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Bookkeeping for Farmers: A Practical Specialisation Course for South Africans

The purpose of this course is to equip working bookkeepers to record, classify and treat every transaction in a South African farming operation correctly, from seasonal income and biological assets to the diesel rebate and First Schedule livestock provisions. It removes the guesswork from farm cash flow, VAT, payroll and tax, so that a farmer's accounts can be trusted by owners, accountants, auditors and SARS.

10 CPD units 22 July 2026 1 presenter

What will set you apart

By completing this course you will gain the following competencies

  • Set up and maintain a complete farm bookkeeping system, from source documents to financial statements.
  • Apply double-entry principles to the transactions that recur in a farming operation.
  • Account for biological assets and inventory under IAS 41 and Section 34 of the IFRS for SMEs.
  • Prepare and manage cash flow projections for seasonal, once-a-year income.
  • Meet South African VAT, income tax, PAYE, UIF and SDL requirements specific to farming.
  • Claim the diesel rebate and apply the First Schedule provisions for livestock and produce.
  • Separate farm money from household money, and maintain sound internal controls and ethics on the farm.

Event breakdown

  • The course follows the real bookkeeping workflow used on a South African farm, from the first source document to the reporting-date financial statements:
  • PART A · FOUNDATIONS
  • #
  • Chapter
  • Time
  • 1
  • Introduction to Farm Bookkeeping
  • 60 min
  • 2
  • Source Documents on the Farm
  • 60 min
  • 3
  • The Chart of Accounts
  • 55 min
  • 4
  • Double-Entry Bookkeeping for Farmers
  • 50 min
  • PART B · RECORDING THE FARM'S MONEY
  • #
  • Chapter
  • Time
  • 5
  • Farm Income and Revenue Recognition
  • 70 min
  • 6
  • Farm Expenses and Cost Classification
  • 65 min
  • 7
  • Biological Assets and Inventory
  • 75 min
  • 8
  • Farm Cash Flow and Seasonal Planning
  • 65 min
  • 9
  • Farm Debtors, Creditors and Credit Management
  • 65 min
  • 10
  • Farm Fixed Assets and Depreciation
  • 65 min
  • PART C · TAX, VAT, PAYROLL AND COMPLIANCE
  • #
  • Chapter
  • Time
  • 11
  • Farm VAT in the South African Context
  • 70 min
  • 12
  • Farm Payroll and Labour Compliance
  • 65 min
  • 13
  • Farm Financial Statements
  • 70 min
  • 14
  • Farm Tax Compliance
  • 70 min
  • 15
  • Internal Controls and Ethics on the Farm
  • 60 min
  • 16
  • The Diesel Rebate
  • 55 min
  • 17
  • Livestock and the First Schedule
  • 65 min
  • 18
  • Cash Flow: Harvesting Once a Year
  • 55 min
  • 19
  • Farm vs House Money
  • 55 min
  • 20
  • Permanent vs Seasonal Workers
  • 60 min
Category: AccountingType: Short CourseCPD category: Accounting

Description

Farming is where ordinary bookkeeping stops working. Income arrives once a year at harvest while costs run every month. A herd grows and changes value on its own. Diesel carries a rebate, produce and livestock fall under their own tax schedule, and the household and the farm draw from the same bank account. A farm's books behave like no other client's, and the standard bookkeeping template does not fit them. Get it right and you become the bookkeeper a farmer cannot afford to lose. Get it wrong and the accounts misstate profit, the tax is calculated on the wrong base, and the rebate goes unclaimed. This course makes sure you get it right. The course teaches farm bookkeeping the way it is done in a working practice. Across twenty chapters you follow the full bookkeeping cycle adapted to farming, from source documents in the shed to farm financial statements, with worked examples drawn from real South African operations across grain, livestock, dairy and agri-tourism. Every chapter ends with an interactive knowledge check, and every treatment is built on IAS 41, Section 34 of the IFRS for SMEs and South African tax, VAT and labour law. The course is self-paced and online, pitched for a working bookkeeper. It runs to about 21 hours and earns 10 CPD units. One chapter every day or two works well; spread over about two weeks, the material sticks. Who this course is for This course is designed for:
  • Bookkeepers in practice who keep the books of one or more farming or agricultural clients
  • Farmers, smallholders and farm managers who keep their own books or report to owners
  • Finance and admin staff at agricultural co-operatives and mid-sized farming enterprises
  • Accounting practice staff who prepare or review the books of farming clients
  • Professional accountants who want a structured reference for agricultural engagements
The course builds from first principles, so no prior agricultural knowledge is assumed. It is not a farm-management or agricultural-economics course.

Presenters

Faith Ngwenya

Faith Ngwenya — Faith Ngwenya is an accomplished leader in the accounting profession with extensive experience in professional education, skills development and stakeholder engagement. As Head of Education at CIBA, she plays a key role in advancing professional development, strengthening relationships with education and industry stakeholders, and supporting initiatives that prepare accounting professionals for the evolving demands of the profession.

You will earn a certificate

On successful completion you will receive a certificate for 10 CPD units in Accounting.

Requirements

  • Laptop, desktop, or mobile device with internet access
  • Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari, or Firefox browser