- SAICA Olympiads and Financial Literacy Spelling Bee Held in Chris Hani West Education District: The event provided learners with opportunities to showcase their knowledge in accounting and financial literacy, emphasizing the importance of commerce education.
- Partnerships with Walter Sisulu University and Department of Education: The competition was organized through collaborations that foster community engagement and promote the development of future accounting educators.
- Concerns About Declining Interest in Accounting: Senior Education Specialist Mrs. Mqotyana-Mzamo highlighted the need to inspire learners to pursue accounting to prevent subject phasing out due to lack of interest.
- Encouraging Passion for Commerce Subjects Among Learners: The programme aims to cultivate enthusiasm for subjects like accounting, which are vital to the country’s economic development.
SAICA, or the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, is the professional body responsible for overseeing and supporting chartered accountants in South Africa. It sets and maintains high standards for accounting, auditing, and ethics within the profession. SAICA also plays a key role in education, training, and the development of financial professionals, contributing to the integrity and growth of the country’s financial and economic sectors.
Opening the event, Senior Education Specialist Mrs. Mqotyana-Mzamo expressed appreciation to WSU’s Faculty of Education for training future Accounting teachers. She also raised concerns about the declining interest in the subject.
“I am excited to see WSU students who are majoring in Accounting adjudicating this competition. I hope that when they enter the teaching field, they will inspire learners to choose Accounting, as some schools are phasing it out due to a shortage of interest,” she said.
The programme is designed to encourage learners to develop a passion for commerce subjects, especially Accounting, which plays a critical role in the country’s economy.
As the event concluded, winners were announced, with learners being celebrated for their hard work and commitment to financial education.
Closing the ceremony, Mrs. Mkabile-Masebe, an Accounting Lecturer at WSU, reaffirmed the university’s dedication to community engagement.
“When the district asked for adjudicators, we reached out to our top-performing students—even those on placements as far as Limpopo and the Western Cape. We brought them here because WSU is fully committed to empowering the communities we serve,” she said.
The event highlighted the importance of building strong partnerships between schools, universities, and education authorities to secure the future of commerce education in the Eastern Cape.
