HAVENHILL Academy, an ACCA Gold Approved Learning Provider, has positioned itself at the centre of a quiet shift in Zimbabwe’s education landscape.
As more young people look beyond local job markets, the academy is training them for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants qualification, a credential recognised in more than 180 countries.
For Principal Officer Partson Nyatanga FCCA, the goal is broader than exam results.
“We are not just preparing students for exams. We are developing the whole person,” Nyatanga said.
That approach is evident in the academy’s model, with small classes, flexible timetables, one-on-one mentorship, and support systems tailored to each learner’s pace.
“Personalised learning means understanding each student’s strengths and challenges and helping them realise their full potential,” he said.
Nyatanga points to ACCA’s biggest draw: international portability.
“Students in Zimbabwe sit the same examinations as students in the UK, Singapore or South Africa. That means the qualification is recognised everywhere,” he explained.
Once qualified, accountants can work across borders without converting their credentials. To earn full membership, students must complete the exams, an ethics module, and a Practical Experience Requirement through workplace attachments.
For many Zimbabwean graduates, that combination is opening doors that local degrees alone cannot.
The path is not without obstacles. ACCA moved fully to computer-based exams and digital learning, a transition that has left some students behind.
“The biggest challenge is access to affordable data and the skills to use digital learning platforms,” Nyatanga said.
Fees are another barrier. Examination, subscription and tuition costs often force students to pause their studies.
“Some students struggle to raise the required fees, which affects their ability to continue,” he said.
Despite those constraints, Havenhill has maintained its Gold Approved Learning Provider status by meeting ACCA’s performance benchmarks year after year. Pass rates at diploma level have consistently stayed at 90% or above, well above the global average.
The academy also links students to work attachments with firms in Harare, helping them meet the experience requirement for full qualification.
“We prepare students for examinations and beyond. Practical experience is what turns a student into a professional,” Nyatanga said.
Havenhill supplements academic work with career guidance sessions featuring finance professionals, ACCA members and industry leaders. Students hear first-hand about career paths, workplace expectations and the role of ethics in accounting.
The academy is also building a digital learning platform to give students remote access to notes, lectures and assignments – a move aimed at reducing data costs and improving flexibility.
Nyatanga’s long-term plan is ambitious: recruit students straight from A-Levels and guide them to a full ACCA qualification within two and a half to three years.
“Our vision is to develop professional accountants from grassroots level,” he said.
He argues the profession has a wider role in Zimbabwe’s recovery.
“Accountants ensure accountability, compliance and the efficient flow of capital. Ethics remains at the heart of it,” Nyatanga said.
