With close to 15 000 followers on Twitter, Dr Cameron Modisane is not only a social media sensation, but also at the age of 33 the youngest black person in the country with a PhD in accounting sciences. He recently obtained his doctoral degree from the North-West University (NWU).

The purpose of his study was to develop a competency framework for workplace-integrated information technology (IT) knowledge and skills for internal auditing students at tertiary institutions in South Africa.

He developed an Integrated Workplace Competency Framework, in which he recommends the inclusion of IT-related topics that have an impact on the audit risk for practising auditors.

These topics include cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, block chain and machine learning, which are all part of the fourth industrial revolution in the accounting and auditing curriculum of South African universities.

“I am excited and thrilled to have completed this study, and I believe my findings will add to the body of knowledge in the auditing and accounting profession,” says Dr Modisane.

From a small town to a PhD

Hailing from Kwa-Thema, a small town in Ekurhuleni, Dr Modisane currently works as an audit manager at the Auditor General of South Africa.

He is passionate about motivating young people, advocating for gay rights and engaging in influential topics. “I love inspiring young people to focus on their studies and to take on difficult career paths such as accounting,” he says.

He is thinking about completing a postdoctoral fellowship to obtain a second PhD, and hopes to be a full professor in accounting sciences in the next five years.

NWU alumnus Dr Cameron Modisane is the youngest black person in South Africa with a PhD in accounting sciences