Shaah Bootha - Age does not determine excellence

Shaah Bootha completed Grades 8 to 12 at school in less than half the time that it usually takes. He went on to complete his BCom degree at the age of 18, then passed his first board exam at 20 and the second board exam at 22 – as one of the Honours Roll Top 10. Registering as a CA(SA) at just 23 in 2016, when most of his peers had not yet finished their first degree at university, Shaah was the youngest qualified CA(SA) in the country and was also awarded the PwC Experience Award.

Since 2018 he has been in his current position as Financial Manager: Corporate Services Reporting at C Steinweg Bridge (Pty) Ltd, reporting directly to the Group Financial Director.

Bootha credits his parents for much of his early achievements: ‘My parents sold me on the idea of being one of the youngest people in the country to have finished high school.’ His father, Professor Akbar Bootha CA(SA), is the former director of the School of Accounting Sciences at North-West University – someone who has been important along the road of many youngsters’ routes towards their CAs(SA). His two sisters were also pursuing the qualification.

Shaah was home-schooled by his mother, Shireen, a qualified school teacher with a master’s degree in industrial psychology. ‘Despite my dad being in the profession, it was my mother, strangely enough, who was the driving force in promoting the CA(SA) qualification as a route of study for all three of us. We often joke that if she could have helped it, she would have included the designation on our birth certificates.’

Nevertheless, Bootha admits that a career choice at a very young age was not that easy. ‘Although many people expected me to follow the chartered accountancy route, the most daunting challenge for me was to commit to a field of study straight out of matric and stick to it for the rest of my life. I didn’t want to be boxed in and restricted. Whilst I was unsure about what I wanted to study, the one thing I knew was that I wanted to be a future business leader and captain of industry.’

Because he was fortunate enough to have been exposed to the profession from a very young age, it ‘allowed me to gain a more comprehensive understanding of what the qualification entailed, and I came to realise that being a CA(SA) is a lot more than the number crunching many assume it to be. In South Africa you see people holding the CA(SA) designation who are successfully operating in various roles across different industries. Numerous company executives and remarkable entrepreneurs hold the designation. I settled on studying accounting, as I felt going the CA route would be the ideal foundation to assist in developing the skills needed to be a corporate titan.’

Thoughts on issues affecting young people

Bootha’s example is inspirational for many young people. Yet, he says, ‘I think I still have a long way to go in respect of my own career and personal growth before I could truly consider myself qualified to be a trusted advisor to young leaders. However, what I always try to do is act as a sounding board for many aspiring CAs through their journey.’

He adds that ‘a significant part of my success has been attributable to the various support structures I’ve had throughout my journey and I thus feel it is necessary to try and return the favour... During my time at PwC, we were assigned trainees for whom we were to act as coaches in respect of their personal and career development. Despite no longer being at the firm, I still try to periodically catch up with some of them to talk about their aspirations.’

Asked whether he would recommend the profession to other young people, Bootha says ‘the CA(SA) designation holds great value and acts as an excellent foundation for building a career. As a CA(SA) there are endless opportunities available both locally and internationally. This was the main reason I decided to go into the profession, and I can confidently say I haven’t regretted my decision.’

This young CA(SA) says his ultimate goal is to be recognised as an industry leader but also that he wants to make a meaningful contribution to society as a whole, assisting particularly those who are underprivileged.