SAICA and the IRBA are different bodies with different powers, and a complaint about an accountant goes to whichever one actually has jurisdiction over that person and that work.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not any of the companies listed here and cannot act on your behalf. Everything on this page is a routing aid so you reach the right official channel with the right information in hand.
Who actually handles this
It depends on whether the person is a registered auditor and whether the complaint is about audit work. The IRBA is the statutory regulator of registered auditors, established in law, and it regulates the audit function. SAICA is a professional body for chartered accountants and enforces its own code of professional conduct on its members. Someone can be a SAICA member without being a registered auditor, and the two are not interchangeable.
What to do, in order
- Establish exactly what the person is: a registered auditor, a SAICA member, both, or neither. Many people who do accounting work are neither.
- Establish what the work was. A statutory audit points towards the IRBA; general accounting, tax or professional conduct by a SAICA member points towards SAICA.
- Complain to the firm itself first, in writing, and keep the reference.
- Send the complaint to the body that has jurisdiction, with the evidence attached. Sending it to the wrong one costs weeks.
- If the person is neither a registered auditor nor a member of a professional body, neither body can act, and the matter is a civil or criminal one instead.
What to have ready before you make contact
- The full name of the person and the firm.
- Their registration or membership number if you have it.
- The engagement letter or the terms you agreed.
- The specific work complained of, with dates.
- Your written complaint to the firm and its response.
Common mistakes that cost time
- Assuming every accountant is regulated. Anyone may call themselves an accountant in South Africa; only some belong to a professional body or are registered auditors.
- Sending an audit complaint to a professional body rather than the statutory regulator, or the reverse.
- Complaining without first raising it with the firm, which both bodies expect.
- Expecting a professional body to recover money. Disciplinary bodies sanction conduct; they are not a route to compensation.
If it is not resolved
The Consumer Goods and Services Ombud handles unresolved consumer complaints against participating suppliers, free of charge to the consumer. It also expects you to have gone through the supplier’s own complaints process first. The National Consumer Commission is the statutory consumer authority and handles matters that fall outside an ombud scheme’s remit.
Escalation works on evidence. Keep a short written log of every contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the person you spoke to and the reference number you were given. Every formal complaints process asks for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| CGSO consumer complaints call centre | 0860 000 272 |
| CGSO WhatsApp | 081 335 3005 |
| CGSO general email | [email protected] |
| National Consumer Commission contact centre | 012 065 1940 |
| National Consumer Commission enquiries email | [email protected] |
Related contact pages
- Saica Vs Irba Who Handles The Complaint
- Professional Services
- Unresolved Internet Complaint
- Professional Body Contact Details South Africa
- Verify Contact Details South Africa
- Saica Complaints Contact Details
- Irba Complaints Contact Details
- Professional Complaint Checklist South Africa
- How to verify a contact number before you use it
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SAICA and the IRBA?
The IRBA is the statutory regulator of registered auditors and regulates audit work. SAICA is a professional body for chartered accountants that enforces its code of conduct on its members. Membership of one does not imply the other.
Can they get my money back?
No. Disciplinary processes address professional conduct and can sanction a practitioner. Recovering money is a civil matter.
What if the person belongs to neither?
Then neither body has jurisdiction. Anyone may describe themselves as an accountant, which is precisely why checking registration before engaging someone matters.
The contact routes on this page were checked against each organisation’s official source on 21 August 2026. Where a detail has changed, the official source is always the authority.