Why Study Accountancy and Law?
Accountancy is just number-crunching, right? While it’s true that financial data is crucial to the job, accounting is a critical business function that involves a great deal of planning and problem-solving. An accountant in a big firm will be managing budgets, achieving financial efficiencies, leveraging costs, maximising investments. Apart from keeping and interpreting financial records, an accountant can also act as an advisor, a public officer and a financial manager. Accountants have a legal obligation to act honestly and to avoid negligence, so combining the accounting qualification with basic financial law makes this qualification very suitable for a role in public service.
Career Opportunities
An accountant will find work both in the public and private sector. The revenue services and all government departments require accountants. You can also go into real estate, tax consultancy, forensics, pay-roll, bookkeeping, budget analyst, business consultancy, environmental consultancy, financial planner and sustainability planner.
About This Course
Diploma in Accounting (4 years: ACOECP)
NQF Level: 6
SAQA ID: 90506
SAQA Credits: 404
Duration: 4 years
Teaching, Learning and Assessment: The Student Guide contains details of teaching, learning and assessment issues.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): None
Rationale for the Qualification
This qualification provides accountancy knowledge and skills to ensure competence in performing reporting functions, rendering taxation services and management advisory services on an accounting technician level and to convert this embedded knowledge, practically, into accounting software. Hence, the rationale and the purpose for this qualification is
to provide a well-rounded, technically focused education that equips learners with the technical knowledge, proficiency and pervasive skills which will enable them to demonstrate initiative and responsibility; and which will enable the development of practical and operational focused qualities.
Statement of Purpose
This 4-year programme is designed to provide structured support to students over a period of four years. Hence, it addresses the gaps and under-preparedness in students’ educational and life experiences in areas such as mathematics, language, computer and entrepreneurial skills; thus enabling them to face the challenges identifiable with the regular programme: Diploma in Accounting.
Diploma in Accounting (3 years: ACODIP)
NQF Level: 6
SAQA ID: 67694
SAQA Credits: 404
Duration: 3 years
Teaching, Learning and Assessment: The Student Guide contains details of teaching, learning and assessment issues.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): None
Rationale for the Qualification
This qualification allows learners access to the accounting profession and all economic sectors that require an accounting function and will increase skills in these sectors, hence provide a pool of well qualified people whose competence will be internationally recognized and who will be able to perform a number of functions within the economically active sectors of
South Africa. Hence, on completion, learners will have the necessary financial skills to engage in self-employment of an entrepreneurial nature, thereby contributing to job creation and ultimately contributing to the reduction of unemployment in South Africa.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this qualification is to provide the learner with the knowledge, skills and experience to become a Management Accountant. Consequently, the learner will benefit both in terms of individual development along a path of life-long learning (independence and self-reliance) and social transformation (critical and analytical thinking, questioning approach; and hence challenge the truth and value of received wisdom) through the formal acknowledgement of competencies, skills and knowledge through the attainment of a registered qualification thereby enhancing his/her employment prospects.
Advanced Diploma in Cost and Management Accounting (ADVCMA)
NQF Level: 7
SAQA ID: 101987
SAQA Credits: 120
Duration: 1 year (full-time)
Teaching, Learning and Assessment: The Student Guide contains details of teaching, learning and assessment issues.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): None
Rationale for the Qualification
This qualification allows learners to acquire knowledge, analytical skills and competencies required to operate effectively in any section of accountancy discipline and to perform management accounting functions in a manufacturing organization.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this qualification is to produce graduates who are potential employees/employers who can provide current information, based on today’s facts and tomorrow’s probabilities, that is essential for the effective and efficient running of the fourth Industrial Revolution type of an organization.
Advanced Diploma in Accounting (ADVACC)
NQF Level: 7
SAQA ID: 112683
SAQA Credits: 120
Duration: 1 year (full-time)
Teaching, Learning and Assessment: The Student Guide contains details of teaching, learning and assessment issues.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): None
Rationale for the Qualification
The qualification is built on the skills and knowledge acquired at the diploma in accounting level 6 and should provide advanced accountancy knowledge and skills to ensure competence in performing reporting functions, rendering taxation services, management advisory services and assurance on an accounting professional level and further integrate the required skills and knowledge into a computerized an accounting, taxation, management and auditing software programmes.
The qualification also aims to provide learners with the intermediate necessary knowledge, competence and skills to work in an accountancy environment and understand the world of work, be confident about their value and have a higher-than-average chance of being employed.
The qualification further seeks to equip learners with management accounting skills and knowledge thereby satisfying the national demand for public and private sector accounting technicians.
Statement of Purpose
Equips learners with the intermediate knowledge, proficiency and pervasive skills which will enable them to demonstrate initiative and responsibility, and which will enable the development of practical and operational focused qualities.
This Qualification is designed with the view to serve the requirements of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), the Association of Accounting Technicians (SA), the South African Professional Accountants (SAIPA), the South African Institute of Tax Practitioners (SAIT), the South African Institute of Internal Auditors (SAIIA), the Association of Certified Chartered Accounts (ACCA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), thus enabling learners to register with the above professional bodies for a professional qualification.
Diploma in Public Finance and Accounting (4 years: FINECP)
SAQA ID: 49554
SAQA Credits: 380
Duration: 4 years
Teaching, Learning and Assessment: The Student Guide contains details of teaching, learning and assessment issues.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): None
Rationale for the Qualification
The public officials in South Africa operate in a wide variety of roles within the public management structures; hence often work in diverse operating and service delivery circumstances. The sustainability of South Africa’s democratic process and developmental governance are strongly linked to capacity building within the three spheres of government, i.e. National, Provincial and Local spheres of government. It is, therefore, imperative that public officials receive an up-to-date, relevant and respected public financial management and administration qualification that recognizes that the knowledge and skills which South Africa’s public sector officials require have been satisfactorily obtained. Consequently, public officials need to have excellent awareness and understanding of the changing needs of today’s public service delivery systems and to identify very clearly the highly relevant expertise which these officials bring to their roles in the public sector.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this qualification is to provide a structured programme for public officials that work with senior management officials so as to provide support to strategic leadership and management needed to transform all spheres of government. The need for well qualified, efficient and client-oriented public officials is therefore identified as a priority in all three spheres of government. Consequently, this qualification consists of exit learning outcomes covering accounting reporting, administration, auditing, budgeting, economics, information systems, business calculations and legislative framework for the public sector.
This 4-year programme is designed to provide structured support to students over a period of four years. Hence, it addresses the gaps and under-preparedness in students’ educational and life experiences in areas such as mathematics, language, computer and entrepreneurial skills; thus enabling them to face the challenges identifiable with the regular programme: Diploma in Public Finance and Accounting.
Diploma in Public Finance and Accounting (3 years: FINDIP)
NQF Level: 7
SAQA ID: 112683
SAQA Credits: 120
Duration: 1 year (full-time)
Teaching, Learning and Assessment: The Student Guide contains details of teaching, learning and assessment issues.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): None
Rationale for the Qualification
The qualification is built on the skills and knowledge acquired at the diploma in accounting level 6 and should provide advanced accountancy knowledge and skills to ensure competence in performing reporting functions, rendering taxation services, management advisory services and assurance on an accounting professional level and further integrate the required skills and knowledge into a computerized an accounting, taxation, management and auditing software programmes.
The qualification also aims to provide learners with the intermediate necessary knowledge, competence and skills to work in an accountancy environment and understand the world of work, be confident about their value and have a higher-than-average chance of being employed.
The qualification further seeks to equip learners with management accounting skills and knowledge thereby satisfying the national demand for public and private sector accounting technicians.
Statement of Purpose
Equips learners with the intermediate knowledge, proficiency and pervasive skills which will enable them to demonstrate initiative and responsibility, and which will enable the development of practical and operational focused qualities.
This Qualification is designed with the view to serve the requirements of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), the Association of Accounting Technicians (SA), the South African Professional Accountants (SAIPA), the South African Institute of Tax Practitioners (SAIT), the South African Institute of Internal Auditors (SAIIA), the Association of Certified Chartered Accounts (ACCA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), thus enabling learners to register with the above professional bodies for a professional qualification.
Diploma in Public Finance and Accounting (4 years: FINECP)
NQF Level: 6
SAQA ID: 49554
SAQA Credits: 380
Duration: 3 years
Teaching, Learning and Assessment: The Student Guide contains details of teaching, learning and assessment issues.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): None
Rationale for the Qualification
The public officials in South Africa operate in a wide variety of roles within the public management structures; hence often work in diverse operating and service delivery circumstances. The sustainability of South Africa’s democratic process and developmental governance are strongly linked to capacity building within the three spheres of government, i.e. National, Provincial and Local spheres of government. It is, therefore, imperative that public officials receive an up-to-date, relevant and respected public financial management and administration qualification that recognizes that the knowledge and skills which South Africa’s public sector officials require have been satisfactorily obtained. Consequently, public officials need to have excellent awareness and understanding of the changing needs of today’s public service delivery systems and to identify very clearly the highly relevant expertise which these officials bring to their roles in the public sector.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this qualification is to provide a structured programme for public officials that work with senior management officials so as to provide support to strategic leadership and management needed to transform all spheres of government.
The need for well qualified, efficient and client-oriented public officials is therefore identified as a priority in all three spheres of government. Consequently, this qualification consists of exit learning outcomes covering accounting reporting, administration, auditing, budgeting, economics, information systems, business calculations and legislative framework for the public sector.
Diploma in Local Government Finance (3 years: LOGDIP)
SAQA ID: 101557
SAQA Credits: 360
Duration: 3 years
The Student Guide contains details of teaching, learning and assessment issues.
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): None
Rationale for the Qualification
The need for this qualification emanates from the fact that the public service should attract highly skilled people and cultivate a sense of professional common purpose and a commitment to developmental goals. To achieve this, South Africa needs a two-pronged approach to building a more professional public service from the top and the bottom. South Africa needs to increase the pool of skilled people by ensuring that the public service and local government become careers of choice for graduates who wish to contribute to the development of the country; and ensure that high-level personnel are recruited on the basis of their suitability for the job.
In terms of the National Development Plan (NDP 2030: 418), a separate strategy is needed to recruit high-calibre people into local government. Be this as it may, it is in the interest of all spheres of government to ensure sufficient capacity exists to implement core government priorities and responsibilities, particularly ensuring that everyone has access to high quality basic services. It is observable, however, that skills shortages are most evident in local government, especially in rural municipalities. Municipalities require a flow of promising graduates if they are to manage their core functions; and
the national government should prioritize this area, i.e., provision of local government academic programmes at Higher Education Institutions to produce high-quality graduate outputs for deployment at local government level.
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this qualification is to enable qualifying learners to apply strategic financial management competencies to ensure effective, efficient and economical utilization of public funds at local government level. Learners will, therefore, develop competencies to manage strategic planning and budgeting processes, financial management processes and internal controls, auditing and reporting processes. Consequently, qualifying learners will benefit through the enhancement of their personal competencies, knowledge and skills; thus, being better equipped to complete tasks required in their employment contracts and by applicable legislation.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to any of the above-mentioned under-graduate programmes, a candidate shall have obtained a valid National Senior Certificate, Senior Certificate, National Certificate (Vocational) or qualifies to be admitted in terms of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment.
The Tables below show the minimum admission requirements for all the under-graduate programmes (except for RPL).
Minimum Admission requirements (25 points) for candidates with a National Senior Certificate
Programme | Accounting | English Home Language | English First Additional Language | Mathematics | Mathematical Literacy | 3 additional subjects @ minimum achievement level of 3, excl. Life Orientation |
ECP | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
RP | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
Minimum Admission requirements (25 points) for candidates with a Senior Certificate (Pass symbols convertible to Achievement Levels)
Programme | Accounting (HG) | Accounting (SG) | Mathematics (HG) | Mathematics (SG) | English (HG) | English (SG) |
ECP | (D): 4 | (A): 7 | (D): 4 | (C): 5 | (E): 3 | (D): 4 |
RP | (D): 4 | (A): 7 | (D): 4 | (C): 5 | (E): 3 | (D): 4 |
Minimum Admission requirements for candidates with a National Certificate (Vocational): Level 4 Fundamental subjects required pass percentages in each subject:
Programme | Mathematics | Mathematical Literacy | English First Additional Language | Life Orientation |
ECP | 50% | 60% | 50% | 50% |
RP | 50% | 60% | 50% | 50% |
In addition, Level 4 Compulsory subjects required pass percentages in each subject:
Programme | Applied Accounting | Financial Management | Economic Environment |
ECP | 60% | 60% | 60% |
RP | 60% | 60% | 60% |