Johannesburg, 15 Sep 2014
Nearly 5 800 grade 11 and 12 learners competed in this year's SAICA Sage Pastel Accounting Olympiad, an annual event organised by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). The main objective of the Accounting Olympiad is to recognise young accounting talent and encourage interest in accounting as a subject among high school learners.
The Olympiad, which began its life as a regional competition in Bloemfontein with long-time sponsor Sage Pastel Accounting, was expanded to a national competition in 2010. The contest helps learners to sharpen their accounting skills ahead of their crucial grade 12 final exams and inspires them with the possibilities that accounting will open for their careers in the future.
Sinethemba Msimango, a learner at Parktown Boys' High, one of the schools that take part in the Olympiad each year, says he hopes to be a chartered accountant one day. For him, the Olympiad is a way to test his abilities. "Accounting keeps businesses going, which in turn keeps the economy going," he says. "Accounting is important because accountants are the record-keepers of the business," adds Bhavik Patel, also a Parktown Boys' accounting student.
Bryce Cressy, another Parktown learner, says the Olympiad will help him prepare for his prelims and finals of his grade 12 year. He says that accounting will provide a good base for his career in the future.
Eurika Fourie, a Parktown Boys' teacher who teaches accounting for grade 10 to grade 12 learners, says: "Accounting is a life skill, whichever career you choose, and there are many opportunities for people with accounting qualifications in South Africa. This Olympiad is great because it helps make accounting more stimulating and challenging, allowing learners to compete for the prestige."
Sage Pastel Accounting Marketing Manager Joanne van der Walt says that Sage Pastel Accounting sponsors the Olympiad because it wants to promote the role of accounting in South African business and help to inspire the next generation of accountants. "As always, the quality of the participants was excellent, and we are excited by how the competition grows every year," she adds.
The competition identifies accounting talent at school level, popularises accounting as a subject, and draws the link between accounting at school and a possible career in an accounting or business field. This is in line with SAICA's strategy to grow the number of chartered accountants as well as to transform the profession. The total prize value for this competition is R245 000, and the national winner Rohn Jain from the Eastern Cape, went home with an iPad. The accounting teachers of the provincial winners received a cash prize of R2 000 each and the best schools in each province received prizes such as desktop computers pre-loaded with Pastel software.
Share