Top Students Recognised at UKZN-SAICA Awards

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The School of Accounting, Economics and Finance in partnership with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) recently celebrated academic excellence at the UKZN-SAICA Students Awards Ceremony on the Westville campus.

Forty-four awards were bestowed, 23 of which went to female undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Dean and Head of the School Professor Mabutho Sibanda said this is a testament to UKZN’s pursuit of excellence. He thanked the parents who played a huge role in achieving this and the lecturers who went above and beyond to meet the academic needs of students, even amidst challenging times when studying had to be done online.

‘As a School, we strive to ensure that our graduates are technically competent and remain relevant. To achieve this, we have introduced a module at second-year level to expose our students to the practical aspect of business. Graduate often lack the all-round business acumen required in a business environment.’

Sibanda highlighted numerous initiatives implemented by the School partnering with other stakeholders in order to contribute to well-rounded graduates and to assist students with their needs generally.

Mr Salmaan Moosa who was ranked among the Top 10 students nationally in the last Initial Test of Competence (ITC) examination, having obtained more than 70%, received four merit certificates, namely, for Advanced Auditing, Advanced Taxation, Advanced Financial Accounting and Advanced Management Accounting.

‘This was a proud moment not only for myself but also for my parents who supported me throughout my studies. All my hard work over the years has paid off,’ he said.

Mr Naeem Asvat, Regional Executive of the SAICA Eastern Region congratulated the achievers and encouraged them to familiarise themselves with ethics as they play a major role in the profession.

‘We need ethical leaders. In your journey, you will find yourself having to fill leadership positions which will require you to take decisions. I ask that when you take those decisions, make sure they are underpinned by strong ethical values,’ he said.

The event was sponsored by SAICA with individual prizes sponsored by Auditor General, Lexis Nexis, Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY), PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA), Bonakude, Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG), Van Schaik, and Professional Provident Society (PPS).

Words: Samukelisiwe Cele

Photographs: Andile Ndlovu