LAZARUS CHIWARA
Glaudina,Harare
Summary
I am a strategic and analytical accountant with over 15 years of experience in financial reporting across diverse sectors. My academic and professional qualifications bring a powerful combination of finance and accounting expertise and data-driven insights to support decision making. I am skilled in financial reporting & modelling, budgeting, and data visualization, with a strong command of modern analytics tools to support decision-making and enhance reporting efficiency. Adept at translating complex financial data into clear, actionable intelligence for executive stakeholders. Passionate about leveraging big data to drive financial transparency and performance in forward-thinking organizations. I am comfortable working with Power BI, Power query (for automation of tasks), Power pivot, DAX, Python programming language, Database optimization and querying using SQL, Financial statements analysis using advanced Excel analytics, R Studio for data analytics, STATA and SPSS as well as Pastel Evolution and sage for accounting systems, and Belina Time systems for Payroll processing.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT
Competition AND TARIFF COMMISSION
12.2009 - Current
- As an assistant accountant, it is my responsibility to administer the company's financial operations and make sure that financial reporting and analysis are accurate, compliant, and efficient.
- Over the years I have been working as an Assistant Accountant, my contributions have significantly improved financial statements audit compliance to around 95% complying with the IFRS and IPSAS standards.
- Preparing and analyzing financial statements for decision-making, ensuring compliance with standards (IPSAS and IFRS), generating reports for stakeholders, and managing the integrity of general and subsidiary ledgers through reconciliations, discrepancy resolution, and journal entry reviews.
- Supporting budgeting and forecasting by developing annual financial plans, analyzing variances, and recommending budget adjustments.
- Conduct financial analysis to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, presenting actionable insights (using tools like Power BI, Tableau, Pivot tables) and making recommendations to management.
- Collaborating with internal stakeholders and external auditors, ensuring strict adherence to regulatory requirements, and implementing internal controls that strengthen financial transparency and risk mitigation.
- Streamline audit readiness by implementing efficient data tracking systems, optimizing internal processes to meet compliance standards, and maintaining meticulous documentation to support audit and tax filing activities.
- Driving continuous improvement in accounting operations by streamlining processes, implementing automation tools, and enhancing system effectiveness; provide guidance and training to junior staff while regularly analyzing financial data, reviewing procedures, and optimizing accounting structures to support accurate reporting and strategic decision-making.
ACCOUNTANTING ASSISTANT
SAGIT FINANCIAL HOLDINGS
01.2002 - 07.2009
- As an accounting assistant, I was responsible for providing crucial to the accounting department by performing various clerical and administrative tasks covering but not limited to:
- Updating and maintaining the company financial records to safeguard the financial information.
- Reconciling bank statements, general ledger accounts, and other financial data to ensure data integrity and data accuracy.
- Preparing documents and supporting senior accountants during interim and final financial statements audits.
- Generating financial documents such as bills, invoices, pay-orders, payables, receivables, and purchase orders.
- Identifying and correcting the discrepancies in company’s financial records with a view to mitigating risks of financial misstatements.
- Assist in the preparation of the financial statements and monthly management accounts for submission to the management, board, and other external stakeholders.
- Coordinating and managing payments and billing of external service providers, contractors, and vendors.
- Managed petty cash.
- Verifying payments and deposits made through the company account and coordinating with the bank.
- Assisting the accountant in preparation and evaluating financial budgets and track expenses.
- I also worked to track and record expenses and reconciled accounts to maintain accurate, current, and compliant financial records.
Education
MSC Degree - Big Data Analytics
Chinhoyi University of Technology
12.2026
Master Of Commerce Degree - Accounting
Midlands State University
12.2022
Bachelor Of Commerce Honours Degree - Accounting
Midlands State University
12.2019
CGMA Diploma - Management Accounting
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
12.2014
CGMA Certificate - Business Accounting
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
12.2013
Skills
- Accounting
- Budgeting
- Power BI
- Financial analysis
- Ms Excel
- Presentation skills
- SQL
- Ms PowerPoint
- Ms Word
- Excess
- Ms Access
- Python
- R Studio
- Stata
- SPSS
- Azure studio
- Pastel Evolution
- Sage
- Belina Payroll
- Tableau
- Sigma XL
Websites
Hobbies and Interests
- Undertaking Data analytics projects and Capstone projects using open-source databases like Kaggle.
- Playing chess
- Amateur golf player
Timeline
ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT
Competition AND TARIFF COMMISSION
12.2009 - Current
ACCOUNTANTING ASSISTANT
SAGIT FINANCIAL HOLDINGS
01.2002 - 07.2009
MSC Degree - Big Data Analytics
Chinhoyi University of Technology
Master Of Commerce Degree - Accounting
Midlands State University
Bachelor Of Commerce Honours Degree - Accounting
Midlands State University
CGMA Diploma - Management Accounting
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
CGMA Certificate - Business Accounting
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Similar Profiles
Lazarus ChiwaraLazarus Chiwara
Assistant Accountant at Competition and Tariff CommissionAssistant Accountant at Competition and Tariff Commission
Gift Respect BandaGift Respect Banda
ICT Trainee at Competition and Fair Trading CommissionICT Trainee at Competition and Fair Trading Commission
Felicity MthunziFelicity Mthunzi
Human Resources Business Partner at Competition CommissionHuman Resources Business Partner at Competition Commission
Kudzai Respect NyakudyaKudzai Respect Nyakudya
Hair salon assistant at Apex Saloon StortfordHair salon assistant at Apex Saloon Stortford
Simbarashe KapfumoSimbarashe Kapfumo
Surveyor at Southland RegionalSurveyor at Southland Regional