[Registered Qual & Unit Std Home page] [Search Qualifications] [Search Unit Standards]
SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Post-graduate professional qualification: Professional Accountant in Business 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
20392  Post-graduate professional qualification: Professional Accountant in Business 
ORIGINATOR
South African Institute of Professional Accountants 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
FASSET - Financial and Accounting Services SETA  OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Finance, Economics and Accounting 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  480  Level 7  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L7  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 SAQA 9999/99  2018-07-01  2023-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2026-06-30   2029-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:

The purpose of this qualification is for the learner to qualify as a professional accountant at NQF 7 and gain membership of the South African Institute of Professional Accountants.

Rationale:

The Institute has recognised the need for professionally qualified accountants with a broad base of knowledge covering all relevant areas. Furthermore, once completed, learners will have the necessary financial skills to engage in self-employment of an entrepreneurial nature, thereby contributing to job creation and ultimately contributing to the reduction of unemployment in South Africa.

This Qualification will provide the country with well-qualified citizens whose competence will be internationally recognised and who will be able to perform a variety of occupations within the economically active sectors of South Africa.

Examples of positions, which successful learners may hold include:
  • Financial Accountants.
  • Management Accountants.
  • Taxation Consultants.
  • Internal/forensic auditors.
  • Financial Directors.
  • Business Consultants. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Learners will be required to be in possession of Further Education and Training Certificate at an NQF level 4 and meet with University entrance requirements. In addition, the following requirements need to be met at NQF Level 4:
  • Basic accounting knowledge.
  • Computer literacy.
  • Mathematics.

    Recognition of Prior Learning:

    The Qualification recognises prior learning of workplace based experience. Learners who gained the prior learning at an Approved Training Centre (ATC's) will be assessed by a Committee based on the motivation letters submitted by employers on the width and depth of the work experience gained. Assessors may be appointed to assess Learners who did not attain the prior experience at an ATC. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    The qualification is based on a commercial accredited academic program (such as a B Com degree), with specified subject requirements, from an accredited tertiary institution as well as three years of supervised workplace based training. 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    On achieving this qualification learners will demonstrate his/her ability to perform accurately the following in the specified subject areas:

    1. Manage a debtors ledger for the organisation.
    2. Handle the creditors of the organisation.
    3. Handle cash and the banking of the organisation.
    4. Compile periodic accounts.
    5. Deal with aspects of labour costing.
    6. Deal with aspects of material costing.
    7. Deal with aspects of overheads costing.
    8. Prepare a budget and standard for the organisation.
    9. Handle the work in progress ledger.
    10. Conduct an internal audit for the organisation.

    Critical Cross-Field Outcomes:
  • Collect, analyse and critically evaluate and solve problems in which responses to issues relating to more than one subject area.
  • Work effectively with others as a member of a team, group, organisation or community.
  • Organise and manage oneself and one`s activities responsibly and effectively.
  • Communicate effectively using visual and written presentation media.
  • Use technology effectively in the performance of their daily task.
  • Utilise opportunities in the workplace in order to maximise experiences and learning opportunities available.
  • Transfer skills and continuous learning in a structure that is conducive to coaching and mentoring. 
    		•

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    The qualifying learner will demonstrate ability by:

    1.
  • Checking credit status.
  • Processing relevant documents.
  • Raising an invoice.
  • Preparing statements.
  • Controlling payments and/or credit notes.
  • Posting and balancing the ledger and following up all outstanding debts.
  • Maintaining all organisation debtor ratios throughout the process of debtors control.

    2.
  • Passing invoices, refunding goods, making payments, reconciling statements and then balancing the organisation's creditors ledger.
  • Maintaining the organisation's policies regarding settlement.

    3.
  • Receiving payments, recording all payments, paying from petty cash, reconciling the bank statement, banking money and recording any relevant employee expenses.
  • Maintaining the cash security systems and banking procedures of the organisation.

    4.
  • Posting journal entries, reconciling records with control accounts, preparing trial balance, reconciling accounts and preparing annual accounts.
  • Ensuring that the systems used by the organisation are correct and used efficiently and accurately.

    5.
  • Calculating wages, preparing a payroll, undertaking a labour cost analysis and compiling all relevant labour reports and statistics.
  • Ensuring that all legislation relating to labour is accurate and conforms.
  • Meeting the time office routines and procedures of organisations.

    6.
  • Organising a store so that the equipment and coding system, issue stock, price stock in the store and the monitor stock control parameters are all established.
  • Organising to specific standards the organisation's purchasing routines and procedures relating to control and authorisation.

    7.
  • Establishing a cost centre.
  • Analysing and allocating overhead costs.
  • Calculating absorption rated costs.
  • Preparing records, schedules and summaries.
  • Maintaining a plant register, taking depreciation into account.

    8.
  • Preparing a budget.
  • Setting standards rates and quantities.
  • Using budgets as they adapt to needs.
  • Conducting a variance analysis and preparing a department's operating statements.
  • Monitoring and maintaining the organisational policies relating to budgets and standards.

    9.
  • Ascertaining job and contract costs, flow line production costs and service costs.
  • Calculating costs of marketing, administration and research.
  • Preparing all relevant summaries and cost schedules for the organisation.

    10.
  • Conducting tests relating to transactions.
  • Vouching assets, debtors, creditors, cash and bank.
  • Checking stock taking procedures.
  • Evaluating the accounting and administration system.
  • Preparing an audit report and relevant statistical summaries.

    Integrated assessment:

    Integrated assessment is performed on a continuous basis, using various assessment tools such as:
  • Client files, the log book, case studies, projects, statements, reports and summaries.
  • Actual work products showing where the learner has met the outcomes.
  • Interpretation of information.
  • Handling of queries with clients, the receiver, the registrar, and other professional bodies.
  • Meeting the requirements of the constitution, code of conduct and by-laws of the Institute. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The Institute is a full member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) as well as of the Eastern Central and Southern African Federation of Accountants.

    The Institute has reciprocal agreements with Accounting Professional Bodies in Australia and Russia which lend international credibility to the qualification. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Articulation possibilities include the fact that learners who are studying towards a degree (BCom) and have completed registered outcomes in Financial Accounting 3, Taxation, Commercial law, Management Accounting and Auditing will be able to enter this qualification.

    Learners are offered the opportunity to become Accounting Technicians of the Institute. Learners are required to write a professional assessment of the Institute and thereafter able to become full members of the Institute which allows them to use the Institutes professional designation. All members of the Institute are required to participate in Continuing Professional Development which is a requirement of all IFAC member bodies. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    All Approved Training Centres (ATC's) are visited on a 3 year rotational basis for the purpose of conducting a monitoring visit. At this visit the quality of training as well as the portfolios of evidence of Learners is moderated.

    Moderation may include both internal and external moderation of assessments at exit points of the qualification, unless ETQA policies specify otherwise. 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    All Assessors must meet the following requirements before they may be registered as assessors for this qualification:
  • Successfully completed a recognised Assessor Course.
  • Be registered as an assessor with the seta - FASSET.
  • The registered with the Institute (or another approved professional body) as a member in good standing. 
    		•

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015. 

    NOTES 
    As per the SAQA decision to re-register all provider-based qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework that meet the criteria for re-registration, this qualification has been re-registered from 1 July 2018. N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.