The Road to CA Podcast
Alunga Madala
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The Road to CA Podcast explores the personal and professional journey of becoming a Chartered Accountant in South Africa. It looks beyond the final CA(SA) designation to examine the challenges, stories, passion, and perspectives that shape aspiring accountants. Through conversations and reflections, the show highlights how the path transforms people and connects a wider community. It offers inspiring accounts and practical insight into the long climb toward qualifying as a CA(SA).
Episodes
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Becoming a CA(SA) in Tech - How to Get Started | Christiaan Coetzee 12.10.2026 1h 8mIn today’s episode, we are joined by Christian Coetzee, CA(SA) SAICA Top35u35 Overall Winner in 2024 and founder of The Audit Toolbar.We chat about how an entrepreneurial mindset can shape a career in accounting and technology, and why the best solutions start with real problems.We also chat about:How Christian’s early business ventures sparked his entrepreneurial instinct;Why he chose the CA route as a way to understand businesses from the inside;How he balanced studying through UNISA with work, tutoring, and other ways of earning an income;How his experience in software and audit led him to build The Audit Toolbar;Why aspiring CAs interested in technology should start by solving a real problem in their own workflow;Why AI shouldn’t be applied to every problem, especially when a process can be handled deterministically;Why auditors won't be replaced by AI any time soon;The dangers of AI used by decision-makers who don’t understand its limitations;Why improving a process can mean questioning whether it should exist before automating it, and more.Enjoy!____________________________________________________Timestamps00:00 - Risk, entrepreneurship, and why business thinking matters more than fear00:43 - Feeling disconnected from the builder inside and why that frustration built up03:22 - Christian’s background and the scale of The Audit Toolbar05:14 - The AI assistant that screens his calls and what it can actually do06:59 - Why he chose the CA route despite always wanting to build07:30 - The Oreo-and-ice-cream business that became his first real entrepreneurship lesson10:59 - Choosing CA as a path to understand business from the inside13:09 - Starting articles straight after matric and surviving financially16:00 - Why UNISA made the journey possible for him17:26 - Moving from qualification into software and CaseWare work21:41 - The audit frustration that sparked The Audit Toolbar idea23:27 - The pressure that pushed him from floating to finally building25:31 - Fatherhood, identity, and why urgency changed everything28:47 - Why side hustles can delay the leap if they don’t match your real vision32:29 - Building self-trust through small commitments and consistency36:11 - How aspiring CAs should build tech skills by solving real problems42:26 - The 15-minute rule for Google-first problem solving44:49 - Why engineers should ask whether a process should exist at all46:41 - What AI may replace in accounting and what it likely will not50:39 - The biggest AI risk is not replacement, but ignorant decision-making52:03 - Why auditors are paid for judgment and accountability55:31 - Where AI may help most in audit workflows and review layers57:57 - The true cost of AI and why hype hides the real economics62:24 - Why process optimization should start with deleting, not automating____________________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
How Big Four Articles Builds Your People Skills | Rudi Witkowsky 20.09.2026 43mIn today’s episode, we are joined by Rudy Witkowski CA(SA), the Half-Week Accountant and fractional CFO.We chat about how your network and ability to meet and deal with other people is your greatest differentiator in your career and in your articles.We also chat about:How choosing a gap year after articles instead of a secondment led to backpacking through Asia and teaching English;Why qualifying as a CA is the starting point, not the destination;How external audit developed his people skills, credibility, communication, and resilience;Why positivity only matters when it is backed by competence, reliability, and consistency;The lessons he learned from competing on Tropica Island of Treasure, including teamwork, communication, mental toughness, and never taking your eyes off the prize;Why turning a passion into a full-time career can sometimes negatively change your relationship with it;How Rudy moved into fractional CFO work and developed the Half-Week Accountant model;Why CAs should focus on the value of their skill instead of simply counting hours;Why delivering work too early can reduce its perceived value and create more pressure;How saying “we” and presenting yourself as part of a team or entity builds trust and credibility;Why you should never say, “I’ve never done that before”;Enjoy!____________________________________________________Timestamps03:15 - How travel and a gap year after articles sparked the freedom bug08:28 - Why CA is a starting point, not the end of the journey09:20 - People skills, positivity, and credibility in audit13:10 - Ethics, competence, and character in professional life14:49 - The Tropica Island of Treasure experience15:57 - Why you should never take your eyes off the prize18:01 - Why your network is your strongest asset20:55 - The pressure of turning a passion into a full-time career23:16 - Why side passions can remain valuable outside your career24:50 - Working smarter, not harder, in finance28:47 - Why CAs should value skill over clock-watching29:52 - Why you should never deliver early just to look fast33:25 - The danger of getting overloaded with extra work34:07 - Why saying “we” builds trust and credibility38:33 - Never say, “I’ve never done that before”39:48 - Learning HubSpot overnight and saying yes to opportunity________________________________________Connect with Rudi on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/rudiwitkowsky/Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
10 Lessons from Q2 of CA Advisory Articles 06.09.2026 1h 2mWe survived busy season and are finally back! Today, we discuss my top 10 lessons from Q2 for your knowledge, wisdom and application:Be patient, never passive (The Sign-off Stack and Optimal Asymmetry career strategies)To be the real deal: show, don't tell but don't show too much (On being brilliant enough, and no more)What's sweet is sweet but short and sweet is even sweeter (On networking with execs)Expectation control is career alchemy (Kant, Phenomenology, & Over-delivering through simply under-promising)You are not what you have, but what you give (On qualities & The Four Agreements)Wherever you are, there you are (On projecting the life you want to live)With people, always guess up, never guess down (On giving the benefit of the doubt in networking)Youth and a notebook is a charming thing (Sun Tzu's wisdom of why there are masters all around us)It's about what you know, who you know, who knows you and what they know you for (The Diary of A CEO's lesson on knowledge, skills, network, social proof, reputation & The Networking Equation)People who forget you seem to owe you (Robert Cialdini's Reciprocity x Dale Carnegie's Remembering names principles)And of course, we chat about more :)Enjoy!P.S. If you want the video version, head over to YouTube here________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
How to Meet Your Mentor | Grant Greef Pt 2 29.06.2026 33mOnce more, we are joined by Grant Greeff - CA(SA), CEO of Paradise Games Bahamas, and one of the most people-obsessed leaders you'll meet.We chat about how you should go about finding a mentor.We also chat about:Why Grant moved his family to the Bahamas and how it was a move towards, not away;The Lekker Network - the "10th province" of SA and how expat South Africans are still building home from abroad;Dollar revenue, rand overhead and the real maths behind working internationally;Compounding, dollar-cost averaging, and diversification as metaphors for career and life, and more.Enjoy!________________________________________Listen to Part 1:SpotifyApple PodcastsYouTube________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
The Waiter Who Became a CEO | Grant Greeff Pt1 22.06.2026 46mWe are joined by Grant Greeff - CA(SA), CEO of Paradise Games Bahamas, former MD at SuperSport Bet, and deeply reflective leader.We chat about his journey from waiting tables to serving in the C suite, and how unconventional roads lead to extraordinary places.We also chat about:How Grant started his CA journey as an academic trainee at UCT - while running his own business;How serving at an event led to him doing Pick and Pay articles;The power of having your story ready and being open to experience;Why your degree is not your portfolio, and how to start building one now;Grant's Career XP formula: Time × Exposure Rate;Respecting the role, not just the person - a lesson from meeting politicians, and more.Enjoy!________________________________________Check out CANDID: https://www.youtube.com/@grantgreeff________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodc -
Don't Be the Best, Be the Only 15.06.2026 31mIn today's solo episode, we explore what it means to explore a singular path to your dreams on the road to CA(SA).We chat about some thoughts and ideas on becoming the best CA only you can be - and why authenticity is differentiation in the market of value creators.We go over:How to get rich (without getting lucky) by Naval RavikantProductive yourself by Naval RavikantMeditations on talent by Kevin Kelly inter alia.Do the Wrong Thing by Alunga MadalaIf by Rudyard KiplingAn ode to the fools by Alunga MadalaEnjoy!
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Do It Because You Love It | Mohamed Ebrahim Tayob Pt2 07.06.2026 45mOnce more, we are joined by Mohamed Ebrahim Tayob - CA(SA), founder and host of the Chat EBT Show, and entrepreneur.We chat about doing what you love :)We also chat about:Why he recently left corporate;The story of how he started his podcast Chat EBT;Steve Jobs’ failure story that led to his being fired from Apple;Why starting is the gift not to the world but to yourself;Starting his fractional IA consultancy, You H8 Admin;His experience working for a US firm remotely;Transferable skills from his podcast work into his other professional work;Businesses stories of failure towards success and more.Enjoy!________________________________________Listen to Part 1:SpotifyApple PodcastsYouTube________________________________________Check out Chat EBT Show________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
What If Articles Were Shorter? | Mohamed Ebrahim Tayob Pt1 01.06.2026 38mToday, we are joined by Mohamed Ebrahim Tayob - CA(SA), founder and host of the Chat EBT Show, and entrepreneur.We chat about his experience with shorter articles through RPL and what it meant for his career.We also chat about:Taking the plunge of being yourself;The power of singular purpose and vision;Why we should zoom out on our careers to contextualise our failures;Why the greatest businesspeople are not the best musicians, but the best conductors;How the CA journey shapes you into a leader, and more.Enjoy!________________________________________Check out Chat EBT Show________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
The Fire of Articles & The Power of Persistence | Oreel Reddy 24.05.2026 47mToday, we are joined by Oreel Reddy, CA(SA), ACMA and CGMA, and Finance & Operations Manager at Avanti Coffee Company.We chat about how persistence, humility and staying in the fire long enough can shape both your career and your character.We also chat about:His unconventional route to becoming a CA(SA) His unconventional route to becoming a CA(SA) through the CIMA-SAICA reciprocal agreement;Self-funding and studying part-time through UNISA;The fire and humility of articles;Why communication and storytelling are becoming critical skills for finance professionals;The difference between understanding numbers and influencing people;Why many aspiring professionals give up a little quicker than they should;His old school’s “brick by brick” initiative and the importance of building legacy within communities;What South Africa can learn from China’s culture of efficiency and innovation, and more.Enjoy!__________________________________________________Check out the MVSS brick initiative__________________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn: Alunga Madala LinkedInFollow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA Podcast LinkedIn -
Why She Never Settled Even Studying Part-time | Amogelang Tia Mawela Pt2 17.05.2026 34mOnce more, we are joined by Amo Tia Mawela, award-winning CA trainee at AGSA and community developer.We chat about how perseverance and never settling for the easy path took her through her part-time postgraduate studies.We also chat about:Her brief explorations in tax articles;Getting a job in estate wealth consulting at a bank during her part-time CTA studies;The non-linear nature of the CA journey but also why it’s definitely not indefinite, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Listen to Part 1:SpotifyApple PodcastsYouTube_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
Finding Yourself Through Failure | Amogelang Tia Mawela Pt1 10.05.2026 31mToday, we are joined by Amo Tia Mawela, award-winning CA trainee at AGSA and community developer.We chat about how she found we find ourselves on our journey through failure.We also chat about:How ambition led her to the accounting degree;The battles of embarrassment when you repeat a year;Self-complexity in your identity and why a hobby will save your life;Her journey of joining NPO Keep That Gold Shining, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
Why You Need Self-Esteem BEFORE Being A CA | Cheryl Crowie 27.04.2026 1h 6mToday, we are joined by Cheryl Crowie, former Chartered Accountant and life coach for professional women.We chat about why chasing the four letters won't help you fix what needs fixing within and how you can start your journey of growth and healing today.We also chat about:The difference between self-esteem and self-confidence;How to manage the dangers of comparison on social media;Why mimetic desire secretly controls us;The role of parenting in self-esteem;How fear-based decisions and limiting beliefs run and ruin your life;Why CA(SA) can only multiply but cannot add, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Check out Cheryl's website here_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
Talent’s Limits on the Road to CA(SA) | Muhammad Ismail Yousuf Pt2 19.04.2026 1h 3mToday, we are joined by Muhammad Ismail Yousuf, CA(SA), Assistant Manager at Harris and Trotter Digital Assets, specializing in audits and advisory services for digital assets, blockchain, and emerging financial technologies, and founder of The Pocket CA.We chat about the limits of talent on the road to CA(SA) and the importance of applying effort turns that into skill.We also chat about:Why discipline is the edge;The scarcity of success in the specifics and abundance in the generals;Turning towards a skills acquisition growth mindset;Personality as a skill;Why sometimes, you need to lose your confidence;AI hallucinations in accounting and how to get around them;His idea of playing the character, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Listen to Part 1:SpotifyApple PodcastsYouTube_________________________________________Get 3 days free of The Pocket CA_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
How to Embrace Uncertainty In Business & Life | Muhammad Ismail Yousuf Pt1 12.04.2026 41mToday, we are joined by Muhammad Ismail Yousuf, CA(SA), Assistant Manager at Harris and Trotter Digital Assets, and founder of The Pocket CA.We chat about how you can understand and navigate periods of uncertainty in business and in life.We also chat about:The 5 levels of thinking;Intelligent failure and how to fail well;Seeing yourself as your main project in life;The power of processing emotions through writing;Why SAICA is the no.1 accounting body in the world;Lessons he learnt from a battle with his health, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Get 3 days free of The Pocket CA_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
10 Lessons From My First Q1 at Work 01.04.2026 45mHere are the top 10 lessons from my first quarter as an articles clerk:Solve hardware problems before software problemsInner change always trumps outer changeYou are handicapped without a plan for the dayDon't be a trainee for too longIf at all possible, don't be greenWorkplace titles are utter nonsense (they're also not)Don't be the dude who died earlyMotivation is underratedThere are things about which you think and things about which you don'tThe world will shape you if you don't shape yourselfEnjoy!_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast
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If You Miss These 3 Habits You Will Fail Your Degree | Tshireletso Malungana Pt2 22.03.2026 53mOnce more, we are joined by Tshireletso Malungana, aspiring CA having passed his CFA lvl 1, Audit senior at EY, videographer and content creator.We chat about 3 simple habits to 10X your academic performance.We also chat about:Some of the funkiest mistakes he has seen marking exam papers;The power of a longer time horizon for relationship building and impact;Newton's laws of motion for more motion in life;How to get more out of your limited hours in your work and studies;Funding his brother's overseas sports trip to Dubai and lessons in capital raising;His saving system to ensure financial security, and more.Enjoy!!_________________________________________Listen to Part 1:SpotifyApple PodcastsYouTube_________________________________________Check out AccSciHQ_________________________________________Check out Tshire's TikTok_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
The Road to CA(SA) Will Show Who You Are | Tshireletso Malungana Pt1 15.03.2026 22mToday, we are joined by Tshirelesto Malungana, aspiring CA having passed his CFA lvl 1, Audit senior at EY, videographer and content creator.We chat about the shifting and shaping of our identities on the long road to CA(SA). We also chat about:What being an academic trainee has taught him about himself;Why you need to stop trying to find your why;Mimetic desire and its effects on our mental well-being, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Check out Tshire's TikTok_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
You Failed APC - Now What? | Christin Thomas Pt2 08.03.2026 44mToday we are joined by Christin Thomas, CA(SA) and founder of APC support programme The Passing Mindset.We chat about her experiences with APC repeat students through her APC support programme The Passing Mindset.We also chat about:The blessing and subtle curse of family for your personal growth;SAICA’s UK committee and her term in its service;The London Article Clerks’ Association’s unfortunate discontinuation;Christin’s lifelong learning philosophy and subsequent weird and wonderful skillset;The tipping point of success on the road to CA(SA) and throughout your career, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Listen to Part 1:SpotifyApple PodcastsYouTube_________________________________________Check out The Passing Mindset_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
Regaining Your Sense of Excellence | Christin Thomas Pt1 01.03.2026 31mToday we are joined by Christin Thomas, CA(SA) and founder of APC support programme The Passing Mindset.We chat about how you can still aspire to be excellent regardless of your rank on the road to CA(SA).We also chat about:How to hack your brain out of nervousness;Her experience working as a CA in the UK;Ways to use your UK euro earning to build wealth in SA;Whether there is or isn’t an end to excellence, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Check out The Passing Mindset_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast -
Bringing Your Passion Back to Your Profession | Nikyle Perumaul 22.02.2026 52mToday, we are joined by Nikyle Perumaul, Trade accountant at Glencore, SAICA trainee trailblazer finalist for 2024 and 2025, Microsoft Excel Championship finalist in 2024 and 2025 and is eligible to register as a CA(SA).We chat about how bring your passions back to the profession is the way to remain relevant in the fast-changing world we live.We also chat about:The power of AQ for career success;What skills AI won’t replace in CAs of the future;How business unites us all, regardless of our background;The importance of innovation;His top lessons from the SAICA awards, and more.Enjoy!_________________________________________Connect with Nikyle on LinkedIn_________________________________________Connect with me on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alunga-madala_________________________________________Follow us on Instagram - @the_rdtocaFollow us on LinkedIn - The Road to CA PodcastSubscribe to our YouTube - @TheRoadtoCAPodcast
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