Partner with Lerio to keep employment in South Africa legally sound — contracts, payroll and statutory benefits handled against the live rule set.
CurrencyPayroll
All compensation is paid in ZAR (R). Cross-border funding is converted at the daily rate on the pay date.
Working hoursSchedule
The standard week is 40 hours / week. Hours beyond the statutory limit are treated as overtime and typically paid at a premium.
Paid leaveTime off
Statutory time off is 12 holidays / year, in addition to nationally observed public holidays.
Payment frequencyCadence
The most common payment frequency is monthly.
By law, employees can be paid monthly, bimonthly or weekly.
Minimum wageFloor
The statutory minimum is R25.42. Lerio blocks any contract drafted below the floor.
Tax yearCalendar
The South Africa tax year runs Jan – Dec. Year-end filings are prepared automatically.
Every figure below is modelled, not memorised — and traceable to its source via the calculator on the right.
Employee taxes
withheld from grossIncome Tax Rates
withheld from grossPersonal Income Tax
Taxable Annual Income (ZAR)
Tax Rate (%)
0 - 226,000
18
226,001 - 353,100
26
353,101 - 488,700
31
488,701 - 641,400
36
641,401 - 810,800
39
810,801 - 1,621,600
41
1,621,601 - 2,026,400
43.4
Above 2,026,400
45
Employer taxes
on top of grossEmployer Tax
on top of grossUIF Contribution
Contribution Type
Rate
Cap
UIF
1%
ZAR 212,544 annually
▲
Rates are indicative and depend on individual circumstances. Run a salary through the calculator for a full breakdown, or ask the compliance agent for a citable figure.
Hiring in South Africa is modelled by Lerio; reach out to compliance for the current Employer-of-Record path.
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Operating as the official employer, an Employer of Record is obligated to ensure compliance with all legal mandates concerning employment in South Africa. This encompasses tasks such as managing payroll procedures, maintaining tax compliance, and furnishing employment contracts as per labor regulations.
What Lerio handles
✓
Compliant local contract
Drafted to South Africa labour law, in English and English, with the statutory clauses pre-filled.
✓
Onboarding & payroll setup
Tax registration, social-security enrolment and the first pay cycle, configured in ZAR.
✓
Ongoing compliance
Document expiries, minimum-wage changes and Africa regulatory updates watched continuously.
✓
Statutory benefits
Leave, public holidays and mandatory contributions administered automatically.
Typical timeline
via EORDay 0
Offer accepted. Candidate details enter Lerio; the contract drafts itself from the South Africa template.
Day 1–3
Contract signed. Local registrations and benefit enrolment begin in parallel.
Day 3–7
Ready to work. Equipment, access and the first payroll run are scheduled.
Monthly
Steady state. Payroll, filings and compliance run on autopilot with a human approval gate.
▲
Not yet live for EOR. Lerio models South Africa, but direct hiring may need setup — the compliance agent can confirm the path.
Statutory benefits in South Africa, plus the supplemental coverage teams usually add.
Mandatory
✓
Unemployment insurance
✓
Pension
✓
Health insurance
✓
Extended pension
Commonly added
optional✓
Private health & dental
Top-up plans on local carriers, deducted and reported through payroll.
✓
Equity & allowances
Stock, stipends and remote-work allowances modelled into ZAR comp.
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Lerio benchmarks each package against live Africa data — open the comp agent to see where an offer lands.