The Northern Cape and Free State Departments of Education, in partnership with the University of the Free State and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), recently convened during a prize-giving ceremony at the University of the Free State, where Grade 12 learners were awarded for their outstanding performance and participation in the annual Accounting Olympiad. The Department of Education in the province states that the purpose of the Olympiad is to promote careers in accounting and to increase the learner participation rate in accounting, as well as to improve learner performance in accounting with regard to the attainment of quality passes. There is believed to be a visible scarcity of Chartered Accountants (CAs) in the country, and the department, together with SAICA, wishes to broaden learners' knowledge in this field, but most importantly, to encourage them to take Chartered Accounting as their career of choice.

Journalist: Rene Julies
Email: rckjulies@gmail.com