Getting to know your CTA lecturers

You are going to spend the better part of a year listening to your CTA lecturers. You will know all about their academic credentials and work experience as this is the type of information they will gladly share with you. But wouldn’t it be nice to know a little bit more about each of your CTA lecturers…

They do, after all, expect you to put all of your trust in them.

We decided to put your CTA lecturers to the test.

Each CTA lecturer was presented with a few of the most popular questions that students ask.

Here is what our Taxation CTA lecturer, Roulon du Toit CA (SA), had to say:

Why have you chosen lecturing as your career?

Academics have always interested me. I remember sitting in an auditing class in my second year of varsity and whilst my peers were all talking about how they want to become CEOs and FDs of listed companies, I looked at the lecturer in front of the class and I thought: That’s the job for me. Sharing knowledge thrills me. I like to think that years from now students will think back to that bald guy that lectured them tax and remember some knowledge-nugget I shared with them.

Why have you chosen the subject you are lecturing?

Like most of my peers at CA Campus I didn’t choose my subject—it chose me! In my CTA year my strongest subject was management accounting, especially costing. However, the subject that I really wanted to lecture was auditing. After I went for an interview and mock lecture at FLB I was offered the opportunity to lecture tax and even though it wasn’t the subject I was after I knew that I wanted to be a lecturer above all else, so I grabbed the opportunity. Since then I have come to love tax as a subject and now I wouldn’t change it. Helping students learn how to read and interpret the Act is very fulfilling.

Why did you choose CA Campus?

I have lectured at both FLB and at Monash through CA Connect. Whilst I enjoyed these positions I felt that I was not being granted the opportunity to exercise my own teaching philosophies. I also felt the need to manage my own business where my inputs resulted in my outputs. It helped that I had a fantastic colleague, Candice (our Auditing lecturer, the best there is) and that I am married to Sara (the greatest Management Accounting lecturer). We put our heads together and decided to step away from salaried positions because we believe in what we have to offer.

What other interests/hobbies do you have?

I read mountains of books every year and I dabble in writing my own stories. I have thousands of comic books and a modest collection of figurines. You can call me a geek and I will wear it like a badge.

What advice would you give to an aspiring CA (SA)?

Your CTA year is one of the most important years of your life. It does not only give you access to SAICA’s ITC (Initial Test of Competence) but it lays a solid educational foundation. The industry is increasingly looking for CAs (SA) that are not only good at calculating figures but who can provide real value to business owners and to society. If you think that it is a good idea to take shortcuts in CTA, to try and spot for tests and exams, to only work through questions without learning the theory, then you are letting down the entire industry and your peers.

On that same note: It is vitally important that you understand that CTA is a Certificate in the Theory of Accounting. It is not just calculations. It is not just working through a hundred questions. You must know the theory in such a manner that you can always back up your arguments. It is never correct to say “I saw it in a question and that’s why I am doing it this way.”

Your second SAICA exam, the APC, will test whether you are professionally competent and I guarantee you that calculations form only a tiny part of this assessment. Being a competent entry-level CA means a broad knowledge of all subjects.

Know what you are talking about, be the best CA (SA) that you can be and help keep the designation at the top of the world.

Why in your opinion should students choose CA Campus?

We are a team of CAs (SA) that have dedicated our life to education. We believe not only in getting students to pass CTA but to help shape future leaders. Our lecturers are always willing to consult with our students because we understand that CTA is a difficult journey and sometimes you need to grab someone’s hand.

I am particularly proud of our online content because it means you never have to miss a class and you can always go back and re-watch areas of the work that you struggled with. I think it is incredible that this is something that both face-to-face students and online students can use.

It doesn’t matter where you are in Southern Africa: you are part of one big campus.

Read more on our lecturers at the following link: CA Campus Lecturers