BOTI’s bookkeeping courses teach beginners how to record sales, purchases, payments and receipts correctly. The course covers source documents, subsidiary journals, VAT, the income statement and bank reconciliations in a manual system. It is a practical starting point for anyone who needs accounting and bookkeeping skills at work in South Africa. You can browse all of BOTI’s finance and bookkeeping training courses, or read on to see what the bookkeeping course covers.
The current course runs at your offices anywhere in South Africa, live online or at a BOTI venue. The course page has the up-to-date outline and group prices.
See the current courseGet a quote for your teamLearning on your own? Self-paced e-learning from R595 (excl. VAT) · Ask your employer to pay
Introduction: Bookkeeping Courses
This training programme first teaches delegates the basic bookkeeping terms and concepts. It then shows them how bookkeeping documents are used in a manual accounting system.
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions, and it is one part of accounting in a business. Examples of transactions are sales, purchases, payments and receipts. Any process that records financial transactions is a bookkeeping process.
A bookkeeper (or book-keeper) normally does this work. The bookkeeper “writes up” the organisation’s day-to-day financial transactions and usually keeps the “daybooks”, also called journals. An accountant then uses these accurate records to prepare reports, check results and advise management. This is why a solid grounding in bookkeeping comes before most accounting work.
Outline: Bookkeeping Courses
Key outcomes of the course include:
- Understanding basic bookkeeping terms and concepts
- Using source documents in a manual accounting system
- Understanding how Value Added Tax works
- Working with subsidiary journals
- Understanding the income statement
- Doing a bank reconciliation
Source documents: where every entry starts
Every bookkeeping entry should trace back to a document, such as an invoice, a credit note, a receipt, a deposit slip or a bank statement. Delegates learn to recognise each document, check that it is complete and decide which journal it belongs in. A record that cannot be matched to a source document is hard to defend at year end or in an audit.
Subsidiary journals
Businesses do not record every transaction directly in the general ledger. Similar transactions are first grouped in subsidiary journals, for example a cash receipts journal, a cash payments journal, and sales (debtors) and purchases (creditors) journals. Delegates practise entering transactions in the right journal and totalling the journals so they can be posted to the ledger.
How VAT works in the books
For a VAT-registered business, the bookkeeper must separate the VAT on sales from the VAT on purchases. The difference is what the business pays to SARS or claims back. The course explains how VAT appears on source documents and in the journals, so delegates can see where the figures on a VAT return come from. Teams that need more depth can follow on with BOTI’s VAT & Tax Basics for Finance Professionals course.
The income statement
The income statement summarises income and expenses for a period and shows whether the business made a profit or a loss. Delegates learn how the entries they make in the journals end up on this statement. They also learn why errors in day-to-day recording distort the result management sees.
Bank reconciliation
A bank reconciliation compares the business’s cash records with the bank statement and explains any differences. Common examples are outstanding deposits, unpresented payments, bank charges and errors. Delegates work through a reconciliation step by step, because a regular, accurate bank reconciliation is one of the most practical controls a small finance team can run.
Course duration and fees: Bookkeeping Courses
The Basic Bookkeeping Course runs over 2 days. It is designed so that delegates apply what they learn to practical examples they can use straight away at work.
For course costs, consult the schedule or request a quote.
Recommended Prior Experience and Knowledge: Bookkeeping Courses
The course is designed for:
- Delegates who have limited exposure to bookkeeping
It is advisable that you have the following knowledge:
- Mathematical literacy or Grade 10 Mathematics
Who should attend
The course suits a range of people who need to record or check financial transactions:
- Administrators, office managers and personal assistants who handle invoices, petty cash or supplier payments.
- Small business owners who want to understand their own books before they hand them to an accountant.
- New finance clerks who need a structured grounding in manual bookkeeping.
- Staff moving into a debtors, creditors or cashbook role.
Read more about choosing the right starting point in our guide to enrolling in a bookkeeper course.
From manual bookkeeping to accounting software
The course starts with a manual system on purpose. Once delegates understand how a transaction moves from a source document to a journal, the ledger and the statements, accounting software makes far more sense. They can also spot entries the software has posted incorrectly.
After the basics, delegates can move on to:
Managers who need to read the numbers rather than capture them may prefer Finance for Non-Financial Managers Training.
Bookkeeping training for teams in Cape Town and elsewhere in South Africa
BOTI’s own venue is in Sunningdale, Johannesburg. If your team is based in Cape Town or another centre, the bookkeeping course can run live online or in-house at your premises. Delegates then work through the same practical exercises without travelling.
Frequently asked questions
What do bookkeeping courses for beginners cover?
BOTI’s Basic Bookkeeping Course covers bookkeeping terms and concepts, source documents in a manual accounting system, how VAT works, subsidiary journals, the income statement and bank reconciliation.
Do I need accounting experience to do a bookkeeping short course?
No. The course is designed for delegates with limited exposure to bookkeeping. It is advisable to have mathematical literacy or Grade 10 Mathematics.
Do I get a bookkeeping certificate?
Yes. Delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance. The course is a professional skills programme and is not accredited.
Can teams in Cape Town do BOTI’s bookkeeping training?
Yes. The course can run live online or in-house at your premises in Cape Town or elsewhere in South Africa. BOTI’s own venue is in Sunningdale, Johannesburg.
What is the difference between bookkeeping and accounting?
Bookkeeping is the day-to-day recording of financial transactions such as sales, purchases, payments and receipts. Accounting uses those records to prepare reports, check results and advise management.
Book or Obtain Instant Quote
BOTI runs this course for teams in-house, at its venue or live online. Use the button below to book or request a quote:
Or browse all our courses, run at your offices, online or at a BOTI venue:
OR
FOR CELL PHONES CLICK TO CALL
Or Fill in the Form
Or Email Us
[email protected]
If you or your team need a clear, practical grounding in recording transactions, VAT and bank reconciliations, book the Basic Bookkeeping Course. Call BOTI on 011 882 8853 or email [email protected]. Training runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or live online. This course is not accredited. It is delivered as a professional skills programme, and delegates receive a BOTI certificate of attendance.
