The Future of VBA in Singapore: Is It Still Relevant in 2025?
When people in Singapore talk about automation in 2025, the big names usually come up—Power Automate, Python, AI, and cloud platforms. But one tool that rarely gets mentioned? VBA (Visual Basic for Applications). Many consider it outdated, even calling it “old-school.”
Yet, walk into a bank in Raffles Place, a logistics hub at Jurong, or a government office in Marina Bay, and chances are VBA is still quietly doing its job. It may not be flashy, but it continues to run critical processes—generating reports, cleaning data, and powering custom Excel functions. And the best part? It does all this fast, reliably, and without extra cost.
That’s the paradox. VBA isn’t trending on LinkedIn, it won’t be showcased at Singapore tech summits, and it won’t make you the star of a networking event. But when a tight deadline looms or a messy dataset lands in your inbox, VBA is often the tool that quietly saves the day.
This article isn’t about claiming VBA is Singapore’s future automation tool. Instead, it’s about recognizing VBA’s relevance in 2025—while also seeing where it fits alongside modern solutions like Power Automate and Python.
Why People Think VBA Is Outdated
If you’ve followed tech discussions in Singapore, you’ve probably seen claims that VBA is “dead.” The arguments usually sound convincing:
The Rise of Power Automate: Microsoft continues to invest heavily in Power Automate and Power Apps, which are cloud-ready and simple to use.
Python’s Popularity: With strong libraries like Pandas and NumPy, Python is the go-to choice for analysts and data scientists.
The Cloud Shift: As Singapore pushes digitalization across industries, desktop-only tools like VBA can feel behind the times.
On the surface, these points make sense. But in practice, what’s popular isn’t always what’s practical.
Why VBA Still Matters in Singapore in 2025
Despite shiny new options, VBA remains widely used across Singaporean industries—and for good reasons:
It’s Already Embedded Everywhere From multinational banks to SMEs, many businesses in Singapore depend on VBA-built Excel processes. Rebuilding them in Python or Power Automate is costly and time-consuming. Example: A shipping company in Jurong uses a VBA macro to prepare customs and clearance reports every day. Migrating this process to Power Automate would take weeks, but the macro? It runs in seconds without fail.
Easy for Excel Users Singapore has a large workforce skilled in Excel. VBA is the natural next step, with a gentle learning curve that allows finance executives, analysts, and administrators to automate tasks without diving deep into coding.
Offline Reliability While Singapore has excellent connectivity, some industries—such as port operations, warehousing, or on-site construction projects—benefit from VBA’s ability to run without requiring cloud access.
Cost Efficiency With VBA already built into Microsoft Office, there are no additional costs. For SMEs and startups in Singapore’s competitive economy, this makes VBA a very attractive choice.
The Balanced Outlook
So, should Singapore professionals still learn and use VBA in 2025? The answer: Yes—with balance.
For everyday Excel users: VBA is a powerful time-saver. Even basic skills can eliminate repetitive work.
For long-term career growth: VBA alone won’t be enough. Pairing it with Power Automate, Python, or SQL ensures you stay competitive in Singapore’s fast-evolving digital economy.
Think of it like driving. Automatic cars (like Power Automate) dominate Singapore’s roads today, but knowing how to handle a manual gear gives you an extra level of control and flexibility.
Final Thoughts
For more than a decade, people have predicted VBA’s “end.” Yet here in 2025, VBA still plays a critical role in Singapore’s finance, logistics, trade, healthcare, and government sectors.
Is VBA the future? Probably not. Is VBA still relevant? Absolutely.
If you’re just starting, record a macro and explore the code—you’ll be surprised at the time savings. If you’re advanced, create custom Excel functions or automate recurring tasks. And if you’re aiming to future-proof your career, balance VBA with modern tools. In Singapore’s competitive job market, mastering both “old reliable” and “new exciting” makes you twice as valuable.
Editor’s Note
At Excelgoodies, we help professionals in Singapore bridge the gap between raw spreadsheets and actionable insights. Our program, Microsoft Excel Reporting: Business Reporting & Model Building, equips you to work smarter with Excel and automation.
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