The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ)

What The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) does

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) is a statutory professional membership organization established on 11 January 1918 under Ordinance 14 of 1917 and now incorporated under the Chartered Accountants Act [Chapter 27:02] of Zimbabwe. It is the longest established and largest professional accountancy organization in Zimbabwe, operating from its headquarters at Integrity House in Harare with 60 employees and a member network of over 15,000 professionals across more than 40 countries spanning Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Australasia, and the Americas. ICAZ delivers four membership categories — Chartered Accountant (CA(Z)), Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA(Z), introduced 2017), Articled Accountant (AA(Z), introduced 2013), and Public Sector Professional Accountant (PSPA(Z)) — alongside a structured qualification pathway comprising the Initial Test of Competence (ITC), the Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), and the Certificate in Theory of Accounting (CTA).

ICAZ's member service platform centers on a web-based portal that hosts the Find-an-ICAZ-Member directory, an IFACNET technical resources search engine, a Technical Helpdesk with a 24-hour response SLA, an online CPD recording system requiring 20 verifiable hours annually and 120 hours over three years, and payment processing integrated with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Ecocash, and Onewallet. The institute issues three magazines per year, runs the annual Winter School conference in Victoria Falls (2026 theme: 'Charting New Frontiers: Resilience, Innovation & Sustainable Value'), and operates the ICAZ Vimbiso Half Marathon as a fundraising channel for the Vimbiso Scholarship Trust. Sub-brands include WeCAN (Women Chartered Accountants Network, launched April 2017), the Chartered Accountants Students Society (CASS), and the CA(Z) designation itself.

ICAZ generates revenue from four streams: recurring annual membership subscriptions (with deregistration after 90 days for non-payment), one-time professional examination fees, professional services revenue from events and publications, and licensing/certification fees from reciprocal recognition and letters of good standing. The institute holds mutual recognition agreements enabling CA(Z) members to practice without additional examinations in the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, South Africa, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, and maintains strategic partnerships with Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW), the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB), CIMA, SAICA, and CAMFED Zimbabwe.

Name

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ)

Legal name

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe

Website

https://icaz.org.zw

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) is a statutory professional membership organization, founded 1918, that licenses and supports over 15,000 chartered accountants in Zimbabwe and across 40+ countries through four membership designations, a qualification pathway, CPD, publications, and annual events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Harare

HQ country

Zimbabwe

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from Chartered Accountants, Fellows, Articled Accountants, and Public Sector Professional Accountants. Members are deregistered after 90 days from billing date if unpaid.
2. Professional Examination Fees: Revenue from ITC (Initial Test of Competence), APC (Assessment of Professional Competence), and CTA (Certificate in Theory of Accounting) examinations
3. Events and Publications: Revenue from Winter School registrations, seminars, magazines (3 annually), and event sponsorship
4. Reciprocity and Certification Fees: Fees for mutual recognition agreements with other professional bodies and letters of good standing (now free for members in good standing)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ICAZ is a statutory professional membership body that grants the Chartered Accountant Zimbabwe (CA(Z)) designation and related memberships (FCA(Z), AA(Z), PSPA(Z)). It administers professional examinations (ITC, APC, CTA), enforces CPD requirements, publishes magazines, runs annual events (Winter School, Vimbiso Half Marathon), and operates member services including the Find-an-ICAZ-Member directory and technical helpdesk.

Product overview

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ) operates as a professional membership organization offering multiple interconnected services. The core offering centers on professional accountancy qualifications through four membership categories (CA(Z), FCA(Z), AA(Z), and PSPA(Z)), supported by continuous professional development requirements. ICAZ provides member services including technical resources, an online member portal, a Find-an-ICAZ-Member directory, and publications. The organization runs annual events including Winter School and the Vimbiso Half Marathon, while initiatives like WeCAN support female members and the Vimbiso Scholarship Trust promotes access to the profession. Payment processing integrates with Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Ecocash, and Onewallet for member subscriptions and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vimbiso Scholarship Trust: A scholarship trust founded in July 2015 as a collaboration between ICAZ and its student body, providing educational assistance to academically gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds pursuing careers as Chartered Accountants.
• WeCAN (Women Chartered Accountants Network)
• CA(Z)
• Winter School

Products and services

• Chartered Accountant Zimbabwe (CA(Z)) Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Members can practice in 7 countries through mutual recognition without additional examinations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 July 2023Partnership to elevate the accounting and finance profession in Zimbabwe. ICAZ and CIMA collaborate on professional development and standards.
• Multi X Capital (Pty) LtdminorOthers · 13 July 2022Multi-X is a company with a long-term vision of investment vehicles, primarily in the property market including buy and sell residential units, buy and hold commercial and residential properties, and buy land and build projects. ICAZ SA Chapter is actively involved in this company (registered 13 July 2022).
• Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICAZ is a member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW), a network of leading global chartered accountants organisations. This membership provides CA(Z) members with international recognition and access to global networks across multiple continents.
• International Federation of Accountants (IFAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFAC is listed as a strategic partner supporting the development of the accounting profession globally. ICAZ participates in international standard setting processes through IFAC.
• Public Accountants and Auditors Board (PAAB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPAAB is listed as a strategic partner. The PAAB regulates public accountants and auditors in Zimbabwe.
• Public Accountants and Auditors Forum (PAAF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner in the accounting profession ecosystem in Zimbabwe.
• Chartered Accountants Worldwide NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides global chapter presence and mutual recognition benefits for members across member institutes.
• South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement enabling CA(Z) members to practice in South Africa without additional examinations. Recognition of Prior Learning available for experience gained at SAICA-accredited training offices.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement enabling CA(Z) members to practice in England and Wales without additional examinations.
• CPA CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement enabling CA(Z) members to practice in Canada. This was the first reciprocal membership agreement signed by CPA Canada with the Zimbabwe CA body (announced April 2019).
• Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public AccountantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement enabling CA(Z) members to practice in Hong Kong without additional examinations.
• Chartered Accountants IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement enabling CA(Z) members to practice in Ireland without additional examinations.
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual Recognition Agreement enabling CA(Z) members to practice in Australia and New Zealand without additional examinations.
• CAMFED ZimbabweminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration in empowering young women, mentioned in ICAZ-CAMFED Zim partnership article (June 2024) focused on education and empowerment initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA): The statutory chartered accountancy body in South Africa, the regional benchmark for ICAZ. SAICA awards the CA(SA) designation, runs a comparable CPD regime, and is itself a direct MRA partner with ICAZ, making it the closest functional and structural peer.
• Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA): Statutory CPA body in Hong Kong and an ICAZ MRA partner. Operates a near-identical professional-membership, examination, and reciprocal-recognition model for an Asian jurisdiction.
• Chartered Accountants Ireland: Irish chartered accountancy body and an ICAZ MRA partner. Comparable as a long-established chartered institute with mutual recognition, member services, and statutory authority analogous to ICAZ.
• CPA Canada: Canadian chartered professional accounting body and an ICAZ MRA partner (first Zimbabwean body with which CPA Canada signed a reciprocal agreement, April 2019). Provides a directly comparable professional-accountancy membership model.
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ): Australia and New Zealand chartered accountancy body and an ICAZ MRA partner. Closely comparable as a member-driven chartered accountancy institute with similar designation, CPD, and member-services structures.
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW): One of the world's leading chartered accountancy bodies and an ICAZ MRA partner. Operates an analogous statutory/membership model, awards the ACA designation, and provides a directly comparable benchmark for ICAZ's qualification pathway and CPD standards.

Others

• International Federation of Accountants (IFAC): Global umbrella body for the accountancy profession; ICAZ lists IFAC as a strategic partner and uses its IFACNET technical search engine. IFAC is an ecosystem/standards peer rather than a direct competitor, anchoring ICAZ within international standard-setting frameworks.
• Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW): Alliance network of which ICAZ is a member. CAW is an enabling/ecosystem peer rather than a competitor, providing ICAZ with cross-promotion, international mobility messaging, and brand alignment with leading global institutes.

Broad incumbents

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA): Global accountancy body offering the ACCA qualification, widely held by Zimbabwean professionals and a direct competitor for new entrants. Operates a similar membership/examination model but at far larger international scale.
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA): Global management accounting body that signed a 2023 partnership with ICAZ. CIMA offers overlapping designations and competes for the same finance professional pipeline in Zimbabwe and across Africa.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/icaz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe (ICAZ)