Back in 2025, I began my Accensis Journey as a Senior Auditor.

And recently, I made the decision to take on the challenge of Accounting & Consulting Supervisor.

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While reflecting on my growth, I’ve been realising it hasn’t been only about technical skills and cash. It’s about how i got to this point, a road which began with deep uncertainty. After completing my matric year, I started my tertiary journey with no clear idea of what I wanted to do.

The thought of choosing a single career path and committing to it for the rest of my life, terrified me. Like many, I turned to the people around me for guidance. I sought the advice of teachers, family, and even my closest friends.

They all pointed to one thing: my strong performance in matric accounting, and encouraged me to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting. But I didn’t want to attend one of the larger, mainstream institutions Durban has to offer – I wanted to study while also gaining work experience, so I found myself applying to study through UNISA.

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It seemed like the logical choice, but I wasn’t fully convinced.

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Then disaster struck.

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When the new year rolled around, a system error meant my application was never processed. At the time, it felt like the world had sent me a sign. I asked myself: Did I really want to spend my career saving away in an office, working with numbers?

I started asking a more honest question: what did I actually want?

I had always loved learning, and wondered if I would be a good teacher - the idea of shaping young minds appealed to me. So, I pivoted: by enrolling in a teaching qualification in ECD (early childhood development). I imagined myself in a colourful classroom, inspiring curiosity in bright-eyed, bushy-tailed children who saw the world through their innocence.

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But even that path revealed something unexpected.

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At the end of the year, during my teaching practice, I discovered an unwelcome truth.

Even in front of 5-year-olds, I lacked the personality needed to stand before a class and actually teach. I loved the idea of working with young children, but I struggled with the discipline required to guide a classroom. Encouraging imagination came naturally; enforcing structure did not. I found myself resisting the very framework the role required.

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So once again, I changed direction.

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I returned to accounting. This time, with less certainty, but a little more openness. Slowly, but surely, something shifted. What started as a practical decision began to grow into something more meaningful. I developed an appreciation for the structure, the logic, and the discipline the field demands. More than that, I came to understand that accounting is truly about the story behind the numbers—the decisions, the strategy, and the direction of a business.

I began falling in love with accounting.

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Then came SAICA articles.

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Even if you have never thought of doing SAICA articles, it’s common knowledge that you need grit to get through it. It tests your resilience, your work ethic, and your ability to keep going when the demands feel relentless. But it also shapes you in ways few other experiences can.

I look back at what was one of the toughest periods of my career.

And I am nothing but grateful.

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Grateful to the managers and seniors who invested in my growth,Thankful for the late nights and trips away from home which revealed a resilience I didn’t know I had, and indebted to my fellow trainees who rose with me, and who have since become lifelong friends.

And the unexpected benefit?

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In my third year of articles, I found myself teaching — not in a classroom, but in a way that felt entirely natural.

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I have the privilege of watching a first-year trainee grasp a concept they'd been wrestling with, and even seeing a team pass a quality review with flying colours.

Following a junior's growth from uncertainty to confidence, knowing you played some part in that: There is a particular kind of joy in those moments that is difficult to put into words.

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Today, at Accensis, I find myself in a role that brings these experiences together. I am both an accountant and teacher, leader and learner.

On any given day, that can look like:

• Coaching a junior through their first complex working paper
• Breaking down a concept that once challenged me
• Guiding a team through tight deadlines and high expectations.

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There is a real sense of responsibility in knowing that how you show up shapes someone else’s growth.

At the same time, I am also learning. From partners/directors who bring years of experience and a depth of commercial insight, from clients whose businesses expose me to different industries and ways of thinking, and from the work itself—which keeps me on my toes!

Each engagement presents new questions, challenges, and opportunities to grow.

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This career has also taken me beyond what I initially imagined—whether through travel, exposure to different industries, or being trusted with responsibilities I once felt far from ready for: That is the depth of a career in accounting.

If you take something from me, remember this:

You don’t need to have everything figured out at the start.

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