BDO WAVE ACCA Trainee Accountant

Overview

The ACCA Accountant Traineeship is a 3‑year training contract whereby you will gain the relevant experience in order to register as a Chartered Certified Accountant with ACCA. The Trainee Accountant vacancies are for 2026 where first‑year trainees will start their training contract within the BDO Wave Audit division based in Cape Town. The training contract will ensure that you obtain the support to write the strategic level exams and achieve the competencies required to register with ACCA.

You will be equipped with generalist expertise and experience in a broad range of commercial sectors. As a BDO Wave Audit professional, you’ll work in a fast‑paced environment and help BDO Wave to deliver exceptional client service.

• Exam and tuition costs covered by BDO Wave for the first attempt of your ACCA Strategic Level exams
• Lecture preparation with an approved Learning Service Provider covered by BDO Wave
• Paid study leave

• ACCA accredited degree from an approved university with auditing as one of the major subjects, preferably completed 2024 or 2025

• Keen willingness to learn and bring energy and aspiration to the audit team
• Ability to handle and manage stress
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and work well under pressure
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken
• Excellent communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills for internal and external stakeholder relationship management
• Flexible in terms of working hours when required
• Project management skills
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality
• Team player
• Demonstrate a commitment to self‑development and growth
• Ability to work within diverse teams
• Strong organisational ability

• Assist in the delivery of audits from planning through to completion, gaining exposure to the full audit cycle
• Support planning activities by preparing audit planning documents, creating system notes, and contributing to risk assessments
• During execution, perform audit procedures across financial statement areas such as payroll, cash and bank, revenue, cost of sales, expenses, and property, plant and equipment (PPE)
• Evaluate evidence to assess whether there is a risk of material misstatement within financial data and document findings clearly
• Escalate issues identified to senior team members and assist in resolving queries
• Contribute to completion procedures, including final analytical reviews, clearing outstanding queries, preparing completion checklists, and assisting in drafting audit reports
• Develop professional judgement by linking audit findings to business risks and industry context

• Complete monthly feedback forms by requesting input from managers on work performed during audit engagements
• Track and update monthly skills reviews within the Learning & Training System (LTS) to monitor competencies obtained, supporting sign‑off at the end of the training contract
• Prepare and deliver presentations, and actively participate in team presentations to build professional communication skills