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Author: Bertie Jacobs<\/strong><\/p>\n Without quality oversight, output suffers.<\/p>\n Without transparency, deception thrives. Misinformation and misinterpretation are promulgated to become the norm as fiction becomes indistinguishable from fact. In a developing country such as South Africa that face a multitude of challenges, this cannot be allowed.<\/p>\n An example thereof is an economy that is increasingly struggling to awake from a prolonged slumber caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, rolling blackouts and widespread corruption in institutions fundamental to the health of the country.<\/p>\n For the North-West University (NWU), this means that developing scarce skill has long since no longer been seen as an optional component that forms part of a grander solution to the country\u2019s woes, but an indispensable one that is being prioritised.<\/p>\n \u201cSouth Africa is in desperate need of scarce skills that are crucial to our socio-economic development. These include finance-related skills such as those provided by accountants. As a country, we have made enormous strides to lessen income inequality gaps and promote sustainable business and entrepreneurial opportunities in all sectors of society, but there are still too many chances for growth going to waste\u201d explains Prof Heleen Janse van Vuuren, director of the School of Accounting Sciences at the NWU\u2019s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.<\/p>\n Only the best will suffice, and in this regard, the School of Accounting Sciences at the NWU has once again distinguished itself as an indisputable leader in its field with the recent announcement by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) that the school\u2019s Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy has been accredited for the purposes of SAICA\u2019s Associate General Accountant [AGA(SA)] designation.<\/p>\n The NWU received this accreditation from SAICA in 2023, with the accredited programmes being the Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy and the Extended Bachelor of Commerce in Financial Accountancy. Moreover, the NWU is the only university in the country that offers a forensic accountancy degree, which is a crucial tool that helps to detect, prevent, and investigate commercial crimes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to prioritise the development of expertise that will benefit the country as much as possible. Chartered, forensic and other professional accountants ensure that accountability, effective risk management and the maintenance of the integrity of businesses and financial institutions are kept in the spotlight. Without that we lose the opportunity for capacity building and sustainable job opportunities go to waste. How can we be seen as an attractive foreign investment opportunity if our own house isn\u2019t in order? This is why the country needs accountants of the highest quality and that is why the NWU is dedicated to producing them,\u201d says Prof Janse van Vuuren.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough honesty and integrity, we can help balance equations that are skewed in favour of practices that are hampering the wellbeing of all South Africans. Opportunities are scarce commodities, and it is accountants\u2019 responsibility to ensure that they are used, not misused,\u201d concluded Prof Janse van Vuuren.<\/p>\n For more information about NWC:<\/strong><\/p>\n Website:<\/strong> www.nwu.ac.za\/ Facebook:<\/strong> www.facebook.com\/NWUNorthWestUniversity Twitter:<\/strong> twitter.com\/theNWU<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n