The Islamic banking industry is a niche market within the South African banking industry. Information is needed on the profile of customers and their level of awareness concerning activities at Islamic banks. Thus, the objectives of this study are to identify the banking engagements and level of CSR awareness among customers of Islamic banks in South Africa. The study used non-probability sampling to collect data via a questionnaire from 163 respondents throughout South Africa, which was analysed using descriptive statistics. The results indicate that respondents sought out Islamic banking for themselves; they also had a long-standing relationship with the Islamic bank and mainly used saving, current, and investment accounts. The findings also showed that respondents needed to be made aware of the CSR activities undertaken by the Islamic banks, and they could have engaged in CSR activities more regularly. Thus, those in management at Islamic banks are encouraged to engage in proactively making their Sharia-compliant offerings and CSR activities visible.

This study examined the disclosure of risks and opportunities in the integrated reports (IRs) of the top five banks in South Africa. It assesses whether the risk and opportunity disclosures provided comply with the requirements of the International Integrated Reporting Framework (IIRF), as well as the nature of the risks and opportunities disclosed in the IR. This study takes a qualitative approach and employs an interpretivist paradigm. The information for this study was obtained through content analysis of the individual banks’ latest available IRs. A checklist was created as a measuring tool to evaluate disclosure practices. The findings showed that three of the selected banks disclosed all the requirements contained in the IIRF regarding risks and opportunities, while two banks only partially complied as they did not provide disclosures about their opportunities. The findings concerning the nature of risk disclosures show that the selected banks disclosed 38 themes related to risks, and the findings concerning the nature of opportunity disclosures show that the selected banks disclosed 14 themes related to opportunities. Furthermore, the results show that those in charge of preparing the IRs provide a thorough disclosure of risks, while there is room for improvement concerning disclosure of opportunities.

The growing use of Information Technology (IT) systems in businesses necessitates the hiring of auditors who have IT knowledge and abilities. An external auditor’s competence in IT ensures that the audit is run professionally and effectively. Consequently, the objective of this study was to ascertain the current state of IT knowledge among external auditors. This study followed a quantitative descriptive research design. Data was collected using a questionnaire, and analysed using descriptive statistics. A total of 62 external auditors from three small to medium-sized audit firms completed the questionnaire. The results reported in the study show that the respondents believed that the IT proficiency of external auditors is currently low, including the identification of IT technologies (cognitive technologies, data analytics, smart digital platforms, and blockchain systems) that are growing in importance for external auditors. The results of this study are important, as they provide insight into the perspectives of external auditors with regards to their IT knowledge and skill when conducting audits. As such, a number of recommendations are provided to audit firms, regulators, and professional accounting bodies.   Received: 21 January 2023 / Accepted: 13 May 2023 / Published: 5 July 2023

The current study sought to assess the banks in South Africa and their compliance with IT disclosures and narrating in their integrated reports for the 2021 financial year, as required by King IV. Empirical analysis was undertaken using a descriptive study based on secondary data from integrated reports of the five (5) biggest banks by asset size and market share. Data was analysed using both content analysis and descriptive statistical analysis. Findings showed no universal compliance with 80% compliance rate being recorded for various recommendations contained in Principle 12 of King IV. Thus, there remains non-compliance by 20% of studied banks with regards to various recommendations. The study recommends that banks strive to make the requisite IT disclosures in their integrated reports, particularly given the importance of such disclosures and related compliance. Further, the disclosure made by banks should be as material and comprehensive as possible and not just a tick-box kind of disclosure. This would enhance the utility of disclosures provided to stakeholders.

The purpose of this study is to consider the events leading to the development of modern accounting standards for Islamic banks and, thereafter, to consider the accounting process and related impact on the financial statements for the Murabaha contract. A qualitative review of the available literature was conducted to meet this purpose. First, the influence of culture on accounting is considered, and after that, the historical development of Islamic accounting is explored. Next, the modern development in Islamic accounting is explained. The discussion then summarizes the contracts used by Islamic banks, with a particular focus on the Murabaha contract as it is the most widely used contract. The structure of the Murabaha contract is detailed, along with the criticisms found in the literature. Thereafter, the accounting treatment of the Murabaha contract is highlighted, followed by a simulation to illustrate the accounting process and its impact on the financial statements. This study contributes to the debate about the need for Islamic accounting standards as it relates to Islamic financial institutions.