With with and the willpower to succeed, Azile Nkabinde exceeds all expectation.
On March 18, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) announced Azile, a student from Newcastle, was the first Thuthuka student to make it into the Top 10 of the Initial Test of Competence (ITC) examination.
Azile’s love of accounting first came to the fore when she attended a Maths Development Camp at Adams College in June of her Grade 11 year.
Up until this point, she had decided upon a career as an enigeer. However, after listening to the intriguing stories of CAs practicing in the field, her decision was no longer cut and dry.
“Besides, my mom always used to say I don’t look like an engineer – I look like an accountant,” she explained.
During her final year at Ferrum High School, Azile knew there was no way her family could afford to send her to university.
When the time came to write her final exams, her mother, a clerk at Newcastle Provincial Hospital, managed to save enough for university registration, but not for the first year of tuition.
Azile’s only hope was to be accepted as a recipient of one of the bursaries she applied for.
The call that changed her life
The caller on the line informed Azile she had been accepted as a Thuthuka bursary candidate, and would be able to study at the University of Pretoria; her dream of becoming a CA finally coming true.
Five years later, and Azile is on track to achieving her ultimate goal. However, she admitted the journey was anything but child’s play.
It takes a minimum of seven years to qualify. First, there is university – which comprises of a three-year undergraduate degree and a one-year postgraduate degree (Certificate in the Theory of Accounting or CTA).
After graduating, aspiring CAs must then pass the ITC exam, complete a 36-month training contract and professional programme, and pass the Assessment of Professional Competence final qualifying examination to realise their dream of qualifying as a CA.
Azile reminisced on the moments where giving up felt like the only option.
“You wake up in the morning thinking to yourself, but I have a degree, I could get a job, the work is so hard, I’m mentally stretched to my limits, I really could stop. While some days were bad, I kept motivating myself to carry on.”
Bright-eyed Azile attributed her success to the support of her mentors and the Thuthuka family.
Azile recalled the words her mentor, Gottfried Rautenbach, used to motivate her: “Don’t be afraid to have big goals. If you don’t get to them, no one is going to know, but if you do achieve them everyone knows and it is good.”
These words kept her going and, in November 2015, Azile came second in her CTA class. Today, she finds herself among the Top 10 ITC candidates in the country, passing the examination with honours.
“Don’t be afraid to chase your goals and your dreams. The moment you set goals for yourself, you can start developing plans to achieve them. It’s been a great journey for me,” Azile advised.
In conclusion, Azile expressed a heartfelt word of thanks to the donors who help fund Thuthuka’s bursaries.
“Thank you for doing such an important job and investing in us as students.”
