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How to qualify as a Chartered Accountant in South Africa

When you qualify as a Chartered Accountant ( CA/SA)  many career paths are opened up...whether you practice as a CA or as an Auditor, or just use the qualification in industry, commerce or the public sector...this is a qualification that can take you far.

To start your qualification process, you will need to graduate with a B Com Accounting degree gained at a university accredited by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. You can find a list of accredited universities on the SAICA website.

Once you have graduated, you need to gain a Certificate in the Theory of Accounting. This takes at least one year and, like the degree, must be taken at a SAICA accredited university.

Once you've passed the CTA, you will need to consider whether you wish to specialise in auditing or financial management. In both cases, your next step is to enter into a three year agreement with a Registered Training Office if you want to go into auditing or alternatively, with an Approved Training Organisation if your choice is financial management.

During your training, you will study for the Qualifying Examination – QE 1 (set by SAICA).

When you have passed that, and have served a minimum of 18 months of your 3 year agreement, you will be eligible to proceed to the final qualifying examination. If your choice is auditing, you will need to pass the Public Practice Examination (PPE – which is set by the Public Accountants' and Auditors' Board).

If your choice is financial management, you will need instead to take the QE2 examination set by SAICA.

Having passed all these examinations, and completed your three year training agreement, you are eligible to register with SAICA, and use the letters CA/SA.

Please note this is an outline to give you some idea of what is involved in getting the qualification. For accurate and up to the minute information, you should check with SAICA website www.saice.co.za