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Key Roleplayers
Optional
Programme Sponsor
A senior leader in your training office who champions the training programme at an executive level. Not a SAICA-prescribed role, but common in larger firms — they provide the resources, culture and commitment that make genuine development possible. You may not interact with them directly, but their investment in the programme shapes your entire experience as a trainee.
Required
Training Officer
A CA(SA) and registered SAICA assessor who is formally responsible for your training contract and the office’s compliance with the Training Regulations. They register your contract, oversee your assessment process, and sign off your discharge. Every training office must have one.
Required
Reviewers
The people who corroborate the evidence in your LORs — typically your line manager, audit senior, or another person directly involved in the work you are documenting. You will have multiple reviewers across different assignments. A separate LOR is required for each reviewer.
Required
(External) Registered Assessor
A CA(SA) or AGA(SA) accredited by SAICA to conduct summative assessments. They review your cumulative evidence, confirm your proficiency ratings, and sign off your PDS. In smaller offices the training officer may perform this role. In others, an external registered assessor is brought in — particularly where independence is required.
Optional
Evaluator
A delegated function of the assessor role — someone who rates your overall PVAA proficiency in the PDS and completes your development plan. In practice, most training offices outside of large audit firms do not have a separate evaluator. Where there is no evaluator, the assessor performs this function directly.
Optional
Programme Manager
An administrative role found in larger training offices — typically responsible for coordinating the logistics of the training programme, managing TCMS administration, and ensuring assessment deadlines are met. Not a SAICA-prescribed role, but common in firms with large trainee intakes.
Optional
Mentors
More experienced colleagues — often recently qualified CAs or senior trainees — who provide informal guidance and support. They are not part of your formal assessment process but can be invaluable for navigating the profession, understanding office culture, and making sense of your development journey.
Optional
Coach
An external professional who works with you on mindset, performance and development – outside the formal assessment structure. Ideally a coach understands the SAICA assessment process, but the intention is to help you build the self-awareness and professional judgement the training programme is designed to develop.
Optional
Buddies
Peer trainees — typically at a similar stage of articles — who provide day-to-day support, share experiences, and help each other navigate the training programme.
This is not a formal role, but training offices that deliberately pair trainees tend to see stronger engagement and better development outcomes.