Free Payslip Template South Africa
Download BCEA-compliant payslip templates in Excel and Word — free, no signup required
Excel Payslip Template
Editable Excel (.xls) template with working formulas. Automatically calculates gross pay, total deductions, and net pay. Compatible with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc.
- Working SUM formulas for auto-calculation
- Pre-filled sample earnings and deductions
- Company logo placeholder
- Print-ready A4 layout
Word Payslip Template
Editable Word (.doc) document with a professional payslip layout. Easy to customise with your company details. Compatible with Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and LibreOffice Writer.
- Easy text editing and formatting
- Customisable company header
- Employee and employer signature fields
- Print-ready A4 layout
Industry-Specific Payslip Templates
Download payslip templates tailored to your industry — with relevant earnings, deductions, and job titles pre-filled.
Mining & Resources
Includes Danger Pay, Shift Allowance, and COIDA deduction fields
Healthcare
Night Shift and On-Call Allowance fields for medical professionals
Agriculture
Seasonal Bonus and Transport Allowance for farm operations
Education
Research Allowance and Housing Allowance for academic staff
Hospitality
Tips / Service Charge and Meal Allowance for F&B teams
Legal & Professional
Professional Allowance and Cell Phone Allowance for law firms
Logistics & Transport
Driving Allowance and Overtime fields for fleet operations
NGO & Non-Profit
Field Allowance and Housing Allowance for development organisations
What Is a Payslip Template?
A payslip template is a pre-formatted document used by employers to record and communicate an employee's earnings and deductions for a specific pay period. In South Africa, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) requires every employer to provide employees with a written payslip each time they are paid. A proper template ensures you include all legally required information and maintain consistent records for SARS compliance.
BCEA Payslip Requirements — What Must Be Included?
Section 33 of the BCEA sets out the minimum information that must appear on every payslip in South Africa:
- Employer's name and address — Your registered business name and physical address
- Employee's name and occupation — The worker's full name and job title
- Period of payment — The pay cycle (e.g. "1–31 March 2026")
- Ordinary hours and wage — Basic salary or hourly rate
- Overtime hours and payment — If applicable, at 1.5x or 2x the normal rate
- Any other payments — Allowances, bonuses, commissions, etc.
- Any deductions made — PAYE, UIF, pension, medical aid, and any agreed deductions
- The actual amount paid — Net pay (take-home amount)
Our templates include all of these fields plus additional useful information like the employer's PAYE and UIF reference numbers, employee ID, and a payslip reference number.
Payslip Format for South Africa
A standard South African payslip format typically follows this structure:
- Header: Company name, logo, address, PAYE reference number, UIF reference number
- Employee section: Employee name, ID/passport number, job title, pay period
- Earnings: Basic salary, overtime, allowances (travel, housing), bonuses, commissions
- Deductions: PAYE income tax, UIF (1%), pension/provident fund, medical aid, other deductions
- Totals: Gross pay, total deductions, net pay (amount paid to employee)
- Year-to-date: Running totals for the tax year (optional but recommended)
Both our Excel and Word templates follow this standard format and are ready to use immediately.
How to Use the Payslip Template
- Download — Choose the Excel or Word template above and save it to your device
- Add your company details — Replace the placeholder text with your company name, address, and registration numbers
- Enter employee information — Fill in the employee's name, ID, and job title
- Input earnings — Enter the basic salary, overtime, allowances, and any other earnings
- Input deductions — Enter PAYE, UIF, pension, medical aid, and other deductions
- Verify totals — Check that gross pay, total deductions, and net pay are correct (the Excel template calculates these automatically)
- Save and distribute — Save a copy for your records and provide the payslip to the employee
PAYE and UIF on Your Payslip
Two of the most important deductions on a South African payslip are PAYE and UIF:
PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is the income tax withheld from the employee's salary each month. It is calculated using the SARS annual tax brackets (currently 18%–45% for 2025/2026) and must be paid to SARS monthly via the EMP201.
UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) is 1% of the employee's remuneration, with the employer contributing a matching 1%. The maximum monthly remuneration for UIF is R17,712. UIF provides financial relief for unemployed workers, maternity leave, and illness.
If you want these calculated automatically, use our payslip generator instead of a blank template — it applies the latest SARS tax tables automatically.
Payslip Template vs Payslip Generator — Which Should I Use?
Use the template if you prefer working in Excel or Word, want full control over the layout, or need to integrate with existing spreadsheet workflows. Templates are ideal for businesses that already calculate PAYE manually or use an accountant.
Use the payslip generator if you want automatic PAYE and UIF calculations, professional PDF output, multiple template designs, and the ability to email payslips directly to employees. The generator is faster and eliminates manual calculation errors.
Frequently Asked Questions — Payslip Templates
What must a South African payslip include by law?
Section 33 of the BCEA requires: employer name and address, employee name and occupation, pay period, remuneration in money, any deductions made, and the actual amount paid (net pay). Failure to provide a payslip can result in a fine from the Department of Employment and Labour.
Can I use these templates for domestic workers?
Yes. Domestic workers in South Africa are covered by the BCEA and Sectoral Determination 7, which means they are entitled to a written payslip. These templates include all legally required fields for domestic worker payslips.
Are these payslip templates free?
Yes, all template downloads (Excel and Word) are completely free with no signup required. You can download and use them as many times as you need.
What is the difference between a payslip and a pay stub?
They are the same document — a record of earnings and deductions for a pay period. "Payslip" is the standard term in South Africa, the UK, Australia, and India. "Pay stub" is the American and Canadian term. "Salary slip" is common in India and the Philippines.
Do I need to keep copies of payslips?
Yes. South African employers are required to keep payroll records for at least 3 years (as per the BCEA) and 5 years for SARS purposes. The templates make it easy to save copies in your preferred format.
How do I calculate PAYE for the payslip?
PAYE is calculated using SARS annual tax brackets applied to the employee's taxable income, minus any rebates. For automatic calculation, use our payslip generator or the PAYE calculator.