About Steve – Mukiwa’s Founder

Mukiwa’s founder, Steve Betts, grew up in Zimbabwe where he attended St George’s College. The school appeared in the very famous movie The Power of One – but it was a book called Mukiwa, written by another former St George’s student, that gave Steve the idea for his business name.

Steve’s time at the College was memorable, if uneventful. However, it did introduce him to the world of accounting and ultimately lead to a first job with Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC) as an auditor.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1998, Steve decided to ‘broaden his horizons’ for a couple of years. First stop was the Isle of Man where he took full advantage of the Island’s golf courses on a very regular basis.

Next up was London where he spent seven years exploring as much of the globe as possible (golf was no longer a priority). However, those long winters did not suit a young man who had grown up under the African sun and he started to get itchy feet.

Unfortunately, by this stage, Zimbabwe was in free-fall and was no longer a safe or viable option. Steve hadn’t made it Down Under yet but heard that accountants were in demand. Why not? And so in 2006, Steve moved to Sydney, Manly to be precise. Heaven!

In 2010, after spending four years ‘learning all about FBT and GST’ in various corporate roles, Steve was looking for a new challenge. And so the idea of Mukiwa was born, literally whilst having a morning coffee and dreading the thought of having to deal with another recruitment agent or interview.

Mukiwa has come a long way since its inception. What was started in Steve’s spare bedroom, the business now occupies offices in the iconic Lifestyle Centre on Sydney’s northern beaches. A team of one has expanded to ten, consisting mainly of return-to-work parents who love the flexible working environment that Mukiwa offers.

With a focus on cloud technology, the Mukiwa team truly can provide tailor-made financial solutions for small to medium sized businesses throughout Australia… and the world! The business has evolved dramatically and now offers a unique alternative to traditional accountancy and bookkeeping services. No longer do small business owners have to have separate bookkeepers and accountants, they can have it all under one roof. Contact us to learn more about our services.

In 2012, Mukiwa made a very deliberate choice to embrace Xero as it’s preferred bookkeeping platform. Quite literally, it was the best decision we ever made. Not only do we love everything about Xero, but it has allowed us to offer really innovative solutions to our clients, that literally transform the way their business operates.

At Mukiwa, we like to think we do things a little differently. Click here to find out what, we believe, sets us apart from our competitors.

Our accreditations

Mukiwa is a professionally accredited bookkeeping, accounting and tax practice with the following recognised memberships and registrations:

  • Certificate of Public Practice (Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia)
  • Registered Tax & BAS Agent (Tax Practitioners Board agent number 24800944)
  • ASIC Registered Agent (agent number 30077)
  • Xero Gold Partner & Certified Adviser
  • Justice of the Peace (Stephen Betts)
  • Member of the Australian Bookkeepers Network

As required by the Tax Agent Services Act, we hold Professional Indemnity Insurance to the level mandated by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB).

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