According to the 2019 PPS GPI, accountants would encourage matriculants to enter their profession.
At the beginning of 2019, PPS conducted an independent survey of 5,837 members to determine what their perceptions are on a number of issues affecting the engineering, accounting, legal, medical and other sector professions.
According to the 2019 PPS Graduate Professional Index (GPI) results, at 86 percent, accountants are the most confident about the future of their profession over the next five years.
The other most confident professions were:
- Other, at 80 percent
- Legal, at 65 percent
- Engineering, at 60 percent
- Pharmaceutical, at 60 percent
- Medicine, at 56 percent
- Dental, at 47 percent
The accountants rated financial viability and regulation as the top reasons for their confidence, whereas government, integrity and transparency were cited as the major issues to be addressed by the profession in the next 12 months. These were followed by innovation and technology.
About 89 percent of accountants would encourage matriculants to enter their profession. However, 59 percent of accountants believe that graduates fresh from university are not equipped for the job or that further training is required.
PPS technical marketing specialist Mothabi Nomvethe said that, while accountants are the most optimistic professionals in South Africa, it is “interesting” to note that there is awareness in the profession to maintain high standards and relevance in 2019 by ensuring the right skills are available whilst upholding the critical need for consistent integrity.
“This can largely be attributed to the significant focus that the accounting profession has been under over the past few years in South Africa.”
