Towards Digitally Transforming Accounting and Business Processes

This paper explores if the top 100 Johannesburg Securities Exchange (JSE)- listed companies utilise impression management strategies through minimal narrative disclosures in their integrated reports and how this impacts their performance. This paper builds on the paper published in The British Accounting Review Journal by Leung et al. (The British accounting review 47:275–289, 2015) but focuses on South African-listed companies. A quantitative research approach using statistical methods was used to identify minimal narrative disclosure companies and determine if this was associated with a company’s current performance, future performance, or financial distress. This was achieved by using a comprehensive disclosure checklist to identify minimal narrative disclosure companies and a multivariate regression model to determine the related association to performance or financial distress. The paper found that of the sample companies selected, 49% were classified as minimal narrative disclosure companies based on their disclosure scores obtained. The paper further found no association between a company’s current performance, future performance and the minimal narrative disclosure score obtained. In contrast, an inverse association was found between a company’s financial distress level and minimal narrative disclosure score obtained. This paper extends the body of knowledge within a South African context of the use of impression management in integrated reports by JSE-listed companies using a concealment strategy and is beneficial to academics seeking to explore the effect of impression management in the corporate environment.

More firms are choosing to be more forthcoming with their tax information. What could be the reason for this change? This study examines the link between tax transparency reporting in corporate governance and corporate social responsibility reporting (CSR). Previous studies have been focused on tax avoidance and the link between corporate governance and CSR. This study systematically reviews literature to understand the role of tax transparency reporting in corporate governance and social responsibility reporting. The realisation that a number of multinational firms such as Amazon, Starbucks and Google pay virtually no tax has sparked public debate. These firms ‟tax practices may have been legal, but the “tax shaming” of these firms has resulted in public outrage and brand boycotts. The study investigated whether corporate governance and CSR are motivating companies to disclose their tax affairs voluntarily in their annual financial reports. The literature review revealed that the payment of taxes is a form of CSR. The study further revealed that good corporate governance equates to more voluntary disclosure of information and that good CSR disclosures are adversely aligned to tax aggressiveness, however the act of paying taxes outweighs other voluntary tax disclosures with regards to contributing towards CSR efforts. Therefore, for tax transparency to be perceived in a positive light, companies must pay taxes beyond any other voluntary tax disclosures. This link could be extremely useful to regulators and business managers so that they can strive to meet their corporate governance and social responsibility mandate through tax transparency disclosures.

First-Year students often struggle to transition from high school to higher education institutions (HEI), mainly due to the disadvantaged background from which they originate. However, the Covid-19 Pandemic was an additional challenge for first-year students in 2020 to 2022, as students had to transition to the new environment and cope with the pandemic simultaneously. HEIs had different strategies to ensure that students were supported, and one of the interventions was a peer mentorship programme. Against this background, this study explored the role and impact of this peer mentorship programme on students, both mentors and mentees, during and post the Covid-19 Pandemic. The study investigated whether the programme empowered students to be resilient during the 2020 to 2022 academic years. The study surveyed 110 students from a faculty in an HEI in South Africa. Data was collected using a questionnaire to explore the resilience of the HEI student and the influence of the peer mentorship programme on student resilience. The questionnaire was adapted from the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) instrument. The study found that students who participated in the peer mentorship programme had an above-average BRS score and that the peer mentorship programme had a significant influence on the HEI students’ resilience. Therefore, the study recommends that HEIs establish peer mentorship programmes to support students in developing resilience to assist them in better dealing with the challenges they confront as first-year students.

Investment in the crypto space requires careful consideration to ensure favourable returns. It, therefore, becomes imperative to employ an appropriate investment strategy that can accurately forecast the volatility of crypto assets to gain absolute returns on investment. This study investigates the efficiency of technical and analytical tools, Moving Average Envelop (MAE) and Bollinger Bands (BB), alongside the buy and hold trading strategy as the investment strategy on 718 daily data points of Nexo. Nexo is an automated centralized finance system, the next generation fintech model for modern microfinance service provision with crypto assets as collateral for instant loans. The result shows that MAE (10%) outperformed MAE (5% and 3%), BB and the buy-and-hold trading strategy. The crypto asset volatility examined (Nexo) could lead us to expect BB to outperform MAE, but this was not the case. This paper concludes that the MAE should be used over BB and the buy-and-hold trade strategy, especially where there is a clear trend and at higher percentages of the MAE. Hence based on the sample data MAE (10%) is recommended strategy for optimal returns.

Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) is the set of processes and professional disciplines that are used to manage the design, planning, and service delivery within the Information Technology (IT) environment in an organisation. It is estimated that 80% of ITSM projects in the South African insurance industry are unable to meet their objectives due to organisations failing to fully embrace and implement the ITSM fundamentals holistically. Two South African insurance organisations listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) whose responsibilities are within IT operations were part of the study. The study adopted a qualitative research methodology and data were collected using a questionnaire research instrument. The questionnaire was administered on the Monkey Survey online platform with the link sent to 230 employees and acquired 118 responses. The study noted that both organisations have implemented ITSM in driving perceived service delivery, while employees did not appear to acknowledge the underlying ITSM fundamentals. This finding implies that the organisation may be poorly controlling IT costs, that there is an absence of continual improvement, and the organisation may have ineffective IT capabilities. The present study provides a detailed evaluation of the popular and commonly used ITSM framework’s implementational challenges within the South African insurance industry and highlights the significant misconception among the employees regarding ITSM fundamentals and principles as a means of service delivery improvement.

Extant literature demonstrates that the technical efficiency (TE) of coffee farmers is on a downward trajectory but there are scarce resources to link how agricultural credit is directly instrumental in improving technical efficiency. Therefore, this study was conducted in Kiambu County in Kenya to determine the impact of agricultural credit on technical efficiency and the technological gap ratio among coffee farmers. The data for the study from 2017 to 2019 was obtained from Commodity Fund and farmers’ cooperative societies. The paper adopted a meta-frontier framework to estimate the technology gap ratios (TGR) for participating (PF) and non-participating (NPF) coffee farmers in the credit program. The empirical results disclose that PF and NPF adopted heterogeneous production technologies given their dissimilar access to credit that is essential for the acquisition of inputs. The TGR for PF and NPF was 0.969 and 0.747 respectively which indicate that PF operated on a loftier frontier in comparison to NPF. Thus, PF were technically efficient as compared to NPF given their very small gap between regional and meta-frontier efficiencies (MFE). The Decision-Making Unit inefficiency estimates indicate that the credit program interventions aimed at efficiency improvement in NPF should be targeted at enhancing farmers’ access to optimal combinations of inputs and advisory services through extension visits. Consequently, this paper recommends policies tailor-made to promote credit access by smallholder farmers to improve TE and TGR.

The inherent significance of revenue for companies and users of financial statements prompted many debates on revenue recognition that ultimately led to the development of IFRS 15: Revenue from contracts with customers. The adoption of IFRS 15 has resultantly increased consistency in revenue recognition within industries, improving overall comparability, understandability, and transparency of financial information. In applying IFRS 15, some areas would require management to make significant judgements and estimates. Judgments and estimates play an integral role in financial reporting and the disclosure thereof results in useful information for the users of financial statements. This study analysed the significant judgements made and uncertainties addressed by management concerning the IFRS 15 disclosures in the financial statements of listed telecommunications and construction industries. The study followed a qualitative approach based on an empirical content analysis. This included an index study and thematic content analysis to assess the existence and quality of disclosures in the financial statements of the selected companies. The findings of the index study suggest that the level of compliance within the telecommunications and construction industries is relatively consistent. The construction industry’s percentage of compliance is slightly lower than that of the telecommunications industry throughout the periods. The thematic content analysis suggests that the disclosures provided by management within the construction industry achieved, on average, a higher rating with a greater percentage of the population receiving an excellent rating. Over the period of review, the existence and quality of disclosures were improved to enhance the usefulness of the financial information for the users.

The constitution recognises health care as a fundamental right; however, transformation is still required in the health sector. To try and rectify the challenges faced by this sector, the government is therefore proposing the implementation of a National Health Insurance (NHI) that will cover the costs of healthcare for its national population irrespective of their socio-economic status. In doing so, some of the funds to provide to the NHI financial system is theoretically said to come from surcharge of income tax from individuals, introduction of NHI in payroll tax as well as an increase in Value Added Tax (VAT). The increase in these taxes may have a direct or indirect impact on taxpayers. The study design is based on a qualitative methodology and scenario-based approach. The qualitative literature review aims to explore the potential effects of the proposed NHI implementation through the analysis of the impact of increasing VAT. While the scenario-based approach illustrates the impact of the introduction of NHI in payroll taxes as well as the impact of VAT increase on an individual South African taxpayer. The findings suggest that the current South African tax base is narrow and the burden of funding the NHI will add to an already strained tax base. Without these contributions from taxpayers towards the fund, it may not be feasible for the government to implement the NHI.

When the Covid-19 pandemic erupted, many companies faced unprecedented challenges, including cybersecurity threats due to increased dependence on technology. Cybersecurity refers to the set of security measures that can be taken to protect cyberspace and user assets against unauthorized access and attacks. It has always been a challenge that has affected the company’s existing corporate governance and compliance process. However, during the Covid-19 period, cyber-attacks and dangers increased significantly, posing a new set of challenges to the companies, which in turn had a negative effect on the economy. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive Systematic Literature Review (SLR) on the effects of cybersecurity threats on corporate governance during the Covid-19 pandemic and to identify the existing literature review gaps as well as the challenges and recommendations on how to deal with the identified threats. A preferred reporting item for systematic and meta-analysis-based reviews (PRISMA) was conducted manually on 18 sampled publications. This study utilized a qualitative approach to review published research on corporate governance and cybersecurity threats during the Covid-19 era. The findings revealed that during the Covid-19 period, increasing cyber-attacks were carried out against many companies. The study also revealed that social distancing requirements forced most company directors to review corporate information and participate in sensitive discussions online in their homes or places far less secure than the director’s typical business office or company boardroom. As a result, the increased volume of work being performed remotely presents opportunities for cybercriminals to tailor and retool schemes to target directors and those in charge of the company’s corporate governance. This study could significantly contribute to the body of knowledge by highlighting the potential challenges cybersecurity as well as the suggestion on how companies could minimize the risks encountered.

This study examined the use of business bootstrapping to improve the performance of SMMEs in incubation on the backdrop of intense competitive pressure in the South African business environment that hampers the competitiveness of businesses, particularly during their initial years of operation. This fierce competitive force also poses a significant threat to the survival of businesses in South Africa during their early stages. Literature reveals a high failure rate among most businesses during their first years of operation, which can be attributed to poor accessibility to capital and a deficiency in business skills. A mixed-method approach incorporating qualitative and quantitative methods was adopted for this study. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis, while questionnaire responses were analysed using SPSS. The method facilitated a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between a deficit in business skills and the competitiveness of businesses in their early years, leading to the development of the Business Bootstrapping tool. Empirical studies and findings were integrated to bridge the identified research gap and construct the Business Bootstrapping tool designed to ensure the survival of businesses during their initial years of operation. The Business Bootstrapping Model serves as a determinant in overcoming financial and liquidity constraints faced by businesses in South Africa during their early stages.

The devastating effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic persist, and severe levels of load shedding have a further impact on South Africa’s economy. The consequences of load shedding continue to cripple all economic sectors. The introduction of the solar photovoltaic panel tax incentive was announced in the 2023 Budget Speech to mitigate these negative effects on households. However, this proposed incentive has several limitations, as the requirements would exclude a large number of ordinary South Africans from accessing the solar tax incentive. Considering this, the aim of this study was to investigate the tax incentive options that could be used to assist South Africans in their transition to solar energy, thereby ensuring a more inclusive transition. To provide a deeper understanding of alternative measures that could offer more sustainable initiatives, several options were analysed and reviewed. The study employed a qualitative research methodology and a review of existing literature as the research technique. Zero-rating is the most equitable instrument. If implemented, the results and recommendations will provide some form of tax relief to all individuals and encourage investments in solar photovoltaic panels, thereby achieving the policy goals of encouraging investments by individuals in clean energy.

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have significantly impacted various industries, including the accounting profession. This paper examines the adoption of AI in the accounting profession using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a framework. The TAM provides a theoretical foundation to understand the factors influencing the acceptance and adoption of AI in accounting, including perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes towards AI, and external factors. The paper also discusses the implications of AI adoption for accountants and the challenges associated with integrating AI into accounting practices. Finally, recommendations are provided to facilitate successful AI adoption in the accounting profession.

Rapid advancement in Information Technology (IT) has changed how accountants acquire, analyse and interpret data to inform organisational decision-making. The key trends in IT have meant that tasks traditionally performed by early-career accountants are now automated. The problem identified in this study is that new accounting graduates often struggle with IT challenges in the workplace. Despite these challenges, they still succeed in their training programs. This study examines the role of Self-determination Theory (SDT) on the IT skills of first-year trainee accountants. It identifies the knowledge gaps between accounting education and IT skills required to perform accounting duties in the workplace. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. Through face-to-face interviews, data were purposefully collected at a point of saturation from accounting firm managers and first-year trainee accountants. Data were analysed using the ATLAS.ti™ 9 software package and thematic data analysis. The findings of this study indicate that with self-determination, first-year trainee accountants can overcome IT challenges such as sophisticated software packages, technological stress and meeting employers’ expectations. This study outlined the concepts that evolved around self-determination and how trainee accountants practice self-determination in order to overcome IT-related challenges. The study was limited to accounting firms in the Mafikeng area in the North West Province of South Africa. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for accounting education, accounting professional bodies, accounting firms, and other stakeholders with various IT challenges first-year trainee accountants face and how self-determination is practised to overcome these challenges.

The study aims to assess the effectiveness of information technology (IT) governance in local government by examining the audit committee’s role and capabilities relating to IT governance. This study is prompted by a local government IT infrastructure failing to adequately support service delivery to communities due to poor governance skills and knowledge of audit committees. The risk of mismanagement of resources is therefore increased. The study employs a quantitative research approach and a descriptive research design. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from the audit committee members, internal auditors, managers and Chief Audit Executives and Council and municipal management. The researcher used descriptive and inferential statistics, Stata/SE version 16 software, descriptive analysis, chi-square test, effect factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis to measure the relationship between two-factor variables. Kaizer criterion was accepted as the extraction method, while the Cronbach alpha coefficient was used to determine the internal consistency of the identified factors. The study reveals that audit committees are ineffective in executing their IT governance activities. Furthermore, there are areas of concern in IT assurance audits. The internal audit function lacks the skills and technical capacity to provide IT assurance services and therefore not add sufficient value to the municipality. The study concludes that there is a significant statistical correlation (P < 0.001) between poor IT governance and audit committee skills and expertise. The study recommends that the recruitment of audit committee members should consider their experience in IT governance to ensure that auditors are well-equipped to review IT governance assurance effectively. Also, the importance of IT assurance services by competent, skilled internal auditors was expressed. The study contributes to governance literature by providing empirical evidence on audit committees’ IT governance and oversight effectiveness, and also emphasises the need to assess IT engagements by internal auditors. Academic researchers and the National School of Government can use the findings of the study as justification for on minimum required skills and capacity building for audit committee members.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is widely used in business to increase productivity and harness the benefits that could emerge from is use. However, with the increased use of AI in business there are number of risks that are brought to the fore. The task would be to develop sound AI corporate governance principles to reduce the AI risk. To the extent of literature search research in AI and corporate governance does not position AI principles that need to be included in any AI corporate governance framework from a South African perspective. Given the importance of AI corporate governance AI governance principles will be identified to be included in an AI governance framework. Through a documentary analysis of literature this study identifies eight broad themes with various corporate governance principles that need to be prevalent in an AI governance framework for South Africa. These eight broad themes include (1) Principle concerns, (2) Procedural governance mechanisms, (3) Overarching ethical concerns, (4) Reasons for creating AI governance frameworks, (5) AI applications and technology layer, (6) AI law regulation, (7) AI Society, (8) AI regulation and process layer. It is essential that business start considering these themes when developing an AI governance framework that will be implemented in business.

South Africa has a rich history of clinical education programmes. However, the same cannot be said of tax clinics. No prevailing literature could be found which reports on the use of tax clinics as part of an education programme at South African Universities. To change this status, the researchers embarked on a process of considering initiating a tax clinic at a university. As a preliminary phase, a scoping review was employed to identify the decision variables involved in initiating a clinical education programme at a university. This scoping review began with the researchers considering, in a pragmatic manner, what decisions would need to be made for the establishment of a tax clinic at a university. Decisions made in this respect were found to be substantially influenced by the clinic’s purpose and objectives. Examining the literature yielded three overarching categories of decisions associated with the design of such an initiative, namely, institutional decisions, target audience, and operational considerations. The paper presents a framework of these decisions.

Trading stock sold under a contract requiring full or partial payment for ownership to transfer falls under section 24. Section 24 taxes the full amount upfront and grants the taxpayer a debtors’ allowance deduction, resulting in a cash flow basis of taxation. Section 24 was amended to specify that the relief also applies to lay-by agreements. The application of section 24 to lay-by agreements is ambiguous, resulting in multiple interpretations, which posed the research problem. This paper presents three distinct interpretations of lay-by agreements and the application of section 24. A qualitative research methodology and a doctrinal research method were applied. Through a review and analysis of practical, simulated examples, this paper illustrates the three interpretations. The first opinion is that lay-by agreements are scoped into section 24 and relief is applied, which has the effect of taxing deposits received on a cash flow basis at the gross profit percentage. The second interpretation also scopes in lay-by agreements, but applies the full amount taxed as gross income as the relief, resulting in no impact on the taxpayer’s taxable income. This interpretation yields the same result as the third interpretation, which is that lay-by agreements do not fall within the scope of section 24 because, until the goods are delivered, deposits do not constitute receipts for the supplier. The paper concludes with recommendations for the National Treasury to clarify the ambiguity through additional legislative amendments in support of the third interpretation based on sound arguments presented, namely court case principles and views of commentators, to provide taxpayers with certainty.

Corporate failures have been attributed to the board of directors. Gender diversity of the on-board and off-board directors in the firm could be a remedy for such failures. Studies have focused on gender diversity in boardrooms with few studies on the complementary effect of both on-board members and off-board members. The study, therefore, examined the effect of gender diversity of board members and non-board members on the financial performance of the Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria. The population for this study comprised twenty-four listed DMBs. Purposive sampling was used in this study for selecting 11 Deposit Money Banks whose stocks were actively traded on the stock market during the sample period and for which pertinent data were readily available. The study employed secondary data, sourced from the annual reports of eleven DMBs from 2010 to 2021. The gender diversity composite score was generated using a Principal Component Analysis of the proxies for gender diversity using a Varimax Rotation. While the model was estimated using the panel GLS model which is robust to the residual misnomer. The findings revealed that Female CEOs, Female Executives, Female Non-Executives, and Firm Size had a positive and significant relationship with financial performance while Female employees, Female Audit Committees, Board meetings, leverage and Inflation revealed a negative and significant relationship with financial performance. Specifically, the study concluded that gender diversity maintained a positive and significant relationship with Return on Assets. Our findings imply that board gender diversity may promote the strength of corporate governance and reduce the likelihood of agency conflicts, enhancing performance.

The study aimed to examine the influence of Digital Era 4.0 on youth empowerment and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Namibia. Digital Era 4.0 is the independent variable, which is the factor that was examined to assess its influence on the achievement of the dependent variable, the SDGs 4, 8 and 10. A quantitative research approach was used and 80 surveys conducted with final year School of Accounting students, of the University of Namibia (UNAM) as its population to collect primary data, there was no sampling done since the population was not time-consuming or resource-intensive to gather data from every individual thereby, making sampling unnecessary. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the various sustainable development strategies that have been implemented in other countries with similar challenges to Namibia. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to summarize and describe variables related to access to digital technologies and SDGs achievement. The findings were that there is a positive and strong correlation between the Digital Era 4.0 and the achievement of SDGs. The hypothesis testing concluded that Digital Era 4.0 has a positive and strong impact on SDGs to achieve youth empowerment and reduce wealth gaps. The study recommends that the Namibian government and its agencies through their initiatives, strengthen policies that focus on refining access to quality education, healthcare, career opportunities, and financial resources that can help level the playing field and empower the Namibian youth.

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the inherent features of blockchain are suitable for use in easing the transfer-pricing compliance burden of taxpayers and in improving the administration of transfer-pricing for the South African Revenue Service (SARS). The paper considers the benefits, challenges, and practical considerations of using blockchain for transfer-pricing compliance in taxpayer businesses and for streamlining and simplifying the administration and auditing of transfer-pricing cases for SARS. The research took the form of a qualitative study which involved the review of relevant existing literature. An interpretative paradigm was adopted for this study which sought to identify the challenges faced by taxpayers and tax authorities and describe how blockchain technology can assist in remedying these difficulties. A content analysis of various credible sources was conducted in the context of the research objectives. Observations were collated and conclusions were drawn from the study. It was found that blockchain provides numerous benefits for taxpayers in easing compliance for transfer-pricing and other tax types. Blockchain may also be used to simplify other business operations including financial reporting. The technology holds numerous benefits for SARS, particularly for use in administering transactional taxes like transfer-pricing. The study revealed that blockchain is suitable for use in transfer-pricing compliance and administration, with the most suitable type of blockchain being a permissioned consortium platform. Consideration needs to be given to the cost of implementing the technology, training of personnel who will use the platform, the development of governance principles and regulation, as well as the roles and responsibilities of all parties on the network.

There has been a notable increase in insider threats to information security (IS) globally. South African entities have thus not been spared, and the challenges relating to insider information security threats affect firms of all sizes and in all industries. It therefore follows that audit firms are not immune, as these rely on the trust given to them by their clients to keep their information secure. This is therefore a growing problem that has not spared entities in South Africa. The current study sought to evaluate the level of awareness and measures to safeguard client information from cyber related risks that emanate from within. The study employed a positivist research philosophy and a descriptive survey which focused on small to medium audit firms. A questionnaire was used for collecting data, which were analysed using descriptive statistical analysis. Findings showed that there was generally a high level of awareness amongst staff in the firms studied. Most firms have implemented suitable and relevant measures to safeguard client data electronically stored and or transmitted. Results also showed that most of the best practices utilised globally have been adopted in the audit firms under study. These include secure access methods like Virtual Private Network (VPN), internal firewalls, USB port locking, hard drive and memory stick encryption and the use of strong passwords. It was recommended that regulators and policy makers strive to provide the necessary guidance concerning client information security optimisation amongst audit firms, thus standardising this aspect and encouraging the adoption of best practices.

Due to corporate failures, audit quality concerns and the rapidly changing IT environment in the financial reporting value chain, more auditors are using data analytics tools to enhance audit quality. However, researchers have not made significant progress in establishing the extent to which the Big Four audit firms in South Africa incorporate data analytics into the external audit process and whether this enhances the quality of the audit. The study investigated the role of data analytics in enhancing external audit quality in South Africa, the relationship between external audit, audit quality and data analytics and the impact of the latest technological advancements, commonly known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, on the way firms perform audits. The study also explored whether audit firms in South Africa utilise data analytics, on which engagements and during which stages of the audit process, what the benefits and challenges of using data analytics are, and what the impact of using data analytics is on audit regulatory inspection results. This was achieved through a literature review and an empirical study conducted using a questionnaire. The study revealed strong evidence that there are notable audit quality concerns in South Africa, which have been attributed to a failure in audit quality, and that auditors are using data analytics to overcome these concerns. Based on the study’s findings, it was concluded that using data analytics in an audit enhances external audit quality.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are the centre of scientific and innovation activities. Therefore, it is vital that the higher education sector, most importantly undergraduate sections, which play a valuable role in society, be financed adequately. Undoubtedly, countries that increase their scientific research by funding the development of higher education are at the forefront of global competitiveness. On the contrary, the narrative on African higher education has excessively exhibited a deficit and crisis in students’ access to funding, quality, excellence, and equity. Current examples of funding challenges in the African higher education sector were discussed in this research, and suggestions were advanced. This study assesses multiple forms of funding for HEIs in Africa. The study adopts an interpretivist qualitative approach and uses the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method to collect relevant data. The study surveyed 39 studies from different research outlets, including the most ranked publishers, namely, SAGE, Wiley, Sprinter, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, and Inderscience. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were used to guide the reporting of this review. PRISMA provides a structured approach for researchers to transparently report the methods, results, and conclusions of their systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Systematic reviews aim to summarize and analyse the existing evidence on a specific research question by identifying, appraising, and synthesizing relevant studies. The review found that despite the significant expansion of higher education in Africa, the sector remains one of the most financially challenged in the world, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The financial challenges have implications for every facet of the higher education landscape, particularly quality, excellence, and equity. The researchers identified that the most recurring avenues for financing the higher education sector in Africa are public resources, university-industry corporations, and funding with private resources. The current study contributes to the discourse on challenges of funding that persist in the African higher education sector and attempts to provide open insights for higher education practitioners, policymakers, and academicians.

The cost of unethical behaviour in both the private and public sectors is astronomical. In South Africa, the Auditor-General and accounting professional bodies have received widespread public criticism for failing to uphold their duty to protect stakeholders and the economy from the impact of these ethical failures. Such failures are exacerbated by the mismatch between the rapid advances in technology and the slow pace of regulation. The literature makes clear how crucial and complex ethics are and that effective ethics education is critical to curb unethical behaviour. The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) has charged higher education institutions with the duty of providing effective ethics education as part of accounting education. Attitudes towards a field of study show a strong correlation with academic performance and future behaviours. Consequently, negative attitudes towards ethics and ethics education carry the risk of poor engagement with content and may weaken the intended impact of the educational initiative. The objective of this study is to examine accounting students’ attitudes to ethics and ethics education through a quantitative approach. Thus, a survey was administered to accounting students at a school with SAICA accreditation. The results reveal that the participants’ interest in ethics, and their conversational engagement with it, are strong. The participants reported a high level of comfort, enjoyment, and belief in ethics education. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that the participants had a positive attitude towards ethics and ethics education, derived from the strong sense of significance and relevance they accorded to ethics.

The importance of financial literacy, which includes facilitating a comprehensive understanding of how money works and guiding how an individual makes economic decisions, has received considerable attention from scholars. Several studies have disclosed that the less educated and low-income earners display low levels of financial literacy in South Africa. However, despite the numerous studies, none has been able to capture financial literacy through an applicable theoretical lens that situated the issue in a manner that provides a direction on dealing with the findings. To this effect, the paper aimed to: undertake a literature review and analysis that suggest a theoretical framework (vulnerable group theory and the public service theory) that the key findings may be situated to foster better understanding of the problem. The methodology hinges on a critical educational research paradigm. The critical theory assumes that existing reality is shaped by “cultural, political, ethnic, gender and religious factors that interact to create the social system”. The paradigm does not just try to disclose or comprehend societal phenomena but to change the status quo. Thus, this research is not focused on merely highlighting the level of financial literacy in South Africa, but to suggest actions that minimise the ills to transform the situation. The study started with a systematic review of empirical studies on financial literacy with an emphasis on those relating to South Africa. Existing literature on the problem are miniature but very consistent. The literature review presents three classes of cohorts of South African society that still record low levels of financial literacy: the less educated, the low-income earners and the black people who form the bulk of low-income earners. Financial literacy comes with a cost which these classes of citizens may not afford. The lack of exposure to financial literacy may not be properly understood outside the context of some socio-economic profiling of the people, and there may be a need for it to be treated as a public service that ought to be readily available in all equality and equity. This approach may contribute to lifting the vulnerable group of society from perennial financial illiteracy and as a result informs them to make favourable economic decisions. To this effect, there is a need to capture results and findings from existing literature in a theoretical framework to lend itself to easy comprehension of the problem and the implementation of possible feasible interventions.

It is interesting to observe that artificial intelligence is gaining popularity in both developing and developed countries as it attracted the interest of accounting, business, and management professionals. This necessitates the need to scrutinise the interaction between artificial intelligence and money laundering. There is an ongoing debate concerning the justifications of artificial intelligence in dealing with money laundering. In this regard, the Southern Africa region is no exception to money laundering just like any other region. As such, the application of artificial intelligence appears to be a rational strategy to curb financial leakages in the finance sector. Although there is an increase in the adoption of artificial intelligence, scanty is known concerning the association between the application of artificial intelligence and money laundering, especially in the Southern Africa region. In this respect, this research aims to provide the effects of artificial intelligence on money laundering in the Southern African region. The study adopted the structured literature review methodology and then six positive effects were observed. These are detecting money laundering activities, enhancing legal compliance, augmenting customer behavioural analytics, detecting money laundering networks, robust financial crime risk computation, and informing evidence-based policy formulation. However, the negative effects are in the form of infringing customer privacy rights, and poor data governance. Despite the existence of few negative effects, it is concluded that artificial intelligence helps to combat money laundering in the Southern African region. As such, it is suggested that financial institutions should up-skill their personnel and up-scale their business intelligence projects.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent of (State-Owned Entity) SOE compliance with the principles and disclosure requirements of King IV over time. The study uses agency theory to contextualise the conflicting interests of society, government, and management of SOEs. This study uses content analysis to measure King IV compliance existing in the integrated reports of SOEs. The results portray a negative picture regarding the compliance of SOEs with the principles of best practice as contained in King IV. Further, the range of stakeholders involved complicate accountability for SOEs. SOEs are crucial for the development of the country’s economy whether it be through the creation of employment, infrastructure development or service delivery. It is important that SOE achieve good corporate governance and remain transparent, and accountable for their actions.

One of the most useful tools to determine financial performance is the financial statements published by a company. The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the treatment of deferred tax in the debt-to-equity ratio and to determine how this differs between theory and practice. The study employs a qualitative method approach to collect empirical data through interviews. Data are collected from detailed interviews with academics and professionals in practice. Even though there is a multitude of ways in which deferred tax can be treated in the calculation of the debt-to-equity ratio, participants from academia and practice overwhelmingly respond that they would rather include deferred tax as part of the debt. In so doing the item is not merely excluded, and this ensures that no unnecessary loss of information occurs. The study only focused on stockbrokers and portfolio managers who are professionals in practice. Only one input was considered regarding the debt-to-equity ratio, and many other inputs could have an impact on the calculation of this ratio. The professionals in academia only comprised two subject fields; other fields could also be taken into consideration when looking at this aspect. The study recommends that, when calculating the debt-to-equity ratio, deferred tax should be included in the calculation to ensure that the ratio remains comparable and as simple as possible. Furthermore, it is also recommended that the debt-to-equity ratio should be calculated including and excluding deferred tax and that both these ratios should be disclosed. By computing both ratios the user has the freedom to select the ratio that best suits their needs, and the impact of the deferred tax will not be ignored.

The determination of the financial credibility of a loan applicant by financial institutions is quantified using a credit score. Sources of credit, such as banks and financial institutions, play a crucial role in sustaining economies and keeping cash flowing in the market. Financial institutions solve the problem of lack of data in credit scoring by extracting customer information from data sources such as social networks. Such data sources store data in large quantities. Traditional data mining techniques fail to accurately distinguish between a credit-worthy applicant and a non-creditworthy applicant using big data. The problem of big data has necessitated the advent of machine learning algorithms capable of sifting through large volumes of credit data sourced from social networks. Recently, to automate, streamline and digitise business processes such as credit scoring, machine learning approaches have been widely used, but the design and deployment of effective and robust credit scoring models require a lot of time, and if the behaviour of customers changes or the customer variables drift over time, the credit score model becomes obsolete or outdated. As a result, credit scoring tasks should be considered as an ephemeral scenario due to big data, as variables tend to drift over time. Incremental and adaptive credit scoring models can help to mitigate the loss of time of re-creating credit models due to drifting variables, big data challenges and changes in customer behaviour. This necessitates the design of robust and effective credit score models capable of learning incrementally, adaptive and able to detect changes. This paper proposes the Incremental Adaptive and Heterogeneous ensemble (IAHE) credit scoring model capable of learning incrementally, adapt to drifting variables and detect changes in customer behaviour and learn big data in a streaming fashion. Empirical experiments conducted indicate that IAHE has the strongest ability to recognise default samples and demonstrated the best generalisation ability on the datasets and the same time maintained a strong interpretability of the results when compared to nine credit scoring models on four public datasets. The superior generalisation performance of IAHE is statistically significant and demonstrated excellent robustness and adaptation to drifting variables.

The impact of Banks on natural capital is significant. The integrated reporting framework (IR Framework) prescribes that integrated reports should include specific ‘content elements’ (sections). The purpose of this study is to examine the disclosures of natural capital from a South African banking perspective in integrated reports. Within the global context of climate change and biodiversity collapse, the research aims to determine to what extent natural capital is afforded prominence on the whole and within each of the prescribed content elements. A qualitative approach was followed in order to examine the contents of integrated reports. Purposive sampling was used to select a sample of the five largest banks from the total population of all South African banks. The study found that the prominence afforded to natural capital varied widely across the sample. Whilst the content elements of ‘Performance’; ‘Strategy and resource allocation’; ‘Risk and opportunities’ and ‘Organisational overview and external environment’ enjoy the bulk of focus in terms of natural capital prominence, there is limited mention of natural capital in the ‘Business model’; ‘Outlook’ and ‘Basis of preparation’ content elements. It is concluded that there is a wide range of interpretation of the IR framework with regards to the requirements for reporting on natural capital. It is recommended that future iterations of the framework should take steps towards closing this interpretation gap and that prepares should endeavour to make further disclosures with regards to natural capital in the ‘outlook’ sections of their integrated reports.

The aim of this research paper is to study how Namibia Stock Exchange listed and non-listed mining companies contribute to the capacity development of the youth in Namibia. The study was a qualitative exploration with a population of the study (n = 25) comprising of 18 mining companies, 5 youth organisations and 2 educational institutions. In order to understand the perspectives, experiences and expectations of these stakeholders, data was collected through semi-structured questionnaires which were distributed interviews from a selected sample of the population. A purposive sampling was used to select 10 participants who have relevant knowledge and experience, and primary data was analysed through a thematic analysis in order to identify the patterns, themes and key insights. The findings of the study were that though mining companies have initiatives that are designed to contribute towards the capacity development of the youth in Namibia, the information gathered lacks details on the procedures followed to execute particular programs; the value of the projects was not indicated, it also lacked information on the effectiveness and sustainability of these programs nor did it indicate the metrics that was used to measure the success of the programs and initiatives. The paper recommends that the mining companies’ initiatives and programs should provide detailed information on the procedures followed to execute specific programs. That the mining companies should highlight the financial and non-financial resources invested in the initiatives and establish metrics and measurement tools to assess the success of the programs, engage with relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, educational institutions, and youth organizations, to ensure alignment of initiatives with broader national development goals and youth needs, seek partnerships and collaborations with existing youth development organizations and institutions to leverage resources, expertise, and networks for enhanced program outcomes.

Studies have relied on the extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (ETPB) in predicting the compliance intentions of individuals. However, few papers have examined the joint effect of the ETPB variables and other psycho-social factors in explaining the tax compliance intentions among individuals (i.e. persons with tax identification numbers (TIN) and those without tax identification numbers) in the informal sector. We examined the effect of ETPB variables including trust, perceived tax complexity, and intervention strategies on the compliance intentions of TIN registered and Non—TIN registered taxpayers. Employing cross-sectional data from a survey of micro and small self-employed individuals from the Ghanaian informal sector, the partial least square structural equation modelling technique was used to analyse the data. We find that individuals without TIN have high intentions to be tax compliant compared to those with TIN. Policymakers would have to further strategize in knowing the reasons accounting for high compliance intention among Non-TIN taxpayers beyond the intended purpose of the TIN that is supposed to make TIN registered taxpayers more responsible

The determinants of corporate governance quality have been identified in the empirical literature. However, further evidence has emerged that the variables may complement each other within the framework of contextual variables, resulting in multiple paths to achieving corporate governance quality. Furthermore, the empirical literature has been criticised for using the symmetry and net effect methodology of multiple regression and structural equation modelling against the asymmetry and bundle effect methodology. Therefore, this study examines the determinants of corporate governance quality in the Nigerian banking industry between 2006 and 2021 within the configurational theory, environmental factors of life cycle phases, and firm importance. The study used the panel secondary data obtained from the annual audited financial statements of 11 publicly quoted deposit money banks (commercial banks) on the Nigerian Exchange Group with complete financial information during the period under review. Based on the configurational theory, which is anchored on the tenets of conjunctural causation, equifinality, and causal asymmetry, the study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsqca) to achieve the objective of the study. The results show that contrary to the extant literature, five equifinal configurations explain the determinants of corporate governance quality among deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study concludes that corporate governance quality cannot be achieved by a single factor but by a complex combination of factors within the context of life cycle phases. The study has theoretical, methodological, and practical implications for bank management and regulatory authorities.

Currently, the internal audit profession is being challenged by developments in technology coupled with real-time approaches to doing business. These developments call for a more proactive audit approach, where transactions and internal controls are audited in real-time as they occur or in a very short time thereafter. Previous research confirmed that organisations have made significant progress in automating their key business processes through the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems. These automated business processes produce real-time high volume of transactions, but internal audit processes providing assurance on these transactions and internal controls have remained manual and not automated. Previous literature has proposed that internal auditors should move towards a continuous auditing approach. This approach is viewed as a solution to enable internal auditors to provide real-time assurance to organisations, thereby delivering a value-added service. However, the implementation of continuous auditing by internal auditors remains relatively low. The main objective of this study is to investigate the factors contributing to the slow implementation of a continuous auditing approach by public sector Internal Audit Functions in South Africa. The ultimate goal will be to make recommendations towards developing a framework to guide and support the adequate and effective implementation of a continuous auditing approach by Internal Audit Functions in South Africa.

The quest to survive and compete successfully in the competitive environment has made management accounting practice a concern for companies that has obligation to grow wealth by improving its performance. The study examines the effect of strategic costing, total quality management and business process reengineering on the performance of selected non-listed manufacturing companies in Lagos, Nigeria. Survey research design is used, and data obtained by administering a well-structured 5-likert scale questionnaire to production manager, operation managers and accountants of selected companies which are not public limited companies in Lagos, Nigeria. A total of 333 respondents filed the questionnaire and the data was analysed using a survey ordinary least square regression. The findings shows that total quality management and business processing reengineering are the most relevant modern management accounting practices that have a positive and a significant effect on the financial performance of manufacturing firms in Nigeria. It is concluded that management accounting practices has a positive influence on financial performance of companies that embraces modern management accounting practices. The study recommends that management should ensure consistent review of the business processing to ensure room is made for quality improvement to gain competitive advantage hereby improve the financial performance of the manufacturing firms.

This study delves into the socio-economic factors influencing the investment patterns of low-income households, often termed non-Ricardian households (NRHs), in South Africa. These NRHs predominantly rely on governmental welfare benefits for their daily needs. The main research question is to empirically investigate if government welfare grant crowd-out low-income household investment in South Africa. Utilizing data from the first five waves of the National Income Dynamics Study (NIDS), we explored the socio-economic traits of NRHs. Analysis methods included pooled ordinary least squares (OLS), fixed and random effects, IV-GMM approaches to address the problem with endogeneity. A significant finding was that household grants appeared to deter investments, suggesting that welfare benefits might inadvertently suppress the investment initiatives of these households. This underscores the adage that merely giving fish might weaken a household’s drive to learn fishing. Moreover, socio-economic variables explained roughly 48% of the investment tendencies of these South African households. The persistent nature of poverty establishes a detrimental cycle wherein one issue amplifies another, potentially leading to issues like reverse causality, which could question the validity of pooled OLS estimates in this study. Nevertheless, the study’s results and implications are vital for policymakers. To address this, the government should prioritize fostering entrepreneurship, particularly among historically marginalized communities, to combat inequality. This approach has the potential to generate lasting wealth, reducing the number of families that fall into the low-income category in future generations.

The study examines how the implementation of the elements in the cyber space of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), and strategy, or the lack thereof, impact on business. We cannot undermine the significance of business strategy especially when deciding which key disruptive technologies will form part of operations. 4IR without strategy is an unproductive and fruitless investment, and business strategy without the imbedded concept of 4IR results in outdated systems and operations that are quite evident from the detrimental failures of entities that delayed adopting 4IR within their corporate strategy. While many studies focus on the “Why” of the radical change, few studies construct their analysis addressing the “How” of the 4IR, that being, how to optimally adopt 4IR within the current business landscape without significantly affecting business operations and investments. This study utilises secondary data analysis and desktop research as the research methodologies, with the information gotten from journals and relevant publications. Also, through the compilation of diverse business research studies and findings in the finance and information technology (IT) sectors, more light would be shed on the main argument of this study. The intended results of the study are meant to provide insights into how the wrong business strategy in the implementation of these technologies of the 4IR could result in dire outcomes. In conclusion, the study intends to find out how strategy is the mitigating factor for the effective implementation of 4IR technologies based on evidence presented.

The main objective of this study was to seek certainty regarding the interaction between the value-added tax (VAT) implications of fringe benefits and their impact on the taxable values of such taxable fringe benefits for income tax purposes. Hence, the study investigated whether VAT should be included or excluded when the taxable value of fringe benefits for income tax purposes are determined. In 2019, a minor amendment was made to the opening words of section 23C(1) of the Income Tax Act (No. 58 of 1962), a section that links the VAT consequences of a fringe benefit to that of determining its taxable value for income tax purposes. However, the actual words applied in the Amendment Act do not align with the National Treasury’s intention as described in its Explanatory Memorandum. This misalignment is the problem that the study aimed to address, highlighting the two possible approaches of interpretation: literal versus purposive. The methodology adopted was nested in the paradigm of interpretivism, whereby a qualitative research approach was employed by means of doctrinal research, supplemented by a basic comparative analysis of two different approaches of interpretation. The outcome of the study highlight an anomaly in the income tax consequences triggered by the application of section 23C(1), causing an unintended change in policy that has a negative impact on the taxable value of taxable fringe benefits. The paper makes recommendations to be considered by the legislator to rectify the identified anomaly, which could aid in providing certainty regarding the interaction between fringe benefit values and VAT.

The South African higher education institutions use extended academic programmes to afford access to high school graduates (matriculants) who would otherwise not meet the admission criteria in the regular academic programmes. In their first year, the students in an extended programme are registered for bridging courses meant to improve their readiness for the rigour of the regular academic programmes. This study investigates the effectiveness of extended programmes by focusing on the Extended Diploma programmes offered in the Accounting and Finance department at the Walter Sisulu University. Using an experiment approach, the throughput rates of the extended programme students are compared to the rates achieved by the regular diploma programmes. The study covers a period from 2014 to 2020 and data is obtained from the institutional records. The study hypothesized that due to the bridging courses offered in the first year, students in the extended diploma programmes perform equally well as students registered in the regular diploma programmes.

Despite many attempts to reduce and eliminate unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditures (UIFWE) in municipalities, the phenomenon, on the contrary, has been on the rise. The most recent attempt was the introduction of municipal Standard Chart of Accounts (mSCOA) in 2017, which is implemented digitally through a computer-based system. Despite its implementation, UIFWE have, however, continue to be on the rise. This study assesses the effects of mSCOA on the UIFWE incurred by South African municipalities. To achieve this, data was mined from Auditor General of South Africa’s reports, from 2015–16 financial year to 2021–22 financial year, and trend analysis and descriptive statistics used to analyse the data. Analysis of the data mined could not prove any effect of mSCOA on UIFWE. Since the implementation of mSCOA, there has been an increased trend in UIFWE incurred by municipalities. It seems program preconditions such as the complexity of mSCOA, complexity of government structures, political interference and municipal cultures, have significant impact on effects of mSCOA on UIFWE. Concerted efforts are required from every member of the governmental ecosystem if benefits from such a well-designed program are to result in improved financial management and good service delivery. Policymakers are advised to consider enablers and constraints of interventions before implementation, if they are to be successful.

Education bolsters employment opportunities, facilitates economic growth, diminishes poverty and increases collective prosperity. The primary challenge encountered by students in attaining a tertiary education qualification in the Republic is to secure funding for their studies. To counter tertiary funding challenges, bursaries and scholarships are offered by companies and institutions to students. This paper assessed whether the South African tax relief measures offered in respect of qualifying bursaries or scholarships for tertiary education, as delineated in sections 10(1)(q) and (qA) of the Income Tax Act, are aligned with the tax relief measures offered in the United Kingdom and the United States. A comparative analysis of the tax relief measures offered in respect of bursaries and scholarships in the Republic, the United Kingdom and the United States was performed. The paper demonstrated that tax relief measures offered in the Republic in respect of bursaries and scholarships for tertiary education were in alignment with the tax relief measures offered in the United Kingdom and the United States. The extent of the tax relief offered in the Republic was, however, noted to be more extensive as it was not merely limited to full-time and degree-seeking students; a necessity to increase tertiary education in a developing country, such as the Republic.

This paper evaluates and analyses the financial performance of South African metropolitan municipalities. The municipality’s statement of financial position and statement of financial performance are used in the analysis. A case study research design was followed to evaluate municipalities’ financial performance using four criteria: cash solvency, budget solvency, long-term solvency, and service-level solvency. A quantitative research approach was adopted to evaluate the financial performance of the 2011 vs. 2016 local government administration. Eleven variables (ratios) were used to evaluate the municipalities’ financial statements from the four criteria. Emanating from the findings, the paper found that the financial performance of municipalities under the 2011 and 2016 administrations has been consistent. Only four of the eleven variables changed over time, resulting in long-term and service-level solvency. The paper found that municipalities’ performance has also been consistent in each of the four criteria, where when one Municipality performs best, they will be consistent in all variables in the specific category. For example, Buffalo City has the highest average ratios in the cash solvency analysis. The City of Tshwane was also consistent as a least-performing municipality as it had the lowest average ratios over the three variables used under cash solvency.

This study explored factors that contribute towards the significant and continued underrepresentation of women in executive management positions within the South African banking sector. The objective of this research was to examine the interplay between first line roles within the banking sector, career progression and gender equality. What is the relationship between first line roles and career progression to executive management positions within the banking sector? This phenomenological qualitative study collected data through semi-structured interviews from a non-probability sample of 25 participants who are all banks’ executives. Key findings were: it is important to choose roles that provide future career acceleration to executive positions early in career planning. Lack of suitable role models in key positions such as CEOs can lead to compression of women in support roles. Sponsors play important part in women careers developments. Finally, there is a connection between first-line roles and advancement to executive management positions. Women should acquire skills in first line roles early in their careers. When developing transformation plans and policies, banks and the government should consider and address internal (personal) and external (organisational and societal) factors affecting women career mobilities. A contribution was made by developing a theoretical framework on internal and external factors women should consider in their career growths. The framework provides insights on strategies that may be adopted to navigate through barriers and challenges emanating from, amongst other, gender biases, organisational cultures, and women’s lack of self-belief. This study insights could benefit banks executives, human resources specialists and government in advancing their gender equality initiatives.

Carbon pricing strategies are an integral policy instrument for achieving a decarbonised economy. By increasing the price of carbon emissions to reflect the social cost and harmful effects of climate change, users are prompted to adopt sustainable energy options. This study evaluates South Africa’s carbon tax regime design as an accelerant towards the decarbonisation of the energy-intensive sector. The analysis reveals that South Africa’s carbon tax is ineffective in decarbonising the energy-intensive sector. Low carbon prices, excessive free emission allowances, and continued subsidy support of fossil fuels have limited the potential of South Africa’s carbon tax towards shifting consumption and production away from greenhouse gas-intensive activities. A comparative tax analysis of Canada, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom’s carbon pricing policies is conducted to benchmark policy lessons for South Africa. First, a review is performed of South Africa’s proposed carbon pricing policy. Second, a comparative analysis is conducted on the current practice in the comparative countries. Third, policy lessons are drawn from the comparative countries to accelerate decarbonisation in South Africa’s energy-intensive industries. The paper contributes to tax policy scholarship on designing a carbon pricing model for South Africa’s energy-intensive sector.

Enhancements in automation brings with it several benefits to workplace efficiencies but also places funding risks to the fiscus. This has potential for creating fiscal shortfall as payroll taxes decrease, thus a need to protect the erosion of the tax base. Should this labour displacement exponentially increase and is left uncurbed, it has potential for negative societal effects for the displaced workers and society at large. Balancing the benefits of automation with the potential revenue implications poses a challenge for policymakers. Addressing the taxation of robots in South Africa requires a comprehensive understanding of the economic, social, and technological dynamics at play. This desktop literature review qualitative study applies the principles of the Theory of Optimal Taxation and Laffer Curve Theory to explore the option of a tax on robots. The study concludes that current tax legislation favours automation (capital tax) as compared to human labour tax (payroll tax) and a change in policy to achieve tax neutrality between the two is imperative to avoid arbitrary. The article suggests a range of mechanisms and associated fiscal policy reforms that can be inextricably adopted.

The objective of this study is to explore accounting students’ performance on group project tasks, while using a sustainability accounting database. The research question asked is: What is the students’ performance in terms of lower- and higher-level thinking skills at a group homework assignment using the SASB Navigator database? This paper presents examples of student work and an accounting instructor’s account of a SASB Navigator group homework project assigned to two of her Introduction to Financial Accounting classes in the autumn 2020 term at a public university in the United States. A total of 46 students who had limited (just from classroom lectures) requisite knowledge of sustainability accounting and the SASB participated in the research. The paper uses a small-scale case study method. The theoretical framework used is Bloom’s taxonomy. Excerpts from the last five of twelve questions asked of the student groups are used as data. Hand-written notes were taken by the instructor in a notebook during and after the autumn 2020 term, with her impressions on how the students performed at the assignment. The questions asked of students necessitated the use of both lower-order and higher-order thinking skills. The student groups generally displayed satisfactory lower- and higher-order thinking skills. Digitally transforming accounting and business processes should be facilitated by educational projects, such as this.