Screens that still assume South Africa in NG and KE
Which parts of Achekam still show rand or South African VAT to a Nigerian or Kenyan business, and practical ways to work around each one for now.
By Achekam · · 4 min read · For Running a business businesses in Nigeria, Kenya
Achekam started in South Africa, and its Nigerian and Kenyan packs were added on top. Most of what a Nigerian or Kenyan business does follows its own country: tax codes on invoices, payroll, e-invoicing, the gateways that settle naira or shillings. But some screens have not caught up. They still show rand, offer South Africa's VAT rate, or check numbers against South African formats.
None of these stops you working, as long as you know where they are. This article lists them, explains what each one does, and suggests a practical workaround until the screen follows your country.
First, make sure your workspace knows its country
A workspace with no country recorded is treated as South African. That is the root of many surprises, so check it first.
A workspace registered as Nigerian at sign-up gets the Nigeria pack as its default, and activating the pack sets the naira and the Africa/Lagos time zone unless they are already set. A Kenyan workspace gets the Kenya pack, the shilling and the Africa/Nairobi time zone in the same way. Invoice tax codes for your country apply once the pack is activated under Settings, Jurisdiction & regulators. If you signed up without choosing a country, or never activated the pack, do that before anything else.
Ledger screens shown in rand
The ledger screens show every amount in rand, and the chart of accounts is stored in ZAR, even for a Nigerian or Kenyan business.
Workaround. Your entries are still yours; it is the currency label on these screens that is wrong. When you export reports from the ledger for a bank, an investor or your board, relabel the currency before you send them, and tell your accountant so they read the figures correctly.
The Billing & Finance invoice form versus the Accounting form
There are two places to create an invoice. The New invoice form under Billing & Finance offers only 15% or 0% VAT and shows rand, so it does not follow Nigerian or Kenyan VAT. The invoice form under Accounting does follow your country's tax codes: standard, zero-rated, exempt, out of scope or reverse charge.
Workaround. Use the Accounting form for every invoice, and tell your team not to use the other one.
Two printing points to know as well. The invoice PDF downloaded or e-mailed from the invoice screen is always headed TAX INVOICE and cites the South African VAT Act, whatever your country or VAT number. And a customer's tax number prints as a VAT number only when it looks like a South African VAT number; a Nigerian or Kenyan customer's number prints as a "tax number". Mention both to customers who query their invoices.
Supplier bills and purchase orders default to 15%
Supplier bills and purchase orders do not use a Nigerian or Kenyan business's own VAT rate. They offer 15% or 0%, and default to 15%. Neither is Nigeria's 7.5% or Kenya's 16%. For Kenya, KRA's VAT page sets out the rates, exempt supplies and how input tax is claimed on the monthly return.
Workaround. Never accept the default without looking. Agree with your accountant how bills with VAT should be recorded until purchasing follows your country, for example keeping a list of the correct input VAT per bill for the return and correcting the ledger as they direct. The important thing is that whoever prepares your VAT return knows the bill screens cannot be trusted for the rate.
Supplier VAT numbers in the South African format
A supplier's VAT number must be in the South African format, so Nigerian and Kenyan VAT numbers are refused when you add a supplier.
Workaround. Leave the VAT number field empty and keep the supplier's tax number with their other documents. Document Centre lets you keep files in folders, tag them and search them, so a supplier folder holding their registration details works well. The supplier list checks for duplicates by name or VAT number; with the number empty, it can only check the name, so spell supplier names consistently.
Purchase orders recorded in rand
Purchase orders are recorded in rand, because the order form sends no currency.
Workaround. Treat the amount as the figure you entered and ignore the rand label. Supplier quotations are captured against the requisition before an order is raised, so make sure the supplier's own quotation, showing its currency, is kept there; the person matching the supplier's invoice then knows what was agreed.
Other places South Africa shows through
Two more to know about, outside invoicing:
- Leave. Leave days are counted against South African public holidays, and the built-in entitlements follow South African law, even for a Nigerian or Kenyan employer.
- E-signing. The completion certificate on a signed document describes the signatures under South Africa's Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, whatever your country.
At a glance
| Screen | What it assumes | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Ledger screens | Rand | Relabel exported reports |
| Billing & Finance invoice form | 15% or 0%, rand | Use the Accounting form |
| Supplier bills, purchase orders | 15% default | Check every line; agree a method with your accountant |
| Supplier VAT number | South African format | Leave empty; keep the number in Document Centre |
| Purchase order currency | Rand | Keep the supplier's quotation with the requisition |
For the VAT refusal that a standard-rated line can meet, see charging VAT in Nigeria and Kenya while rates await approval. The payroll side has its own list, covered in what payroll does not yet do for NG and KE employers, and how tax identifiers are checked is explained in Nigeria Tax ID and KRA PIN: what is checked.
Print the table above and pin it near whoever enters bills and invoices. Knowing where the gaps are is most of the workaround.
General guidance only, not advice on your own circumstances. Tax and payroll rules change: check the current position with the authority or your adviser.
