Derisa Govender CA(SA), 32

Finalist: Transformative Leader | SAICA Top-35-Under-35 Awards 2025

Derisa Govender is a dynamic academic, mentor, and social impact leader whose work is transforming accounting education and empowering South Africa’s youth. As a lecturer and convenor at the University of Cape Town (UCT), Derisa is shaping the next generation of Chartered Accountants with a teaching philosophy rooted in empathy, innovation, and excellence.

Her journey into the profession was gradual, shaped by her environment and a desire to make a meaningful impact. Today, she teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including the APC Professional Programme, where she is the youngest member of the UCT team. Her involvement spans curriculum design, assessment moderation, and mentorship — all aimed at preparing students not just for exams, but for ethical, digitally agile careers.

Derisa’s leadership is evident in her role as second-year cohort coordinator, where she spearheaded a pioneering partnership with a corporate firm to embed SAICA’s CA of the Future competencies into a cross-disciplinary mid-year project. This initiative challenged students to holistically analyse real-world business scenarios, integrating ethics, digital acumen, and critical thinking. In 2025, she led a full redesign of the project, simulating a working day in UCT’s computer labs and providing asynchronous support materials — a bold step toward experiential learning.

As convenor of ACC2018H, Derisa oversaw the migration to UCT’s new learning platform, Amathuba, and introduced a dashboard to identify at-risk students, enabling timely interventions. She also designed new modules on personal ethics and computer-assisted audit techniques, aligning academic content with SAICA’s evolving competency framework.

Her mentorship extends beyond the classroom. Derisa actively supports student tutors, academic trainees, and early-career academics, offering guidance on teaching, communication, and professional development. Her open-door policy and hands-on approach have created a culture of trust, growth, and excellence.

Beyond academia, Derisa is deeply committed to youth development. She serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and Board Member of the Cape Town Child Welfare Society, South Africa’s oldest child welfare organisation. Under her financial leadership, the organisation has grown its cash reserves, formalised internal controls, and expanded its reach — placing hundreds of children in foster care and supporting hundreds more through life skills and mediation services.

She also serves as Treasurer and Trustee of the African Scholars Fund, which supports learners from impoverished communities. In 2023, she helped increase the financial grant amount despite economic challenges, ensuring continued support for over 350 schools and thousands of learners.

Derisa’s research focuses on financial behaviour among young adults, with her PhD aimed at developing a scalable financial education programme targeted at university entrants. Her ongoing publication work spans sustainability reporting, pension reform, and financial behaviour, with contributions to high-impact journals and SAICA’s Digital Acumen Working Group.

Whether in the lecture hall, boardroom, or community, Derisa Govender leads with purpose, compassion, and vision. Her work exemplifies the spirit of a Transformative Leader — one who not only teaches, but uplifts, innovates, and inspires.