Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Policy

A revised CPD policy was released effective 1 January 2020. This policy moved the measurement of lifelong learning, for the purpose of professional body reporting, from input (hours) to output (competence relevant to your role). This requires that professionals embrace lifelong learning which is more critical as accountants of the future are likely to have to learn, relearn and unlearn at great pace in order to remain relevant.

The CPD policy was reviewed in 2023 and minor revisions were made, effective immediately. The main changes to the policy include provision for:

SAICA’s objective of having a CPD policy is to protect the public interest by ensuring that there is a framework within which the members commit to ongoing learning and development throughout their careers by demonstrating the competence required in the roles an accountant performs.

The growth in knowledge and the speed of technological change, coupled with the obsolescence of existing knowledge, means that the qualifying programme of professional education can no longer be seen as a career-long standing statement of professional competence; undertaking role specific relevant CPD activities is essential for CAs and associates to remain relevant.