Guide · Updated September 2026
Does a South African CA count in Australia and New Zealand?
Yes. CA ANZ admits a South African chartered accountant by reciprocal agreement. Here is how the qualification is earned, what it means for an employer, and what one costs to hire.
Short answer
Yes. Recognised, not converted
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) hold a reciprocal membership agreement. SAICA defines that category as membership with no further professional education, training or examination. A South African CA in good standing can apply to CA ANZ and be admitted as a chartered accountant on the strength of the qualification they already hold.
CPA Australia runs a pathway agreement rather than full reciprocity. A South African CA who has held the designation for five years or more is admitted directly. Under five years, the applicant completes two CPA Program subjects, Ethics and Governance, and Global Strategy and Leadership, and needs a degree equivalent to an Australian bachelor.
For an employer that means the qualification you are reading on a South African CV is the same qualification your own staff hold, assessed by the same Australian and New Zealand body. It is one of a small number of overseas designations CA ANZ treats that way.
How it is earned
What sits behind the letters
The South African CA route is long and heavily examined. A candidate completes an accounting degree and a postgraduate Certificate in the Theory of Accounting, then a three-year training contract (articles) at a registered training office, usually one of the Big 4 firms or a mid-tier practice. Two national board exams sit on top: the Initial Test of Competence after university, and the Assessment of Professional Competence after 20 months of articles. Both are set and marked by SAICA.
The pipeline is deep. About 2,000 candidates passed the final board exam in January 2026, into a membership of roughly 57,000 chartered accountants. Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG all run articles programmes in Johannesburg and Cape Town, so a large share of newly qualified CAs come out of a Big 4 audit floor with three years of client work behind them.
South Africa adopted full IFRS in 2005, so the standards a South African CA trained on are the standards behind AASB and NZ IFRS. Training, working papers and client conversations are in English. SAICA is a member of the Global Accounting Alliance, Chartered Accountants Worldwide and IFAC.
For an employer
What it means when you hire one
Read the CV at face value. A South African CA has passed board exams and completed supervised articles equivalent in depth to the CA ANZ programme. You do not need to discount the qualification or plan a conversion period for the accounting itself.
What still needs a short handover. Australian and New Zealand tax specifics: GST and BAS, superannuation and KiwiSaver, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, and the local reporting calendar. These are learned on the job in the first weeks, the same as for any accountant moving between jurisdictions.
What stays local. Statutory sign-off, BAS and tax agent lodgement, and audit opinions require a locally registered practitioner. A South African CA prepares, reconciles, drafts and liaises with auditors; your registered agent or partner signs. That is the same review chain you run for any staff accountant.
Where the calibre shows. Month-end and year-end close from trial balance to statements, technical accounting positions under IFRS, audit file preparation, group consolidations. Work that in Australia commands a senior salary is standard training-contract work for a Big 4-trained South African CA.
Cost
What a South African CA costs to hire
| Role | Local hire, fully loaded | Through Nearhire, direct hire |
|---|---|---|
| Financial accountant (CA), Sydney | AUD 128,000 | AUD 52,000 |
| Financial accountant (CA), Auckland | NZD 138,000 | NZD 64,000 |
| Bookkeeper, Sydney, for comparison | AUD 104,000 | AUD 43,000 |
A Big 4-trained chartered accountant through Nearhire costs an Australian business less than a local bookkeeper. Direct hire figures are the person's Johannesburg cost to company converted, with a one-off placement fee on hire on top. Managed hire, where Nearhire employs them and you pay one monthly fee, is about AUD 68,000 in Sydney. Indicative. Local bands from published 2026 recruitment-agency guides; Nearhire figure is an estimate confirmed on a call.
For a South African CA
If you are the accountant reading this
Two routes exist and Nearhire works the first. Work for an Australian or New Zealand team from Johannesburg or Cape Town, employed directly by the business or through Nearhire as your employer, on an overlap with their hours. No visa, no relocation, paid in line with a South African CA salary and placed with a named employer rather than a pool. Register with Nearhire to be considered for roles as they open.
Migrate. Accountant (General), ANZSCO 221111, and External Auditor, 221213, sit on Australia's Core Skills Occupation List, with CA ANZ, CPA Australia and IPA as assessing bodies. In New Zealand, Auditor is on the Green List; general accountant is not. Points thresholds are competitive and change often, so check Jobs and Skills Australia and Immigration New Zealand directly before planning around them. Nearhire does not offer migration services.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- https://www.saica.org.za/members/member-networks/reciprocity-and-affiliations/
- https://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/become-a-cpa/pathways/membership-pathways-and-arrangements/south-african-institute-of-chartered-accountants
- https://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com/become-a-member/memberships/pathway-for-members-of-overseas-accounting-bodies
- https://www.saica.org.za/become-a-member/future-members/apc-exams/
- https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/data/occupation-and-industry-profiles/occupations/221213-external-auditors
Checked September 2026. Agreements between professional bodies change; confirm the current terms with CA ANZ or CPA Australia before relying on them for an individual application.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is a South African CA the same as a CA ANZ chartered accountant?
They are separate designations from separate bodies, but SAICA and CA ANZ recognise each other under a reciprocal membership agreement, so a South African CA can be admitted to CA ANZ without further education, training or examination. In practice an employer can treat the qualification as equivalent.
Does a South African CA need to sit any Australian exams?
Not for CA ANZ membership. For CPA Australia, only if they have held the designation for under five years, in which case two CPA Program subjects apply. Local tax specifics such as GST, BAS and superannuation are learned on the job.
Can a South African CA sign off statutory accounts or lodge BAS in Australia?
Not from South Africa. Statutory sign-off, BAS and tax agent lodgement and audit opinions require locally registered practitioners. A South African CA prepares and drafts; your registered agent or partner signs.
How many South African CAs qualify each year?
About 2,000 passed the final board exam in January 2026. SAICA reports around 57,000 chartered accountants in membership as of May 2026.
What does it cost to hire a South African CA for an Australian team?
Indicatively, a financial accountant (CA) runs about AUD 52,000 a year on direct hire through Nearhire, against about AUD 128,000 fully loaded in Sydney. Managed hire is about AUD 68,000 a year. Confirmed on a call once the scope is set.
Next step
Talk it through with us
A 20-minute call to understand the role, then we go to work. You only pay when you hire.