heavy, particularly for businesses navigating the government procurement space, the reality is far more nuanced…

Focus: AI is rewriting the rules of accounting education

How universities are rethinking curriculum design, assessment and graduate capabilities to match the realities of an AI-enabled workplace. Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are transforming accounting skills and assessments, as well as the way universities prepare future professionals. This calls for new approaches to teaching, learning and student support in an AI-enabled environment. The 2025…

Focus: SAICA joins drive to spark love of maths in schools

The South African Mathematics Foundation (SAMF) is proud to announce SAICA as the new sponsor of the South African Mathematics Challenge (SAMC). The national competition, reaching approximately 80 000 Grade 4 to 7 learners annually, plays a vital role in nurturing a love for mathematics at primary school level. FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, the…

Recommend: The extent of chartered accountants’ liability for work done by their staff

Section 110.1 A1 of the SAICA Code of Professional Conduct, read with subsection R113.2 Professional Competency and Due Care, requires a professional accountant to take reasonable steps to ensure that those working in a professional capacity under the professional accountant’s authority have received appropriate training and are properly supervised. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS…

Recommend: Should the rand be trading at R7 to the dollar?

South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago recently remarked that the rand is ‘incredibly undervalued’ and that according to certain studies, it should be trading at around R7 to the US dollar. This article is a comprehensive economic critique of Governor Kganyago’s statement, balanced with South Africa’s recent wins. WHILE SARB GOVERNOR KGANYAGO’S R7-to-the-dollar statement…