Future CAs Excited About Career Prospects

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Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) summa cum laude graduates Mr Prenolin Govender, Mr Dilan Anirudh and Ms Zahra Hoosen are excited about pursuing careers as Chartered Accountants.

After obtaining eight distinctions in his matric year, Govender said he worked hard to get a bursary to study and ease the financial burden on his parents. He was relieved when he received one from Ernst & Young. Govender says he has been passionate about Accounting since his high school years and has found great pleasure in studying the subject at tertiary level at a SAICA recognised institution.

He was among the Top five students to receive the Malegapuru William Makgoba Scholarship in his first year of study. He also received the UKZN-SAICA award which, he says was a memorable moment in his university life.

Raised by a single mother, Anirudh says his mother is the sole reason he has put in so much effort in his studies, ‘I want to be able to give her everything she desires to show my appreciation for all the sacrifices she has made for me to be where I am today,’ he said.

To relieve the financial burden on his mother, Anirudh worked while he studied and in so doing, was able to buy his first car when he was 20 years old.

Hoosen, who is also a recipient of the Malegapuru William Makgoba Scholarship, says her biggest motivator for the degree was the versatility and international opportunities the accounting profession offers. It was a challenging three years but with her supportive family and her ability to keep calm and focus under pressure, she managed to achieve her goal of becoming a summa cum laude graduate.

‘I come from a very intellectually driven family. We’re always encouraged to learn new things and learn them well. Studying is not a “burden”, it’s a natural part of everyday life, although being an extremely determined and dedicated individual does have its benefits as well,’ she said.

The graduates are all in the process of completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy which will allow them to write the first SAICA board exam and bring them closer to their dream of becoming Chartered Accountants.

Words: Lungile Ngubelanga 

Photograph: Rogan Ward