Working with numbers

Continuously developing her skills and expertise in her role as finance manager and contributing to the growth and success of the organisation form part of the milestones Victorine Swartbooi hopes to reach at Old Mutual Namibia.

Her interest in accounting and numbers made her career path easy to pick in high school. She considers the chartered accountant (CA) qualification versatile, and said it can open doors to various career options and stability as there is a consistent demand for skilled professionals.

Swartbooi was born and raised in Keetmanshoop. She matriculated from PK De Villiers Secondary School and then pursued her undergraduate degree in accounting at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).

With the aim to become a CA, she successfully completed a bridging programme from the University of South Africa (Unisa). Thereafter, she completed a postgraduate diploma in accounting sciences (CTA certificate in the theory of accounting).

Swartbooi completed her articles at Grant Thornton Neuhaus and was promoted to senior auditor. She then qualified as a CA in June 2022 and was promoted to audit manager.

"The journey to becoming a CA was not easy, but worth all the sacrifices and late nights,” she said.



Challenges and accomplishments

On her journey, Swartbooi experienced a lot of self-doubt due to failed examinations. She, however, kept trying, and today she believes that all the experiences and emotions shaped her into the professional she is.

“I was able to take failure as part of success and learn to not doubt my abilities," she said, listing meeting tight deadlines while delivering quality work as one of the challenges she faces.

Accomplishments in her job include: Obtaining her qualification as a CA; being promoted to more senior roles, as well as training and mentoring junior trainee accountants.

In this position, she strives to find ways to help herself grow personally and professionally. She looks forward to working with others to add value to the overall business objective, while learning as much as possible and providing new ways of delivering timely results.



Career lessons

Asked for some career lessons, Swartbooi said: “Effective communication is vital, whether it's explaining financial reports to clients or presenting findings to colleagues. Developing strong communication skills is essential for success. The ability to adapt to new technologies, software and changes in the business environment is crucial".

She highlighted being adaptable and open to change as valuable lessons in the dynamic field of finance.

"Finally, having strong emotional intelligence skills - to be able to manage and understand both my emotions and the people around me - is critical,” she said.

She advised those who would like to take on this profession to remain committed to their goals and adapt to the changing landscape of the finance industry. That way, they can work toward achieving their dream of becoming a finance manager or a CA. Additionally, she noted that it is important to build a professional network by attending industry events and connecting with professionals in the field.

“Networking can open doors to opportunities and mentorship,” she said.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking, travelling, exploring different places and spending time with loved ones.