AGSA Trainee Auditor Programme and LEAP Vacation Work

Written by Thabo MokoenaSenior Education Editor

Reviewed & verified by Naledi KhumaloSenior Admissions and Bursaries EditorVerified

The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) audits national, provincial and municipal government, and it trains its own chartered accountants to do that work. Its SAICA-accredited trainee auditor programme is a training contract, usually called articles, for graduates who have finished the Certificate in the Theory of Accounting (CTA) and want to qualify as a CA(SA) while auditing the public sector. The AGSA also runs LEAP, a vacation work programme for students who have not yet graduated.

This page covers those two workplace routes. The AGSA’s undergraduate bursary, which pays for the degree itself, is a separate scheme covered on its own page.

Articles with the public sector auditor

The AGSA’s training scheme began in 2009 and, according to the AGSA, has produced more than 2,400 chartered accountants. Its alumni include Patricia Stork, the current CEO of SAICA, and Polani Sokombela, the AGSA’s chief financial officer. The AGSA describes the programme as a mix of tailored training, varied audit assignments, mentorship and international opportunities. The organisation employs more than 4,000 people and says it was certified a Top Employer for 2026.

The AGSA sets out the SAICA route that trainees follow. After the CTA, trainees write the Initial Test of Competence (ITC). Before sitting the final Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), they must have completed at least 20 months of a registered training contract by the start of the month in which the APC is written, and they must pass a professional programme.

Who the AGSA takes as trainees

• CTA first. The AGSA’s FAQ says you must have completed CTA to join. Candidates still in their CTA year can be offered a contract after a successful interview, conditional on passing CTA.
• Part-time CTA is the exception. The main intake is for candidates who have already passed CTA. The AGSA says it may, with leadership approval, allow new candidates on other programmes to study CTA part-time.
• No experience needed. Graduates may apply for entry-level posts without work experience, although the AGSA adds that relevant experience may help.
• Traits it looks for. The AGSA lists analytical and logical thinking, attention to detail, strong communication, ethical behaviour and integrity.

Accounting is not the only way in. The AGSA’s FAQ names data analyst trainee posts and ICT internships among its other entry-level roles for graduates.

From application form to contract

Applications go through the AGSA’s recruitment portal at agsacareers.ci.hr, reached via the Apply button on the AGSA graduate recruitment page once you consent to the processing of your personal information. Applicants create an account on that portal, attach their CV, and fill in the graduate form. The AGSA then works through four stages:

1. screening of the application;
2. an interview for shortlisted candidates, and the FAQ says there may also be a written or online assessment and background checks;
3. a meet-and-greet with the team;
4. the contract stage, where the employment details are finalised.

The AGSA does not publish an intake window or closing date for trainee auditors, nor the trainee salary, start dates or which of its offices trainees join. The graduate brochure linked from the careers page now opens a “website moved” notice instead of the document. General enquiries go to agsa@agsa.co.za or 012 426 8000 at the Pretoria head office.

LEAP vacation work for BCom and CTA students

LEAP stands for Limitless Experience for Audit Pioneers. The AGSA built it to formalise vacation audit work for students studying BCom Accounting or CTA. Participants spend their university holidays with AGSA audit teams, learn how public sector audits run, and practise critical analysis and problem-solving. Applications use the same recruitment portal, and the AGSA has not published LEAP dates or the number of places.

Students who still need funding for the degree should see the AGSA bursary, which the AGSA says opens each year from 15 August to 15 September. The AGSA profile lists its programmes, and chartered accountant bursaries gathers other CA(SA) funding.

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About AGSA

Supreme audit institution

The Auditor-General of South Africa (AGSA) is the country's supreme audit institution, and the AGSA is the only institution that, by law, must audit and report on how government spends public funds. The AGSA audits national and provincial…

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