Invoicing™Free invoice generator for South African businesses
Create professional invoices and quotes, send them as a PDF, and get paid by EFT or card. Free to use, with VAT worked out for you.
- 4,000+
- Invoices created on Govchain
- 124,000
- South African businesses
- Free
- To create and send
What an invoice is, and what makes it a tax invoice
An invoice is the bill you send a customer after you’ve done the work or delivered the goods. It records what you sold, what it costs, and how to pay you. Get it wrong and you wait longer to be paid, so most of the detail on an invoice exists to leave no room for argument: who it’s from, who it’s to, a unique number, the date, a line for each item, and the total due.
Once your business is registered for VAT with SARS, that bill becomes a tax invoice, and SARS sets out exactly what it must contain, including the words “tax invoice”, your VAT number, and the VAT shown separately. Govchain handles this for you. Add your VAT number once and every invoice you send is a valid tax invoice, with 15% worked out on each line and totalled at the bottom. Leave the VAT number off and your invoices simply show no VAT, which is correct for a business that isn’t registered.
A quote comes before the invoice. It’s the price you offer a customer before they commit, and it’s also what people often mean by a proforma invoice: a preliminary bill that isn’t a demand for payment yet. In Govchain you send a quote, and once the customer accepts it you turn it into an invoice in one click rather than retyping everything.
Better than an invoice template
Search for an invoice template and you’ll find a hundred Word and Excel files to download. They work, until you’re on your tenth invoice, copying last month’s file, changing the number by hand, and hoping you didn’t leave the wrong customer’s name in a corner.
Govchain invoicing is free to use, the same as a template, but it does the fiddly parts for you. Here’s the same job done two ways:
| Task | An invoice template | Govchain invoicing |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice numbers | You track them yourself | Numbered automatically |
| VAT | You work out 15% by hand | Calculated on every line |
| Sending it | Save as a PDF, attach to an email | Emailed or shared as a link |
| Getting paid | Retype your bank details each time | EFT details on every invoice, card optional |
| Repeat invoices | Copy the file and edit it | Sent on a weekly or monthly schedule |
| Your records | Files scattered on your computer | Every invoice and quote in one place |
Card payments are the one optional extra: switch them on and customers can pay online. Sending by EFT stays free.
How to send an invoice
Three steps from a blank invoice to money in the bank.
Step 1
Open the invoicing tool, pick the customer you’re billing, and add your line items. Govchain numbers the invoice for you and works out the VAT on each line.
Create an invoice
Step 2
Email the invoice as a PDF, or send a link your customer can open on their phone. There’s nothing to print, and you can resend it any time.
Step 3
Your bank details are on the invoice for an EFT. Switch on card payments and customers can pay online, and the invoice shows as paid once the money lands.
Quotes live here too
Most jobs start with a price, not a bill. You can build a quote the same way you build an invoice, with line items and VAT, and send it for your customer to accept. The quote shows up as accepted or declined, so you’re not left guessing.
When the customer says yes, turn the quote into an invoice with one click. Nothing gets retyped, and the invoice carries the same line items, customer and totals across automatically.
Everything you need to get paid
The parts of invoicing that take time, handled for you.
- Valid tax invoices
Add your VAT number once and every invoice is a SARS-compliant tax invoice, with 15% VAT worked out per line.
- Line items and discounts
Add as many line items as you need, each with its own quantity, price and discount. The totals add up for you.
- Sent as a PDF or a link
Email a professional PDF straight to your customer, or share a link they can open in any browser, no account needed.
- EFT and card payments
Your bank details print on every invoice for an EFT. Switch on card payments to let customers pay online.
- Recurring invoices
Bill the same customer every week or month? Set the invoice to repeat and Govchain sends it on schedule.
- Quotes that become invoices
Send a quote first, then turn it into an invoice with one click once the customer accepts it.
Why small business owners Govchain
Govchain helps 124,000 South African businesses start, run and get paid.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about invoicing and quotes on Govchain.
Is Govchain invoicing really free?
Does it create a proper tax invoice?
Can my customers pay by card?
Can I send a quote and turn it into an invoice?
What is a proforma invoice, and can I send one?
Can I set up recurring invoices?
Do I need a registered company to use it?
What currency are invoices in?
Send your first invoice today
Create an account, add your company, and send a professional invoice in minutes. Free to use.
Last reviewed: 24 June 2026. Govchain reviews this page against current SARS tax-invoice rules every quarter.