The SimplePay alternative built for modern South African payroll
Payroll Africa is a direct SimplePay alternative for South African employers. It's SARS-compliant (PAYE, UIF, SDL, EMP201, EMP501, IRP5), consistently cheaper across the 1–500 employee range, and adds features SimplePay doesn't offer — auto payroll runs, WhatsApp payslip delivery, an AI assistant, and free migration in under 24 hours.
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 30 Sept 2026
Payroll Africa vs SimplePay at a glance
Both products are cloud-based, both are SARS-compliant, and both are built in South Africa. The difference is what's included on every plan and what you pay for it.
Where Payroll Africa is cheaper
Payroll Africa uses simple headcount tiers: R90 for 2 employees, R401 for 10, R1,712 for 50, R3,014 for 100 and R4,182 for 200 employees per month. There are no feature add-ons and no annual contracts.
Features SimplePay doesn't have
Modern payroll should be automatic. Payroll Africa's auto-run creates the payroll on your chosen day, calculates PAYE, UIF and SDL, and delivers payslips by email or WhatsApp — with zero clicks. SimplePay still requires a manual run every pay period.
- Auto payroll runs on a schedule
- WhatsApp payslip delivery with secure time-limited links
- Built-in AI assistant for bulk edits and payroll questions
- Free migration from SimplePay in under 24 hours
- Volume discounts and tailored enterprise pricing
How to migrate from SimplePay to Payroll Africa
Export your SimplePay employees, YTD balances and pay history to CSV, send them to migrations@payrollafrica.co.za, and our team imports everything into your Payroll Africa account. First payroll run is guaranteed to match SimplePay to the cent. No downtime, no data loss.
Compare
| Feature | Payroll Africa | SimplePay |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (1 employee) | R90/month | R100+/month |
| 200 employees | R4,182/month | — |
| Auto payroll runs | ||
| WhatsApp payslip delivery | ||
| AI payroll assistant | ||
| Free migration included | ||
| SARS PAYE / UIF / SDL / ETI | ||
| EMP201, EMP501, IRP5 | ||
| Employee self-service | ||
| Xero + QuickBooks sync |
Frequently asked questions
Related guides
Stop looking this up. Let payroll do it.
Payroll Africa applies SimplePay alternative 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.