KWAZULU-NATAL finance MEC Ina Cronjé has challenged black women chartered accountants to boost South Africa's skills development by encouraging more female students to join the profession.

Cronjé was part of the inaugural Out-To-Lunch event hosted by the African Women Chartered Accountants (Awca) in Durban on Monday night.

Cronjé said more women throughout the country should harness financial management and leadership skills.

She said she was aware that there were presently few women in this profession, particularly black women.

Cronjé re-emphasised the need for extensive campaigns to get more female students to take up accounting.

"Good governance in government relies on good financial management," she said.

"One of the challenges we are facing in municipalities is (providing) good financial management as well as the ability of rural municipalities to attract qualified and skilled professionals in financial management," Cronjé said.

Awca is a seven-year-old forum whose mission is to accelerate the advancement of qualified and aspiring women chartered accountants through the provision of active support and access to opportunities.

Provincial Awca chairperson Nomcebo Mkhize said their vision was to accelerate the advancement of African women chartered accountants in South Africa.

She echoed Cronjé's sentiments, saying they were targeting high schools to instil interest in female pupils to take up accounting as a career.