Sanlam Training Programme 2026 for SAICA Trainee Accountant

📋 Description

The Sanlam Training Programme is a structured CA training opportunity for candidates who are serious about becoming Chartered Accountants CA(SA). This programme is also known as the SAICA Trainee Accountant: TOPP Program and is designed to help trainees gain the practical workplace experience required by SAICA. It gives candidates a chance to develop technical accounting knowledge, professional judgement, ethical behaviour, business understanding, and practical finance skills in a large corporate environment.

Many CA candidates choose the traditional audit-firm route for articles, but Sanlam’s TOPP route offers a different path. This programme allows trainee accountants to complete their training in a corporate financial services group. That means trainees can gain exposure to business operations, finance functions, reporting, governance, taxation, risk management, strategy, and internal control environments inside a major organisation. For candidates who want to understand how finance works inside a large insurance and financial services group, this programme can be a very valuable option.

Sanlam is one of the largest financial services groups in Africa. The company started as a life insurance business in South Africa and has grown into a diversified financial services group with operations across the African continent, India, Malaysia, and selected developed markets. Sanlam is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, A2X, and the Namibian Stock Exchange. The group has a presence in 30 countries and is one of the largest internationally active insurance groups in the world.

The Sanlam Group operates through several major business clusters, including Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, and Santam. The Group Office provides strategic direction, governance, and centralised support services to these clusters. These central functions include finance, actuarial, risk and balance sheet management, strategy, human capital, corporate affairs, and sustainability. This structure gives trainee accountants access to broad exposure across different areas of the business.

The purpose of the programme is to help trainees meet the formal education, practical experience, and competency requirements prescribed by SAICA. During the three-year training period, trainees will rotate within Group Office and across different Sanlam Group clusters. These rotations are designed to expose trainees to different areas of finance and business, helping them build the competencies needed to qualify as CA(SA).

The programme is suitable for candidates who already have a strong academic foundation in accounting and finance. Applicants must have completed a Certificate in the Theory of Accountancy (CTA) or a SAICA-recognised postgraduate programme that is accepted as a prerequisite for admission to the Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC). Sanlam also requires an academic performance record average of at least 60%.

This opportunity is not only about technical accounting. Sanlam also wants candidates who can show resilience, customer focus, collaboration, innovation, and the ability to drive results. These qualities are important because the programme includes rotations, team work, reporting responsibilities, learning pressure, deadlines, and professional expectations. Candidates must be ready to take responsibility for their own development while also contributing to the teams they work with.

Overall, the Sanlam CA Training Programme 2026 is a strong career-building route for aspiring Chartered Accountants who want professional training in a respected financial services group.

📌 Available Positions

• SAICA Trainee Accountant: TOPP Program

✅ Eligibility Criteria

• Must want to qualify as a Chartered Accountant CA(SA).
• Must be interested in completing TOPP Articles.
• Must have completed CTA or a SAICA-recognised postgraduate programme.
• Must meet the academic requirement for admission to the Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC).
• Must have an academic average of at least 60%.
• Must be interested in training in a large corporate financial services environment.
• Must be willing to complete a 3-year structured training programme.
• Should be professional, ethical, resilient, and eager to learn.
• Should be able to work across teams, business units, and functions.
• Must be able to meet SAICA competency and practical experience requirements.

🛠️ Responsibilities

During the programme, trainee accountants will rotate within Group Office and across Sanlam Group clusters. Responsibilities may include:

• Complete the SAICA-accredited training programme.
• Meet practical experience requirements prescribed by SAICA.
• Develop technical and professional competencies.
• Participate in interim and annual financial reporting processes.
• Apply technical accounting knowledge accurately.
• Support Group reporting and statutory reporting work.
• Participate in finance-related activities across business areas.
• Contribute to governance and risk-related processes.
• Support taxation, internal audit, and reporting-related exposure.
• Participate in ad-hoc projects and special assignments.
• Work across different departments and teams.
• Show accountability, discipline, and professional maturity.
• Demonstrate ethical conduct in all work.
• Develop problem-solving and decision-making ability.
• Build business understanding through structured rotations.

🎓 Qualifications

Applicants must have one of the following:

• Certificate in the Theory of Accountancy (CTA)
• A SAICA-recognised postgraduate programme required for admission to the Initial Assessment of Competence (IAC)

Applicants should also have:

• Academic performance record average of at least 60%

💼 Experience

• This programme is designed for candidates starting their CA(SA) training path.
• Prior full-time work experience is not listed as a main requirement.
• Experience in a university or community organisation is considered relevant.
• Involvement in non-profit organisations may be useful.
• Participation in student societies, clubs, community organisations, or university leadership structures can support an application.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications is advantageous.
• Candidates should be ready for practical corporate finance exposure through rotations.

🌟 Skills

Applicants should have knowledge and skills in the following areas:

• Financial Accounting
• Financial Management
• Taxation
• Managerial Accounting
• Internal Audit
• External Audit
• Microsoft Office applications
• Technical accounting knowledge
• Financial reporting understanding
• Business strategy awareness
• Risk and governance interest
• Professional communication
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork
• Accountability
• Ethical decision-making

📚 Competency Exposure

The programme is designed to expose trainees to several important SAICA-related competencies, including:

• Ethics and Citizenship
• Business Acumen
• Decision-making Acumen
• Relational Acumen
• Digital Acumen
• Business and Finance Strategy
• Internal Audit
• Governance
• Risk Management
• Reporting
• Taxation

👤 Personal Attributes

Sanlam lists several personal attributes that are important for this role. These include:

• Self-development
• Decision quality
• Financial acumen
• Ability to optimise work processes

These attributes are expected at a “contributing independently” level, which means candidates should be able to take responsibility for their own tasks and growth while still learning within the training programme.

🧩 Core Competencies

The core competencies required for the programme include:

• Resilience
• Customer focus
• Collaboration
• Ability to drive results
• Innovation

These qualities are important because the CA training journey requires discipline, learning under pressure, professional behaviour, team collaboration, and consistent performance.

🎁 Job Benefits

• 3-year structured CA training programme
• Opportunity to complete TOPP Articles
• Training route aligned with SAICA requirements
• Practical exposure in a large financial services group
• Rotations within Group Office and Sanlam Group clusters
• Experience in finance, reporting, governance, risk, taxation, and strategy
• Exposure to a corporate environment instead of the traditional audit-firm route
• Strong foundation for becoming a CA(SA)
• Opportunity to develop technical and professional competencies
• Access to Sanlam’s broader financial services business environment
• Career-building experience in Cape Town, Western Cape
• Exposure to one of Africa’s major insurance and financial services groups

📈 Career Growth at Sanlam

Sanlam focuses on building strong and lasting relationships with employees and aims to help people realise their worth. Through different business clusters such as Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, MiWay, and Group Office, employees may access different opportunities for career development. For trainee accountants, this can provide broad internal exposure and a strong professional foundation in financial services.

🤝 Transformation and Employment Equity

Sanlam Group is committed to transformation and diversity. The company aims to build a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace because these values are important for a sustainable business in South Africa. Sanlam’s Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.

👤 Who Should Apply?

This programme is suitable for candidates who:

• Want to become a CA(SA)
• Want to complete TOPP Articles
• Have completed CTA or a SAICA-recognised postgraduate programme
• Have an academic average of at least 60%
• Want to train in a large corporate financial services environment
• Are interested in finance, reporting, governance, risk, taxation, and business strategy
• Can work across different teams and departments
• Are professional, ethical, resilient, and eager to learn
• Want a corporate alternative to the traditional audit-firm article route

🧾 Recruitment Process

Sanlam states that the shortlisting process will only begin after the application due date has passed. The time taken to complete the process will depend on how far the applicant progresses, the availability of managers, and the requirements of the recruitment process. This means candidates may not receive immediate feedback before the closing date.

📞 How to Apply

To apply for the Sanlam Training Programme, candidates should prepare their application before the closing date and make sure they meet the qualification and academic requirements. Applicants should highlight their CTA or SAICA-recognised postgraduate qualification, academic average, accounting knowledge, Microsoft Office skills, leadership or community involvement, and interest in becoming a CA(SA) through the TOPP route.

Apply Here

📝 Final Summary

The Sanlam Training Programme 2026, also known as the SAICA Trainee Accountant: TOPP Program, is a 3-year CA training opportunity based in Cape Town, Western Cape. It is designed for candidates who want to qualify as Chartered Accountants CA(SA) through a SAICA-accredited TOPP training route inside a large corporate financial services environment.

The programme provides rotations across Sanlam Group Office and different Sanlam clusters, giving trainees exposure to finance, reporting, governance, risk management, taxation, internal audit, strategy, business acumen, digital acumen, and professional development. Applicants must have a CTA or a SAICA-recognised postgraduate qualification required for admission to the Initial Assessment of Competence, with an academic average of at least 60%.

For candidates who want a serious CA(SA) training path outside the traditional audit-firm route, the Sanlam CA Training Programme 2026 is a valuable opportunity. Interested applicants should apply before the 31 May 2026 closing date.