North-West University and University of Pretoria's academic programmes accredited for AGA purposes

The accredited programmes are the Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy and the Extended Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy at the NWU, and the Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Services) at UP.

The AGA(SA) designation is recognised professionally for equipping members with the professional values, attitudes and abilities and technical competencies that enable them to drive operational efficiency and quality in the value creation process thus enhancing organisational value.

To address South Africa’s scarce and critical skills shortage, SAICA prides itself on accrediting education programmes which enable both private and public higher education students to access SAICA’s membership benefits through a variety of qualification routes.

According to Robert Zwane, SAICA’s executive director: Learning, Development and National Imperatives, the three programmes meet the formal regulatory accreditation requirements of the Department of Higher Education and Training, Council on Higher Education, and the South African Qualifications Authority.

“Having undergone extensive formal accreditation process, SAICA is confident that both universities have appropriate resources to deliver high-quality programmes at the required standard and quality to meet SAICA’s requirements for the AGA(SA) designation,” says Zwane.

The accreditation for NWU’s Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy and the Extended Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy is effective from the 2017 student intake.

Professor Heleen Janse van Vuuren CA(SA), director for the School of Accounting Sciences at the NWU, says that this accreditation by SAICA is an exciting one for the university as it provides their BCom Financial Accountancy students with another opportunity to obtain a professional designation from a globally recognised professional body. “We believe that the quality of our programmes together with this opportunity to pursue the AGA(SA) qualification, will ensure that our students are well-equipped to fulfil their prospective roles in the industry,” explained Janse van Vuuren.

Meanwhile, the effective accreditation date for UP’s Bachelor of Commerce (Financial Sciences) will apply to all students who successfully completed the Business Accounting 300 (BAC 300) module, or similar, and graduated in May 2016 or later.

“The SAICA accreditation for this professional qualification will give the students completing the BCom (Financial Sciences) degree at UP an opportunity to obtain another professional qualification,” said Professor John Hall, UP Head of Department for Financial Management. He further explained that this will not only make the degree programme more marketable, but will also increase the employability of students that successfully complete the degree and decide to pursue the AGA(SA) qualification.

What is an AGA(SA)?

The primary role of an AGA(SA) is to enhance, drive and measure organisational value thanks to their broad, future-focused, multi-disciplinary approach to driving operational performance. As associate members of SAICA, they are required to comply with the SAICA Code of Professional Conduct and act ethically as well as undertake ongoing and relevant learning activities that contribute towards their ongoing professional competence. They remain up to date with the skills needed to match those required in an ever-evolving business world and have the ability to bridge operational and strategic management functions. This is a win-win situation for both the associate member and the organisations they serve.