Why PayNest
Payroll, UIF, COID, contracts and HR, run by one specialist on secure cloud technology. One partner. Zero compliance gaps.
01
UIF, COID, payslips and contracts managed to a zero-penalty, on-time standard.
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One named specialist with 22+ years of experience behind them. Never a call centre.
03
Encrypted cloud payroll, with payslips and leave requests handled on WhatsApp.
The gap
Most small employers assume their accountant has it covered. In reality, accountants handle SARS and tax, not UIF, COID, contracts, leave records or HR. That gap is where most employers are exposed, without ever knowing it.
Your accountant
What most accountants are engaged to do. Important work, but it stops at accounting and tax.
Income tax returns and SARS correspondence
Annual financial statements
VAT and provisional tax
Tax planning and business advice
PayNest
The obligations that sit outside tax work, and where the penalties are. We take all of it off your hands.
UIF registration and monthly declarations
COID registration and Return of Earnings
BCEA-compliant payslips every payday
Written employment contracts
Leave records and HR files
Disciplinary records for the CCMA
“It’s not your accountant dropping the ball when it comes to payslips, UIF and COIDA compliance. They were never holding it in the first place.”
- PayNest Compliance Team
Free 60-second compliance check
Answer ten quick questions for each person you employ for more than 24 hours a month. Any “No” or “Not sure” is a compliance gap that leaves you exposed, and we’ll show you exactly how PayNest closes it.
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of 10 answered
Let’s check your compliance
Answer the questions to see where you stand. It updates as you go.
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0 on track
0 gaps
0 not sure
A self-check is a guide, not legal advice. Our free check reviews your actual records.
Checking your compliance…
{done} of {total} answered · {areas} attention so far.
{done} of {total} answered. No gaps so far.
✓ You’re a compliant employer!
Every area is on track. Keep it that way: PayNest can maintain it for you.
Not yet fully compliant
{areas} attention. The steps are listed under each question, and PayNest can close every gap.
area needs
areas need
{n} on track
{n} gap
{n} gaps
{n} not sure
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
Not sure? Here’s what the law requires
1
Does your employee have a BCEA-compliant employment contract that details all statutory requirements?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
A written contract is required under section 29 of the BCEA and must set out, among others:
Employer’s full name and address
Employee’s name and job / occupation
Place(s) of work and start date
Ordinary hours and days of work
Wage or rate and how it’s calculated, plus any overtime rate
Any other cash payments or payments in kind (and their value)
How often the employee is paid, and any deductions
Leave entitlement, and notice period or fixed-term duration
Why it matters
A written contract is a legal requirement. It sets out both parties’ rights and duties, prevents misunderstandings, and is your first line of defence in a CCMA or Labour dispute. Without one, disputes tend to be decided on the employee’s version of events.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest provides a fully BCEA-compliant employment contract, tailored to your employee, covering every statutory particular.
2
Do you issue a payslip containing all statutory details, every pay period?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
Under section 33 of the BCEA, each payslip must show:
Employer’s name and address
Employee’s name and occupation
The period the payment covers
Gross remuneration (pay in money)
The amount and purpose of every deduction
The actual (net) amount paid
Where relevant: pay rate and overtime rate, ordinary and overtime hours, and any hours worked on Sundays or public holidays
Why it matters
Missing or incomplete payslips are one of the most common issues flagged in Department of Employment and Labour inspections, and they leave employees without the transparency the law requires.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest generates fully compliant payslips and makes them easy to access: for you via your PayNest portal, and for your employee directly on WhatsApp.
3
Have you registered for UIF and received a UIF reference number?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
You must register for UIF within 7 days of your employee starting.
Any employee who works 24 hours or more per month must be registered.
Your employee’s UIF start date must match their actual contract start date.
Why it matters
Your employee’s UIF (and COID) effective date must reflect their actual contract start date. If it doesn’t, the employee can claim against you for incorrect reporting and an unfair labour practice, which can result in penalties, fines, and even a court order to amend and correct the UIF and COID effective dates.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest registers you for UIF and ensures your employee is correctly linked to your UIF account with the Department of Employment and Labour.
4
Do you submit monthly UI-19 declarations to the UIF?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
Monthly UI-19 declarations must be submitted to the UIF by the 7th of every month.
Compliance requires both the monthly UI-19 declaration and the monthly payment, submitted by the 7th.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest submits your UI-19 declaration on the 7th of every month via a direct API link into the UIF’s Siyaya system.
5
Do you pay the 2% UIF contribution to the UIF every month by the 7th?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
The 2% UIF contribution (1% deducted from the employee and 1% contributed by you) must be paid to the UIF by the 7th of each month, linked to your UIF reference number.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest pays your UIF for you through our payment provider, Netcash, linked to your UIF reference number via the Netcash public beneficiaries listing. We invoice the UIF amount to you each month, make the payment, and store the proof of payment in your PayNest portal.
6
If you’ve never paid UIF before and your employee started some time ago, are your historical (back-dated) UIF declarations and payments up to date?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
Where UIF was never paid from your employee’s actual start date, the missed months must be back-declared and paid to bring your UIF account up to date.
The back-dated declarations must reflect the employee’s true contract start date.
Why it matters
Leaving historical UIF unpaid, or reflecting the wrong start date, exposes you to a claim for incorrect reporting and an unfair labour practice, with penalties and fines. Correcting the history and the effective dates protects you.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest calculates the historical UIF back-declarations that need to be paid. You pay this amount to the UIF and send us the proof of payment. We then submit it to the UIF head office, together with the historical UIF declarations and salary schedules, for them to load and bring your UIF account fully up to date.
7
Are you registered for COID with the Compensation Fund?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
COIDA registration is compulsory for virtually all employers, including domestic employers, and you need a COID registration (CF) number.
COIDA (the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act) provides compensation to employees who are injured, fall ill, or die as a result of their work.
Contributing is a statutory obligation for all employers. Penalties apply for non-compliance.
Your COID effective date must reflect your employee’s actual contract start date.
Why it matters
Just like UIF, your COID effective date must match your employee’s contract start date. Incorrect dates can be treated as incorrect reporting and an unfair labour practice, leading to penalties, fines, and a court order to correct the effective date.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest registers you for COID and obtains your COIDA reference (CF) number on your behalf.
8
Do you complete an annual Return of Earnings and pay your COIDA fees each year?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
Every employer must submit an annual Return of Earnings (ROE) and pay the assessed COIDA fee.
The fee is 1.04% of your annual payroll or R560, whichever is higher.
Once paid, the Compensation Fund issues a Letter of Good Standing. Penalties apply for non-submission.
The Fund will not accept the current year’s return until all historic years are submitted (calculated from your employee’s start date).
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest handles your Return of Earnings end-to-end. Between April and June each year we submit your past-year payroll and the year-ahead projection. When the Compensation Fund issues the invoice (1.04% of annual payroll or R560, whichever is higher), we send it to you for payment and request your Letter of Good Standing once it’s paid. We also help bring any outstanding historic returns up to date, which is required before the current year can be submitted.
9
Do you track your employee’s annual leave and family responsibility leave?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
Under the BCEA, employees are entitled to annual leave and family responsibility leave, and accurate leave records must be kept.
Leave accrues over time and must be reduced correctly as leave is taken.
Why it matters
Untracked leave is one of the most common triggers of workplace disputes. Accurate accruals and balances protect you at the CCMA. Arguments over “owed” leave are very hard to defend without proper records.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest’s system calculates leave accrual monthly and deducts leave as you approve it. Your employee applies for leave on WhatsApp, and you approve it through a simple workflow emailed to you.
10
If your employee earns above the tax threshold (R99,000 a year, about R8,250 a month, in the 2026/27 tax year), are you deducting PAYE and paying it to SARS?
Great news, you’re on track! This area looks compliant.
Compliance gap: here’s what’s needed
What’s required
Anyone earning above the SARS tax threshold (R99,000 a year, about R8,250 a month, for employees under 65 in the 2026/27 tax year) must have PAYE deducted and paid over to SARS.
This is reported to SARS on a monthly EMP201.
The threshold is reviewed by SARS each year.
How PayNest fixes this
PayNest calculates the PAYE due and shows it on the payslip. You can either receive the EMP201 report to submit via eFiling yourself, or we register you for PAYE and submit and pay it on your behalf through our registered tax practitioner. We bill the PAYE due monthly, pay it over via our Netcash payment provider’s public beneficiary account, and save your proof of payment in your PayNest portal.
This doesn’t apply: there’s no PAYE obligation while your employee earns below the threshold.
Whatever your gaps, we can close them: registrations, submissions, payments and proof, all handled and documents stored safely for you.
Close my compliance gaps →How we work
From day one your payroll runs on time, your UIF and COID stay compliant, and every contract and employee record is organised and up to date. One dedicated payroll expert manages it all, so you can run your business while we take care of the admin and the risk.
No complex government portals to navigate
No second-guessing submissions
No missed deadlines
No payroll mistakes
No chasing paperwork
No compliance risk
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All payroll data is stored and processed on an encrypted cloud platform. Your information, and your employees’, stays confidential and is accessible only to you and your PayNest specialist.
02
Leave requests, claims and payslips are submitted and delivered instantly on WhatsApp. No forms, no email chains, no chasing paper.
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Direct API integration with the Department of Employment and Labour means submissions are accurate, on time and audit-ready from the moment they’re filed, without manual errors or delays.
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Years of specialist HR, payroll and compliance experience, with a single dedicated point of contact for your account every time you reach out.
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Salary, leave, overtime and statutory deductions handled with precision. UIF, COID, payslips and contracts fully managed to a zero-penalty, on-time standard.
Key benefits
One partner for payroll, HR and compliance. Here’s what that means for you, your accountant and your staff.
No more scattered responsibility between you, your accountant and whoever was meant to file UIF last month.
Missed UIF submissions, unfiled COID returns and absent HR records all carry real penalties. We close these gaps proactively.
Processing payroll, tracking leave and chasing payslips are all handled, so you can spend that time on what matters.
Clean, structured payroll output means your accountant spends more time advising and less time chasing data.
From one employee to a growing or established business with several staff, PayNest scales with you, so you never have to switch providers.
A properly registered employee can claim UIF if retrenched, and is covered if injured on the job.
The cost of doing nothing
Many employers only discover their compliance gaps when a worker files a claim, a dispute arises or an inspector arrives. By then, the cost is always higher than prevention would have been.
Penalties and interest keep adding up every month a gap stays open.
UIF
10%
penalty plus 9.75% interest
Backdated contributions for every employee, going back years, from day one of employment.
COID
No cap
on personal liability
Injured and not registered? You may carry every medical and compensation cost yourself, with no Fund cover.
Past employment
Forever
until it’s regularised
Obligations don’t end when a worker leaves. Unpaid UIF and COID stay your liability, plus penalties and interest.
CCMA
Lost
on paperwork alone
Without contracts, disciplinary records and HR files, a CCMA case is close to impossible to defend, even when you were in the right.
Questions
What employers ask us before they switch to PayNest.
Accountants handle SARS and tax. UIF, COID, employment contracts, leave records and HR sit outside that work, and that is where most employers are exposed. PayNest covers those obligations and works alongside your accountant.
No. We work alongside accountants. Your accountant keeps the tax and advisory work, and we handle the statutory payroll layer and deliver clean EMP201, EMP501 and IRP5 outputs.
One named PayNest specialist who knows your account. No call centre and no ticket numbers. Reach them on WhatsApp, phone or email, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Yes. Payroll data is stored and processed on an encrypted cloud platform, and access is limited to you and your PayNest specialist. Your information is protected under POPIA.
Yes. We retrieve your compliance status, work out what is missing, submit the backdated declarations or Returns of Earnings and deal with the Department of Employment and Labour and the Compensation Fund for you.
No. PayNest is month-to-month with no lock-in contract.
Domestic payroll starts from R165 per employee per month. For domestic employers, farmers, small to medium businesses and standalone services, we give you a clear quote after a short, no-obligation consultation.
Still have a question? Speak to a PayNest specialist, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Let’s talk
Get in touch today. We’ll review your current situation, identify any gaps and recommend the right PayNest service for your needs, with no obligation.
WhatsApp us
+27 83 624 1406
Call, Mon to Fri, 8am to 5pm
083 624 1406
info@paynestpayroll.co.za
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