The Professional Accountant (SA) designation is offered by the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA)
A Professional Accountant (SA) goes beyond merely accounting and preparing statements and is a business consultant/advisor that actively participates in the decision-making processes of a business.
Admission requirements:
- Academic: SAIPA-accredited Bachelor of Commerce degree, or equivalent, with Financial Accounting 3; Taxation 1; Auditing 1 / Internal Auditing 2 / Internal Control and Code of Ethics; Corporate Law 1 / Commercial Law 2; and Management Accounting (NQF level 8)
- Practical: Three year learnership at a SAIPA Accredited Training Centre (ATC) OR six years of verifiable experience OR a completed training at another accredited professional accounting body
- Exams: 4-hour SAIPA Professional Evaluation exam
- CPD: Total 36 CPD hours, 20 of which can be unstructured. For structured hours, they must complete 4 for IFRS/Financial Reporting, 4 for Tax, 2 for Ethics and 10 for ‘other”.
- SAQA certificate
Read more on the SAIPA site: Professional Accountant (SA)