Accounting services

Accounting services in South Africa

Updated 4 November 2026

In South Africa, accounting services usually cost from about R 3,000 a month for basic bookkeeping of a small business, and up to R 35,000 a month for full accounting and compliance. Approximate figures, according to sellers' websites, November 2026. To see current prices for your business, send a free request on BlaBlaPrice.

Local rules and what to check

Company registration with CIPC, the companies registry, is a separate cost: standard fees run from R 50 to R 475, depending on the name. Before you sign, ask whether the monthly fee excludes VAT, as several local providers quote that way, and check the minimum requirements some small-business packages set, such as operating for at least three months and earning more than R 30,000.

When to start: the seasons

Accounting work does not follow the weather, so the seasons matter mainly for timing. A monthly package started in November runs through the summer months, December to February, and the records stay current into winter, June to August. A clean-up of older records can be scheduled for either period.

How fees are quoted

Packages are quoted per month, and one-off work per hour. Hourly rates in local listings run from about R 300 for a junior bookkeeper to R 900 for a qualified accountant, and one provider charges 1% of monthly turnover with a minimum of R 79 excluding VAT. Compare the total you will pay in a year, not only the monthly figure.

What to write in your request

Say whether you are a sole proprietor or a registered company, and what you need: monthly bookkeeping, year-end accounts, tax returns, payroll or a one-off clean-up. Give your rough number of transactions a month, the type of business, its size and the city (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria or Gqeberha). Finish with your monthly budget in rand, and say whether you want the work done once or regularly.

On BlaBlaPrice the request is free for buyers. Describe your business in your own words in the chat, and the AI asks for anything missing, such as your business structure or transaction volume. It then looks through sellers' websites and price lists in South Africa and shows the prices and firms it finds. Registered sellers reply in the chat with their own price, terms and what is included. Your contact details stay hidden until you decide whom to contact. For related work, see Financial services & investment and Accounting software setup & support.