From homelessness, to representing her country in sport, we caught up with the ambitious Chengai Ruredzo (FCCA), to find out how she gained her ACCA qualification.
Hi Chengai, could you tell us a little about your background?
Absolutely! I grew up in Zimbabwe in a middle class family and enjoyed a good standard of living. I was very fortunate to attend private schools that followed the British system of education.
During my A-Levels, Deloitte visited my school and after observing the impressive number of sports and academic awards on my blazer, the hiring manager said to me:
‘If you can do all of those things, that well and all at the same time - you are hired!’.
I was the only pupil to be selected from my school that year and started my career in audit at only 18 years old.
Sounds great - did things continue to go well for you?
Sadly not. Due to the economic turmoil in Zimbabwe, I left the country in 2000 after working for Deloitte and IBM Global Services, where I won regional EMEA awards. Then in 2006, I applied for British residency, but my personal documents got lost in the system for five years!
I was homeless when I finally received my British residency in 2010, during a period of record snowfall in the UK.
That sounds tough. When did you start studying with Kaplan and what happened next?
I started with Kaplan in 2012. I had to wake up at 4am to travel by bus from Surrey to London Bridge for my classroom course!
After passing ACCA Applied Skills, I started work as a Finance Manager, despite the role being advertised for a fully qualified accountant.
My predecessor informed me that the company was going into administration in two months’ time. So I drew on my business acumen, and within four months the company was transformed from a loss-making into a month-on-month profit-making group. All the planned redundancies were cancelled, and it’s still in existence today. I’m really proud of the work I put in to make this happen.
Impressive! What other things have you achieved?
In 2016 I received an email from ACCA - congratulating me for completing all the exams and PER, both at the same time. I was featured in the Kaplan Financial 2014 prospectus and featured in the ACCA AB (Accounting and Business) magazine in the July/August 2019 edition as a fully qualified professional accountant.
In 2017 I had my first speaking engagement at an International Women’s Day event. In 2018 I was the guest speaker at an event hosted by ‘She Is You’ entitled ‘How to Manage Your Finances’.
In 2020 I was the keynote speaker at an event entitled ‘Women Leading the Covid Recovery’ speaking alongside the ACCA global president. In 2021 I was interviewed by Gordon Smith of ACCA, live on Instagram. You can watch the recording on instagram. I am a regular speaker for ACCA and have spoken at various Gen Z events.
Most recently, in 2022 I won a double award at the ‘Women of Excellence’ International Women’s Day Event for “Inspirational sportswoman of the year and Christian woman in business.”
Outside of work, do you have any other interests?
Yes! I am really passionate about sport.
In 2022 I was selected to represent the first ever London Masters hockey team at the England Masters Hockey Championships held in Bristol.
In 2018 I took part in the Masters World Cup Hockey Tournament held in Spain, representing Zimbabwe as the only black player in the team. I hold a silver medal from the 1997 Under 21 World Cup Hockey Qualifying Tournament. I also went on tour as part of the Zimbabwe Senior Women’s hockey team and was personally sponsored by IBM.
I have held a British tennis ranking since 2014. Being an athlete means that my competitive drive and determination form a positive attitude that overflows into my work as an accountant.
I currently play league hockey for Surbiton hockey club and league tennis for David Lloyd tennis club. I have worked as a volunteer in my church for over 20 years and am an active Christian.
In my spare time I enjoy baking, travelling and designing clothes.
With the ACCA, did you specialise in a particular area?
Before sitting my first ACCA exam, I knew that I wanted to do Advanced Taxation (ATX) and Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA) as my optional papers. When looking for an ATX lecturer, Neil da Costa was the only name that was repeatedly recommended.
Neil was a no-nonsense lecturer, ironically, with a sense of humour, which was an apt balance to the intellectual stimulus. Moreover, his down-to-earth personality means that many of his students have naturally remained in touch, years after passing through his capable hands.
What are you doing now?
I’m a Financial Controller in a technology company and my role involves managing the period end processes, as well as the annual audit. I also manage the outsourced payroll and HR functions, pensions and ESG reporting. I am responsible for taxation, including VAT, PAYE, CT and Research and Development.
Any advice for ACCA students considering tax?
Selecting the optional ATX paper gives you the confidence to answer questions posed by people from all walks of life when networking. Tax also gives you a solid foundation as a professional accountant.
There is a prestige that comes with putting Kaplan Financial on your CV as it is a world-renowned financial tuition provider and the name is synonymous with excellence in the business world. ACCA is a robust qualification for professional accountants and is highly respected globally, providing a wide variety of work and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Final thoughts?
I have a few, for people considering studying ACCA, or accountancy, or any other course.
Regardless of whatever challenges arise during the course of your studies, if you can keep focused on the end goal, you can and will get there in the end.
Playing sport and doing physical exercise teaches you discipline and determination which makes you a well-rounded person, and develops teamwork and leadership skills.
Be a person of integrity in every area of life and reach out to support others when you cross the finish line.
Thank you so much Chengai for your story and insight
If you’re interested in ACCA, have a look at our qualification pages. Chengai also mentors ACCA students from around the world on social media. If you’d like to know more, visit her LinkedIn page for information.