Inter-Waste Financial Manager Willem Naude hopes to complete the ACCA qualification by the end of the year. “I started the qualification at the beginning of the year. My goal is to complete the qualification by the end of this year. I wrote two subjects in June and will write the final three in December. I hope to pass them all,” Naude explains.
Extremely modest, he omits mentioning that he obtained the highest marks in South Africa for the June 2009 examination session, when he wrote Paper P1: Professional Accountant earlier this year. During the first semester Naude attended lectures through ACCA’s Gold Status Approved Learning Partner, Forbes Lever Baker (FLB) Educational Institute for Accountancy and Management.
Naude has a string of qualifications behind his name. His first degree was a degree in Music. This was followed by a B Com through the University of Stellenbosch and an Honours degree through the University of Johannesburg. “I have always wanted a professional designation behind my name. It has been a personal challenge to achieve this,” he informs.
He says his decision to complete the ACCA qualification was motivated by the fact that the qualification is recognised internationally. “This opens doors internationally,” he remarks.
However, having got into the discipline of studying he decided to complete the final three papers on his own.
Naude says one of the advantages of studying through ACCA, as opposed to completing a degree through a university, is the fact that ACCA qualifications have a practical orientation. ”It really gives you a good understanding of what drives a business and what adds value to a business. It is important for accountants to cation provides candidates with an understanding of all the different dimensions in business, and an understanding of how the different components come together to create a successful business,” he informs.
Naude recommends the ACCA qualification without hesitation: “I would even go as far as saying that when you finish school, if you want to become an accountant, rather than studying through university, complete an ACCA qualification immediately. This will enable you to integrate your practical experience with proper theoretical knowledge.”
Naude attributes his success to a very supportive wife and three supportive children. The fact that he found the study material interesting, and very helpful in his day-to-day work, also helped.
“I have studied a lot in my life. Although I am not academically inclined, I believe it is important to study. One should never just study to pass exams. One should always try to understand the content and what is behind the knowledge, so that one can apply this practically in business,” he concludes.
