Women chartered accountants raise R218 000 for Thuthuka

• Published: June 07
• Author: Matthew Jackson

“AWCA has been contributing to the Thuthuka Bursary Fund (TBF) since 2006 and we have to date committed ourselves to an aggregate of more than R1 million to support university studies of 10 young women,” said Konehali Gugushe, AWCA’s Vice President. “The number we support in this way grows by two students each year.”

“It was disheartening to learn of the inadequate funding for the TBF students who will be starting their CTA in 2010. Having learnt of this predicament, we at once mobilised our members and other stakeholders to raise funds for this cause.”

AWCA accumulated the funds in question through pledge and commitment sessions undertaken at events sponsored by AWCA, a forum committed to accelerating the advancement of qualified and aspiring African women chartered accountants [CAs(SA)] through the provision of active support and access to opportunities.

With Black women CAs(SA) forming only 6% of the more than 29 000 qualified CAs(SA), Gugushe emphasised the need for a network that catered for women CAs(SA), as well as ensuring that this small pool was developed and grown.

Chantyl Mulder, SAICA’s Senior Executive for Transformation and Growth, said: “There is considerable cost involved in funding a prospective CA(SA) from start through to finish. It is, of course, a cost that the vast majority of SAICA members consider justified as the profession strives to qualify growing numbers of black CAs(SA).

“Thuthuka draws on children from rural areas – children whose lives would otherwise meet a dead-end. Thuthuka has delivered many hundreds of African and coloured CAs(SA) and, if properly funded, has the ability to deliver thousands more.”

She says the Thuthuka postgraduate programme (CTA) has to date been funded by the SETA for Finance, Accounting, Management Consulting and other Financial Services (Fasset). However, due to their own funding constraints, Fasset is no longer able to fund the postgraduate programme as they have over the last five years given the profession over R40m in support. “Therefore we require more funding for 150 students at R60 000 per student for 2010, who will be completing their CTA or equivalent studies.”

“At the moment we have 1 500 African and Coloured students coming through the pipeline. If it were not for the Thuthuka interventions we would not have had these students in the first place, as they have been recruited from rural and impoverished areas. These youngsters all have wonderful talent. However, they are just very poor and have no means to change or make a better life for themselves,” says Mulder.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Itumeleng Mmutle
Communication Coordinator: Transformation and Growth
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
Tel: 011 621 6712
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Anusha Mudhai
Meropa Communications
Tel: 011 506 7314
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

ABOUT THUTHUKA:

The Thuthuka Education Upliftment Project, a business and transformation organisation of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) is geared towards transforming the membership demographics of the Chartered Accountancy profession to reflect the country’s population demographics in terms of race and gender.

‘Thuthuka’ means ‘to develop’ in isiZulu.

The Thuthuka project was first launched in May 2002 in the Eastern Cape and has been funded by various donors including the Department of Labour’s National Skills Fund through the Seta for Finance, Accounting, Management Consulting and other Financial Services (Fasset), the Department of Science and Technology, as well as the profession and organisations in the public and private sector.

THUTHUKA PROGRAMMES:

Thuthuka is made up of a number of education-related and community based programmes. The various programmes are implemented at various levels of education and training from schools and university levels to postgraduate as well as work readiness levels.