The Accountant product
Short answer
A spreadsheet, or SAICA's own reflective plan template, is perfectly compliant. SAICA prescribes what your plan contains, not the tool you keep it in. CPDTracks is for members who would rather have the structure done for them: the competency framework built in, activities linked to development areas, the ethics reflection prompted, SARS and IRBA hour checks, and a declaration ready PDF at year end.
A spreadsheet is compliant
SAICA publishes a reflective plan template built around three phases: planning, action, and reflection and reporting. The CPD Policy sets what a member's plan must contain, not the format it takes. Many members keep a perfectly good record in a spreadsheet, or in SAICA's own Word template, and that record satisfies the policy just as well as any app.
If your plan covers your development areas, links your activities to them, and includes the compulsory annual ethics reflection, it does not matter whether it lives in a spreadsheet, a document, or a web app.
Where the work actually goes
| What the policy asks for | Spreadsheet or SAICA template | CPDTracks |
|---|---|---|
| Competency framework | Look the codes up and copy them yourself | Built in for your career path |
| Activities linked to development areas | Cross reference by hand | Linked as you log |
| Compulsory ethics reflection | Remember it yourself | Prompted every year |
| SARS and IRBA hour checks | Formulas you maintain | Checked and counted for you |
| Evidence | Kept in separate folders | Links on every plan, plus uploaded files |
| Year end output | Format it yourself | Reflective learning plan PDF generated |
| Multi year record | A file per year | Every recorded year included |
| Cost | Free | $14.99 a year, in your local currency |
When a spreadsheet is the better choice
Being honest about it: a spreadsheet or the SAICA template can be the better choice.
- If you log only a handful of activities a year, the structure an app adds may not be worth setting up.
- If you prefer building your own format, a spreadsheet gives you full control over layout and wording.
- If your workplace restricts cloud services, a local file avoids that issue entirely.
- If you want a file that needs no account, a spreadsheet or a downloaded template asks nothing of you upfront.
CPDTracks needs an account and an internet connection. If either of those is a problem for you, a spreadsheet or SAICA's template remains a sound choice.
What matters either way
Whichever tool you use, the plan must cover the three phases, planning, action, and reflection and reporting; include the annual ethics reflection; be kept for three calendar years; and be ready if you are selected for monitoring.
Try it for a year
CPDTracks is $14.99 a year, charged in your own local currency, including the final reflection PDF, so you can run it alongside your spreadsheet as a backup.
Get CPDTracksQuick questions
Is a spreadsheet acceptable for SAICA CPD?
Yes. SAICA prescribes what your reflective learning plan contains, not the tool you keep it in. A spreadsheet or SAICA's own template is perfectly compliant.
What does CPDTracks add over a spreadsheet?
The SAICA competency framework built in, activities linked to development areas, the compulsory ethics reflection prompted each year, SARS and IRBA hour checks where they apply, and a declaration ready PDF at year end.
Do I have to use SAICA's reflective plan template?
No. SAICA publishes a template built around the three phases of planning, action, and reflection and reporting, but the policy sets what the plan contains rather than the format it takes.
Sources
- SAICA, CPD Policy, Version 4.0 (approved 28 March 2023)
- SAICA, CPD Reflective Plan template (May 2023)
- SAICA, Circular 02/2021: compulsory reflection on "Ethical values and attitudes" (April 2021)
This guide summarises SAICA's published CPD requirements as at the date it was last reviewed. CPDTracks is an independent product of DAD The Accountant and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to SAICA, SARS or IRBA. Requirements change, so confirm the current position with SAICA before you rely on this guide.