The article discusses how the International Accounting Standards Board is promoting fair value accounting, linked to a financial focus, while traditional historic cost accounting, tied to stewardship, remains prevalent. This creates confusion among accountants, leading to varying levels of support for each method. The study examines how South Africa deals with these conflicting paradigms, showing that some accountants resist fair value accounting subtly. The findings highlight the challenges and importance of understanding different accounting approaches for standard-setters and auditors.