The robots are heading straight towards us and we are inviting them in to our homes, workplaces and vehicles. Not surprisingly, because they make our lives more convenient, our work more efficient, our buildings more sustainable and our roads safer. But at the same time we need to think about how we maximise the upside…
The retirement landscape in South Africa is characterised by two pension systems: an advanced formal pensions sector and a means-tested social security system. However, a concern raised by actuary Rob Rusconi is that of the large ‘uncovered gap’ between these two systems: those individuals who benefit from neither The biggest systemic issue, given South Africa’s…
5 Lessons from history on AI, automation and employment The urgency of shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution Cloud technology and SME success Operating your business in the cloud 5 Lessons from history on AI, automation and employment History tells us that in the long run, technology is a net creator of jobs. Is this time…
In this, the first of a series of two articles, we look at the pressures on an accounting firm’s profitability There was a time when accountancy business owners were seemingly guaranteed high profit emanating from a business model that was often characterised as the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 model. That model is also known as the…
We are all on a journey of self-development. As a speaker, every time you get up onto a speaking platform, regardless if you are speaking to an audience of 5 or 5 000 people – your purpose is to improve your skills as a speaker. In this article, I share my personal insights on what…
Tax morality and the CA(SA) The IT14SD process can be a huge headache for the unsuspecting taxpayer Tackling the tax morality challenge Tax morality and the CA(SA) Everyone who has studied tax should be familiar with the famous ruling in the Duke of Westminster Case,1 which is often cited in defence of (usually) aggressive tax…
Spatial technology allows CFOs and managers to drive massive improvements in financial management, reporting, and governance at local government level by analysing financial data within its real-world context, in other words on a map I have tremendous difficulty in explaining to my former audit colleagues exactly what our company does. The few CAs(SA) that have…
Research and Markets in their 2016 report Robo advice: revolution or evolution suggest that low-cost, automated investment advice is set to become the core of financial planning services, with a market potential of $19,5 trillion assets under management (AUM) What does this mean? The growth will no doubt be exponential. In a 2016 report Deloitte…
Given the clandestine and secretive nature of cartel conduct, the onus placed on the ‘passive participant’ implies that it is not sufficient to merely distance oneself from the cartel conduct within the clandestine setting of a secretive meeting. One would need to actively spotlight the conduct by publicly exposing it and preferably advising the Competition…
Subsequent to the board meeting held in December 2017, the Data Analytics Working Group (DAWG) of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) issued a feedback statement to inform stakeholders of the key messages received in response to their outreach activities. This article provides an overview of this feedback statement In September 2016, the…