Blog - openHR

Latest Post

Most Affordable Payroll Software in South Africa

Why Affordability Matters Payroll is one of the most critical functions for any business in South Africa. With SARS compliance, UIF contributions, and leave management requirements, the wrong choice can lead to penalties or frustrated employees. Did you know that South Africa has one of the world's highest SMME failure rates, with 70-80% failing within five years, often due to challenges like regulatory compliance and administrative costs? For small businesses, affordability isn’t just about saving money - it’s about sustainability and growth. That's where true affordability comes in, especially with free payroll software options tailored for South African SMEs. read more

Minimum Wage 2026

In a move aimed at supporting low-income workers amid ongoing economic pressures, Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has announced the new National Minimum Wage (NMW) for 2026. Effective from March 1, 2026, the NMW will increase from R28.79 to R30.23 per ordinary hour worked - a rise of R1.44, or 5%. This adjustment aligns with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of 3.5% plus an additional 1.5 percentage points, as recommended by the National Minimum Wage Commission. read more

February 4, 2026

When is the Budget Speech for 2026?

Every February, South Africans tune in to hear the Finance Minister’s Budget Speech - a moment that sets the tone for the country’s economic year and adjustments to tax rates which directly affect employees. For 2026, mark your calendars: Wednesday, 25 February 2026 is the date when Minister Enoch Godongwana will present the nation’s financial roadmap. read more

January 30, 2026

🎲 HR Calendar Bingo 2026: What’s Coming This Year?

HR doesn’t need fortune tellers - we’ve got annual rituals that repeat with uncanny precision. Here’s your bingo card for 2026, with the details that matter. read more

January 25, 2026

A Clearer, Easier Way to Handle Terminations

Terminations aren’t something HR teams deal with every day. When they do happen, they tend to arrive with a mix of deadlines, emotions, and small but important details that are easy to miss. It’s one of the few moments in payroll where uncertainty can creep in - and where a forgotten step can cost the business real money. read more

January 10, 2026

Introducing Role‑Based Pay Rates

A Smarter, Cleaner Way to Manage Payroll Today we’re excited to release a feature that brings even more clarity, consistency, and dignity to your payroll workflow: Role‑Based Pay Rates. This update allows you to define pay rates directly on a job role, rather than managing them one employee at a time. It’s a small change with a big impact - reducing manual work and eliminating inconsistencies. read more

January 4, 2026

Introducing Third Parties in openHR

A New Era of Compliance Freedom For years, payroll systems have treated third‑party submissions as an afterthought - a tangle of hard‑coded councils, rigid report formats, and expensive “customisations” that somehow never survive the next update. With openHR’s new Third Party Module, that era is over. We’ve built a flexible, transparent, and fully auditable way for South African businesses to manage any third‑party organisation they work with - from bargaining councils to unions, medical aid schemes, IT88s, garnishee orders, and more. This isn’t just a feature. It’s a shift in power. read more

January 1, 2026

Why openHR Can Afford to Be Free

And why the payroll industry’s pricing looks a lot like the Eskom mop scandal South Africans still joke about the infamous R238,000 Eskom mop - a symbol of outrageous markups and broken procurement systems. The public was rightly furious. How could something that costs under R150 be sold for hundreds of thousands of rand? But here’s the uncomfortable part: If you think that markup is bad, wait until you see the payroll industry. Let’s talk about direct costs - not marketing, not salaries, not office plants. Just the raw computational cost of generating a payslip. read more

December 31, 2025

Introducing Two‑Factor Authentication (2FA) in openHR

A new layer of dignity, security, and stewardship for your payroll and HR data At openHR, we design every feature with one goal: to protect the dignity of your business and your employees. Today, we’re proud to introduce Two‑Factor Authentication (2FA) - a simple, powerful way to secure your account using something you know (your password) and something you have (a one‑time code generated on your phone). And as always - this feature is included as standard in our Free tier along with many more unlimited features. read more

December 30, 2025

27% of Our Turnover, Given Back

Every year, we ask ourselves a simple question: If openHR exists to dignify work, how do we dignify the world around that work? This year, the answer was clear. We donated 27% of our turnover to evidence‑based, high‑impact charities - organisations that don’t just do good, but prove it. read more

December 27, 2025

My chat with Google Gemini

We've gone full "Undercover Boss" mode to find out what one of the best bot brains think about openHR and the "Secret Shopper" results are in! Here is the full chat. read more

December 26, 2025

Long Weekend Alert: Strategic Leave Days to Watch in 2026

Every year, savvy employees scan the calendar for ways to stretch their annual leave into loooong weekends - and 2026 offers some prime opportunities. At openHR, we treat these moments not as loopholes, but as diagnostic events in workforce planning. read more

December 11, 2025

South Africa’s 2026 Compliance Calendar

In the world of legacy-aware stewardship, statutory compliance isn’t just about ticking boxes - it’s about preserving dignity, clarity, and resilience. At openHR, we treat each deadline as a diagnostic event: a moment to reaffirm transparency, not scramble for survival. read more

December 11, 2025

South Africa’s 2026 Public Holidays

As we step into 2026, openHR continues its legacy-aware stewardship by documenting the national public holidays that shape payroll cycles, compliance rituals, and workforce planning. These dates aren’t just markers on a calendar - they’re diagnostic events of South African labour. read more

December 11, 2025

Introducing Custom UI Themes in openHR

At openHR, we believe dignity starts with choice - and that includes how your workspace looks and feels. That’s why we’re excited to announce the launch of custom UI themes, giving you more control over your experience. read more

December 2, 2025

Where can I download a blank UI19 form?

Right here. The form can also be pre-completed automatically with openHR. read more

December 2, 2025

How openHR Powers Payroll with 100% Renewable Energy

At openHR, we believe dignity starts with transparency - not just in payroll, but in the infrastructure that powers it. That’s why every payslip, leave request, and audit trail runs on servers fuelled by 100% renewable energy. read more

November 9, 2025

From Trillions to Trust: What Bonuses Really Say About Your Business

As South African businesses prepare for year-end payouts, one bonus has dominated global headlines: Elon Musk’s R17-trillion compensation package from Tesla - the largest ever awarded to a corporate leader. It’s easy to dismiss this as billionaire theatre. But beneath the headlines lies a diagnostic opportunity for every SME: what does your bonus say about your business’s legacy? read more

November 7, 2025

What Is a PAYE Number in South Africa?

If you’re hiring staff and paying salaries above the tax threshold, you’ll need to register for PAYE (Pay-As-You-Earn) - and that means getting a PAYE reference number from SARS. read more

November 4, 2025

Where Can I Get a UI19 Form in South Africa?

If you're an employer in South Africa needing to register or update employee details with the Department of Labour, you’ll likely be asked for a UI19 form. It’s one of those bureaucratic rituals that feels obscure until you need it - and then suddenly urgent. read more

November 4, 2025

Free Payroll Software South Africa: How openHR Empowers Small Businesses

Running a small business in South Africa comes with enough challenges - your payroll software shouldn’t be one of them. That’s where openHR steps in: a proudly South African, cloud-based payroll and HR platform offering a robust free plan designed to simplify compliance, reduce admin, and empower small teams to thrive. Let’s explore the free features included in openHR and how each one can make a tangible difference for small businesses. read more

November 2, 2025