Sage has confirmed that eight South African universities include the Sage Business Cloud Accounting and Payroll solutions in their curriculums for students studying commerce, information systems and HR degrees.
Today, there are more than 14 000 students across 25 South African tertiary institutions using Sage HR and accounting platforms – including Sage Business Cloud solutions, Sage Pastel Partner, and Sage Evolution 200.
Annually, about 2 300 students learn to use Sage Business Cloud Accounting and Payroll solutions. Most universities that adopted the cloud solution as early as 2016 are now using customised manuals to suit their curriculum.
Around 35% of the universities in South Africa are using Sage Business Cloud Accounting. Sage is partnering with institutions that have not yet transitioned to Sage Business Cloud to shift to cloud platforms as they refresh their curriculums.
“Sage is passionate about developing the potential of young South African professionals, growing digital skills and equipping young accountants, human resource and payroll practitioners and IT pros with skills in the latest cloud technology,” says Pieter Bensch, executive vice-president of Sage Africa & Middle East.
“We have well-established relationships that stretch back many years with commerce and computer science departments at most major South African universities. For the past five years, we have pioneered the use of cloud-based accounting, payroll and HR software in tertiary education in South Africa, to help prepare the next generation of professionals for a world of work where Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions are already in use.”
Aarthi Algu, lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), says: “We have worked with Sage for four years to offer our students access to the latest accounting software. In this time, Sage has been a valuable partner, delivering software that remains ahead of the latest trends in accountancy and helping 650 students annually to develop the digital skills they need for the workplace of the future.”
The University of Fort Hare kicked off its Sage software journey in 2019 with a small pilot group of students which showcased the practical aspects of the theory learned in textbooks.
Chuma Mjali, lecturer and deputy head of accounting at the University of Fort Hare, says Sage provided the necessary support that included training to university staff to facilitate the successful implementation of the cloud solutions.
“The knowledge and competence of the instructor sent to East London encapsulated many of our employees and got them excited about the cloud software; it takes a lot to impress accountants. Once the training was complete, the continued support from Sage towards ensuring a seamless delivery was nothing short of excellent.”
Mjali adds: “Benefits of the Sage cloud curriculum include its user-friendliness and the ability to translate theoretical aspects covered in class into real-world entries captured on the Sage platform.
“Sage has facilitated the integration of topics covered across different subjects, such as integrating accounting and tax, and students have responded positively to the software as it felt more real to them. We can only thank Sage for making our implementation as seamless as possible and for being part of the journey of producing well-rounded students.”