"There is an undeniable need to introduce young people to entrepreneurship at an early stage and further ensure that they are equipped with the right skills from an education front," says Patience Semenya, head of the South African chapter of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a gold partner at the Finance Indaba Africa 2016 on 13 and 14 October 2016 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
- REGISTER NOW for the finance indaba. Limited FREE tickets with membership number of ACCA or other registered professional body or with invitation code: prof16.
In the coming weeks and months, we will be chatting to all the Indaba partners, asking them why they are joining the event and what their most important message for finance professionals is.
Do you want to hear how ACCA is helping shape the modern finance role? Do you want to be informed about the latest and greatest in finance? Then don't miss the Finance Indaba Africa 2016. ACCA has arranged for all its members to visit the Indaba for FREE! Go to the ACCA REGISTRATION PAGE and register with your membership number.
Why will you be present at the Finance Indaba?
"To connect with the finance and business community and contribute in building a resilient financial sector. It’s also an opportunity to showcase ACCA’s involvement in creating public value and leadership skills."
What will you be talking about?
"The majority of the youth still possess skills that are not encompassing of the labour market requirements and their entrepreneurial skills remain low. South African youth are unlikely to have grown up in a household with business people who would have shaped their understanding of market opportunities, access to networks and know-how. This influences their success or failure in entrepreneurship.
"As a result, they are not easily absorbed into the labour market due to the lack of work experience and entrepreneurial skills to create self-employment. This cycle has negative implications to our economic development. There is an undeniable need to introduce young people to entrepreneurship at an early stage and further ensure that they are equipped with the right skills from an education front. At ACCA, we equip our learners with business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management."
What are the challenges you can help finance professionals with in 2016?
"ACCA seeks to bring added value to the evolving finance role in a number of ways, namely, through engagement with employers and aligning our qualification to complement strategic business acumen. In addition, ACCA’s research and insights explores issues that matter in accountancy and the wider world. Through our research, we engage the profession, business, policy makers, standard setters, educators and the public to analyse current issues, challenge thinking, project future scenarios and provide practical insights."
How does the ACCA qualification differ from the CA (SA)/CIMA ones?
"ACCA is the global body for professional accountants. It offers business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management."
"Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. It believes that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. ACCA’s core values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and it ensures that through its range of qualifications, it prepares accountants for business. ACCA seeks to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating its qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers."
Are African ACCA student numbers growing? 
"ACCA students are growing worldwide – ACCA supports its 178 000 members and 455 000 students in 181 countries, helping them develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. ACCA works through a network of 95 offices and centres and more than 7 110 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through its public interest remit, ACCA promotes appropriate regulation of accounting and conducts relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence."
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