12 October 2023

Celebrating Excellence in the journey to becoming Chartered Accountants SA

Johannesburg, 12 October 2023 – The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) is thrilled to announce the finalists of the 2023 Trainee Trailblazers competition. These prestigious awards recognise and celebrate outstanding trainee achievements, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, and professional development among aspiring Chartered Accountants (CA(SA)).

Trainee Trailblazers is a SAICA initiative that aligns trainees with the competencies outlined in the CA2025 competency framework. The programme provides trainees with an opportunity to engage with experts on topics crucial for their future success, including Digital Acumen, Ethics, Corporate Citizenship, Decision-Making Acumen, Business Acumen, Relational Acumen, and Lifelong Learning.

Through these awards, SAICA aims to celebrate the remarkable achievements of CA(SA) trainees and contribute to the overall trainee program, nurturing a culture of continuous professional development.

These awards also celebrate the contributions that trainees may be making in their training offices and their communities. Robert Zwane, SAICA’s Executive Director for Learning, Development and National imperatives believes in celebrating and promoting the #DifferenceMaker ethos among trainees, inspiring them to be catalysts of change and innovation in their respective fields.

“Excellence deserves recognition and the Trainee Trailblazers competition is designed to reward and honour the exceptional efforts of trainees who go above and beyond. We strive to raise awareness of SAICA's Trainee programme and empower fellow trainees on the pathways to the CA(SA) member designation, ensuring a bright future for the profession. Furthermore, our commitment extends to promoting SAICA initiatives to students in the CA(SA) pipeline, universities, trainees, and training officers, providing a platform for growth and development”, said Zwane.

Meet the 2023 Trainee Trailblazer Finalists (full profiles can be found here):

  • Aphelele Dini
  • Asisipho Gagayi
  • Bandile O Dyasi
  • Daniel Martin
  • Fernard Luthando Makwakwa
  • Peter Brincker
  • Rachel-Leigh Audier
  • Sibongakonke Kheswa
  • Trevor Chinyanga
  • Wamashudu Mukheli
  • Marumo Masemola

“These finalists have not only excelled in their professional development but have also demonstrated their commitment to making a difference in their workplaces and communities. They were chosen based on their individual contributions, innovative approaches, and their alignment with the concept of being a #DifferenceMaker”, explained Zwane.

The Trainee Trailblazers competition not only rewards excellence but also provides winners with exciting prizes, including a cutting-edge training opportunity in an acumen relevant to CA2025, one-on-one mentorship sessions, and the opportunity to network with industry leaders.

SAICA extends its appreciation to the sponsors who bootstrapped this recognition event for success. These include Standard Bank and Makosi.

The award ceremony will be held on 3 November 2023.

About SAICA

The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), South Africa’s pre-eminent accountancy body, is widely recognised as one of the world’s leading accounting institutes. The Institute provides a wide range of support services to more than 50 000 members and associates who are chartered accountants (CAs[SA]), as well as associate general accountants (AGAs[SA]) and accounting technicians (ATs[SA]), who hold positions as CEOs, MDs, board directors, business owners, chief financial officers, auditors and leaders in every sphere of commerce and industry, and who play a significant role in the nation’s highly dynamic business sector and economic development.

Chartered Accountants are highly valued for their versatile skill set and creative lateral thinking, that's why all of the top 100 Global Brands employ Chartered Accountants.

SAICA is a member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW), a global family that connects over 1,8 million fellow Chartered Accountants and students in more than 190 countries. Together, we support, develop, and promote the role of Chartered Accountants as trusted business leaders, difference-makers, and advisers.

SAICA Media Contacts

Kgauhelo Dioka, ***@saica.co.za

Project Manager: Communications

SAICA Brand Division

Renette Human, ***@saica.co.za

Project Director: Communications

SAICA Brand Division