FAQ

Do I Need Payroll Software?

There's no legal requirement to use payroll software — but for most businesses beyond a single employee, it quickly becomes the cheaper option once you count the time and risk of doing it manually.

Signs you'd benefit from payroll software

• You have more than 2–3 employees
• Any employee earns overtime, commission or variable pay
• You've made a PAYE or UIF error in the last year
• Payroll takes more than an hour of your time each month
• You want employees to self-serve payslips and leave requests
• You're growing and don't want to redo your payroll process every time you hire

Signs you can manage without it (for now)

• One employee on a fixed monthly salary, no overtime or variable pay
• You're confident updating your own tax table calculations every 1 March
• You're comfortable manually preparing EMP201 and EMP501 submissions

What good payroll software actually saves you

• Automatic tax table updates every tax year
• Correct overtime, leave and UIF calculations without manual formulas
• EMP201/EMP501 data ready to submit, not re-typed from a spreadsheet
• A permanent, auditable record if SARS or an employee ever queries a payment

People Also Ask

Is payroll software expensive for a small business?

Most cloud payroll providers offer flat monthly pricing designed for small teams, often cheaper than the time cost of manual payroll.

Can I switch payroll software later if I start manually?

Yes, though migrating historical data is easier the earlier you switch — waiting adds more data to migrate.

Does payroll software replace the need for an accountant?

Not entirely — it handles calculations and compliance, but strategic financial advice still benefits from an accountant's input.

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