It is year four-of-five of the CIMA-SAICA Membership Pathway Agreement (MPA). We profile Fayma Govender who set out to achieve the Double Charter feat, CGMA, CA(SA). Fayma Govender saw the opportunity of gaining exemptions from the CTA and SAICA Board II (APC) and becoming CA(SA), by writing just 1 exam: SAICA Board I (ITC). She passed it on 1st attempt, but as she hastened to claim the CA(SA) designation, SAICA declared her case a special case that could not gain direct admission as CA(SA) under the CIMA-SAICA Agreement. She was required to either substitute her limited post-CIMA work experience for SAICA Board II (APC) Exams, or spend extra two years gaining specific work experience (articles), at a SAICA Registered Training Organisation (RTO). She chose to face the SAICA Board II (APC) Exams and also passed it 1st Time. Her journey is one of sheer exceptionalism, grit and determination in the face of maximum uncertainty, Read on: 

Hello Fayma, welcome to The CharterQuest Future CFO Magazine blog. Who is Fayma, person, career to date, where you work, and what drives you, your hopes and dreams? 

I am a mother of two young girls, a wife and a Senior Manager in the Group Finance department at Clientèle Limited. I am driven by the desire to provide my family with a life of excellence. I hope to be an inspiration and a motivator to others to achieve their dreams, for I am a firm believer that nothing is impossible. 

You were first a full CIMA member using the ACMA, CGMA designation and have just earned the Double Chartered feat, with SAICA awarding you the CA(SA) designation: How do you feel and what next? 

I am ecstatic, overwhelmed and emotional by this accomplishment. It was no mean feat but extremely worth the sacrifices, pain, tears and hardwork. I am so grateful to God and feel privileged to be part of this elite group of professionals. 

How tough was the CIMA journey vs the CA(SA) Journey? Any key differences? 

There were 5 distinct courses in the SAICA pathway compared with 3 distinct courses in CIMA which makes the breadth of the SAICA pathway broader. The CA(SA) was more rigorous and intense due to the volumes of work one needed to study in a spate of one year to be ready for the ITC exam. There are only two exam sittings per year, whilst CIMA is more flexible in this regard as they offer 4 sittings per year. 

It is clear you took advantage of the CIMA-SAICA partnership and got exempted from the requirement to do the CTA, hoping to just write 1 exam: SAICA Board I (ITC). How was that transition seeing you had not studied for the CTA, yet Board I is based on the CTA?