Students in 60 seconds – Sakala and Katumbi

John Sakala, accountant at Stancom Tobacco Services in Zambia, explains how his studies have helped him move up the career ladder

When at school, Professional Scheme student John Sakala thought his career would be in agriculture or science. But on the advice of his brother-in-law, he reconsidered and instead turned to accountancy. He started by enrolling on the National Accounting Technician Programme, run by the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants, taking only two years to complete the programme. John became an affiliate of the Institute in 2003, and started his ACCA studies in April 2003.

John’s first job was as a tobacco buyer for Dimon-Zambia, a tobacco financing and marketing company. He then joined the National Pension Scheme Authority on a six month contract as an accounting officer, before moving to Clark Cotton as an accounts clerk, where he worked for two years and six months. He was appointed junior accountant at Stancom Tobacco Services in February this year, and is continuing his ACCA studies with the support and encouragement of his employer.

The new job is a definite step up the career ladder. ‘My new role is more managerial than my previous positions,’ John explains. ‘My responsibilities include the preparation of the weekly cash flow forecast for tobacco purchases, ensuring the safe custody of cash used to pay farmers, processing weekly reports for the Tobacco Board of Zambia, and supervising administration and IT staff.’

John is sure that his ACCA studies helped him get his new job: ‘ACCA really is a passport to any job within the finance profession. My studies give me a maturity and an awareness of international issues, which I discovered the other applicants did not have. ACCA also enjoys excellent publicity in Zambia, and as a result employers value the qualification highly, and have great confidence in the ability of ACCA students and members. I still find it surprising that I have managed to get where I am today by having the courage to study and work hard.’

Chabinga Katumbi

ACCA student Chabinga Katumbi tells Student Accountant about his career as a hospital accountant at Mwandi Mission Hospital in Zambia

Chabinga Katumbi is a career change accountant. He first worked as a research assistant in a marketing department, and even completed a diploma course in marketing. However, finding that his new career did not live up to his expectations, Chabinga decided to study accounting instead: ‘I started with a course called National Accounting Technician (Natech), which provided a solid foundation in accountancy skills. But my ultimate goal, as it is for all accountants here in Zambia, was to study for the ACCA qualification.

‘The Natech Diploma got me my first job as an assistant accounting officer with Kazungula District Health Board, a Government Department. I worked there for over a year before moving on to my present position as hospital accountant with Mwandi Mission Hospital, where I have been for nearly a year. The hospital is run by the United Church of Zambia in partnership with the Presbyterian Church of the US and the Zambian Government. It serves a rural community of around 25,000 people, providing health services at a reduced cost.

‘I manage the accounts department. My role is to account for the funds that the hospital receives, guide hospital management on how to spend funds, and also guard our fixed assets and monitor and control our stocks, especially our stocks of drugs. I also prepare monthly management accounts, quarterly accounts and final accounts, which are audited externally. My employer supports me in my studies, and provides leave at exam time.

‘ACCA had a big part to play in my getting this job. When an employer sees ACCA on a CV, they are confident that they are employing the right candidate. I also know that the fact I was studying for my Part 2 exams gave me a competitive edge over the other candidates for the job. I have never regretted studying for ACCA, and I know that it will serve me well throughout my career.’