Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS students achieve outstanding success in the SAICA ITC examination

18 April 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Supplied

Mia Pretorius, one of the accountancy graduates from the UFS Class of 2023, excelled in the SAICA ITC examination, securing the 6th position nationally.

The accountancy graduates of the University of the Free State (UFS), Class of 2023, have showcased their excellence by achieving an impressive 86% pass rate in the January 2024 Initial Test of Competence (ITC) examination administered by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). This achievement underscores the rigorous academic standards and dedication upheld by both the students and the esteemed faculty of the UFS School of Accountancy.

Prof Frans Prinsloo, Director of the School of Accountancy at UFS, expressed profound satisfaction at these remarkable results. He remarked, ‘’This achievement bears testament to the many hours of hard work invested over many years by the UFS School of Accountancy team and its students, and it brings us great joy.’’

Among the shining stars of this accomplishment is Mia Pretorius, a SAICA Audit Trainee at Deloitte in Cape Town and a distinguished UFS alumnus. Pretorius clinched the sixth position nationwide in the exam, surpassing over 2000 graduates across the country. Reflecting on her achievement, Pretorius conveyed her overwhelming gratitude, acknowledging the challenging nature of the examination, particularly the time constraints. She attributed her success to the comprehensive preparation received at UFS, stating, ‘’We wrote some difficult examinations during my time at UFS, so I was well prepared and found the ITC to be a bit easier than some of the exams that were written at UFS.’’

Prof Prinsloo lauded Pretorius’s success as a testament to the effectiveness of the CA programme at UFS, stating,’ Our CA programme not only enables our graduates to pass the ITC examination but, in fact, empowers them also to excel.’’

The significance of this accomplishment extends beyond individual success stories. Prof Prinsloo emphasised that the SAICA ITC examination serves as a crucial benchmark for evaluating the quality of the Chartered Accountancy (CA) programme offered at UFS. He elaborated, ‘’These results signify that the CA programme offered by the UFS not only develops our students’ technical competence in the subject areas of Financial Accounting, Auditing, Taxation and Managerial Accounting and Finance to the appropriate level but also equips them with the essential professional skills.’’

With aspirations for their students to make meaningful contributions to their respective fields and communities, Prof Prinsloo expressed hope that these accomplished students uphold ethical standards and serve as inspiration for our future students.

The achievements of the UFS accounting graduates of 2023 in the SAICA ITC examination underscore the university’s commitment to academic excellence and the holistic development of its students.

News Archive

Ivory Coast too dependent on UN to combat violence against women

2015-10-08

During the seminar presented by the Centre for
African Studies (CAS) at the University of the Free State
were, from the left: Thesipo Machabaphala, student in
Gender Studies; Prof Heidi Hudson, Head of CAS;
Dr Peace Medie from the University of Ghana,
guest speaker; and Sesi Mahlobogoane, student in
Gender Studies.

The Ivory Coast is still too dependent on the work of the United Nations (UN) to combat violence against women in the country. There is much talk about ways to address the problem, but the government is still not acting quickly and effectively enough to make a difference in the long term.

These were some of the findings by Dr Peace Medie from the University of Ghana, guest speaker during a seminar series held by the Centre for Africa Studies (CAS) on the Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State on 1 October 2015.

Dr Medie presented a seminar for students in the Gender Studies programme entitled Women, Security, and Justice: a Study of the Ivorian State’s Response to Violence against Women. Prof Heidi Hudson, Head of CAS in the Faculty of the Humanities at the UFS, facilitated the seminar.

For the sake of internationalisation, the CAS often presents guest speakers from outside South Africa to address its students. In addition , Dr Medie is from Africa.

According to Dr Medie, who conducted some 150 interviews during her research over two years, there was a shortage of resources in the Ivory Coast. This is also the case in several other African countries previously involved in war.

She believes the Ivory Coast should do more to combat violence against women successfully.

She said the UN had a great influence on the way people, especially the police, were thinking about the problem - which included sexual violence against women.

“The UN will not be there forever,” Dr Medie said.

“If response depended only on the influence of an international organisation, what would happen when the UN leaves?”

According to Dr Medie, a shortage of active women’s organisations also had a role to play. She was of the opinion that these organisations should put more pressure on the government to ensure better treatment for women.

“Local organisations are needed because it is not sustainable to depend only on the work of the UN.”

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept