PHILLIMON MHLANGA
KPMG Zimbabwe’s Margaret Chindabata scooped the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) Duff Award at a colourful ceremony held last week at Golden Conifer in the capital.
Duff Award is given to the overall best qualifying student each year.
Competition for the national award was fierce and Chindabata, who is now a Senior Associate at KPMG, was up against Kudakwashe Trust Nyakatsare, of PwC, whom she shared the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) Award.
But, she beat Nyakatsare to the overall best student Award,the Duff.
The Duff Award represents the apex of excellence, which combines both the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC) and ZCTA winners.
ICAZ recorded a significant increase in 2019’s pass rate with APC at 73% compared to 61% in 2018 and the ZCTA at 65% compared to 60% in 2018.
The trailblazer Chindabata has always shown the way for others.
She commenced her articles of clerkship in 2016 after graduating with a First Class Accounting degree from the University of Zimbabwe.
She thereafter joined Chartered Accountants Academy and was the best graduating student for CTA in 2018, ICAZ ITC and ICAZ APC in 2019.
She did her O level at Monte Casino and her Advanced Level at St Dominic’s Chishawasha where she scored 15 points and proceeded to the University of Zimbabwe.
When she is not working or studying Chindabata is an avid reader with a keen interest in African Literature novels.
She aspires to be a game-changer, to inspire confidence and empower change.
ICAZ president, Fungai Kuipa said the institute was revamping the CA qualification to make it compatible to the changing environment.
“ICAZ is embarking on a significant overhaul to the Chartered Accountant qualification termed Chartered Accountant 2025 (CA2025) which is aimed to enhance our skills sets, exposures and knowledge to be relevant to the future. This will ensure the required move from a technical accountant to a strategic accountant. Robotics will do the technical work in the future, thankfully robots can’t think, so that is the space we need to be in, strategic thinking and contribution as far as financial management,” he said.
Tinashe Rwodzi, examinations board member, said: the Duff Award represents candidates who have performed exceptionally well and who have shown insight in their case study responses.
Rwodzi also congratulated Maud Chifamba from Deloitte.
She was the youngest qualified academic ever recorded in the history of ICAZ at the age of 22.
