The view from Wandipa Gombalume ACCA

I completed my degree at Botswana Accountancy College and then began working at PwC Botswana, starting as a trainee accountant and moving up to associate.  Next I took the opportunity to join Wilderness Safaris. Founded in Botswana in 1983, Wilderness now operates in several African countries including Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Namibia. I loved the idea of working in tourism and hospitality, a sector that is a significant contributor to my country’s economy. Boosting wildlife and the Okavango delta, one of the world’s unique ecosystems, is a matter of personal as well as national pride.

I was inspired to become an accountant during my time at university. On an internship at PwC I started learning more about what chartered accountants are, the role they fulfil and why more are needed in Botswana. Because professionally qualified accountants are a scarce resource in my country, I decided to pursue the ACCA Qualification after completing my degree.

My aim is to be a well-rounded and experienced chartered accountant. I joined the corporate sector because I believed the experience would sharpen my accounting skills and bridge the gap between the technical expertise I attained in audit and the practical knowledge to be gained in industry.

As everyone knows, the safari industry has been hit very hard by Covid-19. It remains highly sensitive to any changes globally, such as new variants. However, we remain hopeful as travel restrictions are now easing and the number of vaccinated people is reaching a good level.

Although we were adversely affected as a business, our organisation has been at the forefront of providing accessibility of vaccines to remote areas. We also supported the communities around our safari camps with donations of food hampers during these difficult times. We await the day where we will be openly receiving tourists from all over the world again.

I hope to own my own firm in the future, one that brings business solutions to different enterprises and gives employment to numbers of people. We currently have high unemployment rates in the continent, but there is a rise of start-ups by our youth who are full of entrepreneurial enthusiasm.

If I had law-making powers, I would change the current education syllabus to reflect the actual needs of our society. It would focus on improved agricultural systems that are intertwined with the latest technological advancements, robotics and programming.

What I find exciting about my job is learning about our value chain. I like to see how each part of the chain works, from warehouse, logistics and suppliers right up to corporate and financial reporting. I enjoy seeing how we add value to our guests and stakeholders.

My biggest achievement is completing my exams through self-study in just over a year, while still working full time in external audit. My qualification has given me numerous opportunities, as well as providing the opportunity to mentor aspiring accountants. At university, I had only limited knowledge about the profession and struggled to find support, so a friend and I came up with the idea of virtual mentorship, using Facebook and Instagram to mentor accounting students from all over Botswana.

Accounting exams are challenging and we wanted to give students strategies for successful study and exam success. We cover exam techniques, interview preparation, career advice and why they should choose the ACCA path. We also profile accountants to share their success stories. Study can be financially and emotionally draining, and we want them to know they are not alone.

If I wasn’t an accountant, I’d be a lawyer. It seems an exciting job, especially when it comes to helping those in need.

My hobby is mentoring young women and aspiring accountants. I believe we all have a role in giving back to our society.