Budding chartered accountants
Three friends Sofia Hambunda, Erica Biwa and Shambekela Matheus are at the finish line of becoming fully-fledged chartered accountants. The Zone caught up with the ladies about their journeys so far.
A lot of people out there want to become chartered accountants but do not have the will to follow this dream.
For Sofia Hambunda she was motivated by sponsors who used to visit her high school to give career guidance. “They would come and tell us about the opportunities available to us to become a chartered accountant (CA),” said Hambunda. She maintains that she was always good at accounting in school and accounting just seemed like the most logical field of study for her to pursue. After completing her Grade 12 at Delta High School she went to the University of Cape Town where she studied B.Com Accounting. After attaining her degree she completed another year for her Honours. Hambunda started working at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2015.
For Erica Biwa who hails from Valgras in the south, from a young age she initially wanted to study law and the reason why she wanted to study it was because she has a passion for business. “However, I happened to apply for a bursary from PwC and was granted one to study and that’s when I decided to study accounting,” said Biwa.
Biwa went to the University of Pretoria and just like Hambunda she also started working at PwC in 2015. “But I have always been a part of PwC because I had a bursary ever since I was in Grade 12,” said Biwa.
For Shambekela Matheus, growing up she always loved mathematics and solving problems. “One of my teachers advised me to do accounting and when I went to varsity, I told myself to not just end at a degree and felt like being a chartered accountant was the next route for me,” said Shambekela. She went to Concordia High School and did her degree in accounting at the University of Namibia (Unam) and went on to do her Master’s at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
To become a chartered accountant one needs to possess a three-year degree in accounting, an honours degree and complete three years of articles, which Hambunda, Biwa and Shambekela are currently busy with. Hambunda, Biwa and Shambekela passed their APC examinations which are the final professional examinations for qualifying chartered accountants.
In your three years of articles, you will write your first board examinations in your first year and in your second year you write your second board exams. “Articles are basically the practical part of it. When you study you gain the knowledge and when you go out there you apply the knowledge that you have learned,” Biwa said.
In addition to the academic requirements of becoming a chartered accountant, Biwa maintains that one needs perseverance.
Over the two years she has been with PwC Hambunda maintains that she has learned a lot and hopes to use the knowledge gained to start her own business and be self-employed. “Five years from now I hope to be self-employed. I do not really want to have an office job, however if I have to have an office job I would not mind being in the financial operations of the company,” revealed Hambunda.
For Shambekela she reveals that her honours degree was hard for her, coming from a background where she aced everything and when she pursued her honours degree she did not perform well in her first test. “That was the hardest thing ever and since then I was motivated to complete what I started,” said Shambekela. Five years from now Shambekela sees herself self-employed. “I picture myself having a company that has to do with financial services. I am not sure what exactly it will be but it will be in forensics, taxes or insurance,” revealed Shambekela.
Over the two years she has been with PwC Hambunda says she has learned a lot and her highlight thus far has to be going to different lodges and meeting new people. “I really love travelling,” Hambunda said.
For Biwa working for PwC has been great. “It is where I need to be, the exposure that I get and the vast amount of clients is amazing,” said Biwa. She maintains that it has not only improved her in terms of her technical abilities but has improved skills within her, like dealing with people and how to explain to people complex topics and terms. “Working for PwC has pushed me. Dealing with managers, colleagues and dealing with people, for me it has been my greatest asset I have got,” said Biwa.
Hambunda advises those that would like to become chartered accountants one to day not to ever doubt themselves or feel that they cannot amount to anything. “I am the second chartered accountant in my family and I come from a family where not everyone got a chance to go to varsity. So it is a privilege to be where I am today,” Hambunda said proudly. Hambunda who is from Oranjemund but grew up in Windhoek, admitted that the journey is long and one needs to be patient to reach the final destination. Hambunda added that she was very fortunate that her father was very hard-working and was able to send her to school. “My parents really encouraged us to study hard at school and we value that a lot. It motivated me to work hard,” said Hambunda.
Hambunda she maintains that she does not have a particular mentor in her field as there is a plethora of accountants she looks up to for different expertise. “I do not have a particular mentor and what really motivates me is the title itself,” said Hambunda.
For Biwa her underlying motivation is her passion for business and being aware that there is a need for chartered accountants in Namibia. “My other motivation is I know the need out there… the need for qualified chartered accountants is immense in Namibia,” said Biwa.
Biwa advises those who wish to pursue a career in accounting to have the zeal not to give up and work hard. “If you pursue what you want in life, you will achieve it, if you do not then you have not worked hard enough,” said Biwa.
Biwa and Shambekela share the same mentor in their field, their boss Samuel Ndahangwapo. They both maintain that they have learned much from him. “He is easy to work with and I look up to him for so many things,” said Shambekela.
Shambekela admits that it is hard to become an accountant just like any other profession. “Honestly it is hard but if you want to become one your passion will keep you going,” said Shambekela.
Shambekela who hails from Onayena stresses that anything is possible it just needs hard work and dedication. “You can achieve all your dreams if you commit yourself to finish what you started,” said Shambekela.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
For Sofia Hambunda she was motivated by sponsors who used to visit her high school to give career guidance. “They would come and tell us about the opportunities available to us to become a chartered accountant (CA),” said Hambunda. She maintains that she was always good at accounting in school and accounting just seemed like the most logical field of study for her to pursue. After completing her Grade 12 at Delta High School she went to the University of Cape Town where she studied B.Com Accounting. After attaining her degree she completed another year for her Honours. Hambunda started working at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in 2015.
For Erica Biwa who hails from Valgras in the south, from a young age she initially wanted to study law and the reason why she wanted to study it was because she has a passion for business. “However, I happened to apply for a bursary from PwC and was granted one to study and that’s when I decided to study accounting,” said Biwa.
Biwa went to the University of Pretoria and just like Hambunda she also started working at PwC in 2015. “But I have always been a part of PwC because I had a bursary ever since I was in Grade 12,” said Biwa.
For Shambekela Matheus, growing up she always loved mathematics and solving problems. “One of my teachers advised me to do accounting and when I went to varsity, I told myself to not just end at a degree and felt like being a chartered accountant was the next route for me,” said Shambekela. She went to Concordia High School and did her degree in accounting at the University of Namibia (Unam) and went on to do her Master’s at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
To become a chartered accountant one needs to possess a three-year degree in accounting, an honours degree and complete three years of articles, which Hambunda, Biwa and Shambekela are currently busy with. Hambunda, Biwa and Shambekela passed their APC examinations which are the final professional examinations for qualifying chartered accountants.
In your three years of articles, you will write your first board examinations in your first year and in your second year you write your second board exams. “Articles are basically the practical part of it. When you study you gain the knowledge and when you go out there you apply the knowledge that you have learned,” Biwa said.
In addition to the academic requirements of becoming a chartered accountant, Biwa maintains that one needs perseverance.
Over the two years she has been with PwC Hambunda maintains that she has learned a lot and hopes to use the knowledge gained to start her own business and be self-employed. “Five years from now I hope to be self-employed. I do not really want to have an office job, however if I have to have an office job I would not mind being in the financial operations of the company,” revealed Hambunda.
For Shambekela she reveals that her honours degree was hard for her, coming from a background where she aced everything and when she pursued her honours degree she did not perform well in her first test. “That was the hardest thing ever and since then I was motivated to complete what I started,” said Shambekela. Five years from now Shambekela sees herself self-employed. “I picture myself having a company that has to do with financial services. I am not sure what exactly it will be but it will be in forensics, taxes or insurance,” revealed Shambekela.
Over the two years she has been with PwC Hambunda says she has learned a lot and her highlight thus far has to be going to different lodges and meeting new people. “I really love travelling,” Hambunda said.
For Biwa working for PwC has been great. “It is where I need to be, the exposure that I get and the vast amount of clients is amazing,” said Biwa. She maintains that it has not only improved her in terms of her technical abilities but has improved skills within her, like dealing with people and how to explain to people complex topics and terms. “Working for PwC has pushed me. Dealing with managers, colleagues and dealing with people, for me it has been my greatest asset I have got,” said Biwa.
Hambunda advises those that would like to become chartered accountants one to day not to ever doubt themselves or feel that they cannot amount to anything. “I am the second chartered accountant in my family and I come from a family where not everyone got a chance to go to varsity. So it is a privilege to be where I am today,” Hambunda said proudly. Hambunda who is from Oranjemund but grew up in Windhoek, admitted that the journey is long and one needs to be patient to reach the final destination. Hambunda added that she was very fortunate that her father was very hard-working and was able to send her to school. “My parents really encouraged us to study hard at school and we value that a lot. It motivated me to work hard,” said Hambunda.
Hambunda she maintains that she does not have a particular mentor in her field as there is a plethora of accountants she looks up to for different expertise. “I do not have a particular mentor and what really motivates me is the title itself,” said Hambunda.
For Biwa her underlying motivation is her passion for business and being aware that there is a need for chartered accountants in Namibia. “My other motivation is I know the need out there… the need for qualified chartered accountants is immense in Namibia,” said Biwa.
Biwa advises those who wish to pursue a career in accounting to have the zeal not to give up and work hard. “If you pursue what you want in life, you will achieve it, if you do not then you have not worked hard enough,” said Biwa.
Biwa and Shambekela share the same mentor in their field, their boss Samuel Ndahangwapo. They both maintain that they have learned much from him. “He is easy to work with and I look up to him for so many things,” said Shambekela.
Shambekela admits that it is hard to become an accountant just like any other profession. “Honestly it is hard but if you want to become one your passion will keep you going,” said Shambekela.
Shambekela who hails from Onayena stresses that anything is possible it just needs hard work and dedication. “You can achieve all your dreams if you commit yourself to finish what you started,” said Shambekela.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
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