Payroll and HR Administrator Job in Cape Town
Ability Recruitment · Cape Town, Western Cape
Overview
Ability Recruitment is hiring a Payroll and HR Administrator for a Cape Town based role. This full time position is perfect for a detail oriented professional with at least three years payroll and HR admin experience, including two years running a monthly payroll. You will be responsible for the accurate and timely payment of every employee while handling statutory returns, employee benefits, records and compliance. If you have Sage payroll experience and a solid understanding of South African labour legislation, this is a great opportunity to grow your career.
About the role
This role places you at the heart of the company's payroll and HR function. You will be the person making sure every employee gets paid correctly and on time, while also taking care of the HR administration that keeps the business compliant and running smoothly.
- Run the full monthly payroll cycle, from capturing new appointments, terminations, salary changes, deductions and banking details to distributing payslips securely.
- Handle payroll tax matters including EMP201 submissions, EMP501 reconciliations, IRP5s, tax directives and Employment Tax Incentive claims.
- Manage statutory returns for UIF, COIDA, Statistics South Africa and the Department of Employment and Labour, keeping everything inspection ready.
- Administer employee benefits such as the provident fund and medical aid, including enrolments, withdrawals, monthly reconciliations and third party invoice checks.
- Maintain complete and current employee records, process information according to POPIA, and manage Sage Employee Self Service, time and attendance and leave administration.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, separation administration, training coordination and W&RSETA learnership registration.
- Liaise with the HR Manager, Finance, line managers and external providers on a weekly basis, working independently to fixed payroll deadlines.
Note: The appointment is subject to reference, qualification and criminal record checks, and with your written consent, a credit check. You may also need to travel very occasionally to the Johannesburg and Durban branches.
Requirements
- Matric with Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy
- Preferably a Human Resources or Payroll qualification such as a Diploma or Degree
- A recognised payroll certification would be an advantage
- Minimum of three years payroll and HR administration experience
- At least two years of full responsibility for running a monthly payroll
- Sage payroll experience preferred
- Practical SARS eFiling and e@syFile experience
- Understanding of the SETA environment
- Knowledge of South African labour legislation including the Skills Development Act, SDL, B-BBEE, BCEA, LRA, UIF, COIDA and POPIA
- Bookkeeping and office management understanding
- Excellent written and oral communication and listening skills
- Advanced computer literacy in Excel, Word, Outlook and payroll software
- Strong numerical and analytical ability with accuracy and attention to detail
- Ability to work independently, be proactive and meet immovable payroll and statutory deadlines
- Integrity and professionalism when handling highly confidential information and sensitive people issues
- Excellent people skills with an interest in employee welfare and development
- Ability to liaise at all levels, internally and externally
- Highly organised, able to multitask and organise events
- Advanced payroll skills and ability to administer third party employee benefit providers
Responsibilities
- Capture all payroll input and process the monthly payroll so salaries are paid on the agreed date
- Prepare the payroll reconciliation and variance report for the HR Manager to sign off before release
- Distribute payslips securely and keep all payroll information confidential
- Process third party payroll payments for SARS, retirement funds and medical aids according to the payment schedule
- Submit the monthly EMP201 and arrange payment by the 7th
- Complete interim and annual EMP501 reconciliations via e@syFile and issue IRP5 and IT3(a) certificates
- Calculate, validate and claim the Employment Tax Incentive monthly with supporting records
- Apply for and process SARS tax directives and administer emoluments attachment, garnishee and maintenance orders
- Complete UIF declarations and returns and issue UI-19 and UI-2.7 on termination
- Complete the annual COIDA Return of Earnings and obtain the Letter of Good Standing
- Complete Statistics South Africa returns and check the national minimum wage adjustment each March
- Keep up to date with tax and payroll legislation and implement changes in payroll
- Prepare monthly salary journals and reconcile payroll control accounts for Finance
- Administer the provident fund, group risk benefits and medical aid including enrolments, withdrawals, transfers and monthly reconciliations
- Maintain physical and electronic employee files and process employee information according to POPIA
- Administer Sage Employee Self Service and the time and attendance system
- Calculate overtime, short time, Sunday and public holiday pay and shift allowances according to the BCEA
- Administer all leave types including annual, sick, family responsibility, study, maternity and parental leave
- Support recruitment, induction, probation tracking and separation administration including exit interviews
- Provide administrative support for disciplinary and grievance processes and CCMA administration
- Source training providers, maintain training records and act as W&RSETA project coordinator to claim maximum funding
- Co-ordinate the Consultative Committee and company events like the year end staff party
- Prepare for and support Department of Employment and Labour inspections and audits
- Maintain HR schedules, company registers and employment equity data for B-BBEE verification
Job details
- Organisation
- Ability Recruitment
- Location
- Cape Town, Western Cape
- Job type
- Full time
- Experience level
- Mid (3+ years)
- Education
- Diploma
- Category
- Human Resources
- Application Method
- Apply manually
Success Guide
For a payroll and HR admin role like this one in Cape Town, your CV should lead with the numbers. Recruiters and hiring managers will want to see exactly how many employees you have paid, which payroll software you have used, and which statutory returns you have submitted. So instead of just saying you have payroll experience, say something like processed monthly payroll for 200 employees on Sage Business Cloud Payroll Professional and submitted EMP201 and EMP501 returns. That instantly tells them you have done the job for real.
This role also places a lot of emphasis on POPIA and record keeping, so if you have experience keeping employee files inspection ready or handling benefit administration, highlight that too. And because the listing mentions a credit check, make sure your financial record is in good standing before you apply. Interviews for a job like this usually include practical questions about BCEA calculations, UIF submissions and how you handle confidential information. Be ready to give clear, specific examples from your past work.
How we help you prepare
This employer takes applications on their own website, so you'll submit this one yourself — but SPAAN NOW gets everything ready for you first. Here's how it works:
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- We gather the documents this job needs: CV, Matric certificate, Diploma certificate, Degree certificate, ID copy, Reference letter, Payroll certification and Credit check consent. SPAAN NOW pulls these from your profile and packages them together, ready to attach.
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