Welcome to Okhantu: Your Complete Platform Overview
Okhantu is an all-in-one platform designed to help South African SMEs succeed in business.
What is Okhantu?
Okhantu is an all-in-one platform designed to help South African SMEs succeed in business. Whether you're looking to win government tenders, verify your business credentials, manage your practice, or find new customers, Okhantu provides the tools and intelligence you need.
The name "Okhantu" comes from the isiZulu word meaning "at the place" - representing our mission to be the place where South African businesses come to grow, verify, and succeed.
Platform Overview
Okhantu brings together everything a South African SME needs in one place. Here's what you can do on the platform:
Verification
Verify your CIPC, SARS TCS-PIN, B-BBEE, and COIDA status to earn trust badges that show buyers you're compliant.
Tender Portal
Search and filter South Africa's aggregated tender marketplace with intelligent matching to find opportunities.
Intelligence
Access Accord (legislation & compliance) and Foresight (budgets & procurement forecasting) intelligence engines.
Tools
Free calculators for VAT, PAYE/UIF/SDL payroll, invoice generation, and quote creation.
BusinessOS
Your business command centre for contacts, pipeline management, quotes, and invoicing.
QuotationOS
Participate in the quotation marketplace to receive leads and respond to customer requests.
PracticeOS
Practice management for professional services: client management, jobs, time tracking, and billing.
MatchingOS
Set up your supplier profile for intelligent tender matching and AutoMatch alerts.
Document OS
Structured workspace for compliance documents with version control and expiry tracking.
ProGuild
Find and engage verified accountants, auditors, and consultants from our professional network.
Who is Okhantu For?
Okhantu is built for South African businesses of all sizes:
Small and medium businesses looking to grow through tenders and improve compliance.
Businesses that want to find and win government and private sector tenders.
Accountants, auditors, consultants, and other professionals managing client practices.
Businesses offering services who want to receive qualified leads through the marketplace.
Team members responsible for maintaining business compliance and documentation.
Getting Started in 4 Steps
Here's the quickest path to getting value from Okhantu:
Create Your Account
Sign up with your email. It's free and takes less than 2 minutes.
Complete Your Profile
Add your company details, registration numbers, and business information.
Get Verified
Verify your CIPC, SARS, B-BBEE, and COIDA status to earn trust badges.
Explore & Use
Search tenders, use tools, or set up your practice management.
What's Free vs What Needs an Account
Free (No Account)
- Browse the tender portal
- Use VAT and payroll calculators
- Read compliance guides
- Access Intelligence (Accord & Foresight)
- Browse ProGuild professionals
Free Account Required
- Save tenders and set alerts
- Get verified with trust badges
- Use BusinessOS, PracticeOS
- Participate in QuotationOS
- Store documents in Document OS
Key Benefits
Build Trust
Verified status and trust badges show buyers and partners that your business is compliant and credible.
Save Time
All your compliance, tenders, and business tools in one place instead of scattered across multiple systems.
Win More
Intelligent tender matching and readiness scoring help you find and win more opportunities.
Stay Compliant
Expiry tracking and alerts ensure you never miss a renewal or compliance deadline.
Success Stories
South African businesses are already using Okhantu to grow and succeed. Here are some examples of how the platform has helped:
Your success story could be next. Start by completing your profile and getting verified - businesses with full verification are 3x more likely to win tenders.
Platform Tour
Take a quick tour of the Okhantu platform to see how everything works together. This 5-minute overview covers the main modules and shows you how to navigate the platform efficiently.
- Dashboard: Your home base - see status, alerts, and quick actions
- Left Sidebar: Access all modules - Tenders, Intelligence, Tools, Business
- Top Search: Global search across tenders, documents, and guides
- Profile Menu: Settings, company switching, and logout (top right)
- Help Button: Context-sensitive help available on every page
Your Dashboard Explained
When you log in, your dashboard gives you a personalized overview of your business status and recommended actions. Here's what each section shows:
Customize your dashboard by clicking the gear icon. You can reorder widgets, hide ones you don't use, and set your preferred default view.
Get Verified - Your First Priority
The single most important thing you can do on Okhantu is get verified. Verification unlocks trust badges that appear on your profile, showing buyers and partners that your business is compliant and credible.
Don't skip verification. Many government tenders require valid CIPC registration, tax clearance, and B-BBEE certificates. Without verification, you may be disqualified from opportunities even if you're otherwise qualified.
Verification Checklist
- CIPC: Company registration status - takes 1-2 minutes
- SARS TCS-PIN: Tax compliance status - instant verification
- B-BBEE: Certificate or EME affidavit - upload and verify
- COIDA: Letter of Good Standing - for employers
Your First 7 Days on Okhantu
Here's a suggested plan to get maximum value from Okhantu in your first week:
Set Up Your Account
- Create your free account
- Complete your company profile
- Add your company registration number
Start Verification
- Submit CIPC verification
- Submit SARS TCS-PIN verification
- Upload B-BBEE certificate or affidavit
Explore Tender Portal
- Search for tenders in your sector
- Set up keyword alerts
- Save relevant tenders to your watchlist
Use Intelligence Tools
- Explore Accord for legislation relevant to your industry
- Check Foresight for upcoming budget allocations
- Review entity performance for potential clients
Organize Documents
- Upload key compliance documents
- Set up folder structure
- Enable expiry tracking and alerts
Configure MatchingOS
- Define your service capabilities
- Set your geographic coverage
- Configure AutoMatch preferences
Set Up BusinessOS
- Add existing contacts
- Create your first quote template
- Set up your pipeline stages
Don't try to do everything at once. Focus on verification first - trust badges significantly improve your visibility to buyers and your tender success rate.
What Okhantu Offers You
For Tender Seekers
- Aggregated tender database from all sources
- Intelligent matching based on your capabilities
- Readiness scoring to improve win rates
- Document templates for tender responses
For Professional Practices
- Complete practice management (PracticeOS)
- Client and job management
- Time tracking and billing
- Join ProGuild professional network
For Growing Businesses
- CRM and pipeline management (BusinessOS)
- Quote and invoice generation
- Lead marketplace (QuotationOS)
- Business intelligence dashboards
For Compliance-Focused
- Verification trust badges
- Document expiry tracking
- Compliance guides and checklists
- Awardability scoring
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Okhantu really free?
Yes! Core features like tender search, verification, tools, and guides are completely free. Some advanced features may require a subscription in the future, but we'll always have a generous free tier for SMEs.
How long does verification take?
CIPC and SARS verification are usually instant (automated checks). B-BBEE certificate upload takes 1-2 business days for manual review. Once verified, trust badges appear immediately on your profile.
Can I use Okhantu for my existing business?
Absolutely! Okhantu is designed for both new and established businesses. Import your existing contacts, upload your compliance documents, and start benefiting from the platform immediately.
Is my data safe?
Yes. We take POPIA compliance seriously. Your data is encrypted, never shared without consent, and you can export or delete it anytime. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Do I need all the modules?
No - use what you need. A tender-focused business might only use Verification, Tender Portal, and MatchingOS. A professional practice might focus on PracticeOS and ProGuild. Mix and match based on your needs.
Ready to Get Started?
The next step is to create your free Okhantu account. This takes less than 2 minutes and unlocks all the platform features.