The chartered accountant requirements in South Africa are set by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), not by a university. To use the CA(SA) designation you must complete a SAICA-endorsed undergraduate degree and postgraduate qualification, pass SAICA’s Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC), complete a registered training programme at a SAICA-accredited training office, complete a professional programme, pass the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), and then apply to SAICA for membership.
SAICA says the whole process takes about seven years from the time you enter university if you pass everything first time. A degree in accounting, however good, is only the first stage.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
SAICA lists five components, and you may only apply to become a CA(SA) member once all of them are complete.
- Academic programme: a SAICA-endorsed undergraduate qualification (NQF level 7) and postgraduate qualification (NQF level 8). SAICA publishes a list of endorsed programmes.
- Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC): SAICA’s first qualifying exam. It replaced the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) from January 2025 and is written as three papers over three consecutive days, 120 marks each. You are eligible to sit it for three consecutive years, starting the year after you attained the accredited postgraduate qualification (see SAICA’s exam information).
- Training programme: a registered learnership through FASSET with the Department of Higher Education and Training, provided by SAICA-accredited training offices. SAICA describes the training contract as three years.
- Professional programme: a SAICA-endorsed programme that prepares you for the final assessment.
- Assessment of Professional Competence (APC): the second qualifying exam, which you can only write after passing the IAC, completing the professional programme and completing at least 20 months of the training programme.
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The academic stage is the only part with a school-leaving requirement. SAICA’s guidance for learners is that a CA-stream BCom needs a Level 5 pass in Mathematics with an NSC (the matriculation exemption). Universities then set their own APS and subject marks on top of that; those degree-entry details are covered on our BCom Accounting requirements page.
After the three-year SAICA-endorsed BCom you need a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA, still widely called the CTA) or an honours equivalent. SAICA says it takes a minimum of one year, must be completed at a SAICA-endorsed university and covers Accounting, Auditing, Taxation and Financial Management. Only a SAICA-endorsed programme counts, so check that the specific degree stream, not just the university, is endorsed before you register.
Admission marks for the postgraduate year are set by each university, so confirm them with your faculty early in your degree.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
At school, the subject that decides your eligibility is Mathematics. SAICA says you must take pure Mathematics, not Mathematical Literacy, and pass it well: Level 5, meaning 60% or more. Accounting as a school subject can help your degree studies but, in SAICA’s words, it is not necessary.
The qualifications you need after school are:
- A SAICA-endorsed undergraduate degree at NQF level 7, such as a BCom in Accounting on a CA stream
- A SAICA-endorsed postgraduate qualification at NQF level 8, the PGDA (CTA)
- A pass in the IAC, then the professional programme and the APC
APS thresholds are set by each university for the undergraduate degree and change between intake years, so SAICA does not publish one national APS for chartered accountancy.
Documents and Application Requirements
Each stage has its own application, so plan for separate processes rather than one.
- University: apply to the SAICA-endorsed degree through the university’s own admissions system, with the documents it asks for. If your school qualification is foreign, ask the university how it must be evaluated.
- Training programme: arrange your learnership with a SAICA-accredited training office. SAICA’s route page sets out the training programme, and the office will tell you what it needs from you.
- IAC and APC: register with SAICA by its published deadlines. Dates and fees change and are published on SAICA’s exam information pages, so check the current year there.
- Membership: once every component is complete, apply to SAICA for admission as a CA(SA) member through the SAICA route page.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Most people who drop off the route do so at one of three gates:
- The PGDA/CTA year, where each endorsed university sets its own admission marks
- The IAC, which you can only sit after attaining the accredited postgraduate qualification
- The APC, which needs 20 months of training, the professional programme and an IAC pass in place first
Because the training programme is a learnership with an accredited training office, start finding out how those offices recruit while you are still studying. SAICA’s learner pages also refer to the Thuthuka Bursary Fund; ask SAICA for the current criteria and closing dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements for a chartered accountant in South Africa?
A SAICA-endorsed degree and PGDA/CTA, a pass in the IAC, a registered training programme at a SAICA-accredited training office, a SAICA-endorsed professional programme, a pass in the APC, and then an application for SAICA membership.
Can you be a chartered accountant with maths literacy?
Not through the CA-stream BCom. SAICA says you must take pure Mathematics, not Mathematical Literacy, and achieve a Level 5 pass (60% or more).
How do I become a chartered accountant?
Complete a SAICA-endorsed BCom (three years) and a PGDA (at least one year), pass the IAC, complete the three-year training contract and the professional programme, pass the APC, then apply to SAICA. SAICA estimates about seven years from entering university if everything is passed first time.
What is the difference between the ITC and the IAC?
The IAC is the updated version of the ITC. SAICA renamed the Initial Test of Competence as the Initial Assessment of Competence, effective January 2025.
When can I write the APC?
Only after you have passed the IAC, completed a SAICA-endorsed professional programme and completed at least 20 months of the SAICA training programme.
Do I need Accounting as a matric subject?
No. SAICA says school Accounting can help with your degree but is not necessary. Pure Mathematics at Level 5 is the subject that matters.
Does a BCom in Accounting make me a chartered accountant?
No. The degree is only the first component. SAICA awards the CA(SA) designation once you have completed all five components and applied for membership.
Confirm the current endorsed programmes, exam dates, fees and training requirements directly with SAICA, and check degree entry requirements with each university for your intake year. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.