The relaunch of SAICA’s AGA(SA) designation delivers a multi-faceted solution addressing challenges identified by SAICA members, by private and public sector employers in the local economy, by South Africa’s leadership, and by the global accounting profession. By Willi Coates
When our members spoke, we listened. When research revealed local market demand, we responded. When the country called on us to help create a vision for the future, we answered. When the global community called on us to up our game, we did.
When market research revealed a shortage of accounting technicians, SAICA addressed the challenge through the Associate Accounting Technician [AAT(SA)] qualification programme and the AAT(SA) designation. Now, as our members in the private and public sector have asked, and as further that market research also identified a shortage of intermediate level accountants, SAICA has responded with the relaunch of its AGA(SA) designation.
With the relaunch of the AGA(SA) designation, SAICA is answering the call of South Africa’s leaders for private sector organisations to contribute to the vision for the country as outlined in the National Development Plan. The focus of the relaunched designation is on the ability of AGAs(SA) to manage the accounting function professionally, bringing accountable competencies to both the private and public sector which, ultimately, will make South Africa work.
The fundamental promise of the AGA(SA) designation is that businesses and public entities can be sure that they will be measured and accounted for at the highest professional standard if their accounting functions are staffed by AGAs(SA), who will bring a high level of accounting skill as well as a high level of ethics and governance – as can be expected from a designation administered by SAICA.
SAICA is, according to the World Bank, not only the largest professional accounting organisation in South Africa but plays an instrumental role in thought-leadership initiatives that support protection of public interest and the growth of the accountancy profession in South Africa and at a global level.
SAICA is therefore uniquely positioned to offer a credible professional home for accountants at multiple levels of the economy. The AGA(SA) designation will formally qualify and recognise those individuals who have superb qualifications, excellent hands-on training and an impeccable standard of ethics, and are therefore able to deliver the high-level accountable competencies that will contribute to responsible financial management in their organisations, while helping to make South Africa work.
SAICA is proud to relaunch the AGA(SA) designation as a multi-faceted solution addressing business and financial challenges identified by SAICA members, by the market, by South Africa’s leadership, and by the global accounting profession. We encourage our members to motivate their qualified employees to join AGA(SA) and anticipate that this designation will become the preferred standard in both private and public sectors for recruiting qualified, experienced and ethical accounting employees.
AUTHOR |Willi Coates is the Senior Executive: Brand, Communications and Marketing at SAICA
