SimplePay simplifies payroll by automating salary calculations, tax filings, and compliance with South African laws. It’s a cloud-based tool designed for businesses of all sizes, offering features like employee self-service, integration with accounting tools (e.g., Xero, QuickBooks), and secure access from anywhere. Pricing starts at $50.38/month plus $14.15 per employee.
Key Features:
- Automated Payroll: Handles PAYE, UIF, SDL, and tax updates.
- Employee Self-Service: Staff can access payslips, manage leave, and update details.
- Easy Setup: Guided checklist, online training, and bulk employee import.
- Compliance: Aligns with South African laws, reducing penalties.
- Integrations: Syncs with Xero, QuickBooks, and offers API for custom needs.
Registration Steps:
- Sign up for a free trial on SimplePay’s website.
- Configure business details (employer info, pay frequencies, SARS registration).
- Add employees individually or via bulk import.
- Enable employee self-service for easy access.
Payroll Processing:
- Input hours/earnings; the system calculates taxes and generates payslips.
- Prepares bank-ready payment files and statutory reports (e.g., EMP201, IRP5).
SimplePay supports over 14,000 companies, making payroll management more efficient and secure. Try it free for 30 days to streamline your payroll operations.
How to Register for SimplePay
Account Registration Steps
To get started, head to the SimplePay website and sign up for a free trial. Once you’ve registered, you’ll have access to the platform’s "Getting Started Checklist", a step-by-step guide to help you set everything up. If you want to speed up the process, online training is also available. After that, you’ll need to configure your business details to finalize the setup.
Setting Up Business Details
Once your account is active, there are three main tasks to complete: entering Employer Details, setting Pay Frequencies, and adding Employees. Start by providing your trading name and business address. Then, set up your pay frequencies by selecting a schedule that fits your business needs – keep in mind, at least one pay frequency is required. Before processing your first payroll, make sure your business is registered with SARS for PAYE, UIF, and SDL.
SimplePay takes care of the heavy lifting by automatically updating to reflect the latest South African tax laws. It also handles tax calculations, generates payslips, tracks leave, and manages statutory reporting, ensuring you’re always compliant.
Adding and Managing Employees
Adding Employee Profiles
Once your business details are set up, the next step is to bring your team on board by adding employee profiles. You can do this either individually or through a bulk Excel import.
To add an employee one at a time, head to the Employees tab and click Add New Employee. This launches a straightforward three-step process where you’ll classify the employee, input basic details, and set up their regular hours. The system automatically generates an employee number for each profile, but you can modify these numbers if your business uses a specific numbering system.
For larger teams, the Excel bulk import option is a time-saver. After importing, you’ll need to complete the classification and regular hours setup manually.
Make sure to collect all the key details, including the employee’s full name, address, Social Security Number (SSN), banking information, withholding certificates, salary, job title, work location, and hire date. If you’re transitioning from another payroll system or adding employees mid-year, it’s crucial to record take-on balances. This ensures that previous payroll amounts are accurately reflected in tax certificates and payslip calculations.
If you’re eligible for the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI), you can enable it for an employee by selecting "Allow" under the ETI option in their profile. Additionally, you can tailor payslips to your business needs. Choose to display or hide elements like hourly rates, year-to-date totals, and employer contributions. You can even add custom comments or extra headings for a personalized touch.
Finally, set up permissions to give employees access to their payroll information directly.
Setting Up Employee Permissions
After adding employee profiles, it’s important to configure secure access for them. This step ties into your initial account setup and helps streamline administrative tasks. SimplePay’s employee self-service portal is a handy tool that allows your team to handle their own payroll-related needs, like viewing payslips, requesting time off, or updating personal information, without needing HR involvement.
To enable self-service access, go to the Self-Service screen, enter the employee’s email address in the designated field, check the "Enabled" box, and save your changes. Once activated, the employee will receive an email with an activation link. From there, they can set up a password and log in to their personal portal.
This self-service feature not only simplifies payroll access but also ensures secure, round-the-clock availability for your employees.
Processing Payroll and Meeting Compliance Requirements
Running Payroll in SimplePay
Once your employees are set up, running payroll with SimplePay is straightforward. The platform automates salary calculations, tax deductions, and payment file creation, streamlining the entire process for accuracy and efficiency.
To get started, input or confirm the hours and earnings for the pay period. SimplePay instantly calculates taxes and generates payslips, removing the need for manual math, which often leads to errors. This saves time during every payroll cycle.
The system automatically manages PAYE (Pay As You Earn), UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund), and SDL (Skills Development Levy) calculations. It also applies the most up-to-date tax rates, ensuring compliance with local tax laws and helping businesses avoid costly penalties. This feature eliminates the hassle of manually keeping track of tax updates.
Once calculations are finalized, SimplePay creates payment files ready for direct submission to your bank. It also provides detailed audit trails and real-time reporting, giving you full visibility into your payroll operations. This level of transparency is essential for maintaining accurate records and preparing for compliance audits.
Next, let’s explore how SimplePay ensures compliance with South African payroll regulations.
Meeting South African Compliance Requirements
Staying compliant with South African payroll laws involves navigating a variety of statutory and reporting obligations. SimplePay simplifies this process by automating compliance tasks, reducing the need for manual intervention.
The platform ensures adherence to critical South African laws, including the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), Labour Relations Act (LRA), Income Tax Act, Unemployment Insurance Act, Skills Development Levies Act, Employment Equity Act, Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA), Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and the National Minimum Wage Act.
One key compliance factor is the Skills Development Levy (SDL). Employers with a payroll exceeding R500,000 or employing 50 or more staff must contribute 1% of their total payroll towards SDL. SimplePay automatically calculates and applies this levy, ensuring you meet this requirement without additional effort.
Non-compliance can have serious consequences. Late or incorrect PAYE, UIF, and SDL filings can lead to fines of up to 10% of the unpaid amount, plus interest. Mishandling employee data can result in fines as high as R10 million. SimplePay’s automated compliance features help safeguard your business from these risks.
For statutory reporting, the platform prepares and submits forms like EMP201 and IRP5 directly to the relevant authorities. It includes pre-filing validation checks to reduce errors and simplifies bi-annual filing by generating Tax Certificate exports ready for upload to eFiling or e@syFile.
SimplePay also supports Employment Equity reporting by allowing you to configure custom items – such as income, benefits, or employer contributions – with the appropriate Employment Equity Reporting fields. Pre-validation tools ensure these reports are accurate before download.
Accurate payroll processing is not just about paying employees – it’s also about protecting your business from penalties and legal issues. SimplePay keeps your payroll system up-to-date by monitoring legislative changes and automatically adjusting its calculations. This ensures your business remains compliant as regulations evolve.
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Connecting SimplePay with Other Tools
Connecting with Accounting Software
SimplePay works seamlessly with popular accounting platforms like Xero and QuickBooks Online, making financial reporting easier by automating payroll data transfers and doing away with manual journal entries. Since joining the Xero App Store in April 2014, SimplePay has maintained an impressive 4.89/5 rating from 67 reviews. Users often highlight how straightforward and dependable the integration is.
"SimplePay’s Xero integration allows you to post your payroll data straight to Xero with the click of a button. You have the option to post via journal or bill. You are also able to split your accounting information by cost centers / departments, giving you granular insight into payroll expenses."
Once you connect SimplePay to your accounting software, automation kicks in, reducing delays and cutting down on errors caused by manual entries. A glowing 5-star review from March 2025 by Kate Aurets underscores this ease of use, while Ian Human shared, "Very easy to use and I have using it for about 4 years".
For businesses with unique needs, SimplePay provides an API, allowing custom integrations with other systems. Plus, as a cloud-based solution, it sidesteps the compatibility headaches often linked to software downloads. On top of these integrations, SimplePay includes advanced tools to simplify payroll management even further.
Using Advanced Features
SimplePay doesn’t just stop at integrations – it also offers advanced features designed to make payroll management even smoother. For instance, the platform allows you to allocate payroll costs across different business units using its cost center and department splitting functionality, giving you deeper insights into your financial data.
If your business operates across borders, SimplePay has you covered. It supports multi-country operations in South Africa, Ireland, Singapore, and Hong Kong, tailoring features to meet the specific requirements of each region. For example, in South Africa, SimplePay generates IRP5s, EMP201s, and EMP501s to simplify compliance with SARS.
To ensure consistent performance for all users, the platform operates under a Fair Usage Policy.
Introducing SimplePay; Your Invite to Simplifying Payroll
Summary and Main Points
SimplePay is a cloud-based payroll solution designed to simplify how businesses manage payroll. It’s already trusted by over 14,000 companies, serving 45,897 customers, and has processed an impressive 22,990,835 payslips to date.
One of its standout features is the automation of complex payroll calculations while adhering to South African tax regulations. It automatically handles PAYE, UIF, and SDL calculations, along with simplifying monthly statutory reporting. This not only reduces administrative burdens but also helps avoid costly compliance mistakes.
"Really simple to use. Covers ALL payroll aspects. Ensures 100% tax compliancy. Low costs (charged per employee/month)."
– Daniel J. Ferreira, Managing Director
The platform also includes an employee self-service portal, enabling staff to access payslips, submit leave requests, and update personal details on their own. This functionality reduces HR workloads significantly. To date, SimplePay has managed 8,936,437 leave days, highlighting its efficiency in handling employee time-off requests.
Integration is another strong point. SimplePay works seamlessly with popular accounting tools like Xero and QuickBooks, eliminating the need for double data entry and ensuring accurate financial records.
In terms of pricing, SimplePay is competitively positioned. It offers a base rate of $50.38 per month (converted from R65.00) with per-employee costs ranging from $14.15 to $6.32, depending on the size of the company. User satisfaction is high, reflected in its 4.0/5 rating on Capterra and a 4.2/5 score for value for money.
For businesses seeking a reliable and efficient payroll solution, SimplePay offers a free 30-day trial and online training to ensure a smooth onboarding process. Its cloud-based design provides secure access from anywhere, making it a flexible and dependable choice for modern businesses navigating payroll complexities.
FAQs
What makes SimplePay a great payroll solution for small businesses?
SimplePay stands out as a great option for small businesses thanks to its straightforward pricing, ease of use, and focus on simplifying payroll tasks. With an intuitive interface and automated tools like tax calculations and compliance checks, it helps business owners save time while minimizing mistakes.
While larger companies might need more intricate or customizable payroll solutions, SimplePay is tailored for businesses with straightforward payroll requirements. It enables small businesses to handle employee payments efficiently without needing a large team or specialized payroll expertise.
How does SimplePay stay compliant with South African payroll regulations, and what happens when rules change?
SimplePay takes the hassle out of staying compliant with South African payroll regulations. Whenever there are updates to laws – like changes in tax rates, PAYE, UIF, or SDL contributions – SimplePay automatically adjusts its system. These updates are applied effortlessly, so your payroll remains accurate without the need for manual intervention.
By promptly implementing these changes, SimplePay helps businesses steer clear of compliance issues and saves valuable time. This forward-thinking approach ensures your payroll processes always align with the latest legal standards.
Can SimplePay connect with tools other than Xero and QuickBooks, and how does integration work?
SimplePay works effortlessly with Xero and QuickBooks Online, making accounting tasks smoother. It also includes an API for creating custom integrations, though the available documentation for linking SimplePay to other tools is somewhat limited. For businesses that require connections beyond these platforms, the API allows room to explore tailored integrations with other systems. If you have a specific tool in mind, reaching out to a developer or SimplePay’s support team can help you figure out the best way to establish a custom connection.
