Performance auditing can play a vital role in ensuring that taxpayers' money is spent economically, efficiently and effectively. Yet because it is difficult to explain its complexities to newcomers in the field in a way that makes sense the first time round, and because no two audits are identical, there is little practical guidance on the topic available in South Africa at present. Performance auditing: a step-by-step approach fills this gap. Performance auditing: A step-by-step approach focuses, step-by-step, on those elements that are relevant to all performance audits and can be applied easily and successfully. The second edition includes, among other things, a new section on strategic planning, additional illustrations of planning working papers on efficiency and economy, and updated terminology in line with that used in publications by the Presidency and the National Treasury of the Republic of South Africa. The numerous practical examples and case studies in the book make it ideal for hands-on use as a training guide. Performance auditing is aimed at practitioners, trainers and students in auditing.

This book comprises nine chapters drawn from the papers presented at the fourth annual conference of the African Accounting and Finance Association which took place in Somerset West, South Africa, in 2014. The chapters address a number of aspects of accounting, ranging from the adoption of IFRS for SMEs in Africa, the compliance by SMEs with IFRS for SMEs in Ghana, the provision of finance to small businesses, drivers of corporate failures, financial regulations, the audit of casinos, the auditors’ report and investment decisions, the role of government audit committees, and audit fees and audit quality.