The names of the top five appear on the prestigious honours roll of the APC examination, which was written in December 2024.
The candidates on the honours roll “have exhibited remarkable performance and demonstrated exceptional insights in completing the case study tasks”.
?width=300&height=288)
Melissa graduated at Mandela University as part of the Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting class of 2022, the last qualification preparing students to become Chartered Accountants (CA (SA)). In addition, she was placed third nationally in the ITC examination in 2023.
Melissa also formed part of the School of Accounting staff, spending her first year of her training contract (2023) as an academic trainee.
Currently she is pursuing her third and final year of articles at PwC in Gqeberha, after which she will be able to register as a CA(SA).
“My original plan was to become a Mathematics and English teacher; this was my career goal from junior school until about Grade 10. That changed when I had a conversation with a family friend, who was studying to become a Chartered Accountant.
“At the time, I didn’t even know what a CA was, but after several discussions, I became intrigued by the profession and the vast range of opportunities that come with the CA(SA) designation, which opens doors to so many different career paths, both locally and internationally.
“The possibilities are endless, which is what really drew me in. That’s when I started considering a career in accounting,” she says.
Mandela University’s School of Accounting played a significant role in shaping her journey to become a Chartered Accountant. Her lecturers were incredibly knowledgeable, supportive and inspiring.
“My strong technical foundation from Mandela University helped me immensely in each board exam I wrote, as well as my current career position.
“A special mention to Suzette Snyders and George Sarpong who supported me every step of the way. They were always pushing me to think critically and develop a deep understanding of the disciplines they taught.
“One thing I’ve learned throughout this journey, which I would like to share is that success isn’t a straight path. There were many moments of doubt and challenges along the way, but perseverance and a strong support system helped me push through.
“Everyone on this path must remember to embrace the journey, stay resilient, and make the most of every opportunity that this journey will bring, Melissa says.
Elaborating on the success of the University’s Department of Accounting, Head Department Professor Amanda Singleton said that their programme is small in terms of the number of students relative to the SAICA (SA Institute of Chartered Accountants) pool of candidates.
This enables the Department to offer a boutique type programme, where students have direct access to a team of dedicated and passionate academics.
“Our teaching and learning model is student-centred and has a strong emphasis on the development of graduate attributes, such as critical and integrative thinking, digital and business acumen.
“Several group projects encourage collaborative learning and the development of communication skills. Academic support programmes also focus on student well-being and personal development,” Prof Singleton said.
Melissa participated in the Pinnacle Leadership Development programme for top performing students, offering academic group and individual mentoring and adopting an experiential learning approach.
Students are provided the opportunity to host and manage Pinnacle events, participate in personnel development workshops, networking opportunities and be involved in an outreach programme of their choosing.
On balance we believe that the education programme at Mandela University provides a transformative, holistic learning experience and we are delighted when our graduates excel as Melissa has done in both the initial test of competence and final assessment of competence examinations, Prof Singleton said.
“During her studies at Mandela University, Melissa consistently sought out opportunities for personal and professional development. She applied for and was appointed as a tutor for three different modules over three years, further honing her academic skills, said Accounting lecturer Suzette Snyders.
Additionally, her appointment as an Academic Trainee in the Department provided her with valuable insight into the world of academia.
Beyond her accounting studies, Melissa also pursued a qualification in a field entirely unrelated to Accounting, demonstrating her commitment to lifelong learning. This mindset of continuous growth is undoubtedly a key factor behind her success, Suzette says.
Melissa, who is 25 years old, was born and raised in Gqeberha and matriculated from Collegiate Girls’ High School.
“I am still figuring out what my dream job would be! Within the accounting sphere, I would love to become the CFO of a large international company one day,” she says.
Her immediate goal is to officially qualify as a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) and receive her designation from SAICA once she completes her articles this year.