Junior Accountant (CPT)

DataFin; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 250 000 - 350 000; Full time

Job summary

A reputable Financial Services provider seeks a Junior Accountant in Cape Town. The candidate will maintain financial records, assist with month-end and year-end processes, and ensure compliance with IFRS. Essential qualifications include Grade 12 and a BCom Accounting degree, alongside 1-2 years post-articles experience in Financial Services. Proficiency in Sage X3 and MS Excel is required, along with an analytical mindset and attention to detail.

Qualifications

• 1-2 years’ post-articles experience in Financial Services.
• Knowledge of turnover VAT and specific calculations.
• Completed SAICA/SAIPA Articles.
• Strong understanding of IFRS and insurance accounting principles.

Responsibilities

• Post and maintain accurate journal entries in the General Ledger.
• Assist in reconciling bank accounts and policyholder accounts.
• Prepare variance analysis reports comparing actual vs budget.
• Compile audit packs and respond to Auditor queries.

Skills

Analytical mindset

Attention to detail

Proficient in Excel

Excellent communication skills

Education

Grade 12 or similar qualification

BCom Accounting or equivalent qualification

Tools

Sage X3

Pastel

MS Office

Job description

ENVIRONMENT

AN energetic & self-driven Junior Accountant is wanted to join the Finance team of a reputable Financial Services provider. You will help maintain accurate financial records, assist with month-end and year-end processes, and ensure compliance with IFRS and insurance regulatory requirements. This role is critical in supporting the preparation of financial reports for a funeral insurance business, ensuring accuracy and timeliness. Applicants must have Grade 12/Matric, a BCom Accounting or equivalent qualification, 1-2 years’ post-articles experience in Financial Services with completed SAICA/SAIPA Articles (signed off). You also need a strong understanding of IFRS and basic insurance accounting principles and have proficiency in accounting software (e.g., Sage X3, Pastel) and MS Excel (pivot tables, lookups, basic dashboards).

DUTIES

Core Accounting Duties -

• Post and maintain accurate journal entries in the General Ledger.
• Assist in reconciling bank accounts, policyholder accounts, and suspense accounts.
• Prepare supporting schedules for financial statements.
• Assist in the preparation of management accounts and statutory reports.

Regulatory & Compliance -

• Support the preparation of VAT, tax returns, and regulatory submissions (e.g., FSCA, SARS).
• Ensure compliance with IFRS and insurance-specific accounting standards.

Insurance-Specific Duties -

• Assist with premium income reconciliations and claims expense analysis.
• Assist with preparing working papers for IFRS 17 reporting.

Analytical Reporting -

• Prepare variance analysis reports comparing actual vs. budget and prior periods.
• Assist in producing profitability and claims ratio reports for management.
• Support the development of dashboards and trend analysis for decision-making.
• Provide insights on expense drivers and revenue performance for funeral insurance products.

Audit Support -

• Compile audit packs and respond to Auditor queries under supervision.

Premium Administration Duties:

Premium Allocation -

• Downloading of payments/rejections files from various platforms.
• Upload to ELIMS.

Cut-Off Dates -

• Ensure SASSA collections dates have been submitted in time to ensure successful collection percentage is reached and maintained as required.

Handle Queries -

• Amendment processes where system fails.
• E-mails/Calls received from various departments and branches and collection companies.
• Communicate with Stratcol, Qlink and other outsourced partners.
• Recon of transactions from Qlink and Stratcol and ensure they are on ELIMS premium file and rejections extracts.

Reports -

• Various result reports received from collection companies to be investigated.

REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications –

• Grade 12 or similar qualification is essential.
• BCom Accounting or equivalent qualification.

Experience/Skills -

• 1-2 Years’ post-articles experience in Financial Services (Insurance experience advantageous).
• Knowledge of turnover VAT and specific calculations.
• Completed SAICA/SAIPA Articles (signed off).
• Exposure to IFRS16 & 17 preferable.
• Experience with MS Office, Excel, Word and Outlook are required.
• Strong understanding of IFRS and basic insurance accounting principles.
• Proficiency in accounting software (e.g., Sage X3, Pastel) and MS Excel (pivot tables, lookups, basic dashboards).

Advantageous –

• Exposure to Sage X3.
• Additional Language(s).

ATTRIBUTES

• Analytical mindset with attention to detail.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Can use own initiative and be proactive.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.