Customizing ERPNext for African Businesses

ERPNext is the best open-source ERP out there. But it's built for a global audience, which means it assumes nothing about your specific market.

For Kenyan businesses, that meant heavy customization.

What We Changed

Mobile Money Integration: M-Pesa isn't optional here. We built custom payment gateways and reconciliation workflows.

Local Tax Compliance: TIMS, VAT, withholding tax—none of this comes out of the box. Custom DocTypes and reports everywhere.

SMS Notifications: Email is great if people check it. SMS works better for delivery updates and payment reminders.

Offline Receipts: Generated PDFs that work without internet, with QR codes for verification.

The Technical Approach

We use Frappe's framework to build custom apps that sit alongside ERPNext core. This keeps our changes modular and upgrade-friendly.

Custom DocTypes for local workflows. Server scripts for business logic. Client scripts for UX improvements.

Worth It?

Absolutely. But don't underestimate the effort. ERPNext customization is powerful, but the learning curve is steep.

Budget 3x the time you think you'll need.