Most South Africans have never had someone explain what's actually on their payslip. Here's a plain breakdown of every line you're likely to see — and what to check for if something looks wrong.
Under the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), your employer must give you a written payslip every time you're paid. It must show your employer's name and address, your name and job title, the pay period, your gross pay, every deduction, and your final net pay. If your employer refuses to give you one, that's a labour rights violation you can report.
This is your full salary before any deductions — the number in your employment contract. It's not what lands in your bank account.
This is your income tax, deducted directly by your employer and paid to SARS on your behalf. The amount depends on which of the seven SARS tax brackets your annual income falls into, minus your primary rebate (R17,235 for the 2026/2027 tax year) and any other rebates or credits you qualify for.
A mandatory 1% of your salary, matched by another 1% from your employer, capped at a monthly salary ceiling of R17,712. This fund is what pays you if you're retrenched, go on maternity leave, or become unable to work. If your employer isn't deducting or paying this over, you should report it — you may not be able to claim UIF benefits later if your contributions weren't properly recorded.
If you're on a medical aid scheme through your employer, this line shows your monthly contribution. It also triggers a medical aid tax credit — currently R364/month for the main member, R364 for the first dependent, and R246 for each additional dependent — which reduces your PAYE.
If you contribute to a retirement annuity or company pension fund, this appears as a deduction. It also reduces your taxable income — up to 27.5% of your income, capped at R350,000 per year — which is one of the most effective legal ways to lower your tax bill.
This is what actually lands in your bank account — your gross pay minus every deduction listed above.
If anything looks wrong, raise it with HR immediately — small payroll errors compound over a year, and it's much easier to fix in the same tax year than after you've already filed your return.
If you're self-employed, run a small business, or need to issue payslips to staff, you don't need expensive payroll software to get it right.
Use our free Payslip Generator →
It produces a professional, BCEA-compliant payslip with all the correct fields — gross pay, PAYE, UIF, and net pay — ready to download as a PDF.
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