the pod(CA)st journal

At 18, Kayla Mallinson made the difficult decision to leave school before completing matric.

She was struggling with her mental health, uncertain about what the future would hold and painfully aware of the expectations she felt she had not met. The following year, she returned to the same small school to do matric again—without the friends who had previously shared the journey with her.

It was the first of several courageous new beginnings.

Kayla went on to complete an accounting degree, only to discover midway through her studies that it did not provide a direct route into the CA(SA) pathway. Determined to find another way, she moved from Cape Town to Johannesburg with R15,000 in savings, relocated again to Pretoria to begin her articles and enrolled in an online bridging programme that allowed her to work and study simultaneously.

In this episode, Kayla speaks candidly about:

• leaving matric to care for her mental health—and finding the courage to return;
• discovering that her undergraduate degree was not SAICA-accredited;
• moving across the country and becoming financially independent at 22;
• completing her bridging programme and PGDA while working full-time;
• her routine of waking at 3:30 a.m. to study before work;
• feeling left behind as others appeared to progress more quickly;
• managing anxiety around high-stakes examinations; and
• learning that her identity and worth were never dependent on earning a professional designation.

Now a CA(SA), lecturer and master’s student, Kayla reflects on what the journey gave her beyond the qualification: discipline, adaptability, resilience and the confidence that she can do hard things.

Her story is a powerful reminder that stepping away does not have to mean giving up—and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is begin again.

Please note: Accreditation requirements and pathways may change. Prospective students should consult SAICA’s current lists of accredited undergraduate and postgraduate programmes before making study decisions.

If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with someone who may need to hear it.

Subscribe to the pod(CA)st journal for more honest conversations about what it takes to become a CA(SA)—and what it can mean to be one.

For feedback, guest suggestions or to share your own story, email [email protected].

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What happens when a career you never planned becomes the platform from which you help shape national conversations?

Khaya Sithole describes accounting as “the greatest accident of my life.” Growing up in rural KwaZulu-Natal with very limited financial and family support, his path through school and university depended on determination, resourcefulness and a series of people who stepped forward at critical moments.

Khaya originally dreamed of studying English literature at Oxford and becoming a teacher. Instead, the availability of funding led him towards accounting and ultimately to qualifying as a CA(SA). Yet his career would extend far beyond the traditional boundaries of the profession.

In this episode, Khaya shares how his interests in education, writing and social justice drew him into academia, student activism, public policy and the media. He reflects on helping struggling accounting students realise their potential, becoming deeply involved in the Fees Must Fall movement, and using accounting skills to develop an evidence-based model that contributed to the current R350,000 NASFAS household-income threshold.

Khaya’s story demonstrates what can happen when professional skills meet curiosity, courage and a commitment to public purpose. It is also a powerful reminder that a career does not need to follow a conventional path to make a meaningful contribution.

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

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What happens when you are good at your work—but slowly realise it may not be the right work for you?

Ali Andersen never had a master plan to become a CA(SA). She followed a path that made sense, qualified through EY and built an international career spanning Cape Town, New York and London. Yet despite being capable in finance, she began to recognise that it was not where she felt most fulfilled.

A perceptive manager and a set of psychometric assessments eventually gave language to what Ali had been feeling: she was a square peg in a round hole.

In this episode, Ali shares how she moved from corporate finance into entrepreneurship, learning and development, leadership development at Allan Gray, and ultimately her current role as Director of the Executive MBA programme at IMD in Switzerland.

We discuss:

• The difference between being good at something and being energised by it
• Why Ali has no regrets about becoming a CA(SA), despite leaving traditional finance
• Taking the leap from corporate employment into her own business
• How the CA(SA) qualification became a foundation for a very different career
• Returning to corporate life as a working mother
• Starting over professionally in a new country
• Why you do not need to have your entire career figured out
• The value of curiosity, coaching and learning from every experience

Ali’s story is a thoughtful reminder that a career does not have to follow a predetermined path—and that finding the right fit may begin with getting to know yourself better.

In this journal entry, I sit down with Mark Tipping. He shares about his 17 year journey to become a CA(SA), starting straight out of school, but then giving up after being unsuccessful twice in CTA, which resulted in him believing that he would only ever fail. After volunteering for several years as a paramedic, an unexpected Facebook post lead to him return to CA studies on the Milpark Education half workload and eventually realise his dream. He shares about how he now enjoys taking on hard things and conquering them!

My inaugural guest is Ruando van Rooi, who I know from his time as a student and academic trainee at Milpark Education. Ruando grew up in a small town in the Northern Cape, Kathu, and shares about his journey from there, to now working with PWC in Winnipeg, Canada. Along the way he encountered financial obstacles, health challenges and academic setback, but has overcome them all and completed the journey to CA(SA).

Enjoy this first journal entry!

What does it take to become a Chartered Accountant? And once you get there, what does it mean to actually be one?

These two questions are at the heart of the pod(CA)st journal, an upcoming independent podcast, in which we explore the human stories behind the CA(SA) designation, hosted by Tracy Kraus.

The first episodes will be released on 21 September, so subscribe now!