Useful Free Excel Spreadsheets from Software Africa

Toastmasters Online Speech Contest Certificate PDF Exporter (Version 2.01 - 11 Mar 2021)

Attention: Contest Chairs and Vice Presidents Education at Toastmasters Clubs.

Is Speech Contest season upon you (usually February to May each year)?  Then you will need to create contest certificates to display at the contest and later send the participants. This macro-enabled spreadsheet does a mail-merge to rapidly produce PDF certificates with all the details filled in for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place, and Participation. You can do this for online contests or if you have a computer and printer at the venue. This version uses the 2021 version of the certificates, Example alongside.

You just fill in the contestant names and contest details, and click a button to export the certificates to PDF files.  Full instructions included.

Note: If you want to print directly instead of sending a PDF, or don't have the names yet, use our sister spreadsheet for Printing Certificates, directly below.

To get the Toastmasters Competition Certificate PDF Exporter, Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

Toastmasters In-Person Speech Contest Certificate Printer (Version 1.01 - 10 Mar 2021)

Attention: Contest Chairs and Vice Presidents Education at Toastmasters Clubs.

Is Speech Contest season upon you (usually February to May each year)?  Then you will need to print contest certificates. This macro-enabled spreadsheet does a mail-merge to rapidly print certificates with all the available details filled in. For participation certificates, the contestants' names are filled in. For 1st, 2nd & 3rd place, we leave the name blank –you don't know the winners yet!  We print a separate page of name strips that can be cut and glued in the appropriate slot when results are known.

You just fill in the contestant names and contest details, and click a button to print the certificates to your printer.  Preferably print on light card using a colour printer.  Full instructions included.  This version uses the (older but prettier) 2020 version of the certificates, Example alongside.

Note: If you want to create PDF files to display onscreen at an online contest and then send to participants, use our sister spreadsheet for Exporting Certificates to PDF files, directly above.

To get the Toastmasters Competition Certificate Printer, Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

ALV(9) South African Vehicle Licence Form (Version 1.01 – 11 December 2019)

Tired of laboriously filling out the Vehicle Licence form by hand every year? Not to mention when the Post Office or Licensing Department has run out of forms!  Help is at hand.

Our macro-enabled spreadsheet (with sample default data) asks you all the questions and writes them in the right blocks.  It even crosses the boxes in response to your answers.  Just open the file with macros enabled, click OK, then click the Fill in Form button to complete the form and, optionally, print it.

Save the file, and print it again next year: No new filling in until you change your vehicle or your address.

Or, if you really love completing the form by hand, there is a button to clear the data so that you can print a blank form.

To get the ALV(9) South African Vehicle Licence Form (just 75 KB), Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

Bank Account Reconciliation (Version 3.01 – 10 January 2010)

The problem:  Keep track of our internet banking accounts on a spreadsheet, make sure that all expected entries appear, and plan future income and expenses.  The difficulty is that each bank has its own format with the result that, in most cases, if you copy from the internet and paste into Excel, it does not recognise the numbers as numbers.  ABSA uses two lines per entry, which makes sorting difficult.  FNB's site displays the newest entries at the top (descending order), while the others display newest at the bottom (ascending).

The solution:  We've set up an Excel spreadsheet into which you can paste from the on-line statements of the big four South African banks: ABSA, NedBank, First National Bank (FNB) and Standard Bank (popularly known as GRABSA, NerdBank, FIB, and Sub-Standard) You then click a button on the sheet and it runs a macro that reformats the selected data into single-line entries for ease of sorting, in ascending date order, with columns to check your running total against the bank's, and a column giving the available balance with respect to a target balance or overdraft limit.  The available balance appears in different colours as you approach your limit, and red when you exceed it.

There is space below for you to add expected income and expense items to predict your cash flows.

Version 3.01 includes the following account formats:

To get the Bank Reconciliation spreadsheet (795 KB zipped to 164 KB), Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

Fuel Consumption Excel Spreadsheet (Version 1.02 – 6 May 2011)

Our Fuel Consumption spreadsheet comes with sample data and an explanation of the formulas. You enter your kilometre readings, litres to fill up, and amount paid.  It will work out the fuel consumption and cost per litre.  Fill in your km when the car is serviced, and the "km since service" figure will go red when you exceed the service interval.  There is also a "Trips" sheet for for recording specific trips (for distances) and Toll fees (for expense claims).

If you'd like the simple metric Fuel Consumption Spreadsheet (75 KB), Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

Also available: A more complicated Fuel Consumption Spreadsheet (with macros) that does not require you to either fill up your tank every time or add up the fuel manually, for only R200. Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail to ask for the Fuel Consumption Extended Spreadsheet.

The above spreadsheets work in litres and km.  Would you prefer miles, gallons, and mpg?  For only US$20 you can get a spreadsheet that works in USA units: Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail to ask for the Fuel Consumption MPG Spreadsheet, or e-mail rick@softwareafrica.co.za.

Rainfall Spreadsheet with Statistics (Version 1.00 – 4 Dec 2006)

Then Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets. This Excel file not only makes data entry easy, but calculates your monthly and annual statistics (days of rain and mm rainfall for the period).  It also has Johannesburg rainfall statistics from the Weather Bureau, and a full explanation of the formulas used in case you want to learn more (no macros).

Water Meter Readings Spreadsheet (Version 1.01 – 04 Oct 2006)

Our Water Meter Readings spreadsheet lets you enter your monthly water readings.  It has sample data, the web address and instructions on submitting water readings to Johannesburg Water on-line (when they are working!), with 2006/7 charges for checking your bill: To get the Water Meter Readings Spreadsheet (70 KB), Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

Electricity Meter Readings Spreadsheet (Version 1.00 – 13 November 2007)

This works like the Water Meter Readings spreadsheet and lets you enter your monthly power readings (3 phases).  It contains Eskom's latest Johannesburg Domestic Tariff charges for checking your bill –for Joburg City Power and other suppliers you can enter the charges from your power account.  To get it (61 KB) Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

Also available (for R300) is a spreadsheet that lets you check Johannesburg City Power charges for readings between specified dates.  It works with their stepped tariff, which varies depending on season.  To ask about it, Click here and SEND the resulting e-mail.

Mattress Turning Schedule (Version 1.00 – 16 Oct 2007)

When you buy certain mattresses, the manufacturer requires you to turn them on a regular basis, typically fortnightly during the first three months and then monthly thereafter.  There are four ways the mattress can be placed, and a specific order for turning.  Who bothers?  But if you don't, and your mattress sags or goes lumpy, your guarantee may not be valid!

So, while it may seem silly, we set up a spreadsheet to solve this problem.  You enter the dates of purchase and delivery, and a suitable number of days to get to (for example) the domestic worker's preferred day.  The program then works out the schedule for you.  You can print it out and stick it on the back of a door or other suitable place.  Cross off each date when the mattress has been turned to the position shown on the picture.  To get this Excel file (104 KB), Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

John Demartini Fast Savings Formula Calculator (Version 1.01 ~ 10 February 2009)

This free spreadsheet calculates savings for you according to the method Dr John Demartini calls the Forced Accelerating Savings Technique ("FAST").  The idea is to decide on an amount to save monthly, and then increase it by a percentage every three months.  The constant increase pushes up your contributions, and therefore your savings, dramatically over time.  The spreadsheet lets you vary the initial contribution, the percentage increase, and inflation, to see your results over time. Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets.

Quotation System with Bill of Materials

This is a spreadsheet for producing general small business quotations. You can enter your own price lists. Output can be personalized with your company name and details. File size: 818 KB (zipped).  Cost: Free. Click Here to order any of these spreadsheets. For more details, go to the Quotation System page.