National Interest – Accountancy SA

https://www.accountancysa.org.za Home Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:01:59 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 Focus: A CA with an eye for design https://www.accountancysa.org.za/focus-a-ca-with-an-eye-for-design/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 10:51:12 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29756

Sebenele Radebe CA(SA) turned a floral-arrangement course into LND Decor Design, a Midrand floral styling and event décor business. Drawing on her experience in audit and finance, she is building the company while continuing her career as a chartered accountant. She plans to grow LND Decor Design into a luxury South African brand, create jobs and show how CA(SA) training can give women the commercial skills to pursue opportunities beyond traditional finance roles.

LND Decor Design reached a turning point when Sebenele Radebe received her first order from a complete stranger. Until then, relatives, friends and acquaintances had made up most of her client base. This customer had discovered her work independently and trusted her to deliver. For Radebe, it was proof that the business could stand on its own and attract clients well beyond her personal network.

Radebe launched LND Decor Design in 2025 after completing a floral-arrangement course at the South African School of Weddings and Events. She signed up looking for a creative outlet outside accountancy. By the end of the course, she had a business idea.

“I never imagined that I would leave it with so many ideas,” she says. “As I learnt more about floral design and event styling, I saw an opportunity to turn something I enjoyed into a business.”

Based in Midrand, LND Decor Design styles weddings, corporate functions and private celebrations. The business also creates personalised stationery and signage.

More than one career

Radebe grew up in a rural community near the Oshoek Border Post in Mpumalanga. The surrounding mountains, rivers and forests fed her early interest in flowers and beautiful spaces.

Accountancy caught her attention at school, when she heard a Ligwalagwala FM discussion about the profession and the shortage of women entering it. She enjoyed working with numbers, while a Thuthuka career publication her sister brought home showed her how to become a CA(SA).

Her parents ran small businesses to support the family and encouraged their children to look beyond the opportunities available locally. Her father died when she was in Grade 9, leaving her mother to support her education.

The move from rural Mpumalanga to the University of Cape Town was a major academic and cultural adjustment, and Radebe sometimes questioned whether she belonged. Her CTA year brought further personal loss when her mother died, making an already demanding period even more difficult.

Radebe went on to complete her BCom and postgraduate accounting studies before joining PwC for her training contract. She has since built a career in audit and finance, mainly in financial services.

Throughout those years, her interest in design continued to grow. At events, she studied the décor and wondered how each element had come together. The floral course gave her the practical skills to take that interest further.

“I eventually realised that I did not have to choose between being analytical and being creative,” she says. “The two can complement each other.”

Turning ideas into events

Radebe starts every LND Decor Design project by asking about the occasion, the client’s ideas and the budget. She then develops the concept, sources the materials and plans each detail.

“It starts with listening,” she says. “Every client has their own vision, style and budget, so it is important to understand exactly what they hope to achieve.”

Bringing that vision to life takes more than an eye for colour. Flowers are perishable, preferred varieties may be unavailable and event dates cannot move. Radebe plans ahead and maintains strong supplier relationships, which help her respond when something changes at short notice. She sets clear terms from the outset and discusses any substitutions with the client. Rather than impose her own style, she interprets what the client wants and finds a way to deliver it within budget.

“When clients see the final result, I want them to feel that I have brought their ideas to life,” she says. “Their reaction is my favourite part of the job. Satisfied clients are the best measure of success.”

The CA(SA) advantage

Radebe applies the commercial discipline of her CA(SA) training to LND Decor Design. Pricing is one of her toughest decisions. She must work within clients’ budgets while covering her costs and protecting the business’s profit margin. She also needs to invest in equipment as the company grows. Her professional experience helps her make those decisions and put sound systems in place.

“My training has helped me in many ways,” she says. “It taught me discipline, financial management, time management and the importance of compliance.”

“Entrepreneurship allows me to combine my accounting knowledge with my creativity while building something meaningful that reflects who I am,” she says.

Her focus now is attracting more clients. She uses Instagram, TikTok and Facebook to share completed projects and show what LND Decor Design can do.

Building something that lasts

Radebe plans to grow LND Decor Design into a South African luxury floral and décor brand, expand its services and eventually open an events venue. She wants that growth to create jobs.

“I hope the business can become self-sustaining and create jobs,” she says. “South Africa has a high unemployment rate, and one of my long-term goals is to grow this into something that provides employment.”

She also wants to introduce young people from rural communities, particularly girls, to professional opportunities they might not otherwise discover.

For Radebe, the CA(SA) designation creates choices rather than limiting people to conventional finance roles.

“Do not feel that you have to fit into one box,” she says. “Being a CA(SA) gives you an incredible foundation, but it does not mean you must limit yourself to one career path.”

]]> Focus: Give women the power to lead https://www.accountancysa.org.za/focus-the-changing-role-of-accounting-education-in-a-digital-world-2/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:58:24 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29693

Maureen Makole Manyama CA(SA) knows that a senior title counts for little without the authority to influence decisions. Her career has taught her how setbacks can test self-belief and how often women must prove themselves again, regardless of their experience. She believes organisations should trust women with difficult work and give them genuine power at executive level. Women should also lead as themselves rather than feel pressured to imitate men. Appointments may improve the numbers, but the real gender dividend comes when women have the freedom and authority to lead in their own way.

MAUREEN MAKOLE MANYAMA’S first cash book was a two-quire notebook in her parents’ hardware store in Mokwasele village, Ga-Modjadji. During the school holidays, she recorded sales, balanced the day’s takings and helped with stocktaking. She may not have known it at the time, but the family business was teaching her a lesson that would stay with her throughout her career – every transaction has to be accounted for.

The family business also introduced her to timber products and the wider supply chain. Years later, when she became CFO of the South African Forestry Company Limited (SAFCOL), she returned to the same industry from the producer’s side.

Now she is taking that experience into the energy sector. In July 2026, Manyama was appointed CFO of the National Transmission Company South Africa. She joins NTCSA as it builds the financial capacity to invest in new transmission infrastructure which is part of the Transmission Development Plan, and support South Africa’s changing and transforming electricity market.

The opportunity first came her way in September 2024, when a headhunter approached her about the position, which she could not pursue. At the time, she was leading a finance transformation programme at Wits University and wanted to finish what she had started. NTCSA, through a leading search company, approached her again towards the end of 2025. This time, she was ready to pursue the role and opportunity at hand.

Manyama began studying at the University of Cape Town at the age of 16. She had little career guidance at high school but knew that she wanted to become a chartered accountant. Accounting appealed to her because it explained how a business worked.

She was used to doing well academically, so failing CTA and the Board examinations on her first attempts came as a shock. She wrote again and passed.

FAILURES ARE TEMPORARY DETOURS

‘Never camp in your failures,’ she says. ‘Failures are temporary detours.’

She began her career at an audit firm as part of the bursary obligation and transferred her articles to another auditing firm and became a manager while completing her articles. Her work included reviewing the audit of United Nations peacekeeping missions and headquarters, checking whether funds were spent and accounted for in line with the prevailing laws and legislations. She later put that experience to work at SARS and the Department of Trade and Industry, in the internal audit departments. In 2004 she changed her career into finance and, she also began serving on boards and audit committees.

After qualifying in 2003, she set her sights on becoming a CFO. She chose roles that widened her experience and brought her closer to executive decision-making. In 2010, SAFCOL appointed her CFO.

By then, her time at Postbank had already changed her understanding of finance leadership. As executive for finance and support, she contributed to the benchmarking work behind its corporatisation and establishment as a separate legal entity.

Her immediate supervisor (2006–2009), Totsie Memela (Managing Director: Postbank), also showed her what good sponsorship could achieve. Manyama calls her a ‘boss from heaven’.

Memela trusted her with responsibilities beyond her formal position. She asked Manyama to prepare strategic presentations, represent Postbank internationally and sometimes chair executive committee meetings. She did more than telling Manyama that she had potential. She gave her the chance to demonstrate it.

Manyama now tries to do the same for other women. Encouragement has its limits, she says. Talented people need demanding work and access to the rooms where decisions are made.

At SAFCOL, Manyama put that executive experience to work. The organisation had recorded two years of losses, and its management structure had become too costly.

As CFO and acting CEO, she helped lead a restructuring that reduced the executives from 11 positions to four integrated portfolios.

Employees and organised labour were consulted through a CCMA-facilitated process,and the proposals went through the required governance channels.

CHANGE MUST BE LED

‘People are more willing to embrace change when they understand why it is necessary and when they feel heard,’ she says. ‘Change cannot simply be announced. It must be led.’

SAFCOL returned to profit, recording R51 million. Employees also received their first salary increases in two years.

For Manyama, the turnaround showed that finance should do more than report what has already happened.

‘The most effective CFOs help answer “What happened?” as well as “What does it mean?” and “What should we do next?”’

She wants finance teams to help decision-makers see what lies ahead rather than simply report what has already happened. Dashboards and balanced scorecards can link financial results to operational performance, but only when leaders choose the right measures and know how to interpret them.

Her later roles prepared her for the work at NTCSA. At Airports Company South Africa, she dealt with infrastructure funding and capital allocation in a regulated sector. She also led the integrated reporting process, and ACSA’s reports received several awards between 2014 and 2016.

She went on to help improve the Agricultural Research Council’s financial position. At Wits, she led a multi-year overhaul of the university’s finance operating model.

At NTCSA, Manyama is again building a finance function while the organisation goes through major change. Her first priorities are to establish how finance will operate and appoint its leadership team. She will also put in place the controls and funding approach needed to support the Transmission Development Plan.

She wants finance involved in investment decisions from the outset while building confidence among lenders and regulators. NTCSA must secure the funding to expand South Africa’s transmission network without putting its own financial sustainability at risk.

Manyama also knows how quickly women’s authority can be questioned. She has faced assumptions that women are promoted to meet diversity targets and seen their mistakes judged more harshly. Having entered university at 16 and moved into senior roles while still young, she also met people who equated age with experience.

LETTING HER WORK SPEAK FOR ITSELF

She dealt with those doubts by preparing thoroughly and letting her work speak for itself. She never believed women had to copy traditionally masculine leadership styles to be taken seriously.

For Manyama, gender diversity must go beyond appointments. Women need real authority, important portfolios and the opportunity to take part in executive decision-making. ‘The real test of inclusion is whether women have decision-making power,’ she says.

]]> Profile: The art of possibility – Hayley Lombard CA(SA) https://www.accountancysa.org.za/profile-the-art-of-possibility-hayley-lombard-casa/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 09:31:27 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29744

Hayley Lombard CA(SA) built a successful career in corporate finance before becoming a contemporary artist. Motherhood and COVID made her reconsider what success meant, but changing direction didn’t mean losing her professional identity. Accounting gave her the discipline to turn painting into a business. Art gave her the freedom to create. The two have far more in common than people think.

THE FIRST CANVAS Hayley Lombard bought was three metres long. It wouldn’t fit into her car, so she hired a delivery van to take it to her first art class. She’d never studied art, even at school, and had little idea what she would do with a canvas that size. ‘I think I had more audacity than ability,’ she says.

For about an hour, Lombard stood in front of it, mixing colours and stepping back as if considering her next move. In truth, she was putting off the moment when she’d have to begin. Eventually, she started throwing and splashing paint. ‘I didn’t feel impressive,’ she says. ‘I just felt alive.’

Lombard and her husband moved to Canada soon after they married, expecting to stay for a year. They remained for a decade, during which she built a successful career as a chartered accountant and CFO.

She enjoyed corporate life, particularly building businesses and developing people. After becoming a mother, however, she became more aware of the cost of long hours. Meeting a late deadline could mean missing bedtime with her children.

A SMALL YES

COVID made her question what she wanted from her career. Lombard accepted a consulting assignment that was meant to last two weeks. Instead, she had to lay

off hundreds of people, including the person who had hired her.

She and her husband had a newborn and two toddlers, and her father-in-law was critically ill in South Africa. Unsure whether they’d see him again, they decided to return home. They had a week to pack as countries began closing their borders. They expected to stay for six months. Six years later, they’re still in South Africa.

Soon after returning, Lombard reconnected with a close friend who told her, ‘You’re so creative. You should paint.’ Lombard responded with what she calls ‘a small yes’.

‘Somewhere along the way, as happens to a lot of us, achievement became essential and creativity became optional,’ she says. ‘She reminded me that I’d forgotten something.’

Lombard began by painting for her own home. When visitors asked to buy the works on her walls, she assumed they were being polite. When they called the next day, she realised they were serious.

The business grew from those first sales. Lombard now works from a studio on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. Her paintings are held in private collections in South Africa and abroad and she has completed commissions for hospitality venues and companies including Investec and Holland Insurance Brokers.

The coastal landscape influences her use of light and movement. She works with plaster, pigment, charcoal and glazes, building each painting in layers. She starts without a fixed idea of how the work will turn out and leaves viewers to decide what it means to them.

STRUCTURE MEETS FREEDOM

Working without a predetermined outcome may seem far removed from accountancy, but Lombard sees a clear connection. Accountants seldom have perfect information. They test assumptions, use judgement and make sense of complex information.

Technical knowledge provides the foundation, but original thought remains important.

Her CA(SA) background also determines how she works and runs her business. It taught her to handle pressure, solve problems and maintain high standards.

‘I don’t feel as though I left accounting behind,’ she says. ‘It prepared me for everything I needed.’

She doesn’t see art and accounting as opposing ways of thinking. ‘One brings structure and the other brings freedom. I need both.’

The two came together in Butterfly Effect, a large-scale work commissioned by Investec for its Sandton head office. The painting explored how small, deliberate actions can have far-reaching consequences. A film crew recorded Lombard at work from sunrise to sunset. Used to painting alone, she initially found the cameras distracting and imagined she was speaking to a close friend. Investec screened the film at an awards ceremony at Sun City before unveiling the painting and presenting limited-edition prints to its top seven employees.

‘The work was about the ordinary, consistent decisions we make throughout our days, including those no one sees, and the extraordinary impact they can ultimately have,’ Lombard says.

She hadn’t intended to paint butterflies but noticed them when she stepped back from the finished work. The commission also made her think about how her art career had developed.

‘Mine was not one bold action or decision. It was one conversation, one little brushstroke and a series of small yeses.’

CREATIVITY AT WORK

Lombard has also brought art into the workplace. During a strategy workshop, employees each produced a canvas. She combined them into one large artwork for the company’s boardroom.

Her interest in creativity at work later became the focus of her TEDx talk. She painted on stage as she spoke, showing the audience the uncertainty involved in producing a work. Actor Denim Richards, who attended the event, later bought the finished painting.

‘My TEDx talk was less about becoming an artist than about giving people permission to create, play and be fully themselves,’ she says.

Lombard believes creativity helps accountants question assumptions, connect information and find practical answers. As technology automates more routine financial work, accountants will add value through their judgement and ability to explain what the numbers mean for a business.

She now plans to produce more large-scale work, collaborate with organisations and help younger South African artists reach wider markets.

‘Our qualification opens extraordinary doors, but it doesn’t define the limits of our identity. The discipline, resilience and analytical thinking it develops prepare us for countless paths. We don’t need to choose between logic and creativity. I think the most meaningful lives make room for both.’

Seven things Hayley Lombard learnt from changing direction

Let your idea of success change

Success can mean different things at different stages of life. You can value what you’ve achieved while choosing work that suits who you are now.

See your qualification as a foundation

A qualification gives you knowledge, discipline and professional skills that you can use throughout your career.

Make time for your other abilities

Work and achievement can demand much of your attention. Give your other interests and abilities time to develop.

Begin before you feel ready

Take the first step and learn as you go. Experience builds confidence and helps you decide what comes next.

Take your skills with you

Skills gained in one career can help you build another. Discipline, judgement and problem-solving remain useful when the work changes.

Use creativity at work

Creativity helps you question assumptions, connect ideas and find practical answers. Accountants use it more often than they may realise.

Combine structure with freedom

Structure helps you work consistently and run a business. Freedom gives you room to try new ideas. You can have both.

Author
Monique Verduyn

]]> Profile: The girl who couldn’t see – Shehnaaz Suleman CA(SA) https://www.accountancysa.org.za/profile-the-girl-who-couldnt-see-shehnaaz-suleman-casa/ Sat, 01 Aug 2026 08:48:57 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29741

Long before the diagnosis, my family had reached firm consensus on one thing: I was clumsy. I bumped into furniture, tripped on stairs and misjudged distances. It was the family’s most reliable running joke and, as with most family running jokes, everyone was completely wrong. I was not clumsy. I just could not see. But nobody thought to check, because ‘clumsy’ is a much easier diagnosis than ‘hereditary genetic bingo’.

THE ADAPTATIONS CAME FIRST

For about two and a half years, my vision quietly declined. I noticed the adaptations before I noticed the loss: larger fonts, High Contrast Mode, sitting closer in lectures, zooming in on shared screens and avoiding printed pages. Crossing roads became difficult; driving was out of the question. I blamed screen fatigue, age and general exhaustion − the professional equivalent of blaming the tea for the taste of the mug.

THE DIAGNOSIS, AND WHAT IT TURNED OUT TO MEAN

It began with headaches, then daily migraines. The optometrist sent me to an ophthalmologist, who diagnosed a hereditary condition affecting my photoreceptors, hereditary ‘clouds’ in my eyes, and cataracts in both eyes. The first specialist told me to come back after 40 for surgery. What I could not explain then was that I had never seen well. The ‘clumsy’ label had stuck so completely that no one thought to look further.

THE BREAKING POINT

By September 2025, I had lost depth perception entirely. I could not tell how far away a car was, where the pavement ended, or which step was real and which was shadow. What frightened me most was not losing sight itself; it was losing independence. How would I take care of myself, manage, or support myself? This time, the familiar 3 am questions carried a different weight.

I called the ophthalmologist’s rooms for a second opinion. The receptionist said they were booked until June 2026. I told myself the universe had its reasons. It did − but it also had a receptionist with poor triage judgement.

On 25 November 2025, the specialist Whatsapped me. The waiting list was only for new patients. Could I come in at 8 am? I said yes, then remembered I had a flight to Johannesburg for a 17 km BDO team-building hike at Castle George. The next morning, I told her I could not watch TV, read, drive or walk outside alone. She scheduled the surgeries immediately: first eye on 1 December, second eye on 8 December. Two weeks. Two eyes. Two Mondays.

CASTLE GEORGE

I did the hike anyway. My team had been quietly holding me up for months, summarising documents, letting me memorise slides, and walking me across streets without making it a thing. At Castle George, they gave me a wooden staff so I could feel the ground before stepping. I fell more times than I can count. They slowed down. They picked me up every time.

The staff, the falls and the slower pace prepared me for what surgery would ask of me a week later: to trust, stop bracing and let someone else take the weight.

With no time to process or panic, I flew back to Cape Town after the hike, spent three days with family in Durban, and returned on 30 November frozen with fear. Eyes are one of the most vulnerable places on the body, and I had carried that vulnerability without a name for years. Unnamed things get heavier, not lighter.

DECEMBER 2025

I went into hospital with my best friend, who had brought me a small stuffed swan with a crown. The nurses let me hold her into surgery. The procedure took about 15 minutes. Afterwards, during the follow-up eye test, I flew through the letters for the first time in my life and cried halfway through the chart. I had never cried at a chart before, although my previous relationship with charts had been almost entirely negative.

Then came six weeks of recovery in the windiest city in the country: no cooking, wind, steam or showers. My husband cared for me. Friends sent flowers. The universe sent the right people and, for once, in the correct order.

SEEING AGAIN

Getting used to my own face took time. Everyone I met, I met again: dimples I had never seen, body language I could suddenly read, colour on a jacket, water, trees and light. I cried quietly and often with concentrated gratitude. I started driving again. Reading again, books until 3 am, which I am not sorry about.

WHAT THE BODY WAS DOING THAT I DID NOT NAME

For two and a half years, some part of me had been running silent adjustments: choosing larger fonts, sitting closer, reading less at night and accepting a smaller world without formally accepting it. None of it appeared on a to-do list, in a performance conversation, or in a promotion letter. It was invisible work, the only work that never shows up in the reconciliation.

In our profession, women especially do this constantly. We absorb overload without naming it. We adapt to a new standard, team, care responsibility or health event so smoothly that it looks as if nothing has happened. Only when the circumstance lifts do we realise how much we had been carrying, rather like discovering, retrospectively, that you were doing IFRS 9 with a broken calculator.

THE PROFESSIONAL COST

The cost of not seeing well was not simply missed reading. It was fear. When you cannot see clearly, almost everything becomes a threat. You move from fear, receive people from fear and react from fear. I turned down travel, presented less, spoke more quietly and deferred too easily, quite an oversight for someone who reviews financial statements for a living.

One moment of leadership will stay with me. When I told my boss, Lance September, what was happening in early 2023, I asked for a day to process it. He said: ‘Take the week. This is a journey you will go on. You need to pace yourself.’ Then he asked how BDO could support me, a larger screen, bigger fonts, a brighter cursor. He solved the problem without making me the problem.

THE RECLAMATION

This is not a wellness piece or a resilience piece. Both frames would flatten what happened.

What happened was a reclamation: the return of ordinary things, reading a page, driving at night, seeing the water, that I had, without realising, given away. It was also the return of energy spent silently compensating.

In our profession we are trained to look for materiality:

to notice what has changed and by how much. We are less practised at noticing what has been quietly subtracted from attention, stamina, sight or imagination. The subtraction rarely announces itself. It becomes visible only when something is restored, by which time we have often forgotten the baseline.

SEEING BETTER

In October this year, I turn 40. In October, I also sit for the final exam of my Executive Development Programme, 16 years after beginning articles at PKF Durban in 2010.

It will be the first birthday, and the first exam, that I will read clearly in a long time.

But ‘seeing better’ now means more than eyesight. It means clearer perspective: reading a room, zooming out when things feel heavy, sensing when someone is struggling, and setting stronger boundaries because I can finally see where to place them.

If this is useful to someone reading quietly on a Tuesday night, someone steadily adjusting to a smaller world and not yet naming it, I would want her to know this: you do not have to go through the scary things alone. There are people rooting for you, even when you do not know they are. There is never only one pathway forward. You are never truly cornered. And if it feels like you are, that is usually a sign to look up rather than a fact to accept.

As Maya Angelou said, ‘Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time.’ Have enough courage to look at fear, feel it and name it, but do not get stuck in it.

The most material adjustment any of us will ever make is the one we finally allow ourselves to see.

And the bravest is the one we finally name.

Author
Shehnaaz Suleman is a Partner at BDO South Africa and leads their dedicated IFRS Technical Centre for Financial Services clients − both audit and advisory. She genuinely loves her job (she must, she has been doing it for sixteen years). She is a creative mind with a warm and transparent leadership style and can be spotted enjoying the trees at Green Point Park almost every other weekend − usually not tripping over anything now, thank you for asking.

]]> Profile: Defining your destiny – Cecelia Swartz CA(SA) https://www.accountancysa.org.za/profile-defining-your-destiny-cecelia-swartz-casa/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:52:15 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29593

When is a handbag not a handbag? When it is a partner, thoughtfully designed to carry you through every stage of your day (from wife to mother to exec creator), and the structure to keep pace with your nourishment ritual.

Reflection and reinvention

If it sounds like that’s just what you, as a busy woman, need in your life, that’s because Cecelia Swartz understands the corporate lifestyle extremely well. Before launching CeSwa in October last year, she spent nine years in audit and risk management; a career that she embraced because it spoke directly to her knack for proficiency. ‘I love getting things done, doing them the right way and doing them quickly,’ she says. The formula of understanding a problem, assessing solutions and executing worked for her – until it didn’t. ‘The job just stopped feeling like me, and I realised that it would take more than a change of employer to make me feel comfortable in the corporate environment.’

Cecelia likens that realisation to an illusion shattering. ‘It’s devastating when you realise that the identity you have built (in my case, around my work) no longer accurately reflects who you are,’ she says.

The first step in her reinvention, therefore, was finding the answer to the question: who am I? Cecelia started by looking back to the things she enjoyed as a child, asking her parents and siblings what they remembered about her hobbies. Their responses always alluded to creativity: she remembered that she had been an enthusiastic dancer, a choreographer and even a dressmaker.

It wasn’t really a question of returning to creativity, though, because Cecilia had maintained her curiosity as a maker throughout her corporate career. ‘I never felt that I was choosing between my left and right brain in my profession. I think that creativity is about imagining something, then bringing it to life, and I was able to do that through my work. Now, I wanted to do that in a different way.’

Many different ways, as it turned out. Cecelia tried several different concepts, experimenting with a line of women’s blazers and a range of curated gift boxes, before she breathed life into CeSwa. She laughingly reveals that her husband calls her an ‘ideas generator’ because of her tendency to pivot when something no longer feels right but this, she insists, is a critical part of the process. It’s all about finding that certain something where everything feels aligned.

An intentional approach

And that’s precisely what happened with CeSwa. She leveraged her accounting background to develop an intentional approach to design, which encompassed factors like material consistency and standardised hardware to ensure quality, durability and design cohesion. The lunch bag seemed to be the perfect product for this model but, more than this, it reflected where Cecelia was in her life: ‘trying to be present in the moment, rather than always looking ahead; a feat that’s best realised when you look for the extraordinary in the ordinary.’

Building on this insight, Cecilia toyed with the idea that bags, and lunch bags, are not actually about function; rather, the encompass everything that women carry – which is rather a lot! This led her to research the history of bags, from the time women didn’t carry anything at all to the introduction of pouches and the evolution of the handbag as a status symbol. This exploration eventually led to the question of whether the modern handbag truly supports the woman who carries everything − an idea that continues to shape CeSwa’s design direction. CeSwa embodies all of this: while undeniably a covetable luxury item, it is also highly functional, thanks to the lunch companion. Although she was, at first, doubtful that the concept would appeal (especially at a price point which reflects its uniqueness and the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship and quality), it has resonated with its intended audience, with the first limited product drops completely sold out and an invitation to appear at the prestigious Kamers artisan market ensuring greater exposure.

Being in the moment

The brand’s success is all the more impressive considering that it was launched just one week after the birth of Cecelia’s second child. ‘I remember packing orders just after my C-section, because I was convinced no one else would do things exactly as I wished!’ she says.

She laughs as she makes this admission, but it represents a tension many mothers understand all too well. Cecelia’s attitude helps her simplify the dichotomy: ‘When things are aligned, I’m content. I’m not pretending that I’m superwoman, but whatever I am doing becomes my all in that moment. That means that when I’m parenting, I choose to anchor in the present moment and choose quality time over quantity. On the other hand, when I am working, I don’t feel guilty. That’s a waste of energy.’

This philosophy links to Cecilia’s belief that when you detach from the things that weigh you down, your capacity is opened beyond what you could imagine. She found this to be true when writing her first book, Not in His Cards. ‘I had always wanted to write a book, but I couldn’t get past opening my laptop. Then, almost immediately after leaving corporate, I had a dream about one of the main characters in my book in question. I went on to write it in two days.’

Looking ahead

Cecelia is now working on her second book, Not in My Cards; a reflection on ‘my corporate experiences and the process of understanding workplace dynamics, while coming to terms with the realisation that many of those experiences had little to do with me and everything to do with the environments I found myself in’. She is also experimenting with AI, and has developed Ashlight, a workplace support platform that helps users deal with toxic workplaces. And, in the meantime, she continues to think about how to expand CeSwa. ‘I’m not sure what’s next up, but it may be a reimagining of the ritual of movement,’ she reveals.

Before you take the plunge

Giving to gain is an integral part of every woman’s life. We are, after all, nurturers – but, says Cecelia, before you do anything, you need to nurture yourself first. ‘I made a point of getting to know myself before I decided to become an entrepreneur,’ she says. ‘Self-awareness is crucial, and to develop this, I employed the Observer Exercise.’ This technique involves watching your thoughts; eventually, you will reach a point where you are able to interrupt them and, even further into your journey, you will even be able to stop thought completely, instead directing your energy from the present moment. That’s important, Cecelia says, because most often our thoughts are reflections of the past projected onto the future. ‘This technique steps away from that, making it possible for you to design your destiny.’

Author
Lisa Witepski

]]> Profile: At the sharp end of technical accounting – Esther Pieterse CA(SA) https://www.accountancysa.org.za/profile-at-the-sharp-end-of-technical-accounting-esther-pieterse-casa/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:46:12 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29590

As accounting issues become more complex, sound judgement matters more than ever. When there’s no room for error, the hardest part is making the call. Known for discipline and staying power, Esther Pieterse has built her career working through difficult technical questions that affect the application of accounting standards in practice which impacts the financial statements and business decisions. That’s why she’s one of the profession’s most trusted problem solvers.

Rigorously disciplined and drawn to challenge, Esther Pieterse has built a reputation for staying the course on complex issues until she gets to
the right answer.

As director of KPMG’s Department of Professional Practice, she supports teams on the interpretation and application of IFRS Accounting Standards. Focusing on clients and audit teams in the insurance industry, part of her role is reviewing financial statements and helping teams reach sound technical conclusions.

She’s one of the experts the profession turns to when technical issues are particularly demanding. ‘To find the solution I will not leave any stone unturned,’ she says. ‘Technical accounting at this level is about working through complexity until you reach a sound, defensible conclusion.’

For younger CAs(SA) and trainees interested in the technical route, her advice is to read the accounting standards, stay up to date and explore what genuinely holds your attention. If a question for example about IFRS 16 piques your interest, she says, that tells you something. Pieterse also believes in trying things out early in your career instead of worrying about the time it may takes. Stay in audit while you are still learning, then explore. Try different roles, different teams, even different organisations. In her view, you usually find your path in the work you keep being drawn back to.

Building authority requires a strong grasp of the industry, the business context and the people affected by the outcome. Through her work on committees and in global forums, Pieterse has developed a strong sense of which questions matter most. That is a core part of senior technical work.

Interpreting complexity is part of the job. Pieterse says she sees herself as an interpreter because IFRS is something businesses must comply with, and that means explaining why a transaction must be accounted for in a particular manner and what it means in practice. The job is not done once the technical answer is provided. The ability to make complexity clear is what sets strong technical advisers apart.

‘Part of my role when chairing a committee is to make sure technical discussions are open enough for people to raise concerns and express their views,’ she says. ‘But they also need direction. My job is to keep people focused so the group can reach a sound conclusion.’

Pieterse has spent a big part of her career in key technical structures across the profession. She’s the deputy chairperson of the Medical Schemes Project Group and deputy joint chairperson of the Insurance Project Group and is also part of the Investment Management Project Group. She chaired the IFRS 17 Working Group, a subcommittee of the Insurance Project Group, and has been a member of the Accounting Practices Committee since 2025.

‘The rigorous approach followed by SAICA, when commenting on exposure drafts to IFRS Accounting Standards, gives South African professionals real credibility in global reporting debates,’ she says. ‘It means we are not simply responding to global standards after they have been issued. We are in a position to influence the discussion. There is also growing integration across African practices, and that creates an opportunity to bring a broader African perspective into those debates, which is both necessary and valuable.’

Pieterse’s contribution to the profession includes comment letters to the International Accounting Standards Board on IFRS 17 exposure drafts, SAICA webinars for the medical schemes and insurance sectors, IFRS 17 panels and stakeholder engagements, and leadership of the annual Medical Schemes
Accounting Guide.

That work gives her a close view of the pressure points facing insurers, medical schemes and finance teams. IFRS 17 remains a challenge, especially where management only engage with the accounting standard periodically and attempt to overlay it on existing practices instead of embedding it in the reporting system. ‘Old habits may persist if the discipline needed for IFRS 17 is still not fully in place,’ she says.

‘Technical accounting is ever changing. For example, IFRS 18 is on its way which brings new requirements for the presentation of financial statements. That’s the nature of technical accounting. One implementation cycle ends while the next has already begun.’

Too often, she says, accounting is only considered after the tax and legal issues have been dealt with. The accounting answer is then often not what people expected to see in the financial statements. Accounting should be factored in earlier, alongside tax and legal, not at the end.

‘When a new standard is issued, the process of implementation should start with a proper gap analysis. Work out where the gaps are, how much work is involved and how demanding the project will be. In managing the implementation of the project, progress milestones should be put in place by working backwards from the deadline. It sounds straightforward, but that is often where implementation succeeds or fails.’

There is also another side to Pieterse’s discipline and love of challenge. Outside work, she is a competitive ballroom dancer. She took it up just after finishing her articles and now competes at a senior level, with lessons twice a week and extra practice when competitions are coming up.

The connection between her work and her dancing is not as unlikely as it sounds. Both demand precision, discipline and a strong feel for structure, but also the judgement to adapt without losing control.

‘Believe it or not, ballroom dancing has a surprisingly technical foundation, including posture, frame, footwork, timing and lead-follow mechanics. That’s what makes the artistry possible.’

Author
Monique Verduyn

]]> Profile: Redefining what success looks like for a new generation of CAs(SA) – Gizelle Venske CA(SA) https://www.accountancysa.org.za/profile-the-sweet-smell-of-success-molemo-madileng-2-2/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:56:29 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29541

From audit files to national spotlight, Gizelle Venske represents a new generation of CAs(SA) who are expanding what professional success looks like , polished, purposeful and unapologetically multidimensional.

When Gizelle Venske stepped into the national spotlight as a Top 5 finalist in Miss South Africa, she introduced herself first as a chartered accountant.

“I was proud,” she says. “It is very uncommon for someone in our industry to take part in something like that.”

That moment wasn’t about surprise value. It was about integration. In a space defined by poise and public presence, she chose to foreground technical excellence — proving that glamour and governance are not mutually exclusive.

Venske, 27, grew up in Vanderbijlpark. She studied at the University of Pretoria and completed her articles at Deloitte, including a secondment to Deloitte Sydney in Australia. She qualified as a CA(SA) in 2024 and recently stepped into a new role as Business Development Manager at global indirect tax firm, VAT IT.

Disciplined, articulate and quietly ambitious, she grew up in a home where hard work was the standard. “My parents are both ambitious people,” she says. “From a young age I was taught to never start something that you don’t finish, and to always do more than what’s required of you.”

She excelled academically and initially considered medicine — a predictable path for high achievers. But she chose business, economics and accounting instead. “I wanted to do something that I’m really passionate about,” she says.

For her, the CA(SA) designation was never about confinement to a single career lane.

“Even though I knew I probably wouldn’t do audit or accounting work for the rest of my life, becoming a CA(SA) was about unlocking the door to future opportunities.”

And unlock it did.

Where polish meets purpose

Her presence in the public eye introduced many to a different image of the profession — one that blends analytical rigour with visibility, confidence and voice.

“I was overwhelmed by the encouragement from fellow CAs(SA) and accounting students,” she says. “People found it refreshing that I was representing the profession in a totally unexpected way. It showed how our qualifications enable us to pursue a multitude of options outside of the corporate world and that women can be more than one thing.”

More than the gowns and stage lights, it was the platform that mattered.

It amplified work she was already doing: training management staff at LIV Village on Excel; supporting women at Mercy House; mentoring prospective students through the University of Pretoria’s Unibuddy platform; and speaking to young people about self-branding and personal development through the Ubuntu Box initiative.

She also authored an e-book, The 5 Money Moves, distilling core financial principles into practical guidance for young people seeking financial confidence.

“I measure my success as a leader by the impact I have on other people’s lives,” she says. “Having a larger platform simply allowed me to multiply that impact.”

Her CA(SA) training — particularly its emphasis on protecting the public interest — shaped how she sees influence. For Venske, visibility is not about aesthetics; it is about responsibility.

A modern archetype

In many ways, Venske represents a shift in the professional narrative.

She is as comfortable discussing tax frameworks as she is addressing an audience. She understands corporate credibility — and the power of personal branding. She moves between boardrooms and broader platforms with the same composure.

Her focus now is South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis.

“How do we equip young people with the tools and access they need to move forward?” she asks.

Her advocacy centres on practical financial literacy — budgeting, saving, understanding interest and tax — but also on access. “A foot in the door can change the trajectory of your life,” she says, calling on corporates to create internships that give young people real-world exposure and networks.

For her, purpose extends beyond profit.

Built through resilience

Her path has not been without setbacks. In 2021, she repeated Accounting Honours ; a deeply humbling experience.

“I’ve never experienced such disappointment in my life,” she says. “After devoting a year to this Honours and letting it consume who I am, I still failed.”

“That’s where I really built character,” she says. “I didn’t come this far to only come this far. Obstacles don’t block your path — they prepare you for it.”

Today, she embraces evolution over rigid planning.

“You don’t always have to have certainty about the whole journey, just faith to take the first step. Careers change. New opportunities emerge. The ability to adapt, to be curious and willing, is what sets us apart. Focus on building credibility, think beyond the obvious, build a visible profile alongside your corporate career, reject narrow professional moulds, and use your qualification as a foundation, not a limit.“

Author

Monique Verduyn

]]> Profile: Opening doors for others – Razaan Bester CA(SA) https://www.accountancysa.org.za/profile-the-sweet-smell-of-success-molemo-madileng-2/ Sun, 01 Mar 2026 08:48:59 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29538

When confidence meets opportunity, magic happens. Razaan Bester is proof of this – and she’s determined to make sure other women are ready to take advantage when the right doors open.

SOME KIDS WONDER about their future careers. Not Razaan: from the time she was just 11 years old in Grade 6, she knew she wanted a future in accounting. Rather than fading, as some dreams do, her conviction grew stronger over time and by Grade 11, every decision she made was informed by her goal of studying at UCT.

It was an unlikely ambition for a girl who hadn’t had much exposure to professionals: ‘For most of us, our teacher was the closest we would get to a professional role model, and if you were wealthy, a doctor,’ she says.

So, what made her so certain that accounting was her calling? ‘As a child, I was driven by the idea that only a very few tenacious individuals stay the course to qualify as a CA. But aside from the challenge, I loved the ideals the profession represents, including discipline, credibility and accountability.’

ACCEPTING ACCOUNTABILITY

These qualities are also what drew her to the public sector. ‘I had a passion for politics from a young age, and completing my articles at the Auditor-General allowed me to live my belief that we need to hold people accountable when they are in charge of public spending,’ Razaan recalls.

Now, in her position as head: financial management at Wesgro (the official tourism trade and investment agency of Cape Town and the Western Cape), Razaan is able to address two of her core commitments: strengthening governance and professionalisation within the public sector and widening access to opportunity, especially for young women who may not yet see themselves represented in boardrooms or senior management positions.

In fact, Razaan joined the organisation precisely so that she could unlock such opportunities. ‘I wanted to see how much impact I could make as a steward of resources, being on “the other side”, as it were,’ she says. She maintains that one of the most important responsibilities associated with her role is ‘making every cent count’ when it comes to taxpayers’ money. She points out that her position is central to Wesgro’s mandate of growing tourism, trade and investment in the province: ‘Sound financial management is critical. It’s not just about numbers and reporting cycles; it’s about trust. It’s my job to ensure that public funds are managed with integrity, transparency and strategic foresight. Trust is key in business, and there is no exception in the public sector. Every decision we take, every financial disclosure we make, is geared towards building and maintaining that trust. Inclusive and sustainable economic growth depends on transparency, stability and accountability. If our agency executes strong governance frameworks consistently, then we can execute our mandate with confidence and unlock opportunities across the province.’ In this way, Razaan sees financial leadership as an enabler of impact.

NO APOLOGIES

‘Confidence’ is a word you’ll hear Razaan repeat frequently, because she understands its importance in a corporate setting – especially for young women. ‘I was in Grade 11 the very first time I entered a corporate. I will never forget it: it had a special sparkle. There was an incredible excitement about everything, from the fact that my name had been given in at reception to the coffee machine!’ The only thing that diminished that sparkle was Razaan’s realisation that there were very few people in the boardroom who either looked, or sounded, like her.

That turned out to be a formative moment which would play out both in her career and in her role as a leader. ‘I will never forget the feeling of possibility I experienced as I entered that corporate,’ Razaan recalls. Wanting to recreate it for more young women, especially from the Cape Flats and townships, she has launched She CAn: an NPC focusing on creating access and optimising opportunity. The organisation focuses on three pillars – career guidance, feminine wellness education and self-empowerment, and confidence building – hosting events where school-age female learners can develop skills and knowledge in these areas. The secret to She CAn is to be found in the first two letters of ‘CAn’ – a reference to the designation, which Razaan hopes to make more accessible to greater numbers of learners, but also to the idea that ‘if she can, I can; if I can then so can she’. ‘Our ethos is grounded in the idea that we can all achieve; we do not need to compete,’ she explains.

This philosophy is reflected in Razaan’s approach to leadership, too. She places significant emphasis on inclusion and representation. ‘I got to where I am thanks to mentors and sponsors, the people who mentioned my name in rooms where I was not present. Now it’s my duty to do the same for the next generation.’

Since she is just 31, Razaan is, in fact, rather close to that generation. This gives her an edge: as she says, she is able to serve as a conduit ‘between the current older generation and the next generation of leaders’. She has embraced this responsibility in her capacity as a representative for SAICA’s Southern Region Council Young CA Network, where she represents the interests of CAs and trainees younger than 35.

All told, then, her mission is to bring the younger generation along with her as she grows, but she is highly cognisant that this is not a simple task.

‘Make no mistake: we’ve made a lot of progress in recent years. However, women are still facing challenges like unconscious bias around leadership readiness, access to sponsorship and the tension between professional ambition and caregiving expectations,’ she says, adding that, like many women, she has experienced internal conflict when her five-year-old daughter’s school events clash with a corporate engagement. Her dream is for corporates to reach a point where women no longer struggle between a quest for excellence, and authenticity. ‘It’s about supporting them visibly and structurally. True transformation is about creating an enabling environment where women at all levels can thrive unapologetically.’

With several accolades to her name (including Wesgro’s 2025 Professional Service Award; the Young Achiever Award at Good Hope FM’s 2025 Warrior Woman Awards and the 2023 ABASA Manager of the Year Award, as well as her graduation from the IWFSA Leadership Programme), there is no doubt about Razaan’s technical competence. Her focus now is on honing influence and strategic impact. Professionally, this means unlocking systems that make the lives of people within her organisation easier, while also ensuring that they add value to the organisation itself.

When it comes to She CAn, it translates to scalability and sustainability, and in her personal capacity, it’s all about creating environments where progression for young women is expected rather than exceptional, where sponsorship is intentional, and where being a woman means that you are able to access a wealth of opportunities without feeling the need to apologise for your presence.

Author

Lisa Witepski

]]> Profile: The sweet smell of success – Molemo Madileng https://www.accountancysa.org.za/profile-the-sweet-smell-of-success-molemo-madileng/ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:30:30 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29383

He’s only in the second year of his accounting studies, but Molemo Madileng already has two successful businesses to his name. And with big dreams driving him forward, it’s clear that Molemo is set to leave a big impact on the accounting profession.

Molemo explains that his ambition is propelled by a single defining moment in his childhood: the day his father admitted that he’d lost all of his considerable assets because of a misunderstanding around tax. Overnight, Molemo’s life changed – he had to leave his private school and get used to living with far fewer privileges.

It was hard, Molemo admits – but the difficulties also fuelled his determination. ‘I think my father would have been able to avoid his challenges if he’d known more about tax. And I don’t think he’s alone in situations like this – I believe that many other Black people have faced similar situations. That’s why I chose to study accounting. I thought that if I armed myself with accounting knowledge, I could not only make sure that I never found myself in the same circumstances; I could also help other people.’

FROM BASICS TO BUSINESS

The road to an accounting degree hasn’t been easy, either, Molemo admits. First of all, he’s had to overcome a lack of funds – which he did by starting a car wash company straight out of high school. ‘I was living with my brother and his wife at the time, and I didn’t want to keep asking them for money. More than that, I wanted to add value. So, one day, I took a bucket and a few cloths and walked door to door around our estate, asking if people wanted a car wash.’ Molemo says that he wasn’t sure if he’d be successful, but if he failed, at least he would know that he had tried. As it turned out, plenty of residents were happy to give him a chance: from washing just three cars at the start, he gained some regular clients and was eventually making at least R1 000 each weekend. More than this, he learned a lot through the experience: many of his clients were entrepreneurs, and he wasted no time picking their brains to find out how they got into business and how their industry operates. Encountering slow days also helped build his grit. ‘I realised just how hard it is to run a business. You can’t be in it just to make money – you have to love what you do, otherwise you lose steam.’

That understanding proved useful when he wanted to set up his second business: selling oil-based perfumes. Molemo had first come across the perfumes at a kiosk in Pretoria. Having purchased a few for himself, he knew that although they were inexpensive, they were also high quality. Following his entrepreneurial instincts, he decided that this might present an ideal money-making opportunity, to help further fund his studies. He discussed his idea with his second brother, and the pair decided to buy a batch, and sell on their respective turfs.

It was slow going at first. Molemo didn’t sell a single unit during his first month – but he didn’t lose hope. Instead, he fine-tuned his strategy: rather than going door-to-door, he honed in on the security staff at the University of Limpopo, where he studies, knowing that they’d be eager to spread the word. Knowing that they’d love the idea of ‘smelling rich’, but typically couldn’t afford pricey cologne, he offered them loans, certain that others who smelled the perfume would also want to buy. His gamble paid off: by month three, orders exceeded stock.

By now, Molemo realised that he had the beginnings of a business. More than that, he had the desire to turn his fledgling enterprise into something bigger. ‘I had recently taken part in SAICA’s Student Leadership Summit, where my emphasis was on teaching people from underprivileged areas to invest in themselves – how to improve their financial literacy, for example, or develop marketable skills. But got that me thinking: How could I offer other people advice when I wasn’t furthering myself?’

That insight was all the motivation Molemo needed to invest his savings in renting a physical store – and so Mark the Scent was born. The business has had its ups and downs, he admits – but he’s always managed to find a way around the challenges. For example, when he noticed that sales were flagging, he set up a TikTok account to market his products, and reached out to influencers and university magazines, giving away samples in return for reviews.

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

If time management is a challenge for any student, it’s even more tricky for someone trying to run a business. Molemo’s solution is to engage employees to run his store; he also relies on the information provided by his Yoco payment system, which helps him keep track of stock and inventory. He’s also comfortable with giving the business some space. In fact, he considers this crucial, because viewing it from a distance gives him the objectivity to see where and how it can grow. He’s already considering a second store, for example, to give the brand additional exposure.

In the meantime, when he’s not studying, he’s reaching out to other would-be accountants through his work with SAICA. Apart from taking part in the Student Leadership Summit and hosting SAICA’s camps, he was the on-campus director of the Hult Prize Competition, and mentors other aspiring leaders in his role as a member of SAICA’s Limpopo leadership team.

‘I want to be the change,’ he explains. ‘It might not be me who makes life better for others; but maybe it will be someone who I helped. Maybe they’ll be able to make a difference because I opened the door for them.’

FROM SMALL STEPS COME GREAT THINGS

Molemo’s advice to other young entrepreneurs? ‘Just do it! When an idea pops into your mind, take action. Even if that idea doesn’t work out, it might spark another idea that does. What seems like the end might just be the beginning. And never underestimate small beginnings. It might feel like you’re taking small steps, but one day you’ll look back and see just how far you’ve come – and how that beginning is connected to where you’re headed.’

Author
Lisa Witepski

]]> Focus: The changing role of accounting education in a digital world https://www.accountancysa.org.za/focus-the-changing-role-of-accounting-education-in-a-digital-world/ Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:12:42 +0000 https://www.accountancysa.org.za/?p=29418

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 mindset they need to thrive in this developing environment?

The first challenge is clarity. Too few CAs are confident about which digital responsibilities fall within their role. At the same time, the profession has yet to agree on exactly which digital capabilities are critical – leaving the boundaries of a CA’s ‘digital zone of accountability’ uncertain. Without a clear scope, there’s either a risk of placing unrealistic demands on the profession, expecting CAs to be experts in every domain rather than focusing on the digital aspects that are truly core to their role or on the other extreme, that CAs escape accountability for what should be their responsibility.

DEFINING DIGITAL FLUENCY

Digital fluency in accounting does not mean learning to code or mastering every new software platform. Instead, it means understanding the digital aspects that are core to the CA’s work and using, questioning, directing and influencing around this. Just as you don’t need to know how to make a watch to tell the time, CAs don’t need to be experts in all digital aspects – but they do need to set the desired outcomes, reflect on improvements, and interpret results with accuracy and ethical responsibility.

With digital tools embedded across every aspect of business – from analysis, decision-making, and strategy, to audits, compliance, and reporting – tomorrow’s CAs must understand how data flows, where it can go wrong, and how to use it responsibly. Valuations, IFRS compliance, and even automation itself all depend on the quality of the data. If the data and data structures are flawed, so will the outcomes be – and it is with this lens that the CA must take on responsibility.

EDUCATION IN THE DIGITAL SPACE

We are seeing increasingly how accounting education has a home in the digital space. Becoming a CA in an online learning ecosystem can not only be fundamental to preparing students for today’s profession; it also rewires the DNA of how students think with a ‘digital first’ mindset, and builds skills around adaptability, curiosity, and self-discipline – all critical in a profession that is constantly evolving.

Importantly, online education can also shift seamlessly into real, case-based learning and students can experience how information moves through a business, how to protect it, and how to use it to make sound decisions. Education programmes should prioritise perspective, critical thinking, and insight over tools and techniques that can quickly become outdated. The true value lies in equipping students to navigate complexity, question assumptions, and apply ethical judgment in uncertain environments.

In the online space, lecturers take on a different role − less the custodians of knowledge and more the facilitators of learning experiences. The challenge, then, is not to position online and face-to-face learning as opposites, but to find ways to blend the strengths of both − bringing together the accessibility of digital platforms with the depth of connection that comes from face-to-face exchanges.

PREPARING FOR CONSTANT CHANGE

Once the scope of a CA’s digital responsibilities is clear, the next challenge is staying relevant as technology continues to evolve. The most valuable skill for the future CA is not technical mastery of a particular platform but the ability to keep learning. Curiosity and openness to change enable professionals to adapt, think bigger, and remain relevant in a shifting world.

Employers are increasingly seeking graduates who can go beyond the mechanics of accounting to interpret data, make sound judgments, and take responsibility for outcomes. This requires a curriculum that integrates digital skills throughout – so that students don’t just use technology but understand what happens beneath the surface and how it affects every decision they make.

LOOKING AHEAD

The accounting profession is at a crossroads. As automation handles more routine work, the value of a CA lies in higher-order thinking: imagining and designing the future, applying judgements, ensuring accuracy and validity, and using data ethically. For education providers, this means working not only in programmes but on them – reshaping curricula to
mirror the demands of contemporary work and strengthen the adaptability, communication, and critical thinking skills that future CAs will need most.

Ultimately, the profession must reach consensus on what sits within a CA’s digital zone of accountability. With that clarity, tomorrow’s CAs can confidently lead in a world where data drives every decision – ensuring businesses are not only more efficient but more ethical, transparent, and future-ready.

Author
Gareth Olivier, Co-founder of CA Connect and Strategic Advisor in Milpark’s School of Professional Accounting

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