South African Standard time (UTC +2:00)

Undoubtedly, payroll is a critical process for any organization. Pay cycle in South Africa refers to the period for which an organization pays its employees, and this can vary depending on the pay frequency that the organization chooses to adopt.

In South Africa, there is no set payroll cycle. The payroll cycle is typically stipulated in the employment contract, which is to be agreed upon by the employee and employer. The payroll cycle can run monthly, weekly, or bi- weekly.

In South Africa, a 13th-month salary is not legally mandated but is a common, customary payment made at the end of the year, often in December. A 14th-month salary is not a customary practice in South Africa and is generally not offered. 

Effective 1 March 2025, The National Minimum Wage increases from R27.58 to R28.79 per hour, while Expanded Public Works Program wages rise from R15.16 to R15.83 per hour.

• 45 hours in any week; and
• 9 hours in any day if the employee works for five days or fewer per week;
• 8 hours in any day if the employee works more than five days per week.

An employee’s ordinary hours of work may by agreement be extended by up to 15 minutes in a day but not more than 60 minutes in a week to enable an employee whose duties include serving members of the public to continue performing those duties after the completion of ordinary hours of work.

• Maximum 3 hours of overtime per day.
• Maximum 10 hours of overtime per week.

• Alternatively, by agreement:
  • Ordinary wage + 30 minutes paid time off per overtime hour. OR
  •  90 minutes paid time off per overtime hour.
  • Time off must be granted within one month (or within 12 months by agreement).
• Overtime agreements made at the start or within 3 months of employment lapse after one year.

• Personal information will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected.
• Where retention is required by law (e.g., labour, tax, payroll, or financial-record requirements), personal information will be kept for the legally prescribed periods (typically 5–7 years depending on the record type).
• After the retention period expires, records will be securely destroyed or de-identified so that they cannot be reconstructed or accessed.
  • Longer retention may occur where:
  • Required for legal or contractual obligations,
  • Necessary for legitimate business operations,
  • Consent for extended retention has been provided, or
  • Retained for historical, statistical, or research purposes with appropriate safeguards.
• Data subjects may request deletion or de-identification of their personal information when it is no longer required.

• Employers may give preference to candidates from designated groups—Black people (African, Coloured, Indian), women, and people with disabilities—to promote workplace equality. This is not unfair discrimination when it is part of a lawful affirmative action plan.
• During hiring, employers are legitimately entitled to rely on a candidate’s race, gender, or disability for the purpose of achieving their Employment Equity Plan (EEP) targets.

• Proof of identity (ID for citizens; passport for foreigners)
• Valid work permit/visa (foreign nationals only)
• Tax number (SARS)
• Bank details (for lawful wage payments)
• Employee’s personal details (required for UIF and COIDA registrations)
• Written particulars of employment issued by employer
• EE self-report form (only if employer is designated under the EEA)

Employers in South Africa may place new employees on probation to assess their performance and suitability before confirming permanent employment. Probation periods must be reasonable and agreed in the employment contract. While the law does not prescribe a specific duration, three-month probation is standard practice in South Africa, with longer periods used for more senior or technical roles

• New Year’s Day
• Human Rights Day 
• Good Friday
• Family Day
• Freedom Day
• Workers' Day
• Youth Day
• National Women’s Day
• Heritage Day
• Day of Reconciliation
• Christmas Day
• Day of Goodwill

If employees are required to work on an official public holiday due to the nature of work or business necessity, they are entitled to overtime compensation.
In such cases, they must be paid double or normal pay plus hours worked, whichever is higher. When a public holiday falls on a non-working day but the employee is asked to work, they receive their normal daily wage plus pay for hours worked

The annual leave cycle means the period of 12 months’ employment with the same employer immediately following an employee’s commencement of employment or the completion of that employee’s prior leave cycle. 

• Employer must grant one of the following, per leave cycle:
• 21 consecutive days of annual leave on full pay; or
• By agreement:
• 1 day for every 17 days worked or entitled to be paid; or
• 1 hour for every 17 hours worked or entitled to be paid..

All employees—permanent or fixed-term—are entitled to sick leave based on a 36-month cycle. After the first six months, an employee receives the full allocation equal to the number of days they normally work in six weeks.

• An employee who works 5 days per week is entitled to 30 days' sick leave every 36months.  
• An employee who works 6 days per week is entitled to 36 days’ sick leave every 36 months.  
• An employee who works Monday to Friday plus every second Saturday, is entitled to 33 (30 + 3 Saturdays) days’ sick leave every 36 months.

Family Responsibility Leave applies to employees who’ve worked more than four months and at least four days a week, giving them 3 days of paid leave per annual cycle. It may be used for a child’s illness or the death of a close family member (spouse/partner, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, or sibling). Unused leave expires at the end of the cycle, unless a collective agreement provides otherwise.

Female employees are eligible for 4 consecutive months of maternity leave of which benefits are paid by the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Pregnant employees are entitled to start the leave within 4 weeks of the due date, or on a date from which a medical practitioner certifies that it is necessary for the employee’s health or that of her unborn child.

Employed parents (biological, adoptive, or commissioning) jointly receive 4 months + 10 days of parental leave, taken concurrently or consecutively, with each parent using their portion in one continuous block. A single parent gets the full period, and adoption/surrogacy leave starts at placement or adoption order. Pregnant employees may start leave 4 weeks before birth and cannot work for 6 weeks after, unless medically certified fit.

• Mutual agreement
• Expiry of a fixed-term contract
• Retirement (as per agreed/normal retirement age)
• Death of the employee
• Incapacity (illness, injury, or disability after assessment and reasonable accommodation)
• Operational requirements (retrenchment due to economic, technological, or structural reasons)
• Misconduct (after a fair disciplinary process)
• Poor performance (after counseling and a chance to improve)
• Probation non-confirmation (after fair evaluation)
• Dismissal for incompatibility (only if attempts to resolve the conflict were made)

• If employed 6 months or less: 1 week notice
• If employed more than 6 months but less than 12 months: 2 weeks’ notice
• If employed 12 months or more: 4 weeks’ notice
• Farm workers and domestic workers: 4 weeks’ notice after 6 months of employment

Under Section 41 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), severance pay is owed only when an employee is dismissed for operational requirements (retrenchment), or in certain cases of employer insolvency/closure.

• Minimum: 1 week’s remuneration for each completed year of continuous service.
• “Remuneration” includes wage/salary plus regular allowances as defined in the BCEA. 

• All foreign nationals must obtain the appropriate South African visa or temporary residence visa before entering or working in the country (Immigration Act 13 of 2002).
• Standard processing time varies by mission but is generally 5–10 working days, depending on documentation and checks.
• Passport must be valid for at least 30 days after the intended departure date and must contain at least two blank pages (Immigration Regulations, Reg. 2).

• Required for foreigners intending to work in South Africa under the Immigration Act Sections 19 & 21.
• Applicants must provide:
• Completed visa application form (BI-1738).
• Valid passport meeting the legal validity requirements.
• Employment contract signed by employer and employee (Reg. 18).
• Proof of qualifications, evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) where applicable.
• Police clearance certificate from all countries where the applicant has lived for 12+ months since age 18 (Reg. 11).
• Medical report and radiological (X-ray) report (Reg. 18).
• Work permit type–specific documents, such as:
  • Critical Skills Visa: Proof of listing on the Critical Skills List.
  • General Work Visa: Department of Labour certificate confirming no suitable South African is available.
  • Intra-Company Transfer Visa: Proof of transfer from a foreign branch.

• Visitor Visa – tourism, family visits, short business travel
• General Work Visa
• Critical Skills Work Visa
• Business Visa
• Study Visa

• Not explicitly prohibited or mandated by a single law; however, checks are governed by:
  • Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) – requires employee consent and lawful processing.
  • Employment Equity Act (EEA) – prohibits unfair discrimination (e.g., criminal record discrimination must be job-related).
• Employers may legally conduct background checks with the candidate’s informed consent.

• Identity Verification: Validation of South African ID or passport; verification via DHA systems where allowed.
• Right to Work / Immigration Verification: Required under Immigration Act Section 38, which obligates employers to verify visa and work authorization.
• Educational Background Verification: SAQA verification of foreign qualifications (mandatory for many work visas).
• Employment History & Reference Checks: Allowed with consent; must comply with POPIA.
• Criminal Record Check:
  • Through SAPS (South African Police Service) with the applicant’s consent.
  • May be required for sensitive roles (finance, security, government, childcare).