Bookkeeping That Follows Each Job
The Project Based Plan is built for micro businesses that do not work on a simple monthly retainer model. If you take on site jobs, short contracts, one-off assignments, repairs, events, installations or freelance work, each project can be tracked on its own. That means income, direct costs, labour, subcontractors and payroll can be matched to the right job instead of sitting in one general pile.
For many small operators in Bryanston, Sandton, Randburg and Midrand, this makes it easier to see which jobs are worth repeating and which ones eat up time and cash. It also helps when you need to quote again, check profit margins, or explain a shortfall to a client. The plan is practical, not fancy, and it is set up for owners who want the numbers straight.
Because project work often changes from week to week, the service can be scaled up or down depending on how many assignments you have on the go. Some clients only need clean records at month end, while others need regular payroll support during peak work periods. Affo keeps the admin orderly so you can keep moving.
Plan Sizes For Different Workloads
The Project Based Plan comes in three working sizes, depending on how many jobs you run and how much staff movement you have. Each size can be adjusted for bookkeeping only, payroll only, or both together. That gives micro businesses room to start small and add support when work picks up.
- Starter: up to 5 active projects a month, suited to sole traders or very small teams.
- Growth: 6 to 15 active projects a month, for businesses with regular subcontractors or staff rotation.
- Custom: 16 plus active projects, or mixed payroll and bookkeeping requirements across several sites or teams.
Monthly payroll, weekly wage payroll, payslip processing and leave tracking can all be included where needed. If you have a busy season and then quieter periods, the plan can be adjusted so you are not paying for more than you use. That helps small businesses in Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha where project flow can change with weather, tourism cycles and municipal job timing.
Where It Fits Best
This plan suits businesses that invoice by assignment and need accurate records for each piece of work. It is a good match for contractors, small service teams, field workers, short-term labour crews, event support businesses, maintenance operators and specialist micro firms that quote job by job. It is also useful when a client asks for separate costings per project, because the figures are already grouped in a sensible way.
Many micro businesses run on a mix of salaried staff and wages. Others pay people only when a project lands. The plan supports both. That makes it handy for teams dealing with termination pay, deduction support, new employee setup and holiday payroll cover. In places like Pretoria and Johannesburg, where staff may work across more than one site, this can cut down on payroll confusion.
If your work is tied to seasonal demand, load-shedding changes or delays from suppliers, you need records that stay organised even when the week does not. This plan is set up for that kind of real-world pressure, not just neat month-end figures.
What The Service Covers Each Month
Affo manages the day-to-day admin that sits behind project income and project labour. That includes bookkeeping entries, project cost allocations, payroll runs, leave tracking, timesheet capture and payroll reporting. If staff work irregular hours, timesheets can be used to keep the wage calculations accurate. If a project wraps early or runs over, the records can be updated without starting again from scratch.
- Monthly payroll or weekly wage payroll
- Payslip processing and payroll reporting
- Leave tracking and holiday payroll cover
- New employee setup and termination pay
- Deduction support and small team payroll
- Payroll cleanup for messy or overdue records
Where needed, you also get a clearer view of project costs before the job closes. That matters for micro businesses that need to pay suppliers, labour and transport from the same cash flow. The aim is simple: accurate numbers, on time, with less back and forth.
How Onboarding And Setup Works
Getting started is straightforward. First, Affo reviews how you bill, how many projects you run, and what payroll or bookkeeping support you need. Then the team sets up the structure for project tracking, staff records and reporting. If your records are already in a bit of a mess, the payroll cleanup option can bring things back into line before the monthly cycle begins.
Because the service is remote, it works well for clients across South Africa, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha. The Bryanston base means the team is used to supporting businesses in busy urban areas as well as smaller operations that need practical help without having to travel in. Communication stays focused on the figures, the dates and the next step.
After setup, clients send through the source information through the enquiry form on the contact page, and the team handles the rest. The process is kept simple so owners can get on with the work that brings in income, rather than spending evenings sorting payroll and reconciliations after a long day.
What To Check Before You Choose
Before you order the Project Based Plan, it helps to check a few practical points. First, count how many active projects you usually have in a month, not just the total number of jobs in a year. Second, note whether your workers are paid weekly or monthly, since that changes the payroll rhythm. Third, confirm whether you need leave tracking, payslip processing, or help with terminations and deductions.
- Number of active jobs or contracts per month
- Weekly wages, monthly payroll, or both
- Whether you need payroll reporting for each project
- How often staff timesheets are submitted
- Whether your records need cleanup first
- Any compliance rules that apply to your business sector
It is also worth checking your own internal workflow. If project managers, bookkeepers and payroll admin are not speaking to each other, the plan will work better with a clear handover routine. A simple process saves time and reduces mistakes, especially when the month gets busy and everyone is trying to finish jobs at once.
Care, Servicing And Ongoing Accuracy
The Project Based Plan is not a once-off fix. It works best when records are kept current through the month, with invoices, timesheets and payroll inputs sent in on time. That makes the bookkeeping cleaner and the payroll more accurate. If something changes mid-project, such as a new hire, a wage adjustment or a deduction, it is easier to correct it early than after the payout has gone through.
For businesses working in coastal areas like Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha, the extra wear and tear on vehicles, staff movement and supplier delays can make admin slip. Keeping regular records helps prevent that from becoming a bigger problem. Affo’s team includes a bookkeeping lead, payroll manager, compliance administrator and cloud systems specialist, so the support stays practical and properly managed. Small errors are picked up before they turn into bigger headaches, which saves time and cash.
If your business relies on project work, this plan gives you a clearer picture of each job from start to finish. That helps you price better, pay people correctly, and keep the whole operation moving without guesswork.
Key facts
| Plan type | Project-based bookkeeping and payroll support for micro businesses |
|---|---|
| Best for | Businesses that earn income from separate jobs, assignments or contracts |
| Active projects | Starter up to 5, Growth 6 to 15, Custom 16 plus |
| Payroll options | Monthly payroll, weekly wage payroll, holiday cover and cleanup |
| Location coverage | Bryanston plus Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha |
| Support method | Enquiry form on the contact page for client onboarding and updates |
