General Questions
Currently under the SAQA qualification “Government Auditor” NQF Level 8, no candidate should be accepted in the GASP training without first registering as a member of SAIGA. However, once the QCTO occupational qualification “Public Sector Auditor” is registered by SAQA and be offered, any person meeting entrance requirement can enroll for the GASP training. The only difference will be that no candidate will be allowed to write the SAIGA Board exams en route to be awarded the Registered Government Auditor (RGA) designation if they are not members of SAIGA.
The following has to accompany the application (scanned in PDF format) and be sent to admin@saiga.co.za
- A GASP Application Form (all required information filled in).
- A completed GASP Checklist.
- Certified copies of the subject lists (official documents issued by the tertiary institution).
- If the name on the degree certificate or subject lists is not the name of the candidate, a copy of the candidate’s ID Document is required. Due to changes in the name after marriage, a certified copy of the marriage certificate, or a letter from the Department of Home Affairs in a case where names where amended not for marriage purposes.
The cost of doing the GASP training changes on an annual basis. There is also a cost to related to training, while examination fees are charged differently. For examination fees, please email admin@saiga.co.za, while for training you may contact the Public Sector Training Academy by emailing admin@saiga.co.za
You are either not registered or you used an incorrect username or password.
Candidates are required to meet the following entry criteria prior to being registered into the GASP training:
- Commerce Degree or equivalent qualification at NQF level 7 (previously NQF6) obtained from a tertiary institution registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa.
- The following knowledge fields are required as courses in the undergraduate degree/advanced diploma:
- Financial Accounting (at final year undergraduate level).
- Management Accounting/Financial Management
- Taxation
- Commercial/Corporate Law
There are nine (9) modules in the GASP training, and they are as follows:
- Regulatory Framework
- Ethics and Governance
- Modified Cash Standard
- GRAP/IFRS
- Audit Theory and Standards
- ICT Audit
- Auditing of Performance Information
- Forensic Auditing
- Applied Practical Auditing
For detailed information on the duration and activities to complete in becoming an RGA please visit here.
RGA is a professional designation registered with SAQA, there are no NQF Levels assigned to professional designations. However, RGA is underpinned by an NQF Level 8 qualification “Certificate Government Auditor”.
SAIGA has a variety of membership types and levels. Click here to view all membership classes and the entry requirements. Trainee auditor membership may be granted if such person fulfils the following requirements:
- has applied on the prescribed form to be registered as Trainee Auditor;
- has paid the prescribed fees and subscriptions as determined by the Executive Committee;
- has stated, in writing, his intention to become a full member of the Institute and to educate himself and study towards mastering the common body of knowledge and skills generally required of government auditors or described in the syllabus published by the Institute.
Continuing professional development (CPD) is defined as the processes by which professionals maintain, develop and expand their knowledge, skills and attitudes with specific reference to their fields of expertise. CPD are learning activities that maintain and develop capabilities to enable the Registered Government Auditor (RGA) to perform competently within his/her professional environment and to contribute towards the development of the profession and the service to the public interest. For more information click here
SAIGA recognises RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning ) as a process by which candidates who had gained skills and knowledge through informal and non-formal or experiential learning that can be assessed, recognised and awarded credits for such learning, if it meets the requirements for entering the SAIGA pathway to obtain the RGA professional designation.
Requirement for RPL assessment:
- Membership of SAIGA;
- A minimum of three years practical experience in public sector auditing within the public sector;
- Proof of experience in the eleven GAE experience bands as stipulated in COBOKS; and
- Completed and signed-off of the GATE Record by applicant’s superior.
The Southern African Journal of Accountability and Accounting Research (SAJAAR) is the official scientific research journal of the Southern African Institute of Government Auditors (SAIGA). SAJAAR is published on an annual basis by SAIGA.
Questions about the compulsory Ethics Course and QCTO
The ethics concept is generic, however, the SAIGA compulsory ethics course was specifically designed for the public sector accounting and audit professionals. The course comprises of case studies and trends that are related to the public sector. Therefore, the SAIGA course is not similar to the one offered by other employers in the public sector.
The members of SAIGA are responsible for the payment of the ethics course.
Members are required to do the ethics on an annual basis as a CPD requirement. Therefore, the cost of the training will also apply on an annual basis.
The qualification brings in new curriculum. Also, it introduces new way of conducting assessments. The qualification will be offered to new candidates who are entering the public sector audit profession.
The current RGA designation holders who only have the RGA and have not previously passed the GASP exam, if interested in obtaining the qualification, they must pay for the exams. The new QCTO qualification will replace the current GASP qualification, and not the RGA QE exams. There are some RGA designation holders who obtained their RGAs through a Grandfathering approach, which did not include the writing of exams. Therefore, those people if they want the qualification, they must write the new exams and pay for them.
The NQF level is similar to the GASP qualification. It is on an NQF Level 8.
NQF Level 7 qualification with Accounting and Auditing.
The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is encouraged and the SAIGA RPL policy will apply when granting RPL applications.