SAICA: Proposed Revised Code of Professional Conduct

Posted 04 July 2025 Written by Acts Online
Category Professional Ethics

Brought to you by SA Accounting Academy: The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) has issued an exposure draft for the Proposed Revised SAICA Code with South African Enhancements to the Ethics and Independence Standards for Sustainability Assurance.

In terms of the ongoing alignment with international standards, the SAICA Code of Professional Conduct is being updated to incorporate ethics standards for sustainability assurance. This includes specific independence standards and a new standard regarding the use of the work of external experts. These revisions follow the publication of the 2024 Code of Professional Conduct on 10 March 2025.

The proposed amendments track recent developments in the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) Code and the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) Code. The South African enhancements are substantive adaptations that necessitate changes to the existing numbering system within the Code. The primary areas of focus in this exposure draft include:

  • Ethics and independence standards specifically tailored for sustainability assurance engagements;
  • Frameworks for using the work of external experts within the scope of professional assignments; and
  • South African-specific enhancements to ensure local regulatory consistency.

The due date for comments from members and associates on these proposed revisions is 21 July 2025. Following the comment period, the proposed amendments may be modified through the SAICA governance processes before being issued in their final form.

Click here to download the Exposure Draft: Proposed Revised SAICA Code with IESSA and Experts SA Enhancements.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: You must review the proposed independence requirements to ensure that any future sustainability assurance roles you undertake do not conflict with the revised ethical framework.
  • For your business: Your firm will need to update its internal compliance manuals and quality management systems to incorporate the specific standards for managing and relying on external experts.
  • For your clients: Clients requiring sustainability reporting will need to be apprised of the more rigorous independence criteria, which may affect which service providers they can appoint for assurance engagements.

Originally published at https://accountingacademy.co.za/news/read/saica-proposed-revised-saica-code-of-professional-conduct

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