What I enjoy most about my job is participating in value addition. It’s enormously rewarding to witness the growth of a client’s business and the sense of fulfilment I get out of seeing my clients satisfied is something else.
I started my career in accountancy as an audit trainee with HLB Zambia. My plan was to train for three years in audit and then look for a good job in banking. But I had great mentorship at HLB and developed a passion for the audit industry, so my career destination changed from banking to becoming a rounded consultant. I worked through the ranks and attained partnership in 2022.
Working for HLB has given me enormous exposure globally, allowing me to work and network with many different member firms. My most recent secondment with HLB Ireland gave me insights into performing work according to Irish GAAP.
Accountants can add value by aiding policy formulation and advising on growth
I was motivated to become an accountant by my sister, and by reading Frank Wood’s Business Accounting. This textbook fascinated me and was the beginning of my interest in accountancy.
I stepped out of my comfort zone when I went for partnership. This meant sitting competence examinations, which I hadn’t had to do before. The low pass rate didn’t exactly motivate me either. However, despite many doubts, I sat the examination and passed on my first attempt.
The Zambian economy is in a crisis. However, I believe accountants can help and add value by aiding policy formulation, and steering our economic growth and diversification into other sectors. The profession can also help combat the effects of Zambia’s debt crisis through offering professional services and upholding the code of conduct for accountants.
The country is currently facing numerous challenges. Increased inflation is making life hard due to the significant rise in the price of grain and energy, and the kwacha, the local currency, remains volatile, resulting in an unstable economy. The monetary policies adopted have only increased this instability, impacting the cost of borrowing and ultimately affecting business performance.
As a developing country, Zambia’s opportunities are vast. The country is rich in natural resources and has an excellent climate. It is the seventh-largest producer of copper, boasts 20% of the world’s emeralds, and has huge reserves of uranium, sulphur and platinum. To move away from its reliance on copper exports, the government is pushing the agriculture sector and encouraging local and international investors with tax incentives.
The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in determination
I like this saying: ‘The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.’ I also like to look at life through the law of gravity: ‘What goes up must come down.’ I take this to mean life is a cycle of good and bad situations, and nothing lasts forever.
If I wasn’t an accountant I think I would be working in the field of science. I enrolled in the school of natural sciences at the university of Zambia before studying accountancy.
I have a deep love for the land and farming. When I am not working, I am most often to be found on my farm. I believe in creating a sustainable and green environment, and am trying to achieve this on a domestic level. I recently started writing a journal, which has improved my wellbeing. I also enjoy watching movies and playing board games with my children and husband.
