Over 2 000 learners will boost academic performance during the holidays

As a direct result of South Africa’s poor quality mathematics passes, the pool of learners who are academically talented enough to study towards scarce-skills professions like medicine, engineering, actuarial science and chartered accountancy is a small one. As a key stakeholder with a vested interest in improving the quality of education in the country, SAICA has turned this problem into one of the organisation’s strategic priorities. For the past 16 years, it has offered academically talented, yet financially disadvantaged, grade 11 and 12 learners additional academic support and career guidance through initiatives such as its annual winter and spring holiday development camps. The camps are therefore aimed at growing the pipeline of learners who are eligible to study towards study the professions of high demand.

Gugu Makhanya, SAICA’s Senior Executive: Transformation and Growth, explains: ‘Working in partnership with the provincial departments of education, members of the accounting profession, universities’ representatives, and institutions like the Financial Services Board, the week-long SAICA Development Camps provide extra lessons to improve learners’ performance in mathematics, science, accounting and English. Learners are also offered life skills training and career information to help them make wise and appropriate career choices.’

The benefits of the camps extend beyond the immediate goal of improving academic performance. They also awaken children to their own personal potential and, year after year, SAICA’s analysis shows that participants in these interventions have an advantage over their peers going into their final matric exams.

‘For example, the 2017 matric results reveal success stories like Reamohetse Mofitiso, an Eastern Cape Development Camp participant, who achieved seven distinctions and was the top national achiever in quintile 1, as well as Mogopodi Molusi, a Northern Cape Development Camp attendee, who achieved six distinctions in his matric exams and achieved the third best maths result in the country,’ adds Makhanya.

This year, more than 2 000 learners with an aptitude for mathematics have been invited to spend a week of the upcoming school holidays at the SAICA Development Camps. These camps will be held in:

Members of the accounting profession or representatives of the media who wish to visit the camps to see exactly how things work and interact with the remarkable learners who attend them, may contact Karin Jacobsen on 011 621 6913 (email: ***@saica.co.za) to arrange a visit.

In accordance with SAICA’s mandate to transform the demographics of the chartered accountancy profession to reflect the demographics of the country, SAICA works with the provincial departments of education to select learners from disadvantaged areas to attend the SAICA Development Camps. Learners are selected based on academic performance: they must have scored a minimum of 60% in mathematics and English. These learners receive assistance intended to help them produce high quality matric passes and set them on the path to study towards key professions of high demand.

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 40 000 members who are chartered accountants [CAs(SA)] and hold positions as CEOs, MDs, board directors, business owners, chief financial officers, auditors and leaders in their spheres of business operation. Most of these members operate in commerce and industry, and 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