Employer of Record
Hire in South Africa without setting up a company.
EMPLOI acts as the legal employer for your South African team. You keep day-to-day control; we handle contracts, payroll, tax, benefits, and compliance under local law.
How it works
From approved candidate to compliant employee in days.
Define the role
You choose the function, seniority, and salary. We benchmark it against the South African market and advise on total cost.
We hire under our SA entity
EMPLOI signs a compliant local employment contract with your chosen candidate. You never need to register a South African company.
Onboard and operate
The employee works full-time for you, follows your processes, and reports to your leadership - we manage the SA-side employment relationship.
Payroll and statutory filings
We run payroll monthly, withhold income tax (PAYE), unemployment insurance (UIF), and the skills development levy (SDL), file with SARS (the South African revenue service), and maintain leave, benefits, and records in line with South Africa's core employment statute (the BCEA) and the Labour Relations Act (the LRA), which governs dismissals and disputes.
What's included
Everything you need to employ legally in South Africa.
An EOR is more than a payroll service. We become the legal employer, assume the statutory obligations, and protect you from the compliance risks of cross-border hiring.
Compliant local contracts
Employment agreements reviewed by South African employment counsel, with enforceable IP assignment and confidentiality clauses.
Payroll, tax & statutory filings
Monthly income tax, unemployment insurance, and skills levy submissions to SARS handled end-to-end. Employees receive pay stubs and tax certificates on time.
Benefits & risk cover
We manage private health coverage (medical aid), retirement fund contributions (pension or provident fund), workers' compensation, and leave entitlements according to SA law.
Labor-law compliance
Employment-statute (BCEA), Labour Relations Act (LRA), Employment Equity Act, and privacy-law (POPIA) requirements baked into contracts, policies, and data handling from day one.
Data protection (POPIA)
GDPR-aligned privacy practices, data processing agreements, and secure infrastructure for regulated US workloads.
Day-to-day HR support
Employee relations, performance management, disciplinary guidance, and offboarding - handled by a team that knows both SA and US norms.
Built for South African compliance from day one.
South African employment law is detailed, and US companies rarely have the in-house expertise to navigate it. We build every contract and policy around employment-law, dismissal-law, and privacy-law requirements, so your team is protected and your risk is minimized.
- Employment-statute (BCEA) compliant employment contracts and working-time policies
- Labour Relations Act (LRA) aligned grievance and disciplinary procedures
- Privacy-law (POPIA) data protection and processor agreements
- Monthly income tax, unemployment insurance, and skills levy filings with SARS
- Medical aid, pension, and workers' compensation administration
- IP assignment and confidentiality in every agreement
Why not just incorporate?
Setting up a South African entity costs months, significant legal fees, and ongoing accounting and HR overhead. With EMPLOI, you get the same control without the entity.
EOR vs entity setup
EMPLOI vs doing it yourself.
| Factor | EMPLOI | Setting up your own entity |
|---|---|---|
| Local entity required | No - we are the employer | Yes - incorporate and run payroll |
| Time to first hire | 1-3 weeks, often faster | 3–6 months |
| Labor-law expertise | Included | Hire local counsel & HR |
| Tax & statutory filings | Managed by EMPLOI | Your responsibility |
| Employment risk | Carried by EMPLOI | Carried by your entity |
| Setup cost | Fixed per-employee fee | High legal, accounting, and admin costs |
Comparison is directional. Entity setup timelines and costs vary based on structure and advisors.
Roles we employ
Business processes US companies are moving to SA today.
From engineering seats to entire finance and CX functions, South Africa has the depth to staff full teams. We employ them under our SA entity so you don't have to set one up.
- Software engineers & DevOps
- Finance, accounting & FP&A
- Customer support & success
- Sales development & RevOps
- Data & analytics
- Legal & paralegal
- Marketing & content ops
- HR & recruiting ops
Already using contractors?
Convert South African contractors to compliant EOR employees.
Long-term contractors who work like employees are a misclassification claim waiting to happen: back pay, penalties, and an ugly CCMA case. Our two-week conversion moves them onto a compliant employment contract without disrupting their work.
Common questions
What US companies ask before they hire through an EOR.
Is this legal?
Yes. An Employer of Record arrangement is a recognized way to hire in South Africa. EMPLOI signs a compliant local employment contract with the employee, registers them for income tax withholding (PAYE), unemployment insurance (UIF), and the skills development levy (SDL), and ensures alignment with South Africa's core employment statute (the BCEA), the Labour Relations Act (LRA), which governs dismissals and disputes, and POPIA, the GDPR-grade privacy law.
Who is the employer of record legally?
EMPLOI is the legal employer on paper. We hold the employment contract, run payroll, file taxes with SARS, the South African revenue service, and carry the statutory employer obligations. You remain the operational employer: the hire reports to you, uses your tools, and works to your instructions.
Can we convert to our own entity later?
Yes. You can transition employees to your own South African entity whenever you're ready, with our help and no ransom fees. We coordinate the transfer, reissue contracts under your entity, and keep the employee's continuity intact.
What does offboarding cost?
Offboarding is handled in line with South African labor law. Costs depend on notice period, length of service, and any applicable severance. We calculate the final settlement, prepare the paperwork, and process the last payroll so you are not exposed to unfair-dismissal or underpayment claims.
Ready to hire?
Get your South African team started legally.
Book a 30-minute call with our team. We'll walk you through the EOR model, total cost, and what compliance looks like for your specific role.