Payroll for small businesses in South Africa
Small businesses (SMEs) need SARS-compliant payroll without hiring a full HR team. Payroll Africa runs your first payslip in minutes, handles EMP201 and IRP5 automatically, and scales from 1 to 500 employees on the same platform.
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 01 Oct 2026
Payroll challenges facing South African small businesses
Small businesses have payroll pain points that generic payroll software wasn't designed for. The most common:
- No dedicated HR or payroll clerk
- Cost sensitivity — every rand matters
- SARS compliance without paying an accountant every month
- Owner needs mobile-friendly access
How Payroll Africa fits small businesses
Every feature listed here is included on every Payroll Africa plan — no per-module add-ons.
- From R90/month
- One-click EMP201 and IRP5
- Mobile-friendly for owners on the go
- Free migration from any competitor
SARS compliance for small businesses
Whatever your industry, SARS treats payroll the same — accurate PAYE, UIF and SDL, EMP201 by the 7th, EMP501 bi-annually and IRP5 by 31 May. Payroll Africa produces every SARS artefact automatically from your monthly payroll run.
Pricing for small businesses
Payroll Africa is priced in simple headcount tiers — from R90/month for 2 employees to R401 for 10, R1,712 for 50 and R4,182 for 200. No setup fees, no annual contract.
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
Stop looking this up. Let payroll do it.
Payroll Africa applies Small business rules automatically every month — SARS PAYE, UIF and SDL, payslips, EMP201 and IRP5. From R90/month.
- No card required
- 30-day free trial
- Free migration from Sage, SimplePay, PaySpace or Excel
- Cancel anytime
Run Payroll Africa alongside your current system until you're happy to switch.