Employee Guide for South Africa

GuideGuides by countryclock icon8 MIN READΒ·calendar iconUPDATED SEP 11, 2026

Toku is your Employer of Record in South Africa, managing payroll, compliance, and HR.

πŸ‘‹ Welcome to Toku. Toku is your Employer of Record (EOR) in South Africa. We employ you through the appropriate local Toku entity and manage the compliance, HR, payroll, and benefits administration connected to your employment. Your day-to-day work, goals, and role direction continue to come from the organization you support.

Your employment at a glance

Item What it means for you
Currency South African Rand (ZAR)
Payroll cycle Monthly. Toku runs one payroll per month in South Africa.
Standard working week Up to 45 hours
Probation period Set in the employment agreement; must be reasonable, generally not exceeding 6 months
Annual leave 21 consecutive days per annual leave cycle

πŸ“„ Your signed employment agreement governs your individual terms, including pay, working hours, probation, notice, and any custom arrangements. Mandatory local law also applies. If this guide and your agreement appear different, contact Toku before relying on the summary.

Pay schedule and payroll changes

You are normally paid monthly, on the last business day of the month. The standard monthly cutoff for payroll changes is generally the 10th, but the exact cutoff can vary by country and organization. Check the Toku: 2026 and 2027 Payroll Calendar and Deadlines or contact Toku before relying on a specific date.

You will receive a payslip for each payroll cycle showing your gross pay, required deductions, and net pay. Keep your bank, tax, and personal information current in Toku, and notify us promptly if anything changes.

Your employment terms and probation

  • Toku issues a compliant local employment agreement for every hire, in a language the employee understands, with written particulars provided within the first week as the law requires.
  • Employment types include indefinite, fixed-term, and part-time. Indefinite is the default.
  • For employees earning below the statutory earnings threshold (ZAR 269,600.90 per year from May 1, 2026), fixed-term contracts may not exceed three months unless the nature of the work justifies it, and repeated renewals can convert the role to permanent.
  • Probation is set in the employment agreement. Statute requires it to be reasonable, generally not exceeding 6 months, and during probation the employer must provide guidance, evaluation, and training before any dismissal for poor performance.

Working hours and overtime

Your normal working hours are stated in your signed employment agreement and may vary by role, schedule, or applicable collective agreement. Toku does not expect routine overtime. Do not work overtime or additional hours unless your manager has approved them in advance. Any overtime or additional-hours treatment follows your signed agreement and mandatory local law.

Leave entitlements

Leave Entitlement Who pays
Annual leave 21 consecutive days per annual cycle (accrues at 1 day per 17 days worked) Employer
Sick leave 36 days over a 3-year cycle at full pay Employer
Parental leave (single employed parent) 4 consecutive months UIF (up to 66% of earnings, capped)
Parental leave (two employed parents) 4 months plus 10 days, shared between the parents as they choose UIF (up to 66% of earnings, capped)
Adoption and commissioning parental leave Shared on the same basis as parental leave UIF
Family responsibility leave 3 days per annual cycle at full pay Employer

Parental leave is paid through UIF benefits rather than by the employer, unless you choose to top it up. Note that South Africa moved to a gender-neutral shared parental leave framework following a 2025 Constitutional Court ruling, with legislation still being finalized; Toku keeps agreements aligned with the current rules.

ℹ️ Your employment agreement, Toku HRIS leave balance, and applicable local rules determine your exact entitlement. Contact Toku if the information shown in your account does not match your agreement or this guide.

Public holidays in 2026

South Africa has 12 statutory public holidays. When a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed (in 2026, National Women's Day is observed on Monday, August 10). Employees who work on a public holiday are entitled to double pay.

Date Holiday
January 1 New Year's Day
March 21 Human Rights Day
April 3 Good Friday
April 6 Family Day
April 27 Freedom Day
May 1 Workers' Day
June 16 Youth Day
August 9 National Women's Day (observed Monday, August 10)
September 24 Heritage Day
December 16 Day of Reconciliation
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 Day of Goodwill

Statutory benefits

Statutory : UIF coverage for unemployment, maternity, illness, and adoption benefits, workers' compensation through the Compensation Fund, and the national minimum wage framework.

Additional Toku benefits

In South Africa, Toku's standard supplemental benefit is Remote Health by SafetyWing. Review 🌍 Global Coverage: Remote Health by SafetyWing for current availability, coverage, eligibility, enrollment, and support information.

Stablecoin payroll and token grants

Where permitted by local law and enabled for your organization, Toku can support token grant administration and allow you to elect to receive a portion of your net pay in stablecoins. Availability depends on your country, your organization's program, and your individual compensation arrangements. These options are not guaranteed components of every employment package.

If stablecoin payroll is available to you, see Toku: Stablecoin Payroll Set Up. For token grant questions, use the Toku: Contact our Team for Support! to reach the Token Grant Administration team.

Annual tax documents

Your IRP5 or IT3(a) covers the tax year from 1 March to the last day of February. It will be uploaded to Documents in Toku in line with the applicable SARS issue requirements. The statutory starting point for ongoing employees is within 60 days after tax year-end, subject to any SARS-approved extension and the requirement to submit an acceptable employer reconciliation before annual certificates are delivered. The applicable reconciliation timetable can therefore affect the annual release date. If you resign, your certificate is due within 14 days after leaving; that departure rule does not wait for the annual reconciliation. SARS: employee tax certificate requirements.

You retain access to your Toku documents after leaving. For a missing or incorrect employer-issued form, email payroll@toku.com with your name, country, and tax year.

Leaving Toku: resigning

Giving notice

Send a formal resignation letter to Toku by uploading it to Documents in your Toku account or emailing customer-success@toku.com. Include your intended last working day, notify your manager, and follow the notice period and any local formalities in your signed employment agreement. Toku must receive formal notice as your legal employer; telling your manager alone is not sufficient.

Your offboarding documents

Toku sends your formal offboarding/termination documentation through DocuSign and uploads it to Documents in Toku. It sets out the applicable departure terms and final-pay arrangements. We do not send a separate personalized general offboarding email. Country-specific certificates and provider notices may arrive separately; complete any required actions in those communications.

You are entitled to a Certificate of Service when employment ends, including on resignation. Toku will arrange this alongside your offboarding records. Your IRP5/IT3(a) is due within 14 days after leaving, as described above. A service certificate records employment facts; it does not automatically include a recommendation. Department of Employment and Labour: Certificate of Service.

Benefits and provider communications

Your benefits are managed by external providers. Check their emails and your provider account or app for coverage changes and any required action. Contact the provider directly to confirm the coverage end date, claims deadlines, and any continuation or transfer options. Review the benefits guide for the relevant provider; where you are enrolled in Remote Health, this is SafetyWing. Leaving employment does not automatically cancel accumulated pension savings. If you need help identifying the right contact, email benefits@toku.com.

Access after you leave

You will continue to have access to your Toku account, including payslips and documents. For help updating your email address, password, or 2FA, email customer-success@toku.com. You can also contact us if any part of your offboarding documentation or next steps is unclear.

How to get help

Toku is your employer and your first point of contact for employment support. For payroll, payslips, statutory deductions, or payroll tax documents, email payroll@toku.com. For benefits support, email benefits@toku.com. For leave, employment documents, immigration, or other employment matters, use Toku: Contact our Team for Support! to reach the right team.

Important

This guide is a general summary and does not replace your signed employment agreement, Toku policies, benefit plan documents, or applicable law. Your exact entitlements may vary based on your work location, tenure, role, collective agreement, or individual terms. Where there is a conflict, the applicable law and binding employment documents control.


Last reviewed September 2026. Source: πŸ‡ΏπŸ‡¦ Hiring in South Africa.

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