Know what your business will do before it does it.

BFI reads your sales, cash flow and financial trends, then gives you a clear six-month forecast, scenario analysis and plain-language guidance on what to do next. Built for South African SME owners — not accountants.

View Live DemoStart the 3-Month Pilot
  • Secure data upload
  • 6-month rolling forecast
  • No accounting jargon
Business intelligence dashboard showing sales and cash-flow analytics on a laptop screen
The BFI dashboard: sales, cash flow and forecast in one view.

Forecasts you can actually act on

Most software hands you a report and leaves you to work out what it means. BFI goes one step further: it runs your numbers forward six months, tests the decisions you are weighing up, and tells you what each one does to your cash.

Change one assumption — a new hire, a price increase, a slow-paying client — and the forecast redraws, with a one-line takeaway in plain language.

Scenario: hire a second technician in March. Cash dips to R41 000 in June, then recovers by August — manageable if you invoice the new work upfront.

Financial charts and graphs spread across a desk during a planning session
Scenario analysis: see the cash impact of a decision before you make it.

Three questions, answered every week

BFI reads the numbers you already keep, then turns them into the three things every owner needs to know.

Sales analysis

See which products, services and customers actually carry the business — and which quietly cost you money. BFI tracks revenue by month and by customer so you know where to push and where to stop.

Cash-flow tracking

Know your real cash position week by week, not just your bank balance. BFI flags the tight months early, tracks debtor behaviour and shows how much breathing room you have before a squeeze.

Forecasting & guidance

A rolling six-month forecast of sales and cash, plus scenario analysis for the decisions in front of you. Every forecast comes with a short, practical recommendation written for an owner, not an auditor.

From your numbers to your next move

Set-up takes an afternoon. After that, BFI works in the background and tells you what changed.

  1. 1

    Connect your data

    Upload a spreadsheet of your sales and expenses. BFI maps your sales, expenses and debtor records during the guided set-up call.

  2. 2

    BFI reads the trends

    Your history is analysed for seasonality, sales trends and cash patterns — the things that are hard to spot in a monthly report.

  3. 3

    Get your 6-month forecast

    A rolling six-month forecast of sales and cash, refreshed as new data arrives, with the risks and the good news called out clearly.

  4. 4

    Test and decide

    Run scenarios for the decisions you are weighing up, then act on the plain-language guidance BFI gives you.

View Live Demo
Secure data and encryption concept representing protected financial information

Your financial data, handled properly

BFI is a secure, web-based application. Your figures are uploaded over a secure connection, and you control who on your team can see what.

We built BFI in South Africa, for South African SMEs — so it understands VAT, load-shedding seasonality and the way local debtors actually pay.

  • Secure uploadYour data is uploaded over a secure connection and stored on our servers.
  • POPIA-aware handlingPersonal and financial information processed with POPIA requirements in mind.
  • Role-based accessGive your bookkeeper, partner or manager only the views they need.
  • Your data stays yoursAsk for a copy of your records at any time. Cancel and they leave with you.

Start with a three-month pilot

One simple price for the three-month pilot, no long contract. Run BFI alongside your current reporting for three months and see whether the forecasts hold up.

3-Month Pilot

Everything you need to prove the value inside one quarter. The R3 000 rate applies to the three-month pilot.

R3 000 per month

R9 000 total for the three-month pilot, billed monthly.

  • Onboarding and secure data upload, with your records imported for you
  • Sales and cash-flow analysis on your real data
  • Six-month sales and cash-flow forecasts
  • Base, Improve and Stress scenarios for the decisions you face
  • Decision Guidance and assisted pilot support
  • No lock-in — after the pilot you choose a package, or walk away
Start the 3-Month Pilot

What happens after the pilot

At the end of month three you decide, with no pressure either way.

  • Move onto Core at R6 000 per month, Growth at R8 500 or Strategic at R12 000
  • Add team seats or extra entities as your business grows
  • Ask for a copy of your data and walk away, if it isn't for you
Ask a Question

Prices exclude VAT. Full pricing detail and what's included is on the Pricing & Pilot page.

What owners say after three months

Three South African businesses that ran the pilot alongside their existing reporting.

I used to find out about a tight month when it arrived. BFI showed me the squeeze coming in June back in March, so we moved two big invoices forward and never felt it.

Thandiwe MokoenaOwner, Mokoena Interiors — Johannesburg

The scenario tool settled an argument we'd been having for a year. We tested the second delivery van properly, saw the cash dip, and bought it a quarter later with a plan.

Riaan van der MerweDirector, Cape Fresh Distribution — Cape Town

It's the first financial tool I actually understand. No jargon, just a forecast and a sentence telling me what to do about it. My bookkeeper loves it too.

Naledi DlaminiFounder, Dlamini Wellness Studio — Durban

Built for the businesses that run South Africa

From single-owner operations to small teams, BFI works with the numbers you already keep.

Small business owner reviewing financial figures at a desk
Owner reviewing monthly figures
Cash-flow forecast spreadsheet used for business planning
Cash-flow planning, week by week
Small team in a strategy meeting with charts on the wall
Team planning session
Modern office desk with a laptop and coffee, ready for a working day
Working from wherever you are
Financial growth graph showing an upward trend
Trends you can see coming
Entrepreneur smiling while working at a small business
Confident owners, calmer decisions

Questions owners ask us first

The short answers. The Pricing & Pilot page covers the detail.

Do I need to change my accounting system?

No. BFI works alongside what you already use. Upload a spreadsheet of your sales and expenses, and BFI reads the data from there.

Is BFI accounting software?

No. Your accounting system records what happened. BFI looks forward — forecasting the next six months and telling you, in plain language, what to do about it.

How long does set-up take?

Set-up is a guided session with our team, usually about an hour. We upload and map your data with you, then BFI builds your first forecast from your history.

What does the pilot cost?

R3 000 per month for the three-month pilot — R9 000 in total, billed monthly and excluding VAT. After the pilot you move onto Core, Growth or Strategic, or walk away.

Is my financial data safe?

Yes. Your data is uploaded over a secure connection, access is role-based, and your information is handled with POPIA requirements in mind.

Who is BFI for?

South African SME owners who want to see around the corner: retailers, service businesses, distributors and trades with one to fifty staff.

See BFI on your own numbers

Book a live demo, or tell us about your business and we'll show you what the first six-month forecast would look like. We reply within one working day.

  • Phone+27 74 276 3732
  • Emailinfo@baselinefi.co.za
  • Websitewww.baselinefi.co.za
Start the 3-Month Pilot

How BFI works, step by step

From the numbers you already keep to a six-month forecast you can act on. Four steps, a guided set-up session, and no accounting jargon anywhere along the way.

View Live DemoStart the 3-Month Pilot
  • Secure data upload
  • Six-month forecasts
  • Guided set-up call
Business owner connecting financial data to a dashboard on a laptop
Step one: your data goes in, and BFI starts reading.

The four steps, in detail

Each step below shows what you do, what BFI does with it, and what you get back. Most owners are through all four within a few days of the set-up session.

1

Connect your data

You start by giving BFI something to read. Upload a spreadsheet of your sales and expenses — the exports you already produce. You don't need to reformat anything first, and we can load the files for you during the set-up session.

During the guided set-up call we map your columns to BFI's fields: revenue, cost of sales, expenses, debtors and bank balances. If a figure is missing, BFI tells you which one and why it matters, rather than guessing.

  • Secure spreadsheet upload of your sales and expense records
  • Role-based access, so each person sees only what you grant them
  • Your data is handled with POPIA requirements in mind
Financial analytics dashboard with charts on a computer screen
The data upload screen: add your files, then confirm the mapping with us.
2

BFI reads the trends

Once your history is in, BFI analyses it for the patterns that are almost impossible to spot in a monthly report: seasonality, sales trends, the way your debtors actually pay, and the weeks where cash quietly gets tight.

You get a plain-language read of your own business — which months carry you, which products earn their keep, and which customers are costing you money to serve.

  • Seasonality and month-on-month trend lines across your full history
  • Sales by product, service and customer — not just total revenue
  • Debtor payment behaviour, so you know when money really arrives
Business forecast graph and growth chart displayed on a screen
The trends view: seasonality, margin and cash patterns drawn from your own history.
3

Get your six-month forecast

BFI runs your numbers forward six months and redraws the forecast every time new data arrives. Sales and cash each get their own line, with the tight months flagged well before they arrive.

Every forecast carries a short takeaway written for an owner: what is likely to happen, what would change it, and what to do about it this month.

  • A rolling six-month view of sales and cash
  • Early warning on the months where cash dips below your comfort level
  • A one-line recommendation attached to every forecast

Forecast takeaway: cash dips to R41 000 in June, then recovers by August. Invoice the new work upfront and the dip stays comfortable.

Small business owner reviewing financial reports with an advisor
The forecast view: six months of sales and cash, with the risks called out.
4

Test the decision, then make it

Before you commit to a hire, a price change, a new vehicle or a slow-paying client, run it as a scenario. BFI redraws the forecast and shows what the decision does to your cash over the next six months.

You leave each month with a short list of moves: what to chase, what to hold back, and what to watch. No spreadsheet gymnastics, and nothing you need an accountant to translate.

  • Base, Improve and Stress scenarios — change one assumption and the forecast redraws
  • Side-by-side comparison of the options you are weighing up
  • Decision Guidance — a plain-language read of what the numbers are saying
Business owner working through a financial decision on a laptop
The scenario view: test a decision before you make it, and see the cash impact.

What you need to get started

Set-up is a guided session with our team. Here is everything BFI asks for, and everything it does not.

  1. 1

    Twelve months of history

    Sales and expense records for the last year, in whatever format you already keep them. More history means a sharper forecast.

  2. 2

    Your debtor list

    Who owes you what, and when they usually pay. This is what turns a sales forecast into a cash forecast.

  3. 3

    One hour with us

    A guided session to upload the data, check the mapping and answer questions. After that, BFI runs in the background.

  4. 4

    Nothing else

    No new accounting system, no hardware, no IT project. BFI works alongside the tools your business already uses.

Book the Set-Up Call

Questions about the process

The things owners ask before they connect their data.

How long until I see a forecast?

Within a few working days of the set-up session. Once your history is mapped, BFI builds the first six-month forecast and we walk you through it.

Do I have to connect my bank?

No. A spreadsheet export of your bank transactions, sales invoices and supplier bills is enough to start. You upload new files when you want the forecast refreshed.

What if my data is messy?

It usually is, and that is fine. BFI flags gaps and inconsistencies during the mapping step so you can fix them once, rather than discovering them in a report six months from now.

Who can see my numbers?

Only the people you invite. Access is role-based, your data is uploaded over a secure connection, and your information is handled with POPIA requirements in mind.

Can I change the assumptions?

Yes, and you should. Growth rates, debtor terms and cost increases are all editable, so the forecast reflects how your business actually behaves rather than an industry average.

What happens after the pilot?

You decide. Move onto Core, Growth or Strategic, or ask for a copy of your data and walk away. There is no lock-in either way.

See the walkthrough on your own numbers

Book a live demo and we will walk you through a six-month forecast, step by step. Or send us a message and we will answer within one working day.

  • Phone+27 74 276 3732
  • Emailinfo@baselinefi.co.za
  • OfficeSandton, Johannesburg — serving SMEs nationwide
Start the 3-Month Pilot

One price, three months, no lock-in

The BFI 3-Month Pilot costs R3,000 a month. That is the full pilot — secure data upload, sales and cash-flow analysis, six-month forecasts, scenarios and guidance — with nothing to sign away at the end of it.

Start the PilotView Live Demo
  • R3,000 per month for the 3-month pilot
  • No set-up fee, no contract
  • After the pilot: Core, Growth or Strategic
Business owner and advisor reviewing a pricing plan together
R3,000 a month for the three-month pilot. Everything in the pilot, nothing hidden in the small print.

What you pay, and what you get

Most owners start with the three-month pilot. After that you choose a package, or walk away with everything you have built.

3-Month Pilot

The full pilot for one business, for three months. This is where almost everyone starts.

R3,000 per month

R9,000 in total across the three months, billed monthly. No set-up fee.

  • Onboarding and a guided set-up session, with your data uploaded or imported for you
  • Decision Overview — the whole business on one screen, updated as your data changes
  • Sales Outlook — a rolling six-month forecast of where your revenue is heading
  • Cash Flow Outlook — a six-month view of the money coming in and going out
  • Base, Improve and Stress scenarios — test a hire, a price change or a slow month before you commit
  • Decision Guidance — plain-language advice on what to chase, what to hold back and what to watch
  • Assisted pilot support — a BFI analyst alongside you for the full three months
  • Secure data upload, role-based access and POPIA-aligned data handling
Start the Pilot

Core

For owners who want the forecasts and the guidance, running month to month after the pilot.

R6,000 per month

Month to month, rolling. Cancel with 30 days' notice.

  • Decision Overview, Sales Outlook and Cash Flow Outlook
  • Base, Improve and Stress scenarios
  • Monthly Decision Guidance
  • One business, one entity, unlimited users
  • Email support during working hours
Talk to Us About Core

Growth

For businesses with more than one entity, more than one decision-maker, or both.

R8,500 per month

Month to month, rolling. Cancel with 30 days' notice.

  • Everything in Core
  • Up to three entities or trading divisions
  • Extra seats for your bookkeeper or business partner
  • Extra seats for your bookkeeper or business partner
  • Priority support during working hours
Talk to Us About Growth

Strategic

For established businesses that want BFI in the room when the big calls are made.

R12,000 per month

Month to month, rolling. Cancel with 30 days' notice.

  • Everything in Growth
  • Unlimited entities and trading divisions
  • A monthly strategy session with a BFI analyst
  • Custom scenario modelling for acquisitions, funding and expansion
  • Named account contact and priority support
Talk to Us About Strategic

Prices are in South African rand and exclude VAT. One business, one entity, unlimited users within the roles you grant.

What the three months actually look like

The pilot is not a trial with the useful parts switched off. You get the whole pilot from day one, and a clear job for each month.

  1. 1

    Month one: get the picture

    We upload your data, map it and build your first six-month forecast. Most owners find at least one surprise in the first week — a sales trend that is weaker than they thought, or a month that is tighter than it looks.

  2. 2

    Month two: test the decisions

    You bring the decisions you are sitting on. We run them as scenarios and show what each one does to your cash over the next six months, so you commit with the numbers in front of you.

  3. 3

    Month three: make it a habit

    By the third month the forecast is part of your routine. You review it monthly, act on the guidance, and decide whether BFI has earned a permanent place in your business.

  4. 4

    Then: your call

    Move onto Core, Growth or Strategic, add seats or entities, or ask for a copy of your data and walk away. There is no lock-in, no exit fee and no awkward conversation.

Small business owner signing up for a service on a laptop
Sign-up takes a few minutes. The set-up call is booked straight after.

Why R3,000 a month

An accountant or a part-time financial manager costs several times that, and most SME owners cannot justify one until something has already gone wrong. BFI gives you the same forward view for the price of a modest monthly expense — and it takes minutes a week, not days.

One avoided mistake pays for the pilot. A hire you did not need to make, a price increase you delayed too long, a large order taken on terms your cash could not carry — any one of those is worth more than R9,000.

  • No set-up fee. The guided call, the mapping and the first forecast are all included in month one.
  • No contract. Month to month from the start, cancel with 30 days' notice.
  • No hidden extras. Scenarios, guidance and assisted pilot support are part of the price, not add-ons.

Pricing questions

The short answers to the things owners ask before they sign up.

Do I need to change accounting systems?

No. BFI works alongside the accounting system you already use. Nothing is replaced and nothing is migrated.

What data do I need to provide?

Bank transactions, sales invoices and supplier bills initially. That is enough to build your first forecast, and we help you load it.

Can I use BFI on my phone?

Yes. BFI is a secure web-based business app that works on computer, tablet and phone.

How long is the pilot?

3 months. R3,000 per month, with no set-up fee and no lock-in at the end of it.

How do I pay?

By monthly debit order or EFT, billed on the same date each month. You get a tax invoice for every payment, and the first invoice is issued when your set-up session is booked.

Is VAT included?

Prices exclude VAT. VAT is added to each invoice at the prevailing rate, and the amount is shown clearly before you pay.

See BFI working on a real business — no login, no sign-up

Below is a live example built on the numbers of a fictitious business: Kopano Electrical & Solar, a 14-person electrical contractor in Centurion. The business and every figure on this page are fictitious sample data. The screens and the guidance are the same ones BFI shows an owner after their data is loaded.

Start the PilotPricing & Pilot
  • No login required
  • 6 months history, 6 months forecast
  • Fictitious sample data
Business owner reviewing a sales and cash-flow dashboard on a laptop
Decision Overview for Kopano Electrical & Solar — 14 staff, Centurion.

Decision Overview

One screen, four answers. This is the kind of view an owner sees when they open BFI on a Monday morning.

Current sales

R486 000

Month to date, March 2025

Sales trend

+6.4%

Rolling three-month average, up on the prior quarter

Current cash position

R212 000

Bank balance plus cleared debtors, less committed payments

Forecast cash position

R96 000

Projected low point in July 2025 on the Base scenario

Key business alert: cash dips below your R150 000 safety line in July

Two large municipal invoices totalling R310 000 are due in June and July, while your biggest debtor (a property developer) has slipped from 32 to 51 days on average. On the Base scenario cash falls to R96 000 in July — R54 000 under the buffer you set. BFI suggests invoicing the Waterkloof phase-two work in two stages instead of one, which lifts the July low to R178 000.

Sales Outlook

Six months of history, then six months of forecast. The dashed section is BFI's projection, refreshed every time new data arrives.

Monthly sales — Kopano Electrical & Solar

Actual   Forecast

R372k
Oct
R398k
Nov
R441k
Dec
R356k
Jan
R412k
Feb
R486k
Mar
R468k
Apr
R495k
May
R522k
Jun
R508k
Jul
R541k
Aug
R576k
Sep

What BFI sees: sales are growing at roughly 6% a quarter, driven by solar installations rather than general electrical work. The forecast assumes the two signed solar contracts start in May and that no new municipal tender lands before September. If the tender is awarded, September could be R120 000 higher.

Cash Flow Outlook

Sales tell you how busy you are. Cash tells you what you can actually do. This is the same six months, seen through the bank account.

Closing cash balance — Kopano Electrical & Solar

Actual   Forecast   Safety line R150k

R168k
Oct
R204k
Nov
R246k
Dec
R139k
Jan
R187k
Feb
R212k
Mar
R174k
Apr
R141k
May
R118k
Jun
R96k
Jul
R163k
Aug
R231k
Sep

What BFI sees: the business is profitable but the cash curve dips through the winter months. The July low of R96 000 is the number to plan around — it is the month the municipal invoices, the VAT payment and the developer's late payment all land together. From August the position recovers as the solar contracts are invoiced.

Base, Improve and Stress

The same six months, run three ways. Switch between them to see what changes — and what it costs you if it does.

Base

Most likely

R96 000

lowest cash point, July 2025

Sales grow 6% a quarter, the two signed solar contracts start in May, debtors keep paying at 51 days and the municipal invoices are paid on time. Nothing goes wrong, and nothing goes unusually right.

  • Sales to September: R3.11m
  • Average debtor days: 51
  • Cash below your safety line for 1 month

Improve

If you act on the guidance

R178 000

lowest cash point, July 2025

You invoice the Waterkloof phase-two work in two stages, put a 40% deposit on all new solar installations, and chase the developer's outstanding invoice weekly. Sales are unchanged — only the timing of the money moves.

  • Sales to September: R3.11m
  • Average debtor days: 38
  • Cash stays above your safety line all six months

Stress

If the tender is delayed

R41 000

lowest cash point, July 2025

The municipal tender slips to the next financial year, one solar contract is pushed out by a month, and the developer stretches to 65 days. Sales fall about 9% below Base and the July squeeze becomes serious.

  • Sales to September: R2.83m
  • Average debtor days: 65
  • Cash below your safety line for 3 months

Scenario figures are illustrative and based on the fictitious example business. Your own forecast is built from your data.

Decision Guidance

BFI does not stop at the numbers. Every forecast ends with a short list of things the owner can actually do this month.

Split the Waterkloof invoice into two stages

Billing phase two in two parts moves R140 000 of income from July into June. On its own, that lifts the July low from R96 000 to R178 000 — the single biggest improvement available to you this quarter, and it costs nothing to do.

Put a 40% deposit on solar installations

Solar work is now 38% of your revenue but it carries the longest supplier lead times. A 40% deposit on every new installation covers your panel and inverter orders up front and stops growth from eating your cash.

Hold the second technician until August

You asked whether to hire in May. On the Base scenario the extra R28 000 a month pushes July cash to R68 000; on Stress it goes negative. Hiring in August, once the solar contracts are invoiced, gives you the same capacity without the risk.

Watch the developer's account weekly

One client is now 51 days on average and drifting. BFI flags any debtor whose payment pattern changes by more than ten days, so you hear about it in the same week rather than at month end. Set a credit limit on that account before the next order.

This is what your own numbers could look like

The pilot runs on your real data for three months, with a BFI analyst alongside you. R3,000 a month for the three-month pilot, no set-up fee, no lock-in.

Start the PilotPricing & Pilot

Fictitious sample business and data. No accounting system integration, AI Master features or advanced modules are shown in this demo.

Start Your 3-Month BFI Pilot

Complete the form below and we’ll guide you through the next onboarding step.

  • R3,000 per month for three months
  • No set-up fee, no lock-in
  • A BFI analyst alongside you
Business owner completing a short online application form on a laptop
The application takes a few minutes. We reply within one working day.

What happens after you apply

Three short steps, and you are running BFI on your own numbers.

  1. 1We review your application. We check your business details and confirm the next onboarding step.
  2. 2You upload your business data. We guide you through providing your initial bank transactions, sales invoices and supplier bills securely.
  3. 3Your first BFI dashboard is prepared. BFI processes your data and prepares your Decision Overview, Sales Outlook, Cash Flow Outlook and Base / Improve / Stress scenarios.
  • Phone+27 74 276 3732
  • Emailinfo@baselinefi.co.za
  • Websitewww.baselinefi.co.za

Pilot application

Ten quick questions. No payment details, no documents to upload.