Botswana has the second-highest income per head on the African mainland, and a repair trade that reflects it: government and corporate accounts alongside a busy counter. What most shops here do not realise is how much the Consumer Protection Act asks of them.
The Act has been in force since December 2019 and it is demanding. Every new or re-conditioned part you fit carries a three-month warranty, and so does the labour. If you repair returned goods and the same fault comes back within three months, the customer is entitled to a replacement or a refund — not another repair. A notebook cannot prove when a part was installed.
Sattotal turns those obligations into the way you already work. The installation date of every part is recorded, the handover document states the section 17 warranty, and the original job card and photos stay attached in case the fault returns. VAT at 14% and the pula are configured from the start.
Configured for Botswana
VAT at 14%, amounts in pula (P), and an address form built around districts, cities and towns — with no postal code field, because Botswana does not use them.
The section 17 warranty, dated
Section 17(1) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2018 warrants every new or re-conditioned part installed during a repair, and the labour to install it, for three months from installation. Your handover paperwork says so, and the date comes from the job.
Section 16(4) handled calmly
If the same problem recurs within three months of a repair, the customer is entitled to a replacement or a refund. Having the original job card, the parts fitted and the intake photos to hand is what turns that from an argument into a decision.
Approvals you can prove
The Act prescribes no estimate procedure, so your record is the evidence. Every quote approval is stored with its date and attached to the job.
Parts, suppliers and warranties
Know what is on the shelf, what is on order and which repairs are still inside their three-month window.
Cloud-based, works on a phone
Nothing to install and no server in the shop, so a power cut does not take your job cards with it.
Plans and pricing
Join the public beta and use Sattotal free until 31 December 2026 (beta through September + October, November and December free). No credit card, no commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Does it use Botswana VAT, or UK VAT?
Botswana. The interface is in British English, but the country drives the numbers: choose Botswana and you get 14% VAT and pula (P), not 20% and pounds. Compulsory VAT registration starts at BWP 1,000,000 of taxable supplies a year, with voluntary registration available from BWP 500,000.
What does the Consumer Protection Act actually require of a repairer?
Section 14 gives the customer the right to demand quality service, and section 15 requires any goods used to be safe, of good quality and compliant with the standards set by the Botswana Bureau of Standards. The one that shapes daily work is section 17(1): every new or re-conditioned part you install during a repair, and the labour to install it, is warranted for three months from the date of installation, or longer if you specify that in writing.
What if the same fault comes back after a repair?
Section 16(4) is stricter than most people expect. Where goods were returned under section 16(2) and you repaired them, and the same problem recurs within three months, the customer is entitled to a replacement or a refund rather than a second repair. It is worth having the original job card, the parts fitted and the intake photos on file.
Am I legally required to give a written estimate?
No. Unlike some neighbouring countries, Botswana prescribes no pre-authorisation procedure for repairs. That makes a recorded approval more important rather than less: with no statutory process behind you, evidence of what the customer agreed to, and when, is what settles a dispute.
Why does the address form not ask for a postal code?
Because Botswana does not use postal codes. Addresses are built from the district or council, the locality and the street or P.O. Box. Pick Botswana and the field disappears instead of asking you for something that does not exist.
Can I hold a device until the customer pays?
Yes. Botswana applies Roman-Dutch common law, as South Africa does, so a repairer has a lien over the goods for the work and parts put into them and can hold them until paid. What you cannot do is sell them: the lien is a defensive right, so recovering the money means going to court. Sattotal keeps a record of every collection notice you send.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. You can start for free, with per-technician pricing once your team grows.