Paige dos Santos: Ready for the Rise of the Machines

These days everything is going digital − so much so that research by the University of Oxford said accountants have a 95% chance of losing their jobs by 2030 as machines take over the number crunching and data analysis.

Photos: Theana Breugem

Paige dos Santos, however, is unlikely to be a statistic. The CA(SA) and digital lead for SAP Africa is part of a new breed of accountants that don’t have to worry about their job being replaced by digital technology any time in the near future.

‘Companies will always need CAs(SA) to analyse and interpret data, as well as provide consulting services,’

‘Companies will always need CAs(SA) to analyse and interpret data, as well as provide consulting services,’ she says. ‘Rather than replacing the role of an accountant, AI technology will transform the duties an accountant performs. With AI and machine learning handling the mundane, repetitive tasks, accountants will have more time to focus on more important tasks, such as consulting and data analysis. This is good news for the profession. Rather than spending hours completing menial tasks, CAs(SA) of the future will be able to use and analyse data to provide their clients with sound business solutions.’