Celebrating Mpumalanga’s academic excellence

Recently, Mpumalanga’s top Gr 11 and matrics learners from disadvantaged communities knuckled down ahead to receive additional academic support in mathematics and accounting, as well as career guidance and life skills training at this year’s SAICA Development Camps.

On the last day of the two camps, SAICA and the Mpumalanga Department of Education congratulated the following learners on achieving top marks in:

Mathematics 1st Prize: Maphakiso Khesa (Beacon Secondary School) 2nd Prize: Jabu Nkomo (Beacon Secondary School) 3rd Prize: Zintle Gumbi (Morena Mokopela Secondary School)

Accounting 1st Prize: Mojalefa Dlomo (Kahobotjha-Sakubusha Secondary School) 2nd Prize: Itumelang Mohopi (Kananelo Secondary School) 3rd Prize: Albert Ramatsekane (Tsoseletso Secondary School)

Physical Science 1st Prize: Disebo Mofokeng (Selelekela Secondary School) 2nd Prize: Thapelo Melato (Sediba Thuto) 3rd Prize: Leloko Moshoeshoe (Kgolathuto Secondary School)

Robert Zwane, SAICA’s Senior Executive for Transformation and Growth, explains the significance of the camps: ‘Every year, SAICA hosts provincial development camps to further learners’ social and career development and harness their potential to produce quality matric passes. These camps are part of SAICA's strategy to aid the global drive for transformation, employment and growth by supporting social and economic development as outlined in the NDP and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.’

But the benefits of the camps extend well beyond the immediate goal of improving academic performance.Through the camp educators, wide range of speakers, and, more importantly, the SAICA camp leaders (former camp beneficiaries themselves), learners begin to step out of their comfort zones and are inspired and empowered to make crucial decisions about their lives and their career paths so that they can overcome the barriers to entry that restrict so many from completing matric with university exemption—especially in a subject like maths.”

“On behalf of SAICA, I thank all our partners who donated their time and money to supporting the matrics who attended the Development Camp. Without them, programmes like this would not be possible,” adds Zwane.

Adds Godfrey Legwale, SAICA’s Project Manager for the Mpumalanga camp: ‘SAICA is very proud of all the learners who attended the camp and is thrilled to see how much learners’ marks improved over the week-long session. As an organisation, we look forward to seeing how what they have learnt at the camp has improved their grades as, year after year, our statistics reveal that many of our camp attendees go on to achieve a spot on the country’s top learner list at the end of their matric year.”

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 46 000 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.

One of SAICA’s prime goals is to contribute towards strengthening the country’s economy by playing a significant and leading role in transformation and skills development. The Thuthuka Education Upliftment Project, a pioneering initiative to promote transformation in the profession, was launched in the Eastern Cape in 2002 and has grown into a national project.

Thuthuka’s objective is to transform the demographics of the profession to reflect those of the country in terms of race and gender, and provide educational support to African learners and students for the benefit of the profession, while simultaneously helping to uplift communities. Therefore, SAICA prides itself in leading the chartered accountancy profession as a socially responsible driver of business and skills development by supporting and encouraging enterprise development initiatives.

Ms Karin Jacobsen
Project Manager: Marketing and Communications
SAICA Nation Building Division
Tel: ‪011 621 6913
Email: ***@saica.co.za

Mr Kulani Chauke
Corporate Communications Co-Ordinator
Marketing & Communications (SAICA)
Tel: 011 479 0698
Email: ***@saica.co.za