About the role
Semi-Senior Accountant
Remote from South Africa | Supporting a UK Accountancy Practice
GCO Partners is seeking a practice-trained Semi-Senior Accountant to support a UK accountancy firm that works closely with SME clients across a range of industries.
This engagement offers the opportunity to work directly with an international accounting team while remaining based in South Africa. You will contribute to client work that includes statutory accounts preparation, reconciliations, and SME portfolio support.
At GCO Partners, we connect talented professionals from Africa with meaningful global work. Our people-first approach ensures that our professionals are embedded in real client teams, supported by our engagement and people teams, and given the opportunity to grow through international experience.
This role is expected to begin as a short-term engagement, with the potential to extend depending on client needs and performance.
The Opportunity
You will support a UK accountancy practice serving small and medium-sized businesses. The work involves preparing year-end accounts from cloud accounting systems and supporting the preparation of statutory financial statements and working papers.
This role is well suited to someone who has trained in an accountancy practice environment and enjoys working across multiple client files in a fast-moving SME environment.
Key Responsibilities
Prepare draft statutory accounts from trial balances and client records
Post year-end journals including accruals, prepayments and depreciation
Reconcile balance sheet control accounts, including VAT and payroll balances
Prepare and maintain detailed Excel working papers and schedules
Support preparation of management accounts and year-end financial statements
Respond to review notes and implement required adjustments
Communicate professionally with client teams via email and occasional calls
Work across multiple SME clients, managing deadlines and competing priorities
Requirements
Previous accountancy practice experience is essential
Experience preparing statutory or annual financial statements
Strong working knowledge of Xero
Confidence preparing year-end journals, reconciliations and working papers
Strong Excel skills
Excellent written and verbal English communication
Ability to manage multiple client files and deadlines in a practice environment
Advantageous Experience
Experience with CCH accounts production software
Exposure to UK accounting environments or UK clients
Experience preparing management accounts
Understanding of VAT and payroll reconciliations
What We Look For
At GCO, we work with professionals who combine technical capability with strong personal accountability. The right candidate will be:
Detail-oriented and analytical
Comfortable working across multiple client engagements
Reliable and able to work independently
Clear and professional in client communication
Curious, proactive and committed to continuous learning
These qualities reflect the way we work as a community built around People, Performance, and Progress.
Why Join GCO Partners
Global work without relocation
Work directly with international accounting firms while remaining based in South Africa.
Meaningful client experience
Contribute to real engagements and develop practical experience working with global teams.
Support and community
You will be supported by GCOs engagement and people teams and become part of a growing community of professionals working with global clients.
Career development
Many of our professionals build long-term international careers through these opportunities.
Originally posted on Himalayas