Driven by a need to achieve
“I am driven by the need to achieve in life. It has always been my dream to become an accountant, especially a Chartered Accountant. Being an accountant is an achievement,” says Selby Mthunywa.
After matriculating from Lowveld High School, twenty two year old Mthunywa, who hails from Mpumalanga, enrolled at the University of Johannesburg to complete a BCom Accounting degree. At the end of his first year, he saw an advertisement inviting learners to apply to complete the ACCA Professional Scheme learnership through the CFG. His application was successful, and he joined nine other unemployed learners on the learnership.
Mthunywa joined the CFG in February 2004. As fate would have it, he was not enrolled for the June 2004 examination. “When the other candidates received their results in August, I was the only candidate who had not passed anything. I was determined to do my level best to complete the qualification within the three year period stipulated in my contract. I have caught up since and I have passed every exam that I have written. I only have five subjects left. I already have two years practical experience. I hope to qualify as a Certified Chartered Accountant by the end of 2006,” he informs.
Mthunywa attributes his success to a lot of hard work and self discipline. “Being clever is not enough: you have to work hard to pass the ACCA exams. I follow my timetable religiously. I study for approximately one and a half hours every day, and I also study on the bus on the way home to Soweto. In addition, I spend three hours studying in the library every Saturday,” he reveals.
His advice to young South Africans, who are considering pursuing a career as a certified chartered accountant, is to always “bear in mind that every thousand kilometre journey starts with a single step”. He says it is also important for learners to dream. “You have to dream. The only difference between dreams and accomplishment is desire,” he explains.
Turning to the future, Mthunywa says he would like to be a group accountant for a multinational within the next five years. “Within the next seven years, I see myself as an executive,” he informs.
CFG Education, Training and Development practitioner, Basiami Disipi has worked very closely with Mthunywa over the past two years. “He has always been a very hard worker. He has a vision and he knows exactly what he wants from life,” Disipi observes.
In his experience, learners on the ACCA Professional Scheme have been able to add “enormous value” to the organisation. “This is especially true after the first year. At this stage, learners are able to function like regular employees. In fact, with the exception of a supervisor, our entire creditors department is currently staffed by previously unemployed learners,” he informs.
Employers and learners who would like to know more about the ACCA Professional Scheme are welcome to contact ACCA on 011 459 1900.
For further information please contact:
Theodorah Modise