RSM South Africa

Assurance updates

The Brydon Report - Assess, assure and inform

25 February 2020
Henk Heymans
The title of this article is the tagline of the final report by Sir Donald Brydon that was published in December 2019.
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The duties and responsibilities of an audit committee

14 November 2018
Companies may choose to appoint an audit committee as part of a good corporate governance strategy, or they may be required to do so in terms of legislation or other requirements.
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Getting the most from audit readiness

2 November 2018
In preparation for an audit some groundwork can be done to aid both the audit team and client staff, which could result in saved time and costs.
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The secret to growth for SMEs may be found in an audit

4 October 2018
An audit is an inspection of your business accounts, including accounting systems documents and invoices. The goal of an audit is to determine if the financial statements are representing an accurate view of the company.
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Management can improve audit quality

27 September 2018
Henk Heymans
If the saying that “any publicity is good publicity” were true, auditors would have come very close to celebrity status lately.  After recent events like state capture, the SARS report, VBS Bank, Steinhoff, etc.
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Reducing the cost of an audit

21 September 2018
The annual audit is never an event that our clients look forward to. It can be time consuming for the client and, of course, quite costly. The Companies Act introduced a “lighter” alternative to the audit in the form of the independent review, however many clients, understandably, are seeking ways to reduce the costs.
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The key to a successful audit

10 July 2018
Planning is one of the most important parts of the audit process and proper planning will ensure that the audit is executed and conducted properly. The audit process includes the following.
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The value added by external auditing

18 April 2018
An external audit provides reasonable (but not absolute) assurance that the financial statements of the entity being audited are free from material misstatement. However, external auditing is often seen as costly and of no practical value to businesses. This is particularly prevalent in small to medium-sized businesses.
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Auditors' responsibilities in relation to groups

19 February 2018
Henk Heymans
There are many legal, and practical, reasons why companies may be structured in groups, branches, etc. as opposed to just one reporting unit. 
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Estimates and uncertainties in financial statements

14 August 2017
Users of financial statements are often surprised at the extent of estimation involved in the preparation of financial statements.  One would think that accounting is more of an art than a science and that the world of reporting consisted of measurables – prices, percentages, debits, credits, etc.   Sadly, that is not the case anymore.  As business has become more
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New accounting and audit requirements for Bodies Corporate

21 July 2017
Previously, only Sectional Title Schemes with ten or more units were required to have their annual financial statements audited.
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NOCLAR - Not just for auditors

12 July 2017
Henk Heymans
Auditors, especially in South Africa with its “Reportable irregularities” requirements, are painfully aware of their duties to report irregularities. These duties are well defined in the Auditing Professions Act, International Standards on Auditing, etc.
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Mandatory Audit Firm Rotation

3 March 2017
Henk Heymans
Independence is the cornerstone of the auditing profession.  Independence is just another, slightly stronger, word for objectivity. If an auditor is to add any value to the client, investors, lenders, the economy or even the world, he/she must be objective, or “independent” of the information and the entity being audited.
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The effect of the new Auditor's Report on smaller entities

14 March 2016
Henk Heymans
The new auditor reporting requirements are not just going to affect the audits of listed entities. This article highlights some of the considerations for smaller entities in terms of the requirements applicable to all entities and those that may be applied on a voluntary basis.
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Companies Act – business’ best friend or worst enemy?

15 October 2015
Henk Heymans
So many articles have been written on the Companies Act, 2008 starting years before its implementation in May 2011, and still continuing up to this day.  When our clients read these articles or consult with us on the “new” Act we are often asked what the purpose of all of this is and where all of this regulation is going. 
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Ratification of Loans and financial assistance granted under Section 45 of the Companies Act No 71 of 2008

25 September 2015
Let’s start by looking at the provision of Section 45, as to who the section applies to. Section 45 of the Companies Act No 71 of 2008 applies to direct or indirect assistance to:
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Review or Audit - The differences explained

25 September 2015
Henk Heymans
Before 2008, all companies had to be audited – irrespective of size, shareholding, etc. The new (or actually not so new anymore) Companies Act 2008 is more flexible.
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Financial assistance to group companies

25 September 2015
Henk Heymans
The new Companies Act, 2008 has introduced a few principles that are aimed at preventing abuse of corporate structures to the disadvantage of others.
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Review or Audit - Alternative assurance levels

25 September 2015
Henk Heymans
The Companies Act 2008 brought at least two alternatives to the traditional audit: Firstly, some smaller companies have no requirement at all, leaving shareholders with the ability to choose their own level of assurance, if any. For others, the concept of an “independent review” of the financial statements has been introduced.
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Effect of the Companies Act on the auditors report

25 September 2015
Andrew Young
In South Africa, auditors are required to issue audit reports in line with International Standards of Auditing (ISA) and International Standards on Review Engagements (ISRE) ensuring uniform application of assurance service reporting across the world.
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Audit and the new Companies Act

25 September 2015
Michael Steenkamp
With the implementation of the new Companies Act, many questions have been raised regarding the new audit requirements that were mandatory in the 1973 Companies Act. Here are some of the questions raised regarding the new Companies Act as well as answers to these questions. Hopefully this will shed some light on what is now required.
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King III and the SME

25 September 2015
In contrast to King I and II codes, King III effective from 1 March 2010 applies to all entities regardless of the manner and form of incorporation or establishment and whether in the public, private or non-profit sectors.  The principles have been drafted so that every entity can apply them and, in doing so, achieve good governance.  In South Africa all companies
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Sustainability Reporting – Is This Relevant to Small and Medium Enterprises (“SME’s”)

25 September 2015
John Jones
Sustainability Reporting is defined in the Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (“GRI Guidelines”) as “… the practice of measuring, disclosing and being accountable to internal and external stakeholders for organisational performance towards the goal of sustainable development”.
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Companies Act 2008 - Summary of transitional arrangement

25 September 2015
The Companies Act 71 of 2008 (the Act) was signed into law on 8 April 2011 and its commencement date was 1 May 2011. The Companies Act 61 of 1973 (the previous Act) was repealed on 1 May 2011. Schedule 5 of the Act sets out the transitional arrangements, which are summarised as follows. Pre-existing companies
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What your audit report means

10 September 2015
Eckard Bergh
Financial statements are prepared annually for the purpose of review and decision making by the intended users. It’s therefore imperative that the information presented in a set of financials be as fairly stated as possible.
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