Finance and Accounting for Office Administrators and Secretaries

Propsen Africa’s training equips office administrators and secretaries with essential finance skills, covering accounting, budgeting, financial statements, and cost management.

Please inquire for pricing | Available Online and In-class

Date	Venue	Duration
21 - 23 September 2026	Durban	3 Days
16 - 20 November 2026	Cape Town	5 Days

Course Introduction

Prospen Africa’s Finance & Accounting for Office Administrators & Secretaries training course is designed for individuals with no prior experience in finance or accounting. It aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to support both operational and financial processes within their organizations. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of essential finance and accounting terminology, as well as practical experience with accounting systems through hands-on examples and exercises. The ultimate goal of this course is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of participants in their professional roles.

Course Objectives

By the end of this Finance and Accounting for Office Administrators and Secretaries training course, participants will:

Appreciate the importance of the accounting and finance function.
Understand accounting for routine business transactions.
Be able to prepare simple financial statements.
Be able to analyse company performance using basic ratios.
Be aware of costing and budgeting techniques to maintain efficiency and profitability.

Who should attend?

Secretaries
Office Administrators
Personal Assistants and Executive Assistants
Administrative Professionals and Support Staff
Production and Marketing Professionals
Anyone wishing to increase or update their awareness and understanding of finance and accounting methods and terminology

Training Methodology

Our diverse instructional approaches ensure effective learning:

– Lectures & Presentations: Engage with expert-driven, stimulating content.
– Course Material: Access well-crafted supporting resources.
– Group Work: Collaborate on discussions and case studies for practical insights.
– Workshops & Role-Play: Participate in immersive, scenario-based activities.
– Practical Application: Focus on applying theoretical knowledge in real situations.
– Post-Training Support: Receive extensive support after training for skill implementation.

Training Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Finance and Accounting

The Three Meanings of Finance
How Finance supports the Roles of Office Administrators and Secretaries?
The Two Types of Accounting – financial (external) and management (internal)
The Basic Principles of the Double-entry Financial Accounting System
How to Record Transactions in the Financial Accounting System?
The Contribution made by Office Administrators and Secretaries

Module 2: The Financial Statements

Understanding the Income Statement
The Four Levels of Profit, and What they Signify
Understanding the Balance Sheet
Measuring the Consumption of non-current assets by Depreciation, Amortization, and Impairment
What is Inventory, and How is it Valued?
The Cash Flow Statement – Why We Need it, and How it is Prepared

Module 3: Evaluation of Financial Statements

The Annual Reports of Public Companies – format and content
Who are the Company Stakeholders and What are their Information Needs?
Why we need to Analyse these Reports in order to understand them?
How to Calculate Accounting Ratios?
How to Use Ratio Analysis to Assess Performance?

Module 4: Introduction to Management Accounting

Collecting and Analysing Costs for the Management Accounting Database
Understanding Direct Costs and Indirect Costs
Preparing Cost Structures for our Products and Services
Using Cost Structures to determine our Break-Even Point
Making Cost-Effective Decisions using Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis

Module 5: Budgets

Why do we need budgets? – The Link between Corporate Strategy and Operations at All levels of the Organisation
The Budget Preparation Process – Timetables, Documentation and Procedures
Preparing a Departmental Budget
Preparing the Cash Budget
Comparing Actual Performance with the Budget using Variance Analysis
The Essential Role of Office Administrators and Secretaries in Budget Preparation