Choosing a BCom stream is a decision most applicants make on the basis of the name, and then live with for three or four years. It is worth making it on the basis of two things instead: the mathematics requirement you can actually meet, and where the degree leads.
This page sets out how the streams differ on both counts, so the choice is made deliberately rather than by elimination at the application stage.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
The baseline is common to all BCom streams.
- 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 the level the specific stream requires — Mathematical Literacy is generally not accepted at universities
- English at the level the faculty requires
- An APS meeting the specific stream minimum
- A South African ID, or a passport and study visa for international applicants
- Application by the university’s closing date
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The streams, roughly ordered by mathematics demand.
Accounting and financial accounting streams sit at the top. They usually require the highest mathematics level and often Accounting as a school subject, and they lead towards the professional designations. Finance and investment streams are similar. Economics and econometrics streams are heavily quantitative in a different way, requiring strong mathematics for the statistics and modelling content.
Information systems streams sit in the middle, combining business and technology, and typically require solid mathematics. Supply chain and logistics streams vary widely by institution.
Marketing, human resource management and general business management streams are usually the most accessible on mathematics, and lead into large and genuine career fields. Choosing one of these because it fits your results is a sound decision, not a compromise.
Be honest with yourself about the mathematics. A first-year accounting stream at a university with strong quantitative demands is a difficult place to discover that you are underprepared, and the failure rate in commerce first years is substantial.
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.
Where each stream leads. Accounting streams lead towards CA(SA) through SAICA, or towards other designations through SAIPA, ACCA or CIMA, each requiring accredited qualifications and professional examinations. Finance streams lead into banking, investment and corporate finance. Economics leads into policy, research and financial services.
Information systems leads into business analysis and technology roles, and is among the most employable commerce streams. Marketing, human resources and management lead into large corporate functions where the degree is the entry ticket and progression is driven by experience.
If a professional designation is the goal, check accreditation with the professional body before registering. A stream that is not accredited by that body will not reach the designation by the standard route.
Whatever the stream, adding statistics, information systems or data skills to the degree improves the options considerably, and several of those choices are made at registration rather than later.
Documents and Application Requirements
Applications run through each university’s own system.
- 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
- Proof of residence, where required
- For transferring students: academic transcripts and a certificate of conduct
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Accounting and finance streams are consistently oversubscribed; marketing, human resources and management streams are more accessible. Applying to more than one stream at more than one institution is the sensible approach.
Ask the faculty what its transfer rules are between streams. At some institutions moving into accounting after first year is possible on results; at others it is not, and knowing which applies changes how you apply.
- Choose the stream on mathematics and destination, not on the name
- Check the mathematics and Accounting requirements for each stream separately
- Ask about transfer rules between streams before registering
- Confirm professional body accreditation if a designation is the goal
- Apply to several institutions — minimums vary widely for the same stream
- Apply for NSFAS and bursaries early, as deadlines precede registration
Frequently Asked Questions
Which BCom stream is easiest to get into?
Marketing, human resource management and general business management streams typically have the lowest mathematics and APS requirements, and lead into large, genuine career fields.
Which stream leads to becoming a chartered accountant?
An accounting stream accredited by SAICA, followed by an accredited postgraduate programme, professional examinations and a training contract. Confirm accreditation with SAICA before registering.
Can I switch streams later?
Sometimes, subject to results and capacity. Rules differ by institution, so ask before registering rather than assuming.
Is Mathematical Literacy ever accepted?
Rarely at universities for a BCom. Universities of technology and diploma programmes in business fields are often more flexible.
Stream requirements, APS minimums, transfer rules and accreditation differ by institution and change each year. Confirm current requirements with the university and the relevant professional body.