Love at first sight is deemed unrealistic, but together with accounting, Sanele and Tracy Nkosi CAs(SA) share one common thread − the idea of instant attraction or connection. In accounting, when a financial statement is accurate, it can provide a clear idea of a company’s financial health. Similarly, for Sanele, he knew straight away that Tracy was not just capable of being accountable for numbers but his heart too. He elaborates.
How and where did you meet? (Were there any accounting pick-up lines?)
No accounting pick-up lines, but strangely enough we met at the Deloitte and Touche offices in Durban. We were both there doing interviews for a training contract and bursary. The interesting part is that none of us ended up taking articles with Deloitte. It was definitely fate.
We hardly spoke on that day, minding our own business. I recall every single person in the interviewing group spoke to me, except her. I did notice how phenomenal she was in the group breakout sessions and I admired her intellect for someone who was still in high school (doing matric). I was already almost at the end of my first year of varsity at that point.
When did you realise she was the one?
I’m sure she still doesn’t believe me when I say this, but the first day she arrived on campus – having never spoken to her since the first time we met at the interviews. That was the moment.
I was a mentor on campus, part of a group of students who did well in their first year and were asked to mentor a group of incoming first years to help them adapt.
I recall mentioning to a good friend of mine at the time that ‘Here is the girl I’m going to marry one day’.
Who is the big spender?
Hmmm … This is an interesting topic.
Thinking about it now, I would say we both are cautious spenders. Because of our backgrounds. However, we have our moments where we don’t mind splurging – but within budget.
Ok, maybe I’m the spender. I love having fun, so I probably do most of the spending on the odd occasion when we are out having a good time or travelling.
What is the most beneficial thing that comes with both of you being CAs(SA)?
For one, it’s the support – we support each other because we understand the pressures that may come with deadlines and crunch time for reporting season.
Being a CA(SA) is such a special thing because it allows us to have totally different career paths whilst we hold the same qualifications.
I enjoy being able to seek advice and knowing she understands exactly what I am talking about, and vice versa. I am in public accounting, and she is in corporate, two opposite ends of the reporting framework. But we are always able to support each other.
What have you learnt from each other since getting married?
To be honest, I’ve learnt that I’m probably very useless without my wife. The ‘I’ has vanished and ‘teamwork’ is always at the forefront. We were married when I was 25 and she 24, and many in our families thought we were too young. But we’ve persevered and I firmly believe that we have done our families proud.
This has helped me become more grounded and has given me more confidence in general.
Our ‘teamwork’ has taken us from having nothing to where we are today – living our dreams and improving our families’ lives wherever we can.
Do you have nicknames for each other? What are they and what inspired them?
Yes, we do – and they are probably very embarrassing (ha-ha) …
I call her Peaches − and that is probably the first nickname I gave her (from the many over the years). Some say that peaches taste like a mix of sweet and sour, and that’s what randomly came to my mind one day as something that describes my wife. A very sweet person but who is always capable of standing her own – firm in who she is. It’s the balance that stood out to me, and it made me see how perfect she was.
What do you collectively hope to achieve in the next five years in your careers?
I just love watching my wife grow, and my hope for her is that she grows to be an even bigger success – allowing me to retire early.
My wife is the more goal-oriented person in the family, and she probably has a better-structured view on this. But I believe we see ourselves continuously developing and adding value in the businesses we work in and work with.
Do people ever make fun of both of you being CAs? If they do, what’s your clapback?
Not that I can recall, but what’s better than one CA? – two!’
What comes first − fun or the cost of having fun?
It has to be both, hey. Every fun thing I think of doing, I believe I can only really enjoy fully if I get to do it freely without the limitation of costs. And that requires careful planning and budgeting.
We had the best wedding ever, for example; the time of my life, and that was mostly funded by us and after saving for about three or four years. We went all out and enjoyed every moment because of the good planning.
More than money, what does marriage cost and how are you making it work?
It might sound a bit clichéd, but I would say I have actually gained in marriage – no real cost outside of the money aspects for the wedding. I’ve gained physically (I now have scrumptious meals regularly) and emotionally. The fact that I have a partner to share everything with, happiness and painful moments, just makes things better.
I have a full-time therapist at home basically, and my best friend living with me for the rest of my life. I have definitely gained.
We understand that you can count on each other, but who is really counting?
I’m always counting …
While some people believe in the existence of love at first sight, and others view it as a romanticised notion that oversimplifies the complexity of romantic attraction and the formation of meaningful relationships, Tracy and Sanele proved that it was a doorway to the rest of their lives together.
AUTHOR
Sharon Manzini, Dip Journalism, is a publishing intern at SAICA