University of Stellenbosch Department of Accounting

​The discipline equips SANDF members with planning, decision-making, and control responsibility skills.  Accounting provides SANDF members with cost information including those parts of both management accounting and financial accounting where in which cost information is collected and analysed.  The importance of auditing and the role of officers in planning, implementing and improving controls are emphasised.  The study of Accounting and Auditing develops critical thinkers who are able to adapt quickly too dynamic, highly technical and information rich environments.  Accounting and Auditing majors study topics such as

Financial Accounting

The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance, and change in financial position of an enterprise that is useful to a wide range of users in making decisions.

The purpose of financial statements varies from user to user and facilitates in a combination of functions.  For the most part, they should allow users to:

Assess financial conditions.  Users need to analyse past results and current financial condition to determine the ability of the entity to meet its obligations and to continue to provide expected services.

Compare actual results with the budget.  In the light of the importance of the adopted budget, users want assurance that the entity adhered to it.

Determine compliance with appropriate laws, regulations, and restrictions on the use of the funds.

Evaluate efficiency and effectiveness.  Users want to know whether the entity is achieving its objectives and if so, whether it is doing so efficiently and effectively.

Undergraduate Subjects Presented Financial Accounting

Management Accounting

The aim of the subject is to provide the SANDF with an academically schooled student that has adequate knowledge understanding and mastery of the acquired body of knowledge and skills to act as a management accountant together with all line officers at all levels in the organisation.

The students should be able to judge and substantiate a practical management accounting situation and apply the appropriate theory and principles in order to find a solution to a problem, and communicate and indicate the most cost efficient choice to management at all level in any institution.

The importance of control over the resources of the organisation and the role of officers in evaluating the outcomes of business activities to ensure the economical and effective management of the resources of the organisation are emphasised.  This subject will focus primarily on the cost accounting fundamentals, cost allocation, cost information for decisions and control and on the application of Performance Measurement Systems.

Undergraduate Courses Offered in Management Accounting

Auditing

Management accounting and auditing are so important and ubiquitous today that if accountants and information people wrapped up their systems and took them home, the whole process of producing society’s material goods and services (for example defence) along with the governance of the social order would grind to a standstill.

Organisational control concerns everyone.  Whether you are a manager attempting to run a department, a officer commanding a division, a politician trying to frame legislation to control multinational corporations or just an individual affected by the activities of the many organisations that have an impact on you, organisational control is a fundamental issue of modern life.

The importance of internal control systems and the role of officers in planning, implementing and improving controls are emphasised.  Different approaches to control systems are followed to enable the qualified student to respond to the need to fulfil overall organisational objectives.

At postgraduate level students will have the opportunity to broaden their knowledge about Management Accounting and Auditing.