In a strategy to help fast-track transformation in the accounting profession, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) is offering more than 300 bursaries to qualifying African and coloured Grade 12 pupils.
In a strategy to help fast-track transformation in the accounting profession, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) is offering more than 300 bursaries to qualifying African and coloured Grade 12 pupils.
The bursaries are available to those who wish to pursue a career as a Chartered Accountant South Africa [CA(SA)] but do not have the financial resources to do so.
Bursary candidates must have achieved outstanding Grade 11 results and should have a minimum of 60% in core mathematics.
Through its transformation initiatives Thuthuka Bursary Fund (TBF) and Thuthuka Education Upliftment Fund (TEUF), the chartered accounting institute plans to transform the demographics of the profession to reflect those of the country in terms of race and gender.
According to Nthato Selebi, Project Director of the institute's Thuthuka Bursary Fund, there are currently around 34 400 Chartered Accountants (CAs) in South Africa.
Of this number, only 1 100 are African women, 1 339 African men, 468 coloured women, 478 coloured men, 1 347 Indian women, 1 936 Indian men, 7 768 white women and 19 852 white men.
The country remains short of more than 5 000 CAs(SA) professionals. In the public sector, there is a vacancy rate of over 40% in the financial fields.
According to a study by the institute there were already more than 22 000 vacancies in the fields of financial services and accounting as far back as 2008. Skills shortages at postgraduate and masters levels amounted to almost 6 000 for immediately required accountants.
Bursary candidates must:
• Be SA citizens;
• Be African or Coloured;
• Obtain at least 60% in Mathematics (5 or above on the NSC Scale of Achievement) – not Maths Literacy;
• Be in Grade 12, intending to study B Comm. Accounting.
The closing date for applications is 30 April 2013. For more information email yuveng@saica.co.za or nkololah@saica.co.za
