Wave alternative for South African businesses

Looking for a Wave alternative in South Africa?

Wave was a popular free invoicing and accounting tool, but since November 2020 it has focused only on the United States and Canada. South African users can no longer send invoices or reminders through it. Here are your options, Rebill among them.

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Rebill is our product. Free plan, Premium R99 a month, built in Cape Town.

Rebill and Wave side by side

Feature	Rebill	Wave
Available to South African businesses	Yes	No, US and Canada only since 2020
Send invoices and reminders by email	Yes	Not outside the US and Canada
Price	Free, or R99 a month	Not offered in South Africa
Card payments	Paystack, Yoco, PayFast, iKhokha	US and Canada only
WhatsApp delivery	From a business number, on Premium	No
Full double-entry accounting	No, invoicing and payments only	Yes, in supported countries
Support	By email, from the team that builds it	Discontinued outside the US and Canada

Why former Wave users pick Rebill

A free plan that stays free: 10 invoices a month for up to 5 clients, with no trial clock running.
Invoices that actually get delivered: Send by email, or on Premium by WhatsApp from Rebill's business number, with reminders that follow up for you.
Paid through local gateways: Clients pay by card through Paystack, Yoco, PayFast or iKhokha into your own account.
Your Wave history comes with you: Import your Wave invoice export and the invoices, their numbers and what was paid arrive in Rebill, so statements and reports start with your full history.
Built and supported in South Africa: Rand pricing, SARS tax invoices once you register for VAT, and support from the people who write the software.

When something else is a better fit

You need full bookkeeping: Wave's own suggestion, Zoho Books, or Xero and Sage give you a ledger, bank feeds and financial statements. Rebill does not.
Your business is in the US or Canada: Wave still serves those countries fully.
You only need a PDF now and then: An existing Wave account can still produce invoices to download, as can Rebill's free invoice generator with no account at all.

What changed at Wave

In November 2020 Wave announced it would focus only on the United States and Canada, and ended product and customer support everywhere else. Its help centre now says users outside those countries can no longer send invoices or reminders through Wave. Existing accounts remain active for the moment, can still create invoices and share them as a PDF or link, and keep their bookkeeping records, but Wave warns this may change and that compliance outside the supported regions is not guaranteed.

For a South African business that means doing the delivery and the chasing by hand, with no support if something breaks. That is the moment most former Wave users start looking elsewhere.

Choosing a replacement

Decide first what you used Wave for. If it was your accounting system, with bank feeds, a ledger and year-end reports, you need accounting software: Zoho Books is Wave's own recommendation, and Xero and Sage are widely used by South African accountants. If you mostly used it to send invoices and track who paid, a dedicated invoicing tool is simpler and cheaper, and that is what Rebill is.

Quick answer

What is the best Wave alternative for South African businesses?

Wave stopped supporting businesses outside the United States and Canada in November 2020, and users outside those countries can no longer send invoices or reminders through it. For full accounting, Wave recommends Zoho Books, and Xero and Sage are established in South Africa. For invoicing and getting paid, Rebill, which publishes this page, offers a free plan, R99 a month Premium, Paystack, Yoco, PayFast and iKhokha payments and WhatsApp delivery.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still use Wave in South Africa?

Only in part. Wave stopped supporting businesses outside the United States and Canada in November 2020. Existing accounts stay active for now and can still create invoices and share them as a PDF or link, but Wave no longer sends invoices or reminders for them, offers no support, and says compliance outside those two countries is not guaranteed. New South African businesses cannot sign up for the full product.

What does Wave recommend instead?

Wave points users outside the US and Canada to its partner Zoho Books, and offers existing Wave users a year of Zoho Books free through its own link. If you need full accounting, that offer is worth looking at.

Is Rebill free like Wave was?

Rebill has a free plan with no time limit: 10 invoices and 5 quotes a month for up to 5 clients, email delivery and the client portal. Premium is R99 a month for unlimited invoices, WhatsApp delivery, online card payments and VAT invoices.

Does Rebill do accounting like Wave?

No. Rebill handles invoices, quotes, payments, expenses and reports, but it has no general ledger, balance sheet or payroll. If you used Wave for full bookkeeping, Zoho Books, Xero or Sage are closer replacements; if you mostly used Wave to invoice and get paid, Rebill fits.

How do I move my clients and invoices from Wave?

Wave lets you download your account data. In Rebill, open Invoices, click Import history, choose Wave as the source and upload the invoice CSV. Invoices keep their numbers and dates, what was paid is recorded against them, customers Rebill does not have yet are added, and nothing is sent to your clients. Then set your next invoice number so your numbering continues. On the free plan the account holds up to 5 clients, imported ones included.

Competitor facts on this page were checked on 20 October 2026 against the sources below. Prices and features change; tell us at [email protected] if something is out of date.

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