Running a business is more than just delivering a product or service — the real strength of a successful company lies in how well you track, manage, and understand your financial and operational data. Good record-keeping isn’t just an optional back-office function: it’s the backbone of every thriving business.

In this free webinar, you’ll discover how meticulous record-keeping can protect your business, support growth, and give you confidence — whether you’re preparing for tax season, chasing funding, or scaling operations. We’ll dive deep into what to record, how to structure your systems, and how to stay compliant under South African laws.

By the end, you’ll walk away with practical tools, real-world examples, and a clear plan to upgrade your record-keeping — without drowning in paperwork.

What You’ll Learn

Here’s what we’ll cover:

• Why record-keeping is more than compliance
  • How proper records give you visibility into cash flow, profitability, and business health
  • Why poor record-keeping creates risks: missed deductions, audit exposure, and decision-making blind spots
  • Real stories from South African SMEs who faced penalties or chaos when their data was disorganised
• Key records every business must maintain
  • Invoices, receipts, bank statements, payroll documents, contracts, asset registers, etc.
  • How long you must retain different types of records under SARS, the Companies Act, and tax legislation (five years is the baseline, with extensions in certain cases)
  • The "9 Must-Have Business Documents” checklist from SME South Africa — your go-to internal reference for compliance and operational strength.
• Designing a record-keeping system that works for you
  • Manual vs digital systems: pros, cons, and hybrid approaches
  • Cloud storage, backups, encryption, and disaster recovery — especially critical in South Africa, where load shedding and data loss are real threats
  • How to enforce data integrity, version control, and audit trails
• Legal and regulatory responsibilities in South Africa
  • SARS rules: how long to keep records, which formats (paper/electronic), and what happens during audits or objections
  • POPIA and data privacy obligations when storing personal or customer information
  • Corporate, employment, and tax law intersections — when multiple retention rules apply, always follow the longest required period
• Implementing best practices (and avoiding pitfalls)
  • Daily, weekly, and monthly routines to keep records clean and current
  • Automating data capture (scanning receipts, digital invoices, bank feeds)
  • Training teams so everyone knows how and why record-keeping matters
  • Common challenges and how to overcome them in South African contexts (load shedding, connectivity issues, staff turnover, etc.)

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is tailor-made for:

• SME founders, owners, and managers
• Startup finance leads or admin officers
• Accountants, bookkeepers, and finance professionals in small or mid-sized firms
• Anyone responsible for financial data, audits, or compliance in a business

If you’ve ever wondered whether your record-keeping is "good enough,” or how to scale it without chaos, this session is for you.

Why Now?

South Africa’s business climate is rapidly shifting — tax authorities are tightening, audits are becoming more common, and digital transformation is accelerating. The businesses that thrive are the ones that treat record-keeping not as a chore, but as a strategic advantage.

Having crystal-clear, well-structured records can:

• Reduce audit stress and penalties
• Help you access funding (lenders and investors demand transparency)
• Provide actionable insights to scale effectively
• Empower smarter, data-driven decision-making

Explore more resources on SME South Africa — with templates, guides, and deep dives to help you keep your business compliant and future-ready.