Alumna Lauren Tsafandakis achieved first place in the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), while four other SU candidates were among the top 10 nationally: Caleigh Robson (third position); Petra Laubscher (sixth position); Dillon Ribeiro (seventh position) and Robert Searle (joint ninth position). All of them passed the exam with honours (75% or more).

The ITC is the first of two exams conducted by SAICA that individuals who want to qualify as chartered accountants in South Africa, have to pass. A total of 266 BaccHons and PGDA candidates of the School of Accountancy (SOA) class of 2021 sat the ITC exam in January this year.

Tsafandakis, who is working as an associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, displayed remarkable humility when questioned about her achievement.

“It is definitely validating to know that all of my hard work paid off in the end, but I am admittedly surprised by the achievement myself. However, I am incredibly happy and grateful to all who supported me in the interim. 

“I take immense pride in my work and always want to excel at whatever I do. I think the ITC placement is almost a 'happy accident' that was a consequence of this."

Asked about the secret to her success, she answered in her self-effacing way: “I tried my best to make the work my own and stay committed to what I was doing, but most of all, I have wonderful friends and family who always supported me during the times when I was working my hardest. I would also like to thank all the excellent lecturers I encountered who taught me along the way."

Robson, currently an associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Cape Town, said his achievement hasn't quite sunk in yet.

“My goal has always been to do my best. As a result, by the time I got to the ITCs I felt confident in myself and was ready. I really did have my fingers crossed for a mark representing my effort."

Laubscher, who is an academic trainee at Stellenbosch University this year, credited hard work, determination, a balanced mindset and interest in her field for her success.

“I aimed to fully embrace the opportunity I was given to gain technical knowledge through my studies in order to equip me for the rest of my journey. Being in the top 10 in the ITC means I reached my goal."

Ribeiro said being placed seventh in the competition feels almost surreal and is a fantastic way to close an old chapter as he starts a new one in the world of work as a CA(SA) trainee at VAT-IT, a training outside of a public practice programme.

“I believe everything I do should be to honour God; so I worked hard during my studies at SU and attained very good results, especially in my third and honours years. After this I knew that I had been blessed with a good understanding of accounting and finance and that a top 10 finish in the ITC would be attainable for me."

Searle, who is currently working at Deloitte London as an audit associate, said his achievement can be attributed to the power of consistent hard work.

“I never expected to be placed in the top 10. However, I believe that whatever you do you should always give it your best shot and that is exactly what I did for the ITC. I am absolutely delighted to have achieved this."

Overall, the SOA 2021 cohort obtained a 97% pass rate, compared to a national pass rate of 78%. This places SU third among the 15 residential university providers nationally.

SU also delivered by far the largest number of candidates nationwide of all residential universities and private providers who passed the exam the first time with 257 passes (the University of Johannesburg is second with 172 passes).

• ​Photo: Lauren Tsafandakis