{"id":69416,"date":"2023-05-05T15:27:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-05T13:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=69416"},"modified":"2025-10-21T14:56:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T12:56:19","slug":"strategies-for-managing-payroll-complexity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/strategies-for-managing-payroll-complexity\/","title":{"rendered":"Strategies for managing payroll complexity"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/people-leadership\/paying-people\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Paying people<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tStrategies for managing payroll complexity\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2023-05-05T15:27:00+02:00\">May 5, 2023<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Strategies for managing payroll complexity\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/strategies-for-managing-payroll-complexity\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/ziataylor5\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/09\/Zia-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Zia Taylor<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Staying ahead of the payroll game is no easy feat. With the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/staying-ahead-of-hr-and-payroll-legislation-and-compliance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">continual changes in legislation and regulations<\/a>, HR and payroll professionals have their work cut out for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To stay compliant, they need to understand the impact of legislative changes on processes and systems such as UIF and PAYE calculations, pension and medical aid fund contributions, and \u2013 since the start of the pandemic \u2013 how to manage the complexities of a remote or hybrid workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, the Sage <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/white-paper-payroll-and-hr-in-sa-rising-to-the-challenges-of-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>HR and payroll in SA: Rising to the challenges of change<\/em><\/a> research found that 77% of respondents struggle with the complexity of payroll taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, how can businesses stay ahead of payroll complexities? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We asked Heinrich Grove, founder of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.saaccountingnetwork.co.za\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SA Accounting Network<\/a> and owner of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hdaccountants.co.za\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HD Accountants<\/a>, to share his advice on dealing with payroll complexities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Here&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll cover:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-salary-structures-simple-safe-smart\" data-level=\"2\">Salary structures: simple, safe, smart<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-avoiding-the-manual-mayhem\" data-level=\"2\">Avoiding the manual mayhem<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-the-once-nice-to-have-rapidly-became-a-need-to-have-right-now\" data-level=\"2\">The once &#8216;nice to have&#8217; rapidly became a &#8216;need to have&#8217; &ndash; right now<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-tripping-up-on-travel\" data-level=\"2\">Tripping up on travel<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-managing-medical-contributions\" data-level=\"2\">Managing medical contributions<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-wfh-who-s-fiddled-here\" data-level=\"2\">WFH: Who&#8217;s fiddled here?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-keep-it-simple\" data-level=\"2\">Keep it simple<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-13187d43-18ab-407b-8fd2-74c34b323862\">Download the p<span data-contrast=\"auto\">ayroll and HR <\/span>in SA: Rising to the challenges of change white paper<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-salary-structures-simple-safe-smart\">Salary structures: simple, safe, smart<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;It&#8217;s no secret that people don&#8217;t want to pay a lot of tax. But the reality is that if you&#8217;re going to make a lot of money, you&#8217;ll be paying a lot of taxes \u2013 there&#8217;s just no way around that.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heinrich says that the complications arise when people try to reduce their tax liability and start fiddling with payroll packages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;My recommendation is, when it comes to salaries, try and keep things as simple as possible. The more complex you make your salary structure, the more possibilities there are that the Receiver of Revenue (SARS) is going to start asking questions about your payroll system.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simplicity is undoubtedly key, as 30% of payroll professionals already find it challenging to keep track of the latest tax- and labour-related legislation, and 50% battle to explain tax calculations to their employees. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping packages and structures simple will help employees understand their tax responsibilities while ensuring the business stays compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Manage your payroll from anywhere with Sage<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>See our leading cloud-based software designed to help you simplify payroll processes and transform the way you connect with your workforce.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/payroll-professional\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-69398\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Tell me more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1136798406-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1136798406-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-avoiding-the-manual-mayhem\">Avoiding the manual mayhem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone has heard of &#8216;moving to the cloud&#8217; and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/cloud-vs-saas-which-delivers-the-most-benefits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">&#8216;cloud-based SaaS&#8217;<\/a>, but until early 2020, it was mostly something that businesses kept on their &#8216;nice to have&#8217; lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When COVID-19 hit, many HR and payroll professionals had to deal with new developments, such as managing remote or hybrid workforces and ensuring the security and integrity of employee data \u2013 and it left them completely overwhelmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Sage research, 83% of HR and payroll professionals spend a substantial chunk of their time on repetitive tasks and payroll admin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, they&#8217;re spending up to a third of their day preparing and processing payroll, compensation, and benefits (52%), and maintaining employee records (45%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is especially true for users of non-specialist HR and payroll systems, 36% of whom are less confident in navigating COVID-19-related regulations, compared to 20% of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/three-reasons-to-switch-from-manual-to-cloud-based-hr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cloud-based system users<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-once-nice-to-have-rapidly-became-a-need-to-have-right-now\">The once &#8216;nice to have&#8217; rapidly became a &#8216;need to have&#8217; \u2013 <em>right now<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heinrich also addressed the complexities that manual payroll systems create: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;When paying salaries, you can use a manual system, where you download the tax tables from the SARS website, have a look and see what you&#8217;re earning, see what the tax calculation is, and do manual payslips.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He says this system would be adequate if people earned a fixed salary every month but foresees great complexity and risk of non-compliance when processing variable incomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;If you&#8217;re a director of a company and your salary fluctuates, or even if you&#8217;re paying your staff commission and things like that, you must get onto a payroll system. Otherwise, you&#8217;re going to pick up problems with the Receiver of Revenue,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Respondents to the Sage research believe that technology simplifies payroll through:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Automated tax calculations (70%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Digitised payroll and employee data (56%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrated payroll, time management, and HR systems (56%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Centralised records using cloud-based systems (46%)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Giving employees ownership of their data (34%)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-tripping-up-on-travel\">Tripping up on travel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;What we&#8217;re seeing a lot of now,&#8221; says Heinrich, &#8220;is people sitting with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/an-accountant-s-top-tips-for-tax-year-end\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">travel allowances<\/a> on their IRP5s, and, thanks to the various lockdowns and the resulting lack of travel, they are unable to produce their full logbooks.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since a portion of a travel allowance isn&#8217;t taxed, many people ran into trouble for unduly benefiting from this tax break. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Unable to produce completed logbooks, they were liable to pay the tax on the previously excluded portion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heinrich suggests that employees who aren&#8217;t using their travel allowance ask for it to be removed from the payroll system to simplify their tax requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employers should look instead at reimbursing employee travel. &#8220;It&#8217;s a simple system to use,&#8221; says Heinrich, &#8220;and as long as you reimburse your employees at a rate lower than that of the Receiver, there is no tax payable. If you reimburse them at a higher rate, the amount becomes taxable and, come tax time, they&#8217;re going to run into problems again.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-managing-medical-contributions\">Managing medical contributions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another area of business that increases payroll complexity \u2013 and that is affected by outdated, non-specialist payroll systems \u2013 is the management of medical aid contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is because manual or outdated software cannot keep up with and remotely implement legislative changes to payroll, leaving little time or capacity for HR and payroll professionals to analyse data or respond to changing workforce needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This results in inconsistent data reporting, poor system integrations, and an inability to adapt to change quickly \u2013 all of which will negatively affect variable monthly contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Heinrich says that many people don&#8217;t quite understand how the tax system works when it comes to medical aids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Most medical aid contributions increase in January, which means that you will need to make those adjustments to your payroll packages then. Come financial year-end, the medical aid will send those tax certificates to SARS. If you haven&#8217;t updated your payroll and the amounts are inconsistent, the Receiver is going to ask questions about your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/staying-ahead-of-hr-and-payroll-legislation-and-compliance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accuracy and compliance of your payroll system<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A <a href=\"http:\/\/sage.com\/en-za\/sage-business-cloud\/payroll\/\">cloud-based payroll<\/a> system ensures that your software automatically updates as and when required, helping you avoid complexities arising from variable contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-wfh-who-s-fiddled-here\">WFH: Who&#8217;s fiddled here?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pandemic lockdowns showed businesses that they can function as effectively \u2013 if not more so \u2013 when their employees work remotely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"> Work from home (WFH) became the new normal for many, and employers and employees alike relished the time and cost savings that came with it. But the payroll complexities? Less so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;SARS is incredibly strict on home office expenses,&#8221; says Heinrich, &#8220;so I would recommend that companies find other ways to compensate people for working from home.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees are already saving by not spending hours on the road every day or paying for the fuel and vehicle wear and tear associated with daily travel, so when they do start claiming home office expenses, Heinrich believes it &#8220;opens up a whole can of worms&#8221; as there are many different things to account for, and numerous records that need to be kept in order to claim. If something is even remotely amiss (pun intended), it will be a red flag for the Receiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Companies that wish to contribute to an employee&#8217;s WFH expenses could perhaps look at paying for their internet connection or covering their initial workspace set-up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This way, the employee continues to benefit, without adding further complexities to payroll.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-keep-it-simple\">Keep it simple<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best way to manage payroll complexity is to keep it as simple as the package allows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Everyone wants to pay as little tax as possible, but trying to swindle the Receiver will cost far more in the long run than any legitimate tax return ever could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">The Quick Guide to Payroll Compliance <\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get the latest expert advice on how to manage and maintain compliance and stay on top of tax and legislative changes.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-69556982-89ff-4dab-a89f-6837cf69e1e0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/02\/HR-and-Payroll_Cloud-Technology.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/02\/HR-and-Payroll_Cloud-Technology.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/compliance\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCompliance\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/hr-payroll\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHR &amp; Payroll\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/tax\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTax\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-76509 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-employee-benefits tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman looks to camera with the Sage glow line in the background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-768x518.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-29T10:39:40+02:00\">July 29, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/what-is-the-organisational-skills-gap\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhat is the organisational skills gap and how can businesses close it?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tDiscover how to identify and close the organisational skills gap. Learn practical strategies for workforce planning, skills development, internal mobility, and skills-based hiring.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-76381 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-technology-innovation tag-artificial-intelligence tag-business-management tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/what-is-ai-in-hr\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman stands in front of the Sage glowline with a black background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/06\/Ai-in-HR-infographic-image-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-23T13:19:28+02:00\">June 23, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is AI in HR and how can you use it responsibly?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-76331 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-trends-insights tag-accountants tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-business-management tag-profit-loss tag-staying-competitive tag-tax business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/accounts-payable-process\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-175138802_super-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-175138802_super-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-175138802_super-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-175138802_super-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-06-04T11:51:14+02:00\">June 4, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is the accounts payable process? Steps, workflow and how to improve it\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-73627 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership tag-business-management tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/employee-onboarding-process\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-768x478.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-1300x810.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-14T12:28:58+02:00\">May 14, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">15 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe ultimate employee onboarding guide\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-76128 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountants tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-compliance tag-financial-insights tag-profit-loss tag-staying-competitive tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/accounts-payable-journal-entry\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-01T13:42:18+02:00\">May 1, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">1 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAccounts payable journal entry explained: Definition, types and examples\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover expert strategies for managing payroll complexity in South Africa. Learn how to stay compliant with evolving legislation, simplify salary structures, and streamline payroll processes using cloud-based solutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1295,"featured_media":69397,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35,40],"tags":[321,201,213],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[14],"imagine_tag":[57,99,84,100],"coauthors":[447],"class_list":["post-69416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-compliance","category-paying-people","tag-compliance","tag-hr-payroll","tag-tax","business_type-medium-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Zia Taylor","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/02\/HR-and-Payroll_Cloud-Technology.jpg","imagine_tags":{"57":"HR and Payroll","99":"HR software","84":"Midsized business","100":"Payroll software"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69416"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69416\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/69397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69416"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=69416"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=69416"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=69416"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=69416"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=69416"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=69416"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=69416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}