Accountant / Audit Assistant

Job Description
A well-respected professional accounting practice, which has been supporting SMEs and individual taxpayers across South Africa for over 40 years, is seeking a motivated graduate to join their team as an Accounts / Audit Assistant. While prior auditing experience is not essential, any exposure to auditing or completion of Articles would be advantageous.

As a graduate, you will gain valuable experience and develop your skills in the following areas:

• Processing cash books and bank reconciliations
• Handling receipts & payments and petty cash
• Assisting with sales invoicing and debtors accounts
• Supporting purchases & expenses transactions and creditors accounts
• Recording general journal entries and understanding payroll records
• Assisting in populating the general ledger
• Extracting trial balances
• Supporting the preparation of income statements and statements of financial position
• Understanding internal controls and basic business practices
• Gaining confidence in managing client relationships and assisting with tasks such as stocktaking, recording and counting petty cash, physically inspecting assets, and helping to draft financial statements
• Developing an understanding of trial balances and age analyses for debtors and creditors, as well as bank reconciliations
• A basic understanding of personal and company taxes would be beneficial

• Bachelor Degree in Finance or Accounting
• 3 years of accounting experience preferable but not essential
• Academic background in accounting with practical experience in processing transactions and extracting to at least trial balance stage.
• Ability or experience in drafting income statements and statements of financial position (considered advantageous).
• Understanding of double-entry bookkeeping and experience in reconciling bank balances, creditors, and debtors statements.
• Knowledge of financial reporting periods, journal entries, payroll, and fixed asset registers.
• Strong numerical ability and attention to detail.
• Good command of the English language (verbal and written).
• Computer literate and digitally-savvy, proficient in MS Office (Excel and Word).
• Integrity and emotional intelligence (EQ).
• Good sense of humour.
• Curious self-starter, eager to learn and grow.
• Experience with accounting packages such as Pastel, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Evolution (desirable).
• Experience with management reporting tools like Caseware and Auditmate (advantageous).
• Pride in your work, ensuring integrity and responsibility.
• Ability to deliver effective, understandable work that can be backed up with solid reasoning.
• Focus on accuracy and attention to detail.
• Good health (no moonlighting or other business interests).
• Team player, accountable for actions.
• Planning, meticulous preparation, and follow-through.
• Ability to work in a time-driven environment (work is tracked in timesheets).
• Willingness to work beyond normal hours when necessary.
• Ability to prioritise and deliver high-quality work with accuracy.
• Precise in filing both hard copy and digital materials.
• Experience with Payroll EMP201 returns, VAT returns, Income Tax, and e-Filing.
• Understanding of audit trails and portfolio of evidence.
• Primarily based in-office, with occasional client site visits (not remote/virtual).
• Must live within 15km of Rosebank or Sandton.
• Must have a driver's license and ideally own a car.
• Must have own laptop (although not used for work).

• Career development opportunities.
• Exposure to a wide range of clients and industries.
• Access to industry-standard tools and software to enhance your skills.
• Positive work culture, fostering integrity, responsibility, and personal growth.
• Support for continuing education and certification in accounting or related fields.
• Collaborative environment.
• Workplace flexibility, with occasional site visits and in-office work.