IIA SA celebrates UP for global recognition for academic excellence in internal auditing

The Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa (IIA South Africa) is proud to recognise the achievements of its student members and academic institutions.

South Africa is home to six higher learning institutions which are recognised on the global Internal Audit Academic Alliance programme. This programme is established by The Institute of Internal Auditors (The IIA) and the Internal Audit Foundation (IAF), and was formerly known separately as the Internal Audit Awareness Programme (IAAP) and the Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) programme. IIA SA CEO, Arlene-Lynn Volmink, emphasised that the IIA SA is actively championing the internal audit profession and supporting academia. Recent partnership agreements with Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and the Central University of Technology (CUT) mark key steps forward, with further collaboration planned alongside the IAF and institutions such as the University of Pretoria (UP), a recognised centre of excellence on the programme. “Internal audit need not be a scarce skill in South Africa if we commit to collective efforts to build competent, future-fit professionals.”

Since 2023, the Siyakhula Student Membership Programme offered through the IIA SA has attracted 1 370 members across South Africa. The inaugural young leaders conference was held in September 2024, and the upcoming conference to be held virtually on 19 September 2025 will feature emerging trends and topics relevant to young and aspiring internal audit professionals today. The Student Conference aims to create a space where students can actively engage, build confidence and amplify their voices as future leaders in internal auditing. It will encourage dialogue, innovation and bold thinking, preparing delegates to enter the profession ready to make a meaningful difference.

Most recently, the IIA SA joined UP in celebrating a prestigious recognition from the IAF, based in the United States of America, highlighting both the talent of UP’s internal auditing students and the strength of its academic offerings in internal auditing. Two of the UP students, Gabriella Skinner and Andiswa Mweli, both IIA SA Siyakhula student members, have been named recipients of the Larry B. Sawyer Student Scholarship, a prestigious global competition that drew more than 90 video submissions from students around the world. Skinner was awarded $5 000 and Mweli received $500 for their outstanding creativity, clarity and passion for the internal audit profession. In addition, the university will receive a $2 500 grant in recognition of its support for student excellence and its role in preparing the next generation of internal auditors.

Gabriella Skinner and Andiswa Mweli.

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Further reinforcing this global recognition, UP was also awarded a grant through the Foundation’s Academic Alliance Grant Program, receiving additional funding to enhance its internal audit curriculum. The programme, formerly known as the IAEP Grant Program, awarded more than $122 000 in total to 18 universities globally this year, marking the first time in the programme’s history that all eligible applications were funded. The University of Pretoria is endorsed as a centre of excellence, the highest level of recognition in the IIA’s Academic Alliance Program.

“We are honoured by this international recognition, which speaks to both the calibre of our internal auditing students and the dedication of our academic programmes,” said Rudrik du Bruyn, Head of the UP’s Centre for Internal Auditing Excellence. “These awards reflect our continued commitment to developing skilled, ethical and future-ready internal audit professionals.”

The Internal Audit Foundation’s support underscores its mission to elevate internal audit education and empower future leaders in the profession through strategic investment in students and universities worldwide.