Becoming a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) typically takes seven or more years, following the traditional route of a bachelor’s and honors degree in accounting, along with three years of relevant work experience. However, Dillen Breitenbach CA(SA) defied the odds. He earned his CA designation in just five years! How did he do it?
In this edition of Calculated Conversations, I sat down with Dillen to uncover the secrets behind his fast-tracked success, his top advice for aspiring CAs, and how you can achieve this too.
Here’s our conversation:
1. Becoming a CA(SA) in 5 years is impressive! what was your strategy, and what advice would you give to aspiring CAs?
- Strategy: Instead of focusing on the large amount of content to cover, I focused on understanding the why behind each topic to understand the how of each topic.
- Advice: Change your mindset from chasing the designation for the perfect job or opportunity to one of wanting to be a CA(SA).
2. With your extensive experience in audit engagements, what are the most common pitfalls businesses face during audits, and how can they avoid them?
Based on my five years in audit, the three biggest pitfalls are:
- Lack of preparation – An audit will always bring questions like Why this? or How that? By preparing the why and how during the year, your year-end audit will go much smoother.
- Lack of communication – The finance team and the audit team often have separate expectations and timelines. By efficiently communicating capacity and expectations at the start, both teams can align better.
- Lack of goal setting – Most audits drag on because clear and reachable deadlines are not set. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
3. You founded Accounting Warriors to help aspiring CAs not just qualify but truly become professionals in the field. What gaps in traditional accounting education inspired you to start this initiative?
Big education providers focus on certificates and getting students through at the end of the year. This bulk education strategy results in rushing through topics to meet course deadlines instead of building competence through confidence.
Many aspiring CA(SA)s fail not because of a lack of intelligence but because they lack confidence in their abilities. This is created by the tight qualification process, such as passing PGDA in one year.
4. How do you see the role of mentorship evolving in the accounting industry, especially for young professionals entering the field?
Mentorship is an important tool that I recommend for every accountant. Having a mentor—someone who has done what you wish to do—helps you clarify your vision and learn from the detours they took!
The key, however, is responsible mentorship. Too many initiatives focus on providing mentorship, but the mentors themselves are not empowered to do so. A mentor should play a guiding role, whereas modern-day mentorship is often mostly governed by the mentees.
5. What are some underrated skills that CAs should develop beyond technical accounting knowledge?
- Compassionate leadership – The CA(SA) journey often hardens us and puts us in a “man up” mindset. However, what the designation fails to teach is how to connect with peers and junior staff in a meaningful way that enhances collaboration.
- Networking – Too often, people become CAs because they were shy at school, and this carries over into their articles when networking opportunities arise. Most CAs opt out. Unfortunately, in the field of finance, trust is essential, and networking plays a big role in building that trust.
- Decisiveness – As a CA(SA), you will face many professional decisions, and you need to be able to choose one, stick to it, and defend it. When things go wrong, you must pick a solution and commit to it. Don’t wait for the decision to be right—make the decision right.
6. With the rise of AI and automation in finance, how do you see the future of auditing and accounting changing?
I see accountants’ roles shifting from being the doers to the thinkers. As much as AI can and will do, at the end of the day, a certificate or audit of that AI’s work will still be needed for reliance.
7. You’ve worked extensively with CaseWare, Sage, Xero, and other accounting software. How should firms approach digital transformation in their finance functions?
The most important thing when employing software is continuous improvement. Too many businesses buy version one and stick to it, leading to:
- Accumulation of future implementation costs
- Loss of valuable business insights
Furthermore, proper education on programs is needed to ensure effective usage of the software employed!
Key Takeaways from Dillen’s Journey:
Throughout this conversation, it became clear that becoming a CA(SA) is as much about mindset as it is about skill. By committing to hard work, self-belief, and mastering leadership, networking, and decisiveness—while continuously building technical expertise—you can set yourself up for success in the accounting world.
Building the Right Mentorship & Career Strategy
Beyond that, finding the right mentor is crucial. Someone who guides rather than being guided by their mentees. As Dillen highlighted, even as AI advances in auditing, accountants will remain essential to audit AI’s work and leverage critical thinking skills, making adaptability and strategic thinking more important than ever.
Accelerate Your CA(SA) Journey with Accounting Warriors
If you’re serious about accelerating your CA(SA) journey, I highly recommend Dillen Breitenbach CA(SA)’s Accounting Warriors initiative. He has proven, through action, that he knows exactly what it takes to succeed as a Chartered Accountant. Learn more here: www.accountingwarriors.com.
A huge thank you to Dillen Breitenbach CA(SA) for sharing his insight!
Final Question for Aspiring CAs:
In a world where AI and automation are rapidly evolving, how do you think the future CA(SA) should position themselves? Not just to stay relevant, but to redefine and lead the profession forward?
