Affordable payroll software for South African businesses
Payroll Africa is affordable payroll software for South African employers, starting at R79 per month for one employee and scaling on a sliding per-employee tier to R4,899 for 500 employees. There are no setup fees, no annual contract and no paid add-on modules — every feature, including WhatsApp payslips and IRP5 exports, is included on every plan.
Payroll Africa Editorial · SARS Payroll Compliance Team
The Payroll Africa editorial team is composed of registered tax practitioners, payroll administrators and BCEA specialists who maintain the SARS PAYE, UIF, SDL and ETI engines that power the platform. Every article is reviewed against the current SARS BRS and Basic Conditions of Employment Act before publication.
- SARS registered tax practitioners
- SAPA-affiliated payroll administrators
- BCEA and LRA compliance reviewers
Last updated 12 Aug 2026
What payroll software should cost in South Africa
Most South African payroll vendors charge a monthly base fee plus a per-employee fee, then charge extra for the parts you actually need — leave management, self-service, an extra company, or year-end IRP5 exports. The advertised price and the invoice rarely match.
Payroll Africa uses one sliding per-employee scale with everything included. You can see the exact price for your headcount on the pricing calculator before you sign up, and the number never changes because of a module you switched on.
- From R79/month for a single employee
- R479/month at 35 employees, R949 at 80, R2,549 at 233, R4,899 at 500
- No setup fee, no implementation fee, no annual licence
- Month-to-month — cancel any time, keep your exported data
- Free migration from Sage, SimplePay, PaySpace, Crest or spreadsheets
Cheap payroll software vs low-cost payroll software
Cheap payroll becomes expensive the moment a SARS submission is rejected. The real cost of payroll is the admin hours spent rebuilding an EMP501, the penalties on a late EMP201, and the time lost emailing payslips one by one.
Low-cost done properly means the price is small and the automation is complete: the EMP201 is generated for you, the EMP501 imports into e@syFile first time, payslips go out automatically over WhatsApp or email, and the bank file is produced in your bank's exact format.
- Automated payroll runs remove the monthly capture cycle
- Bulk payslip delivery over WhatsApp, SMS or email at no extra cost
- Statutory returns generated, not manually reconstructed
- One subscription covers unlimited pay runs and unlimited users
Is there a free trial?
Yes. You can create an account, load your employees and run a full test payroll before paying anything. Nothing is charged until you choose a plan, and migration assistance is free whether you have five employees or five hundred.
Frequently asked questions
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