MTN’s TOPP program bears fruit

Training Outside of Public Practice (TOPP), MTN’s alternative training programme for accounting trainees, has begun to bear fruit after one of its candidates passed a series of board exams to qualify as a CA (SA).

The TOPP programme was launched in 2007 and offers a three year rotational system of training that enables trainees to experience a good overview of the entire organization. The programme offers individuals the opportunity to fast-track their careers as CAs as they are able to train within the commercial environment in which they wish to specialize.

Hema Pranjivan has become the first candidates to complete all her academic requirements to be a fully qualified CA (SA) after passing Board 1 and 2.

Says Pranjivan: “The programme has provided me with the opportunity to follow my dream of qualifying in one of SA’s most prestigious fields. I have been engulfed in the can-do mentality of MTN and that has really motivated me to attain the required academic results in my board exams. It hasn’t just provided me with the necessary practical experience, but also with mentorship and individual development. I feel privileged to have been chosen to be part of the programme.”

Zunaid Bulbulia, Chief Financial Officer at MTN SA, adds: “The ‘war for talent’ is increasingly fierce and global. In order to remain an employer of choice, MTN South Africa needs to provide those individuals with scarce qualifications with an opportunity to grow – this is exactly what MTN’s CA (SA) programme provides B.Comm Accounting and B.Compt graduates.

“By completing your accounting qualification with MTN, candidates will not only receive valuable experience to all aspects of the MTN business, which results in a well balanced and practical view of commerce, but also exposure to various career paths and growth opportunities,” says Bulbulia.

As a multinational company, MTN’s CA (SA) programme exposes candidates to operations in different countries, tax regimes, currencies, and legal environments.

“The programme currently has six candidates and MTN continues to attract new talent every year. The hope is that one day the programme will provide MTN with executives that have an excellent holistic understanding of the business (financial, operationally and culturally) and that that will be able to lead the company forward to greater heights – perhaps even as CFO or CEO,” concludes Zunaid.