Real stories from South African businesses making smarter money choices. No fluff, no guarantees—just practical insights from people who've been there.
How a Pretoria construction firm lost R45,000 by delaying a simple tax structure review. Sometimes the expense you avoid costs more.
Three Cape Town startups adjusted their cash flow approach. One thrived, one stayed flat, one struggled anyway. We break down what happened.
What we're noticing across different sectors in South Africa. These aren't predictions—just patterns worth paying attention to.
January hit harder this year. We saw businesses with identical revenue but wildly different stress levels. The difference? How they planned for December through February back in October. Some built buffers, others hoped for the best. Both approaches have consequences.
About 40% of the businesses we work with wait until the last moment for submissions. That's fine until it isn't. This year, SARS processing times varied by up to three weeks depending on submission date. Early filers got refunds in 10 days. Late March submissions? Still waiting.
Everyone talks about borrowing costs. Fair enough. But we're seeing the bigger impact in client behavior—delayed purchases, extended payment terms, more negotiation on contracts. If you're planning for 2025, factor in slower decision-making from your own clients.
Retail adapted years ago. Professional services are still catching up. We're tracking payment timing—businesses that offer instant payment options get paid 12 days faster on average. That gap matters when you're managing working capital month to month.
The people behind our analysis share what they're thinking about right now. These are personal takes based on what they're seeing in their work—not official company positions.
I've watched three economic cycles now. What strikes me about 2025 is how quickly assumptions change. Businesses that review their numbers quarterly tend to spot problems while they're still manageable. Monthly is even better, though most resist the discipline.
Compliance isn't exciting. I get it. But I've seen businesses save substantial amounts just by timing deductions properly or understanding which expenses qualify differently. The tax code hasn't gotten simpler—knowing the details matters more than ever.