[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: 

Bachelor of Accounting 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
78283  Bachelor of Accounting 
ORIGINATOR
Walter Sisulu University 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
National First Degree  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Finance, Economics and Accounting 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  360  Level 6  NQF Level 07  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered  EXCO 0733/25  2024-06-30  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2033-06-30  

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 the Bachelor of Accounting is to offer learners an academic qualification in accountancy. The qualification also provides learners with an entry point in the professional accounting space. The learners will be prepared to further their qualifications or apply acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace and build on their accounting professional careers.

Upon completing this qualification, the learners should be able to prepare and analyse financial information for decision-making purposes, including tax-related matters. The learners will be capacitated to prepare and evaluate information to provide sound business advice aligned to the organisation they are involved with.

This qualification's purpose and design facilitate constructive alignment with the Exit Level Outcomes (ELO) listed below.
  • Apply the theory underpinning the preparation of annual financial statements.
  • Prepare IFRS-compliant annual financial statements.
  • Prepare information that is useful for internal decision-making.
  • Perform economic and non-economic analysis for decision-making.
  • Prepare tax returns for both individual and corporate taxpayers of moderate difficulty.

    The following graduate attributes are developed through the silent curriculum and the various learning opportunities.
  • Reflecting on and exploring a variety of strategies to learn more effectively.
  • Participating as responsible citizens in the life of local, national, and global communities.
  • Being culturally and aesthetically sensitive across a range of social contexts.
  • Contributing to the social and economic development of South African society at large.

    Rationale:
    There are generally three tiers of the accounting profession: accounting technicians, general accountants, and chartered accountants. They all serve different needs within the accounting profession and the financial and administrative economy. This qualification is intended to serve the general accountants' market, which produces accountants for middle management roles. The need exists in commerce, the public sector, and the banking sector.

    The qualification is developed to serve the growing need of general accountants. This need was also acknowledged by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants, which created the designation for General Accountants (AGA). The qualification is designed in collaboration with industry and SAICA to offer a curriculum that will prepare the learner for further studies in accountancy, an initial point of access into the desired accountancy professional designation, and commerce and business as an accounting professional.

    The qualification targets learners who hold a National Senior Certificate (NSC) or equivalent and want to pursue studies in accounting and develop their business acumen. These learners are targeting to operate in the space of general accountants and accounting consultancy.

    This qualification provides a pathway for learners, with the necessary academic rigour, to pursue further postgraduate qualifications, at Honours, Master's, and Doctoral levels, while preparing them to operate professionally. Upon graduating, the learners are ready to undergo the professional training for the SAICA AGA (SA) designation and other equivalent accountancy designations.

    The qualification assists in achieving its goal of being an impactful, technology-infused African university by producing relevant graduates for the future of their communities. The public sector, especially in the Eastern Cape, needs accounting professionals to transform it into better-functioning centres of excellence. This need is evidenced in the municipalities' struggle to achieve clean audits. These professionals can be employed to change the status quo or provide assistance from a consultancy role. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):

    The institution's RPL Policy is aligned with the national policies and criteria set by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and SAQA. The institution recognises that potential learners may have previous training or experience. RPL can be considered for access or advanced standing within this qualification. RPL may therefore be used to ascertain competence for admission or access to this qualification and for module exemptions for advanced placement.

    This mechanism accelerates redress of historical educational and employment discrimination while maintaining academic rigour. Evidence of prior learning for admission status is assessed through formal RPL processes by approved institutional policy, which is aligned with national guidelines on the Recognition of Prior Learning. Learners submitting themselves for RPL will be thoroughly briefed before the assessment and must submit a Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) in the prescribed format.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • National Senior Certificate (NSC), NQF Level 4, granting access to bachelor's degree studies.
    Or
  • Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 with exemption endorsement
    Or
  • National Certificate (Vocational), NQF Level 4, granting access to bachelor's degree studies
    Or
  • Higher Certificate in Accounting, NQF Level 5.
    Or
  • Occupational Certificate: Management Accounting Officer, NQF Level 5. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification comprises compulsory modules at Levels 5, 6, and 7, totalling 375 credits.

    Compulsory Modules NQF Level 5, 135 Credits:
  • Introduction to Business Management, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Mathematics, 15 Credits.
  • Statistics for Accountants, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Accounting I, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Reporting I, 15 Credits.
  • Introduction to Microeconomics, 15 Credits.
  • Management of Enterprise, 15 Credits.
  • Introduction to Microeconomics, 15 Credits.
  • Accounting Computer Literacy, 0 Credits NCB
  • English Language Competency, 0 Credits NCB
  • Introduction to Information System Applications, 15 Credits

    Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 6, 120 Credits:
  • Commercial Law I, 15 Credits, NQF Level 5
  • Business Ethics, 15, Credits, NQF Level 6.
  • Financial Accounting II, 30 Credits, NQF Level 6.
  • Company Law, 15 Credits, NQF Level 6.
  • English Language Competency, 0 Credits NCB
  • Information System Applications A, 15 Credits.
  • Information System Applications B, 15 Credits.
  • Introduction to Management Accounting and Financial Management, 15 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules NQF Level 7, 120 Credits:
  • Financial Accounting III, 30 Credits
  • Corporate Financial Management, 15 Credits
  • Control of Financial Information, 15 Credits
  • Auditing I, 15 Credits
  • Management Accounting I, 15 Credits
  • Taxation I, 30 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Apply the theory underpinning the preparation of annual financial statements.
    2. Prepare IFRS-compliant annual financial statements.
    3. Prepare information that is useful for internal decision-making.
    4. Perform economic and non-economic analysis for decision making.
    5. Prepare tax returns for individual and corporate taxpayers of moderate difficulty. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Apply the relevant accounting standards to determine the correct accounting treatment of provided transactions.
  • Prepare financial statements or part thereof per the relevant accounting standards.
  • Evaluate whether the relevant standards have been applied appropriately in the provided scenario.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Prepare the annual financial statements or parts thereof that are IFRS compliant
  • Review the annual financial statements for compliance with the IFRS.
  • Evaluate whether the accounting standards are applied appropriately and their limitation in the provided scenario.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Prepare the management accounts for decision-making.
  • Analyse the management accounts to determine the correct cause option.
  • Review the management accounts to assess their decision usefulness and correct application.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Calculate the necessary ratios to perform financial analysis.
  • Link the financial ratios to the business strategy to provide meaningful analysis.
  • Analyse any other information that may be useful in business decision-making.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Prepare the tax return or parts thereof per the SA tax law.
  • Review the prepared tax return for compliance with the tax law.
  • Advise the taxpayer on the best alternative complaint with the tax law.

    Integrated Assessment
    All ELOs and AACs will be integrated into formative and summative assessments in this qualification. This ensures that the ELOs are assessed in an integrated manner across the various learning and assessment opportunities. The institutional assessment policy mandates a minimum of four assessments per year for year courses and two assessments for semester modules.

    Formative assessment: there will be a minimum of two assessments per course per semester, where the evaluation can either be two written tests or one written test and an assignment, contributing 40% of the final examination mark. Additional purely formative assessments are conducted periodically as a form of learning, to support learning, and as an assessment of learning.

    Summative Assessment: This is a three-hour examination paper at the semester's or year's end, contributing 60% of the final examination mark.

    Learners can be assessed through the following means, which can either be summative or formative:
  • Writing of tests.
  • Assignments and projects.
  • Tutorial activities.
  • Group classwork.
  • Large and small group presentations.

    This is meant to ensure that the ELOs are sufficiently assessed. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The Bachelor of Accounting is comparable to other accounting qualifications offered by other institutions across the globe, as outlined below:

    Country: Namibia
    University of Namibia
    Qualification title: Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting
    Duration: 3 Years

    Purpose of the qualification
    This qualification equips learners with comprehensive knowledge and operational skills in the following underlying core pillars of accounting: financial and management accounting, accounting information systems, auditing, taxation, and financial management relevant to the 4th and 5th Industrial Revolutions.
    This qualification enables graduates to make meaningful contributions to the development of society and economy in terms of responsiveness to society and industry needs in line with strategic objectives of the University of Namibia, and achievement of government national development goals such as Vision 2030, and the national development plans, as well as international imperatives such as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, this qualification addresses Namibia's need for competent public and private accountants and produces versatile graduates who are competitive in the global business world.

    Similarities
  • The Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting has a similar overall purpose to that of the Bachelor of Accounting at WSU. They aim to equip learners with accountancy-related skills and competencies to enter commerce and industry and further academic articulation.
  • The entry requirements for the qualifications are also similar, as the learners must have passed the equivalent of NSC for Namibia with similar subject choices, the Namibian Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC), to be granted access to the qualification.
  • The Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting is also offered full-time, with the same majors for over three years. The majors are Financial Accounting, Auditing and Assurance, Management Accounting, Financial Management and Taxation.
  • Both qualifications are affiliated with professional bodies, but are not necessarily accredited, and support horizontal articulation into the professional body-accredited qualifications. The qualification
  • Both qualifications exist at NQF level 7 and are articulated as Honours qualifications in Accounting/Accountancy.
  • RPL is used to access both qualifications, recognising prior learning that may be informal or non-formal.

    Differences:
  • There are no fundamental differences between the two qualifications. There are, however, certain subtle differences which are country-specific, like the tax module and some of the non-core modules offered in the qualification.
  • The Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting also does not have the non-credit-bearing foundational modules.
  • Another notable difference is the number of credits. The Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting has 396 credits compared to 375 credits in the South African (SA) qualification.

    Country: Australia
    University: University of Tasmania
    Qualification title: Bachelor of Business - Accounting
    Duration: 3 Years

    Purpose of the qualification
    The Bachelor of Business (Accounting) is an internationally recognised program that will prepare you for various jobs in Australia and worldwide. This program will give valuable industry experience and exposure to some of Tasmania's top business minds. Learners also gain valuable insights into the accounting profession through internships, masterclasses, taxation clinics, and guest lecturers.

    Studying at the University of Tasmania, you'll develop an appreciation for the vast industries that operate across the state, such as aquaculture, agribusiness, export trade, and tourism. Graduates of this program are responsible accountants who can recognise and evaluate the social, environmental, and ethical impacts of business decisions. We embed principles of sustainability, accountability, entrepreneurial thinking, and innovation across our programs, so you get the edge in your chosen career.

    Similarities
  • The Bachelor of Business in Accounting has a similar overall purpose to that of the Bachelor of Accounting at WSU, as they both aim to equip learners with the necessary in-demand accountancy-related skills and competencies for entry into commerce and industry and further academic articulation.
  • The entry requirements for the qualifications are similar as the learners must have passed the equivalent of the NSC for Australia, and 12 years of schooling to be granted access to the qualification.
  • It is offered full-time over three years, majoring in Financial Accounting, Auditing and Assurance, Management Accounting, Accounting, and Applied Taxation. The modular structure relating to the majors is aligned with this qualification.
  • The qualification is at AQF level 7, equivalent to NQF level 7. Both qualifications lead to Honours qualifications in Accounting/Accountancy.
  • RPL is used to access both qualifications, recognising prior learning that may be informal or non-formal.

    Differences
  • There are a few differences between the two qualifications, some of which are discussed below.
  • The qualification is intended for learners who want to pursue the chartered accountancy route and those who wish to obtain a technically strong business accounting qualification.
  • This is slightly different from the Bachelor of Accounting as its focus is not on the Chartered Accountancy route but on facilitating access to the next step of professional accounting training, which may include SAICA AGA, ACCA, and CIMA.
  • The qualifications are structured differently, where the learners who graduate are expected to accumulate 300 credits selected from three groupings: 100 credit points from the core units, 100 credit points from the central units, and an additional (electives) 100 credit points. This differs from the 372 credits in the SA qualification structured qualification at the SA qualification, which has no electives. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows possibilities for diagonal, vertical and horizontal articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Accounting Science NQF Level 7
  • Bachelor of Commerce General NQF Level 7
  • Bachelor's degree in the cognate field NQF Level 7.
  • Occupational certificate: Management Accounting Practitioner, NQF Level 7.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Accounting, NQF Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Accounting Honours, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Cost and Management Accounting, NQF Level 8
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Taxation, NQF Level 8
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Auditing NQF Level 8
  • Bachelor of Commerce Honours/Postgraduate Diploma in a cognate field, NQF Level 8

    Diagonal Articulation:
  • Occupational Certificate: Management Accounting Officer, NQF Level 5.
  • Occupational Certificate: Financial Advisor, NQF Level 6.
  • Occupational Certificate: Financial Markets Practitioner, NQF Level 7.
  • Advanced Occupational Diploma: Financial Administration Manager, NQF Level 7.
  • Occupational Certificate: Management Accountant, NQF Level 8.
  • Occupational Certificate: Municipal Finance Manager, NQF Level 8.
  • Occupational certificate: Tax Professional, NQF Level 8. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

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

    NOTES 
    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.
     
    1. Walter Sisulu University 


    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.