Registering your NPO is only the first step. Every year after that, the Department of Social Development (DSD) expects a report on what your organisation did and how it used its money. Many NPOs miss this and are quietly deregistered. In this guide we explain how to submit an NPO annual report to DSD: what the report is, when it is due, why it matters, what documents you need and where to file it.
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We prepare your narrative report, check your financial statements and submit everything to DSD. Submission only from R750, full annual report R1,990.
Submit My NPO Annual Report →How to submit an NPO annual report: 6 steps at a glance
- Confirm your financial year-end and your deadline (9 months later)
- Draw up your annual financial statements
- Get the accounting officer’s report on the financial statements
- Write your narrative report on the year’s activities
- Update your office bearers’ details
- Submit the complete pack to DSD and keep proof of submission
What is an NPO annual report?
An NPO annual report is the yearly compliance pack that every organisation registered under the Nonprofit Organisations Act 71 of 1997 must send to DSD. It is not a glossy brochure. Instead, it is a set of documents that shows DSD your organisation is still active, well governed and using its funds for its stated objectives. It consists of:
- A narrative report: a description of your activities, programmes, beneficiaries and governance during the financial year
- Annual financial statements: your income, expenses, assets and liabilities for the year
- An accounting officer’s report: an independent accounting officer’s report on those financial statements
- Office bearer details: the names and contact details of your current office bearers
Who must submit an NPO annual report?
Every organisation with a DSD NPO number must submit, regardless of its structure. That includes non-profit companies (NPCs), voluntary associations, non-profit trusts, churches and crèches registered with DSD. In addition, organisations that were inactive for the year must still report. In that case, the narrative report simply explains the position.
When is the NPO annual report due?
The NPO Act sets clear timelines. First, you must draw up your financial statements within six months after your financial year-end. Then the accounting officer reports on them. Finally, the full annual report must reach DSD within nine months after your financial year-end.
| Financial year-end | Financial statements by | NPO annual report due to DSD |
|---|---|---|
| 28 February | 31 August | 30 November |
| 31 March | 30 September | 31 December |
| 30 June | 31 December | 31 March (next year) |
| 31 December | 30 June | 30 September |
Your financial year-end is set out in your constitution or MOI. If you are not sure, check it before you plan your reporting.
Why you must submit your NPO annual report with DSD
- To keep your registration: DSD can deregister NPOs that do not report
- To access funding: government, lottery and corporate funders check your DSD compliance status
- To keep banking simple: banks may ask for proof of compliance
- To meet stricter oversight: since South Africa’s FATF greylisting, NPO monitoring has increased (see our article on the NPO compliance crackdown)
- To show your impact: a good narrative report doubles as evidence for funding proposals
How to submit your NPO annual report step by step
Step 1: Gather your documents
Start by collecting your NPO registration certificate (for your NPO number), your constitution or MOI, bank statements for the year, minutes of your meetings and records of your activities.
Step 2: Prepare the financial statements
Next, draw up your annual financial statements. Then ask an independent accounting officer to review them and issue an accounting officer’s report. Note that a full audit is only needed if your constitution, a funder or another law requires one.
Step 3: Write the narrative report
The narrative report tells DSD what your NPO did during the year. Keep it factual and link it back to the objectives in your constitution. Include:
- Your NPO name, number and financial year
- The programmes and activities you ran
- The number and type of beneficiaries you served
- Board or committee meetings held, including your AGM
- Staff and volunteer numbers
- Challenges you faced and your plans for next year
Step 4: Update your office bearers
List all current office bearers or directors with their full names, ID numbers and contact details. If anyone joined or left during the year, also report the change to DSD.
Step 5: Submit the NPO annual report to DSD
Once the pack is complete and signed off by your office bearers, submit it to DSD. Keep copies of everything you send.
Step 6: Keep proof and follow up
Finally, save your proof of submission and check your NPO’s status after a few weeks. If DSD asks for more information, respond quickly so your NPO stays compliant.
Where to submit your NPO annual report
You can submit your NPO annual report to the Department of Social Development in the following ways:
- Online: through the DSD NPO online portal, which you can reach from the DSD website
- By hand: at the DSD NPO Directorate in Pretoria or at a DSD provincial office
- By post: to the DSD NPO Directorate (use registered mail and keep the slip)
Online submission is usually the fastest. However, you need your NPO login details and every document scanned as clear PDFs.
Don’t want to deal with DSD yourself?
Send us your documents and we submit your NPO annual report for you, with proof of submission. From R750.
See NPO Annual Report Pricing →What happens if you do not submit your NPO annual report?
If you miss the deadline, DSD sends a non-compliance notice and gives you time to submit. If you still do not report, DSD can deregister your organisation. As a result, you lose your NPO status, you may lose funding, and you must apply for reinstatement. Therefore, if you are behind, catch up on all outstanding years as soon as possible.
Common mistakes when you submit an NPO annual report
- Submitting financial statements without the accounting officer’s report
- Writing a vague narrative report that does not link to your objectives
- Using the wrong financial year-end
- Forgetting to report changes in office bearers
- Not submitting because the NPO was inactive
- Not keeping proof of submission
Frequently Asked Questions
Prepare your narrative report, annual financial statements, accounting officer’s report and office bearer details. Then submit the complete pack to DSD online through the NPO portal, by hand at a DSD office, or by post, and keep proof of submission.
The NPO annual report is due within nine months after the end of your financial year. For example, a 28 February year-end means the report is due by 30 November.
A narrative report describes what your NPO did during the financial year, including your programmes, beneficiaries, meetings, challenges and plans. It shows DSD that you are active and working towards your objectives.
The NPO Act requires an accounting officer’s report on your financial statements, not necessarily a full audit. However, your constitution, a funder or other legislation may require an audit.
No. DSD does not charge a fee to submit annual reports. Bekin Consulting charges R750 to check and submit your report, or R1,990 to prepare the narrative report and submit everything for you.
Yes. A deregistered NPO can apply to DSD for reinstatement once it has brought its outstanding reports up to date. We can help you catch up and handle the application.
Bekin Consulting helps non-profits across South Africa stay compliant. We handle NPO annual report submission to DSD, as well as NPO registration and PBO registration.
