Trainee Overview

YOU’VE FINISHED UNIVERSITY AND WANT TO START ON THE FIRST PHASE OF YOUR CAREER … WHERE TO FROM HERE?

There are three steps to qualify to become a Professional Accountant (SA):

Academic
Register as a Trainee
Write your PE assessment

Academic Requirements

If you hold a Bachelor of Commerce degree, or equivalent, with the following required core subjects from a SAIPA-accredited tertiary institution, you qualify to register as a trainee member with SAIPA:

Financial Accounting 3
Taxation 1
Auditing 1 / Internal Auditing 2 / Internal Control and Code of Ethics
Corporate Law 1 / Commercial Law 2
Management Accounting

Register as a Trainee Member

Once you have completed your degree, you will need to obtain practical experience by completing a three-year learnership with a SAIPA Accredited Training Centre to gain suitable professional accounting experience.

Practical experience can also be obtained by completing a learnership of any other professional body.

Professional Evaluation (PE) Assessment

Once you’ve successfully completed your degree and your three-year learnership, you will be required to write the SAIPA Professional Evaluation (PE) Assessment, which is written twice a year in June and November.

SAIPA, facilitates a 18-week Project Achiever course for candidates writing the PE assessment. Learn more here.

On successfully declared competent in the PE assessment, you will need to pay the membership fee and become a member under your category of specialisation.

Register for the PE Exam here.

SAIPA’s Project Achiever

Turn your hard work into a professional designation through Project Achiever. Learn more here.

Benefits of being a SAIPA Member

Become part of a network of over 10 000 like-minded members in the accounting profession
Have access to regular CPD events to keep you up to date with the latest information in your area of expertise
Access exclusive member benefits, negotiated just for you
Obtain international recognition through SAIPA affiliations with international accounting institutes, enabling you to practice in affiliate countries
Hold a Level 8 NQF qualification
Instantly qualify for Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance
Depending on the designation you hold, you can perform a number of functions and issue reports in terms of the Companies Act, Close Corporations Act, Micro Lending Industry regulations, Sectional Titles Act, Non Profit Organisations Act and Schools Act; and be recognised as Commissioners of Oaths.