Working with your Absa PDF
If you bank with Absa in South Africa, the PDF bank statement is the file you start from; Satr turns its transaction table into a spreadsheet.
Its headquarters are in Johannesburg. Its website domain is absa.africa.
Where to find the PDF at Absa
Sign in to Absa online banking or the app and look for the bank statement, e-statement or account activity section. Pick the account and the period, and choose PDF as the format. Menu names differ by bank and change over time, so use the PDF option your own screen offers.
PDF types Satr can read
When the bank generates the PDF itself, the text inside is real text, not a picture. Satr reads that text layer and rebuilds the rows from it.
A PDF made by scanning paper, or a screenshot saved as PDF, holds pictures only. Satr cannot read pictures, so get the original PDF from online banking.
Password-protected PDFs open after you type the password in your browser. Neither the password nor the file goes to a server.
Formats used in South Africa statements
Statements in South Africa usually show amounts in ZAR (R) with a dot (.) as the decimal mark and a space as the thousands separator. A typical date format is YYYY/MM/DD or DD/MM/YYYY.
A space is often used between thousands, and a narrow or non-breaking space can look like two columns in a PDF; check the amount column in the preview. Banks in the same country do not all use the same number format, so check the number format option in the preview.
In our checks Satr read these patterns correctly; the mapper still lets you switch the number format if a file differs.
Importing into accounting software
If you use Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks, open the exported XLSX or CSV and match its columns in the program's import screen. There is no connection between Satr and these tools.
Honest status for Absa
Absa is not in our list of individually tested banks.
Satr works with text-based PDFs. Layouts tested so far: 5 synthetic sample statements of fictional banks (Turkish, English, Arabic, Persian).
Satr is not affiliated with Absa. Absa is named only to describe the PDF you bring.
Privacy: nothing is uploaded
The PDF is opened with pdf.js in your browser. Account numbers, names and transactions are not sent to a server, and you can check that in the Network tab of your browser. Apart from anonymous page-view counters (event name, language, page path, referrer kind), only if you pay are the plan and a payment reference sent.
More from Satr
Other banks in South Africa:
How to convert your bank statement from Absa to Excel
- Download the PDFGet the bank statement of the account and period as a PDF from Absa online banking or the app.
- Open it in SatrSelect the downloaded file in Satr. It is processed locally and a password is requested only when the PDF needs one.
- Check the columnsCheck that every column has the right role and that the numbers look right before exporting.
- Download Excel or CSVChoose XLSX or CSV. A free preview covers 15 rows; the whole statement needs a paid export.
Questions
Can I convert my Absa statement PDF to Excel?
That works when your Absa PDF holds real text. Save it from online banking, load it in Satr, confirm the columns and download XLSX or CSV.
Is my Absa statement uploaded anywhere?
No. Satr opens the PDF in your browser, so your Absa data never reaches a server.
Is Satr connected to Absa?
No. Satr is an independent tool and is not affiliated with Absa.
Will a dot (.) and a space in my Absa amounts be read correctly?
Satr detects the number format from the file and shows it in the preview (a dot (.) as decimal mark, a space for thousands is typical in South Africa); you can switch it before exporting.
Can I import the Absa Excel file into Sage, Xero, and QuickBooks?
You can map the exported columns in the import screen of those programs. Satr has no integration with them, so check the import rules of your own software.