From Failing CA Exams to Taking a Gap Year to Pursuing CFE and Eventually Qualifying as a Chartered Accountant

Do you know an inspiring story of a chartered accountant who has not given up?

In fact, in today’s article, we are sharing the journey of Sedzani from Limpopo, South Africa, who travelled 100 kilometres daily to school, worked really hard, and completed her Chartered Accountancy despite many failures.

Presently, Sedzani is working at BDO in South Africa as a forensic consultant.

She is also a qualified CFE and has done her articles through Grant Thornton, South Africa.

Here is her story.

Deciding to Become a Chartered Accountant

My name is Sedzani Tshirangwana, and I grew up in South Africa, in the Limpopo province bordering Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique.

I grew up in a village that was not surrounded by good schools, so I used to travel 100 kilometres every day to school. I matriculated from Khanyisa Education Centre, a school amongst many great private schools in Limpopo.

I was not a brilliant student, but I was a hardworking student.

I was raised by very strict parents who allowed us to visit friends under supervision.

My dad did not allow us to roam the streets of our neighbourhood and always encouraged us to work hard for a bright future. “You are what you put in and make of yourself,” he always said.

If I remember correctly from eighth grade, I wanted to become an engineer and specialize in electrical engineering. However, as I became more mature and knowledgeable, this changed.

At some point, I wanted to be a tour guide, which stemmed from my passion for travelling.

So to help me get more clarity in my career, my dad arranged a job shadow for me in finance and banking after class 10.

A job shadow is a programme in which school learners are able to shadow or learn about a specific job that they would like to do or become once they have completed matriculation.

During my job shadow, the bank manager gave me a brief background on what this job entails. This short experience got me interested in banking.

My mother also arranged another job shadow for me at PwC in Louis Trichardt (South Africa).

During my job shadow at PwC, South Africa, I met a friend who told me about becoming a chartered accountant from SAICA, and from there on I never looked back.

My Journey to Becoming a CA (SA)

To become a CA (SA), one needs:

• to have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or equivalent
• Honors Post-Graduation Qualification (CTA 1, CTA 2)
• 3 years of articleship (this depends on whether it is part-time study or full-time study, so it can vary from 3–5 years) and give two written board exams (ITC and APC).

Being raised by a mom who is a teacher and a father who is a businessman, I passed class 10 with good marks to gain entrance to do my B.Com. business science at Monash University, South Australia.

After completing my bachelor’s in business science in June 2011, I continued with my studies at Unisa in 2012, where I studied a Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Accounting Sciences (also known as CTA Level 1).

As I was not yet employed, my parents continued to fund my studies as I was not awarded a bursary or financial aid.

While studying, I began job hunting as I wanted to gain experience in my chosen career path. That’s when I started working at Nikilitha Consulting, a small audit and advisory firm.

Taking a gap year and pursuing CFE

After not clearing CTA Level 1, I was disappointed and decided to take a gap year in 2013.

During my gap year, I decided to get a certification in fraud examination (CFE) from the ACFE since I had gained some experience in forensics.

After a gap year and having completed CFE, I went back to Unisa in 2014 to do my honours (postgraduate) in Advanced Accounting Sciences (CTA level 1), which I successfully completed that year.

Starting my articles at Grant Thornton

While I was at Nikilitha Consulting, I happened to be a subcontracted consultant to Grant Thornton, where I later received an employment offer, which I accepted.

After my CTA level 1, I was still working at the audit and advisory firm (Nikilitha Consulting).

Luckily, I happened to be a subcontracted consultant to Grant Thornton. After a year of working as a subcontracted consultant, the partner at Grant Thornton convinced my previous employer to let me join them so I could complete my articles.

That’s how, in 2015, I started my article clerk training at Grant Thornton.

Finally, becoming a CA (SA)

During my article training in 2016, I continued with my studies and registered for a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Accounting Sciences (known as CTA Level 2), which I failed.

I felt so depressed and demotivated. I had failed rest subjects, and we were required to pass all five subjects in one sitting.

I used to study late at night, and security knew me by name, and when I wasn’t there studying the following day, they would ask, “Why didn’t you come?”

I was blessed to have a supportive family who reminded me of how close I was to the finish line and how much I wanted this.

I recall my mother telling me that this was the time to focus on the one you failed the most on while putting in fewer hours on the others. That was the best advice I got, and that weekend I picked myself up and started studying, and boy did I make it that year, 2017.

I had passed CTA Level 2 and completed my postgraduate. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

Now I had two board exams to complete in order to qualify as a CA (SA).

I started studying for the board 1 examination in December 2017 and wrote it in January 2018; I failed at my first attempt. I was so disappointed, but I knew that I had not prepared well.

I then prepared for the June Board 1 examination, which I passed after attending a UCT board course and practicing SAICA-passed papers.

I then prepared for the UJ Board 2 examinations in November, which I passed. I was over the moon when I received the results in February 2019.

I was now a qualified CA (SA).

Pursuing a career in forensic accounting

After completing my articles in January 2019, I decided I wanted to go back to forensics, as it is more strategic. I then received an offer from BDO in their Forensic Division, where I work as a senior forensic consultant and analyst.

I am more of a forensic accountant and analyst as I analyze accounting fraud, e.g., who committed the fraud, why, and how much is involved.

Likely, I never really had to look for work because I work so hard that my work speaks for itself, but if you are looking for job opportunities in South Africa, company websites, LinkedIn, and PNET are great platforms to look for work.

Before attending an interview, research the company. Google common interview questions and prepare for those. Keep calm and have a discussion with your friends.

Before submitting your CV, ensure it is clear and well written. There are many CV templates that can be found online. It is just important to use a template that works.

To Conclude

• Know what you want, and that should be motivation enough to keep you going.
• Keep an eye on the ball.
• Consider yourself to have already accomplished it.
• Listen to affirmations for motivation and to stay positive. A positive mindset is the key to success.
• Never dwell on something you can’t change. Like I mentioned, I had a supportive family. I decided to not give up on what I wanted.
• It is okay to take a gap year and pursue a course that will add value at a later point. Pursuing CFE helped me in my career and gave me confidence.
• I would recommend those reading this do a job shadow or a short internship at different places to discover what they want exactly.