“Accounting” covers several distinct professional destinations in South Africa, each with its own body, its own qualifications and its own route. A chartered accountant, a professional accountant, a management accountant and a bookkeeper are different qualifications with different requirements.
Choosing which one you are aiming at early matters, because the routes diverge at the point you choose a degree — and in some cases at the point you choose school subjects.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
The school-level requirements for the degree routes are consistent.
- A National Senior Certificate with admission to bachelor’s degree study requires at least 40% in your home language, at least 50% in four subjects from the designated subject list, and at least 30% in two further subjects.
- Mathematics at a good level — Mathematical Literacy is generally not accepted for accounting degrees at universities
- Accounting as a school subject is commonly required or strongly preferred for accounting-specific degrees
- English at the level the faculty requires
- An APS meeting the programme minimum, which for accounting streams is typically among the higher commerce requirements
- Admission to a programme accredited by the professional body you are targeting
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The main destinations.
Chartered Accountant, CA(SA), is regulated by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). The route runs through a SAICA-accredited bachelor’s degree, an accredited postgraduate diploma or honours programme, the professional examinations, and a training contract with a registered training office. It is the longest and most demanding route.
Professional Accountant (SA) is administered by the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA), with its own accredited qualifications, a learnership or training period and a professional evaluation.
Chartered Global Management Accountant runs through CIMA, which is an examination-based route with multiple entry points, including from school. ACCA offers another internationally recognised examination route.
Registered auditor is a further step: auditors are regulated by the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA), and only registered auditors may perform statutory audits.
Bookkeeping and accounting technician qualifications, through bodies such as ICB and AAT, are shorter, more accessible routes into real accounting work and articulate upwards.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Most South African universities calculate an Admission Point Score (APS) from your best six 20-credit NSC subjects on a seven-point scale, giving a maximum of 42. Life Orientation is excluded at most institutions, and level 1 subjects generally do not count. Each university publishes its own APS table and programme minimums, revised annually, so confirm the figure for your intake year with the institution itself.
Accreditation is the requirement people discover too late. If CA(SA) is the goal, the degree must be SAICA-accredited. A general accounting degree from a non-accredited programme does not lead there by the standard route, and the discovery usually comes after three years of study.
Confirm accreditation with the professional body directly before registering for a programme. SAICA, SAIPA and IRBA each publish what they accredit or recognise, and those lists change.
The training contract is the other bottleneck. The CA(SA) route requires a training contract with a registered training office, and places are competitive and secured well in advance — often during the penultimate year of study. Students who leave this until after graduating wait longer. Ask your faculty when recruitment happens on your campus.
If the degree route is not open to you on your school results, the technician and bookkeeping routes are genuine entry points into the profession, and they articulate upwards into professional qualifications over time.
Documents and Application Requirements
For university applications the documents are standard; professional registration requires considerably more.
- Certified copy of your South African ID, or passport for international applicants
- Grade 11 final results and Grade 12 mid-year results when applying
- Final National Senior Certificate once available
- Proof of payment of the application fee where one is charged
- For professional registration: degree certificates, academic transcripts, proof of accreditation, examination results and a signed training contract or evidence of the required experience
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Accounting streams are among the most oversubscribed commerce programmes, and accredited programmes have limited capacity. Apply early and to more than one institution.
Bursary funding in accounting is unusually good. Audit firms, financial services companies and professional bodies run substantial bursary programmes, most with a work-back obligation and most closing well before registration. This is the field where applying for funding early pays off most.
- Decide which designation you are aiming at before choosing a degree
- Confirm programme accreditation with the professional body before registering
- Take Mathematics and, where offered, Accounting at school
- Apply for firm and professional body bursaries early — deadlines precede registration
- Start seeking a training contract in your penultimate year, not after graduating
- Consider technician or bookkeeping routes if the degree route is not open
- Confirm current requirements with SAICA, SAIPA, CIMA or IRBA directly
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a CA(SA) and a Professional Accountant (SA)?
They are separate designations from separate bodies — SAICA and SAIPA respectively — with different accredited qualifications, training requirements and professional assessments.
Do I need Accounting as a school subject?
It is commonly required or strongly preferred for accounting-specific degrees. Mathematics is the firmer requirement.
Does my degree have to be accredited?
For the CA(SA) route, yes, by SAICA. Confirm accreditation with the professional body before registering, not after graduating.
Can I become an accountant without a degree?
Bookkeeping and accounting technician qualifications through bodies such as ICB and AAT are genuine entry points into accounting work, and they articulate upwards over time.
Accredited programme lists, professional requirements and examination structures are set by SAICA, SAIPA, CIMA, ACCA and IRBA and are revised. Confirm current requirements directly with the relevant body and institution.