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Budgeting, Forecasting and Cost Control

Build budgets that survive contact with reality. Zero based principles, rolling forecasts and variance investigation are worked through against South African cost pressures, with fuel, electricity and wage inflation forming the backdrop to every exercise and to the closing budget challenge session.

What you will be able to do

  • Construct an operating budget from volume drivers rather than last year plus a percentage.
  • Apply zero based, incremental and activity based budgeting to the situations each one actually suits.
  • Separate fixed, variable and semi variable costs and calculate the break even point of a business unit.
  • Build a rolling forecast that updates monthly without rebuilding the entire model.
  • Investigate price, volume and efficiency variances and write a variance commentary a manager can act on.
  • Defend a departmental budget submission under challenge from finance and executive reviewers.

Course outline

  1. 01Purpose and politics of the budget cycle
  2. 02Cost behaviour, drivers and break even analysis
  3. 03Zero based and activity based budgeting in practice
  4. 04Building the operating and capital budget
  5. 05Rolling forecasts and scenario planning
  6. 06Variance analysis and management commentary
  7. 07Cost reduction without damaging capability
  8. 08Budget presentation and challenge session

Who should attend

Budget holders, cost accountants, management accountants, finance business partners and departmental managers who own a cost centre. It suits operations, procurement and marketing managers who must justify spend to a finance team.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendar
24 to 28 Aug 2026Mauritius5US$1,800
31 Aug to 4 Sep 2026Dubai5US$1,800
7 to 11 Sep 2026Lagos5US$1,800
14 to 18 Sep 2026Harare5US$1,800
21 to 25 Sep 2026Kampala5US$1,800
28 Sep to 2 Oct 2026Dar es Salaam5US$1,800
5 to 9 Oct 2026Pretoria5R18,000
12 to 16 Oct 2026Cape Town5R18,000
26 to 30 Oct 2026Online5US$900
2 to 6 Nov 2026Mozambique5US$1,800
9 to 13 Nov 2026Cairo5US$1,800
16 to 20 Nov 2026Accra5US$1,800
23 to 27 Nov 2026Lusaka5US$1,800
30 Nov to 4 Dec 2026Kigali5US$1,800
7 to 11 Dec 2026Nairobi5US$1,800
14 to 18 Dec 2026Durban5R18,000
21 to 25 Dec 2026Johannesburg5R18,000

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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