Start fresh with new skills. Get 10% off course fees with the code FRESH2026 until April 21, 2026 and set yourself up for exponential growth this year.

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UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
BOOKKEEPING

ONLINE SHORT COURSE

Gain the skills to determine business performance and maintain financial clarity and stability

VIEW COURSE PROSPECTUS
Duration

9 weeks, excluding
orientation

Effort

7–10 hours per week,
entirely online

Learning Format

Weekly modules,
flexible learning

Get 10% off until April 21, 2026.

Start fresh with new skills.

It’s time for a new season of personal growth. Take 10% off this online course with the code FRESH2026.

*Offer applies to any start date for participating courses where registration is currently open as long as you register and pay by April 21, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (U.S.). To redeem the offer for executive education courses, register on getsmarter.com, using code FRESH2026 at checkout. The discount cannot be combined with any other offers for executive education courses.

ON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE, YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH:

  1. A solid grounding in bookkeeping best practices to become an effective bookkeeper and make a positive impact in business.

  2. The skills to enter transactions into the relevant journals, and balance a general ledger account.

  3. An understanding of inventory control and value added tax (VAT) requirements.

  4. A digital certificate from Africa's leading university,1 as proof of your newfound competencies.

    1QS Top Universities (Jan, 2024).

COURSE CURRICULUM

Over the duration of this online short course, you'll work through the following modules:

Module 1 The Basics of Bookkeeping

Discover the purpose of bookkeeping and the importance of keeping your business's finances organised.

Module 2 Inventory Control

Learn about the value of managing inventory properly.

Module 3 Value Added Tax

Learn about who is liable to pay tax, and its application in business and finance.

Module 4 Journals: Part 1

Learn about the day-to-day application of the bookkeeping process.

Module 5 Journals: Part 2

Learn about cash transactions and how they should be entered into bookkeeping journals.

Module 6 The General Ledger

Discover how the general ledger is used to reflect and record every account of a business within a given month.

Module 7 Debtors and Creditors

Gain an understanding of the structure and process of debtors and creditors, and how their transactions are recorded in financial statements.

Module 8 Bank Reconciliations

Discover how bank reconciliation is used to identify transactions that may have been overlooked elsewhere, and adjust for timing in the cash flow.

Module 9 Statutory Returns, Wages and Salaries Registers

Discover the responsibilities that a bookkeeper has for recording VAT, salaries, and wages in the relevant journals and ledger entries.

Please note that module titles and their contents are subject to change during course development.

COURSE CONVENORS

Samiah Fakier

Lecturer, College of Accounting, UCT

After qualifying as a chartered accountant in 2015, Fakier joined PricewaterhouseCoopers' Western Cape accounting technical department. She was part of a core financial reporting technical team responsible for assisting and training clients and audit teams in the Western Cape on the practical application of the International Financial Reporting Standards. She started in a permanent position at UCT in February 2018, joining the College of Accounting to lecture in financial reporting at an undergraduate level.

Nabeelah Daniels

Lecturer in Financial Reporting, College of Accounting, UCT

Daniels holds both a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and a Postgraduate Diploma in accounting from UCT. After completing her articles at PricewaterhouseCoopers and qualifying as a chartered accountant, she lectured in financial reporting for three years at Stellenbosch University. At the beginning of 2018, Daniels took up a position at UCT, where she currently lectures in financial reporting to first-year students. She plans to further her studies by completing a master's degree in accounting sciences.

AN ONLINE EDUCATION THAT SETS YOU APART

This UCT online short course is delivered in collaboration with online education provider GetSmarter. Join a growing community of global professionals, and benefit from the opportunity to:
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Gain verifiable and relevant competencies and earn invaluable recognition from an international selection of universities and institutions, entirely online and in your own time.

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Enjoy a personalised, people-mediated online learning experience created to make you feel supported at every step.

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Experience a flexible but structured approach to online education as you plan your learning around your life to meet weekly milestones.