Quotes, Tax Invoices and Receipts for South African Venues and Caterers

VAT basics for venues and caterers

VAT is 15% on venue hire, catering, bar sales and event extras. Compulsory registration applies once taxable supplies pass R2.3 million in any 12 months (from 1 April 2026; it was R1 million before). Quotes and adverts to the public must show VAT-inclusive prices.

Four rules that shape every document you issue

Start with VAT. The standard rate is 15%, and a proposed increase to 15.5% for May 2025 was reversed before it took effect, so your rate cards should still say 15%. Everything a typical venue sells carries that rate: hire of the room or garden, the plated dinner, the bar, the draping, the sound system.

Registration moved on 1 April 2026. SARS now requires you to register once taxable supplies pass R2.3 million in any 12-month period, up from R1 million, and voluntary registration opens at R120,000. A small caterer turning over R1.8 million a year may no longer need to charge VAT at all, and if you are not registered you must not show VAT on anything.

Section 65 of the VAT Act says prices you advertise or quote must include VAT, or must show the VAT-exclusive price, the VAT and the inclusive price together. A quote to a bride that says R480 per head, VAT excluded, and nothing else, breaks that rule.

The Consumer Protection Act adds the consumer side. Section 17 lets a client cancel any advance booking, lets you ask for a reasonable deposit and charge a reasonable cancellation fee, and bans any fee when the booking is cancelled because the person it was for has died or been hospitalised.

Which template to use, and when

The quotation template at /za/quotation-template is for the enquiry stage. It carries VAT-inclusive pricing, a validity date, your minimum guest numbers and a deposit and cancellation schedule written to survive a section 17 challenge.

The tax invoice template at /za/tax-invoice-template follows the SARS checklist: seven items for a full tax invoice above R5,000, five for an abridged one between R50 and R5,000. Most functions are well above R5,000, so plan on the full version, with the client's VAT number when you bill a company.

The receipt template at /za/receipt-template turns a client's EFT proof of payment into a written record that also meets section 26 of the Consumer Protection Act, and keeps deposit and balance payments separate so your books match the final invoice.

How South African events are usually sold

Most venues quote a hire fee for the space plus a per-head catering price, and wine farms and country venues often add a minimum spend or minimum guest count in peak season from October to April. Corporate year-end functions cluster in late November and early December, which is when double bookings and last-minute guest changes happen.

Clients pay by EFT and send a proof of payment, usually as a PDF. A POP is not money in your account. Issue the receipt once the funds clear, not when the screenshot arrives.

Backup power still appears on many quotes as its own line, because running a generator for a five-hour reception costs real diesel. If you charge it, show it as a separate VAT-able line instead of hiding it in the hire fee, so the client can see what they are paying for.

Running the paperwork in Venura

Venura is venue and catering management software used to take enquiries, hold dates on a shared calendar with double-booking checks, send quotes, record deposits and balances, and issue invoices and receipts. South African venues can subscribe and pay in rand, and you set VAT at 15% per line. Pricing for South Africa is quoted individually, so ask us for a price for your number of halls or kitchens.

Questions from South Africa