Running the Business
The back office: banking, bookkeeping, software, customer communication, POPIA and keeping records SARS will accept.
12 guides in this section
Essential Reading
Cyber and Invoice Fraud
How invoice-redirection and Business Email Compromise fraud hits SA contractors, and the simple phone-to-verify rule that stops it. Plus who to report to.
Mates Rates and Discounting
How to discount work for family and friends without losing money: quote first, show the discount, hold your floor price, and the VAT trap if you are registered.
First-Year Survival and Customer Mistakes
The five customer and pricing mistakes that sink first-year SA tradies: no deposit, verbal quotes, underpricing, slow invoicing, and unpaid extras.
From Tools to Management
What a SA tradie's first employee really costs: PAYE, UIF, the SDL exemption under R500,000, and the COIDA levy range, plus the 21-day registration rule.
Five-Year Plan and First Hire
A realistic five-year growth arc for a solo SA tradie, the three-question test for your first hire, and where the CIDB register fits for government work.
Qualifications and Career Progression
The SA trades qualification ladder from TVET to the Red Seal, the ARPL fast track for experienced workers, and the QCTO move to Occupational Certificates.
Social Media for Tradies
Free marketing for SA tradies: WhatsApp Business referrals, a Facebook Page and local groups, and a Google Business Profile, plus the before-and-after formula.
Reviews, Reputation and Word-of-Mouth
A simple system for SA tradies to win Google and Facebook reviews, run referrals, and handle a bad review calmly so future clients judge your tone.
Complaint Handling and De-escalation
How SA tradies resolve complaints before the NCC or small claims court: the CPA right to good work, a five-day written reply, and de-escalation language.
Training the Next Generation
How SA tradies host apprentices and learners through CETA, the estimated stipend subsidy, and signing off a learner's SoWE logbook before the EISA trade test.
Construction Waste and Your Duty of Care
NEMWA duty of care for SA contractors: the waste hierarchy, section 16 liability, SANS 10234 classification, the 20kg exemption, and legal on-site crushing.
Skip Hire and Waste Disposal: Metros and Permits
SA skip hire and disposal: prices, banned items, metro permits for Cape Town, Joburg, Tshwane and eThekwini, indicative gate fees and illegal-dumping fines.