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Insights and strategies to help you hire, manage, and grow your global team with South African talent. Stay informed with expert advice on EOR, compliance, and workforce trends.

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Giraffes in South Africa representing HR compliance in South Africa for remote teams

HR Compliance Across Borders: Why You Need an EOR

HireJustNow March 17, 2025

Navigating HR compliance in South Africa is essential for any business looking to hire across borders. From labour laws to payroll regulations, an Employer of Record (EOR) can help international companies stay compliant and focused on growth.

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Understanding Payroll Management for Remote Teams in South Africa

HireJustNow September 23, 2024

Managing payroll for remote teams in South Africa can be complex, especially with changing tax laws and regulatory requirements. In this post, we explore how HireJustNow simplifies payroll management for remote teams by ensuring compliance, accurate payments, and efficient handling of local tax obligations. Discover how to streamline your global payroll operations with a trusted South African Employer of Record.

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The Impact of Remote Work on Employee Retention and Satisfaction

HireJustNow September 9, 2024

Remote work is redefining employee retention and satisfaction. This post explores how flexibility, reduced stress, and autonomy contribute to happier, more loyal teams – especially in South Africa. Learn how HireJustNow’s EOR services can help your business support remote talent efficiently and compliantly.

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South Africa remote work tax concept for international employers and remote teams

Remote workforce tax in South Africa

HireJustNow June 17, 2024

With recent changes to South Africa’s tax laws, remote work is entering a more complex phase. Learn how these updates affect international employers and how HireJustNow’s Employer of Record services can help you stay compliant while hiring top South African talent.

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Giraffes in South Africa representing HR compliance in South Africa for remote teams

HR Compliance Across Borders: Why You Need an EOR

HireJustNow March 17, 2025

Navigating HR compliance in South Africa is essential for any business looking to hire across borders. From labour laws to payroll regulations, an Employer of Record (EOR) can help international companies stay compliant and focused on growth.

Read More >
South Africa remote work tax concept for international employers and remote teams

Remote workforce tax in South Africa

HireJustNow June 17, 2024

With recent changes to South Africa’s tax laws, remote work is entering a more complex phase. Learn how these updates affect international employers and how HireJustNow’s Employer of Record services can help you stay compliant while hiring top South African talent.

Read More >
Giraffes in South Africa representing HR compliance in South Africa for remote teams

HR Compliance Across Borders: Why You Need an EOR

HireJustNow March 17, 2025

Navigating HR compliance in South Africa is essential for any business looking to hire across borders. From labour laws to payroll regulations, an Employer of Record (EOR) can help international companies stay compliant and focused on growth.

Read More >
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Let's Get Practical

Case Studies

Real success stories showcasing how businesses scaled with South African talent through our seamless EOR solutions. See how we’ve helped companies overcome challenges and achieve growth.

Jim & Tonic
Jim & Tonic, a creative marketing agency, leveraged our EOR services to expand their team in South Africa without the complexity of establishing a local entity. We handled everything from payroll to compliance, enabling them to focus on business growth.
Full Case Study
Winterflood Securities
Winterflood Securities, a financial trading firm, partnered with HireJustNow for seamless employee onboarding and HR administration in South Africa. Our support ensured they met all local tax and labor laws while maintaining operational efficiency.
Full Case Study
Pitch 121
Pitch 121, a digital marketing company, used our comprehensive EOR services to hire and manage remote employees in South Africa. We handled all aspects of compliance, payroll, and employee benefits, ensuring smooth operations across borders.
Full Case Study

FAQ

Find answers to common questions about hiring, compliance, and payroll through our South African EOR solution.

01.

General EOR Overview

An EOR is a third-party that legally employs and manages payroll for individuals on behalf of your business. It allows you to hire employees in South Africa without setting up a local entity by handling payroll, taxes, and compliance with South African labour laws, while you retain full control over the employee’s role and performance. It is the most effective way to hire South African talent legally without the cost and complexity of establishing a local entity.

An Employer of Record (EOR) acts as the legal employer of your team members, handling all employment-related responsibilities on your behalf. Here’s how the relationship works:

    1. Hiring and Onboarding:
      You select the candidate you want to hire. The EOR handles the employment contract, onboarding, and ensures compliance with local labour laws.
    2. Legal and Compliance:
      The EOR manages all legal and tax requirements, including work permits (if needed), payroll taxes, benefits, and labour law compliance.
    3. Payroll and Benefits:
      The EOR processes payroll, ensures correct tax deductions, and manages employee benefits like medical insurance, retirement plans, and leave.
    4. Day-to-Day Work:
      While the EOR is the legal employer, you remain the operational manager. You direct the employee’s daily tasks, set performance expectations, and oversee their work.
    5. Termination and Offboarding:
      If the employment relationship ends, the EOR manages the offboarding process, ensuring compliance with local labour laws and handling any final settlements.
    1. Speed and Flexibility – Enables fast and compliant hiring of South African talent without the need to establish a local entity, reducing time to market.
    2. Compliance and Risk Mitigation – Ensures full compliance with South African labour laws, including tax, benefits, termination, and employee classification, reducing legal and financial risk.
    3. Cost Efficiency – Lowers the costs and administrative burden associated with setting up and maintaining a legal entity in South Africa, including payroll, tax filings, and statutory benefits.
    4. Access to South African Talent – Provides access to South Africa’s highly skilled talent pool without the complexity of navigating local employment laws and regulations.
    5. Scalability – Allows you to quickly scale operations up or down in South Africa without needing to establish or dissolve a legal entity.

Aspect

Local EOR

Global EOR

Expertise

Specialises in South African labour laws, tax regulations, and employment practices.

Covers multiple countries but may lack deep local knowledge of South African labour laws and market nuances.

Compliance and Legal Knowledge

Strong understanding of South African compliance, tax, and benefits requirements, ensuring full alignment with local regulations.

Ensures general compliance across countries but may not have detailed insight into South African-specific labour laws.

Service Customisation

Tailored to South African employment terms, market conditions, and benefits structures.

Offers standardised global employment terms, which may not align with South African labour market expectations.

Cost Structure

Typically more cost-effective for hiring in South Africa due to local operational efficiency and lower overheads.

Higher costs due to centralised, global infrastructure and additional overhead.

Payroll and Benefits

Manages payroll and benefits locally, ensuring alignment with South African standards and faster resolution of issues.

May use a third-party local partner to handle South African payroll and benefits, adding complexity and potential additional costs.

Speed of Onboarding

Faster onboarding since they directly manage South African employment contracts and processes.

May experience delays if reliant on a local partner to handle contracts and onboarding.

Employment Contracts

Drafted according to South African labour laws and local standards, ensuring legal and cultural alignment.

Often based on global templates that may require adjustments to meet South African legal standards.

Employee Experience

Provides a better employee experience due to local knowledge, familiar benefits, and in-country support.

Employee experience may feel less personal or tailored due to remote or centralised management.

Scalability

Ideal for scaling within South Africa, with deep market understanding and local support.

Better for hiring across multiple countries but may sacrifice local expertise and responsiveness.

02.

Hiring, Recruitment & Workspace Solutions

    1. Independent Contractors – Hiring individuals on a project or short-term basis without long-term commitment.
    2. Employer of Record (EOR) – Partnering with a third party to legally hire and employ employees without setting up a local entity.
    3. Setting up a Local Entity – Establishing a legal business presence in South Africa to directly hire and manage employees.
    4. Outsourcing or Staffing Solutions – Engaging a local firm to handle specific business functions or supply talent under their management.

While Hire Just Now is primarily a specialist EOR provider, we can assist with recruitment needs during the onboarding/assessment phase. We will assess if recruitment support is required and, if so, partner you with the best recruitment agency. If you prefer to have a single point of contact, Hire Just Now can manage the recruitment process on your behalf, working alongside the recruitment partner.

HireJustNow serves a wide range of industries. Our top industries include:

    1. Finance and Accounting – e.g., Accountants, Bookkeepers, Financial Managers.
    2. Technology – e.g., Software Developers, IT Support, Engineers.
    3. Customer Service – e.g., Customer Service Reps, Account Managers.
    4. Sales and Marketing – e.g., Sales Executives, Digital Marketers, SEO Specialists.
    5. Operations & Support – e.g., Recruiters, Administrators, Executive Assistants

While we’re hesitant to provide exact figures due to varying industry standards and role-specific differences, hiring from South Africa generally offers significant cost savings. On average, companies can expect to save between 30% and 70% on labour costs compared to hiring in the UK, US, or Australia. Additionally, employer costs in South Africa are relatively low, typically around 2% of an employee’s gross salary. This makes South Africa an attractive option for reducing employment costs while still accessing a skilled and experienced talent pool.

The need to provide IT equipment depends on the role and your company’s policy. Some clients choose to supply laptops and other equipment, while others make it the employee’s responsibility to secure the necessary tools. Hire Just Now (HJN) offers IT Equipment Procurement as an additional service, managing the purchase and setup of laptops and other IT equipment on your behalf to ensure a smooth and efficient onboarding process.

Providing office space depends on the role and your team’s working arrangements. Some clients prefer remote setups, while others provide co-working spaces or dedicated office locations. Hire Just Now (HJN) offers Workspace Solutions as an additional service, helping you set up tailored office environments to support your team’s needs, whether remote or in-office.

03.

Compliance and Legal

      • Tax Compliance – HJN ensures full compliance with SA tax laws (PAYE, UIF) to avoid penalties and maintain a clean tax record.
      • Labour Law Compliance – Adheres to SA labour laws, provides compliant contracts, and manages employee relations to prevent disputes.
      • Intellectual Property Protection – Protects your IP under SA law with tailored contract clauses.
      • Data Privacy Compliance – Ensures full compliance with the POPI Act to safeguard company and employee data.
      • Correct Employee Classification – Prevents misclassification of employees to avoid fines and ensure proper benefits.
      • Payroll Management – Handles payroll processing to ensure timely and accurate payments in line with local tax laws.
      • Legally Compliant Contracts & Benefits – Provides contracts aligned with SA laws and tailored to your company’s policies.

There is minimal to zero risk when using HireJustNow as your EOR. HireJustNow is the legal employer on paper, so in the event of a dispute between your company and an employee, the courts will hold HireJustNow liable for any unfair labour practices, not you.

04.

Service Level Agreements (SLA), Contracts and Termination

The notice period for our EOR service is 60 days. This means that if the arrangement does not work with South African staff, you can give notice within 60 days, allowing HJN to make the employed staff redundant with no severance in the first 12 months of employment. Thereafter, the notice period is one week for every year worked, followed by a Section 189 process on their behalf.

There is no minimum period of commitment besides the 2-month notice. You can give notice at any time during the course of the engagement.

There are no additional costs to cancel the SLA if we have enough notice to make the roles redundant. The retrenchment process typically takes around 2 weeks, allowing employees to work out their notice as per their contracts. Additionally, there is no severance applicable in the first 12 months.

05.

Employment Contracts & Details

Engaging contractors may seem flexible, but South Africa’s labour laws are clear and protective. If a contractor operates under conditions similar to a full-time employee—such as working fixed hours, using company equipment, and being under direct supervision—they could legally be deemed an employee. Misclassification carries significant risks, as both the company and the individual may be held accountable by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and the Department of Labour, potentially facing compliance orders, backdated taxes, and penalties. HireJustNow ensures your workforce structure is fully compliant, advising the employment of individuals as full-time employees when the role meets legal definitions, thereby reducing legal exposure. We also align employment agreements with South African labour law while reflecting the standards and expectations of your home country. In summary, here are the biggest reasons why we recommend Permanent Contracts over Independent Contracts:

    • Compliance and Risk Reduction – Reduces the risk of misclassification under South African labour laws, avoiding fines, backdated taxes, and legal claims. If multiple employee-like factors (especially control and economic dependence) are present, the person is most likely to be classified as an employee.
    • Job Security and Employee Commitment – Permanent and fixed-term contracts provide greater job security, improving employee loyalty and long-term performance.
    • Access to Top Talent – Offering formal employment contracts makes the role more attractive to skilled South African talent, improving recruitment and retention.
    • Legal Protection and Benefits – Employees receive statutory benefits (e.g., paid leave, UIF, severance pay), ensuring fair treatment and legal compliance.
    • Operational Stability and Control – Full-time and fixed-term employees are more integrated into company culture and aligned with long-term business goals.
    • Simplified Management and Administration – Payroll, taxes, and benefits are managed more efficiently under employment contracts compared to independent contractors.

South Africa has relatively low mandatory employee contributions:

    • Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF): 1% of salary, paid by both employer and employee, capped at R177.12/month.
    • Skills Development Levy (SDL): 1% of total monthly payroll, paid by the employer.
    • Workmen’s Compensation (COIDA): A minimal annual cost, industry-dependent, managed by HireJustNow.

Additional benefits can enhance retention and attract top talent. Through HireJustNow, you can offer:

    • Medical aid or monthly stipends
    • Retirement annuities
    • Non-taxable allowances (e.g., mobile data, transport, internet)
    • Performance-based incentives or 13th cheque bonuses

We assist in designing benefit structures that are both attractive and tax-efficient, tailored to your business goals.

    • Payment Frequency: Salaries are typically paid monthly, at the end of the month.
    • Bonuses: Not legally required, but performance or annual bonuses can be included in compensation packages.
    • Working Hours: Standard is 40–45 hours per week, depending on the role.

Individual Income Tax Brackets (2025/2026)

    • Up to R237,100: 18%
    • R237,101 to R370,500: 26%
    • R370,501 to R512,800: 31%
    • R512,801 to R673,000: 36%
    • R673,001 to R857,900: 39%
    • R857,901 to R1,817,000: 41%
    • Above R1,817,000: 45%

HireJustNow manages all statutory deductions, tax filings, and payments, ensuring compliance.

    • Annual Leave: 15 working days per year.
    • Sick Leave: 30 days over 3 years after 6 months of service (approximately 10 days/year).
    • Maternity Leave: 4 months unpaid (UIF may assist).
    • Paternity/Parental Leave: 10 unpaid days.
    • Adoption/Commissioning Leave: 10 unpaid days.

Grounds for termination include:

    • Misconduct
    • Poor work performance
    • Incompatibility
    • Medical incapacity
    • Operational requirements

Notice Periods?

    • Less than 6 months: 1 week
    • 6–12 months: 2 weeks
    • Over 1 year: 4 weeks

HireJustNow ensures termination processes are fair and legally sound.

South Africa has 12 public holidays. HireJustNow allows these holidays to be swapped with your home country’s holidays to align with operational needs.

The typical probation period is 3 months. For senior or technical roles, we recommend up to 6 months.

06.

Why Choose HireJustNow?

At HireJustNow, we are proud to be the trusted South African EOR. What sets us apart from global and other local EOR providers is our human-centric approach, in-house expertise, and deep connection to South Africa’s talent pool.

    1. Human-Centric Approach:
      We believe in building relationships rooted in trust. Unlike many SaaS-based EOR providers, we understand that clients need tailored and personalised solutions. Our approach is focused on understanding your unique business needs and delivering on that.
    2. In-House Expertise:
      Partnering with HireJustNow gives you direct access to our team of in-house experts. Our team includes labour lawyers, HR, finance, and payroll specialists. We work closely with you to manage your account, ensure compliance, and address any challenges.
    3. Connected to Top Recruitment Agencies:
      We have strong partnerships with South Africa’s top recruitment agencies in each sector, giving you access to the country’s best talent. Whether you’re hiring for niche roles or scaling quickly, our deep connections to South Africa’s talent market ensure you get the best people for the job.

Once documentation is complete, HireJustNow can onboard employees within one business day, ensuring full compliance and smooth integration.

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