TOPP Graduate Programme

Real people is a credit management group providing a range of personal finance, insurance, housing and cellular products as well as end to end (from credit vetting and scoring to collections) outsourced credit management services. Real People is boosting the training of accountants, an area in which the South African skills shortage is being most strongly felt.

What is TOPP?

Training Outside Public Practice (TOPP) is an alternative route for accounting trainees who want to qualify as Chartered Accountants (SA). Training takes place in the commerce and industry sectors, as opposed to Training Inside Public Practice (TIPP), which is conducted in the audit environment. The TOPP Programme was established in 1997 by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). TOPP places an emphasis on financial management, while TIPP provides trainees with auditing exposure.

Why TOPP at Real People?

TOPP candidates specialise in financial management and not auditing. As the trainees are being moulded to become well-rounded chartered accountants, a major part of their training includes financial accounting, management accounting, internal auditing and taxation. Trainees are involved in dynamic, challenging situations that will provide a perspective across the financial field within various business units. As one of the largest employers in the region, we offer a broad range of credit management experience.

SAICA governs and controls the training and also restricts the training to approved companies. Real People were accredited in March 2007 by SAICA as an approved training organisation (ATO) for TOPP trainees. Real People, headquartered in East London, were one of the first to offer this form of training for aspirant CAs in the Eastern Cape.

Real People’s TOPP programme includes rotations to our different accounting divisions, which form part of the greater Finance Department, as well as internal audit and covers all competencies set by SAICA. Examples of tasks to be performed include: consolidations, budgets, preparation of monthly management accounts and annual financial statements as well as tax computations.

Trainees will gain knowledge and skills from talented and experienced people, who will provide support in promoting career growth and development. There is also opportunity for further study through Real People’s bursary programme for further education.

SAICA’s new programme

SAICA are introducing a new model to be implemented in 2010. According to SAICA, the emphasis on auditing will be balanced with other required competencies and the distinction between TIPP and TOPP will fall away. The competencies currently prescribed will be re-defined with an equal weighting of auditing with other core technical areas, namely taxation, managerial accounting, financial management and financial accounting. The new training programme will require the future CA (SA) to have added emphasis in the following business skills and competencies: corporate governance and ethics; business acumen; information and communication technology; interpersonal and communication skills; leadership skills; and organisational and management skills.

Real People have embraced this change and are well prepared for this new and exciting programme.

TOPP trainees at Real People

• “TOPP at Real People made me realise the knowledgeable CA I want to be.  There’s a lot of opportunity to gain huge experience within 3 years, as it has shown for me, that the theory that I learnt in varsity, has been put to the test from day 1.” – Bathande Mzana



• “I have found management as well as staff to be very approachable and encouraging throughout my training contract. Due to Real People being a large and dynamic company there is always room for growth and there are numerous routes that one could follow.” – Michelle Naude



• “I have found the Real People CA training programme to be interesting, motivating and remarkable, but challenging if you are not focused. Since joining Real People, I have made enormous personal and career growth through rotations to mutually supportive departments and open interaction with a knowledgeable pool of CA’s.  Today I can confidently say “by joining Real People – I made one of the best decisions of my life” – Abisha Gowere



• "TOPP at Real People is an exciting opportunity for growth technically and professionally. Exposure in financial services, corporate governance and tax related issues is guaranteed. Join us for TOPP and say Hello to an amazing journey of becoming a CA(SA)" Nobathembu Mpetsheni

• Applications for the 2010 intake close on 31 August 2009.