Josephine learns the ropes at PwC

Octavia Tsibes
Justicia Shipena



Josephine Diogenus was recently appointed as an article clerk at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Namibia.

Diogenus is responsible for auditing companies and sometimes makes coffee.

“As an audit clerk, you mostly do fieldwork (collecting evidence) and substantiate the audit opinion that will be issued with the audit report, if I can put it briefly,” she said.

She completed matric at De Duine Secondary School in 2013 in Walvis Bay. She then proceeded to the University of Namibia (Unam), where she completed her bachelor's degree in chartered accounting in 2017.

Diogenus recently also completed her certificate of theory in accounting (CTA) at the North West University in South Africa.

“I love academics, I cannot wait to start studying again after writing my second qualifying exam in 2019,” she said.

She started her articles on 2 February. The training contract duration is three years. This is her first job after she finished studying last year. She had previously done vacation work at few companies before she started at PwC Namibia.

Diogenus says her academic achievements are the overall highlights of her journey so far.

“The highlight of my career so far was my first board exam result where I managed to rank second in the country. That meant so much to me as it's the first of only two qualifying exams that I will write to become a chartered accountant,” she said.

Her short-term goals include growing with PwC. She added she is exposed to so many industries and she has qualified supervisors. Diogenus said she can see the person they are moulding her to become, and that person will have a positive impact on the company.

Diogenus said the challenges she faces are linked to transitioning from school to the workplace. Responsibility and time management is very important.

It is not easy to master, but she can proudly say she has improved so much in this regard.

“The workplace also comes with a lot of rules and new ways of doing things. Who am I kidding, everything was new to me. Right now I am really just trying to get used to the system and of course applying theory to practice - that's a whole calculus on its own,” she said.

Besides being in the office, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family and sometimes goes shopping on her own.

“Those are the best free-time moments.”