The South African Freelancer Starter Kit · 2026/27
The business side of freelancing, done properly.
A once-off digital toolkit for South African freelancers and small businesses: editable contract and invoice templates, a CIPC & SARS playbook, client scripts, and a ZAR tracker.
R 45 000 turnover − R 6 750 expenses = R 38 250 taxable
R 38 250 × 28% = R 10 710 set aside
Assumptions behind this estimate
VAT is 15% on turnover and is owed to SARS — it's shown separately and never counted as income. VAT you can claim back on expenses isn't included.
Sole proprietors pay sliding personal rates (18%–45%) less rebates, so a flat 28% is a savings buffer, not your exact tax. Lower earners usually owe less; high earners may owe more.
(Pty) Ltd companies pay 27% corporate tax; Small Business Corporations may pay less. Dividends tax on profits you take out isn't included.
Expenses must meet the s11(a) test (incurred to earn income, not capital). UIF, medical credits and retirement deductions aren't modelled.
This is an illustration to help you plan savings — not tax advice. Confirm your figures with a registered tax practitioner.
Your first year
A year with the kit, month by month.
Day 1
Register & set up
Choose sole prop or (Pty) Ltd, register on eFiling, open a business account.
Week 1
First client signed
Send the contractor agreement with a 50% deposit clause before you start.
Month 1
First invoice paid
An invoice with every detail accounts teams check, so it makes the payment run.
31 August
First IRP6
Your tax savings account already holds what you need. No scramble.
End February
Second IRP6
Update your estimate from the tracker's running totals.
Filing season
ITR12 done calmly
Income, expenses and deductions are already organised by month.
Who it's for
Made for how South African independents work
01
Creative & tech freelancers
Designers, developers, writers
Keep your background IP
50/25/25 milestone deposits
Portfolio rights in writing
02
Independent consultants
Advisors, strategists, contractors
Formal scope of work (Schedule A)
POPIA operator terms
EFT terms with late interest
03
Agencies & SME owners
Studios, small teams, retainers
CIPC BizPortal registration
Multi-client retainer tracking
IRP6 provisional tax calendar
Pricing
One price. Everything included.
No subscription, no upsells. Download once and reuse the templates for every client.
Rand & Rule / Legal template01 / 08
Independent Contractor Agreement
South African template · editable
3.2 / Commitment deposit
An upfront commitment deposit of [50]% is due before work begins.
4.2 / Background IP
Pre-existing tools and methods remain the Service Provider’s property.
5.2 / POPIA
Personal information is processed only for the agreed services.
Rand & Rule / Finance templateSample
Tax invoice
Section 20 fields
INV-2026-004
06 OCT 2026
Supplier
Ndlovu Studio
VAT 4•••••••••
Cape Town, WC
Bill to
Sample Client SA
VAT 4•••••••••
Johannesburg, GP
Project milestoneR15 000.00
VAT · 15%R2 250.00
TOTALR17 250.00
Editable agreement and invoice · fictional sample details
1
Pay securely with PayFast
Your payment details are handled by PayFast. Available methods will depend on the seller's PayFast account.
2
Download instantly
The moment payment clears you land on your download page — no waiting for a human.
3
Secure re-download
Your confirmed order keeps a private download entitlement so support can restore access if needed.
No. Sole proprietors can trade under their own name with no CIPC registration. The playbook compares sole prop vs (Pty) Ltd and walks you through BizPortal (name reservation ~R50, registration R125–R175) if you decide to incorporate.
Does it explain SARS eFiling and provisional tax?+
Yes — who counts as a provisional taxpayer, the IRP6 deadlines (31 August, end of February, optional 30 September top-up), the 80% rule above R1m taxable income, and the s11(a) deductions you can claim.
When do I have to register for VAT?+
Compulsory once taxable turnover exceeds R2.3 million in any 12 months (SARS threshold from 1 April 2026); voluntary once you’ve passed R120 000. The invoice template and tracker work whether or not you're registered.
Can I customise the contract?+
Yes. Every variable is in [brackets] — deposit %, payment days, revision rounds, notice periods, hourly rate. Edit it in Word, Google Docs or any text editor.
Is payment secure?+
Yes. Checkout is handled by PayFast, a South African payment gateway. Your card or banking details go straight to PayFast — we never see or store them.
How is it delivered?+
Immediately after payment you land on a download page with both files, and we email you the links as a backup.
What format are the files?+
A designed 18-page PDF playbook with 11 fill-in documents (contract, quote, tax invoice, credit note, receipt, pro-forma, statement, NDA, retainer, letter of demand, scripts) and an Excel tracker that calculates VAT, tax set-asides and profit for you (works in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers). You also get editable text and CSV versions to copy templates into Word or Google Docs.
Is this legal or tax advice?+
No. It's a practical toolkit based on current SA legislation and SARS rules. For complex matters, confirm with a registered tax practitioner or attorney.
Stop winging it. Start properly.
Register, contract, invoice and plan for SARS with one once-off download, made for South Africa.