PaySpace
Cloud-native payroll and HR built for multi-country African operations — legislation updates arrive as a service, not as a project.
PaySpace runs payroll and HR from a single cloud platform with a native compliance engine covering statutory rules across more than 40 African countries, plus the UK, Brazil and the UAE — built specifically for employers running payroll across several SADC jurisdictions at once rather than a single-country system stretched to cope. Legislation changes are pushed to the platform centrally as BURS, SARS, ZIMRA and other revenue authorities update their requirements, so a Botswana PAYE rate change or a new ITW-7 reporting field arrives as an update you receive, not a project you commission and wait on.
Pricing is per employee per month rather than an upfront licence, and PaySpace is structured in three editions — Lite for smaller headcounts needing statutory reporting and self-service, Premier for multi-entity organisations with more complex leave and reporting needs, and Master for groups running multi-currency expatriate payroll and API-level integrations. That tiering matters when you're comparing it to Sage's desktop-rooted payroll products: PaySpace was built cloud-first for multi-country operation, so a Botswana head office running payroll for staff in two or three neighbouring countries doesn't need a separate system per country.
The platform now trades under the Deel Local Payroll brand (Deel acquired PaySpace), runs on Azure with real-time failover and a geo-replicated disaster-recovery site so a platform outage isn't why salaries run late, and carries ISO 27001:2022 certification plus annual SOC 1 and SOC 2 audits — the paperwork most procurement teams' vendor security reviews ask for before payroll data is trusted to a third party. Every edition also includes an AI assistant that answers plain-language payroll questions ("why did my net pay change?") for employees and administrators alike, on top of the statutory engine itself.
Lite
1–50 employees. Statutory reporting, essential standard reports, employee self-service, basic single-level approval workflows.
Premier
51–500 employees. Adds detailed reports across payroll/leave/workforce data, multi-level approval workflows, and a sandbox environment for testing changes before they go live.
Master
Enterprise scale. Adds unlimited custom fields and forms, a drag-and-drop custom report writer, and full API-level integration.
Outsourcing
A fully managed option — PaySpace's own team runs the payroll rather than your staff operating the platform.
AI Assist
Built into every edition — answers plain-language payroll questions for employees and administrators without a support ticket.
WhatsApp ESS
Payslips, leave requests and claims inside WhatsApp, with ID-number-and-OTP registration and no separate app or login.
Power BI connector
Connects live payroll data to Microsoft Power BI for real-time workforce analytics and headcount reporting.
Cloud Analytics (QlikView)
Embedded drill-down analytics across pay components, leave balances and headcount history.
Workforce Planning
Model headcount scenarios and plan budgets, aligning team structure to business goals before committing.
Expatriate Payroll
Home and host reporting, gross-up calculations, multi-currency contributions and tax certificates across 40+ countries.
e-Onboarding
Digital employee onboarding — documents, biographical data and induction completed before day one.
Recruitment
Post positions, track applicants, and convert hires directly into payroll without re-keying data.
OrgChart
Visual organisational charts that update automatically as your team structure changes.
Performance management & succession planning
Appraisal templates, goal tracking, feedback and succession planning without a separate tool.
Power Automate
Trigger automated workflows from payroll and HR events using Microsoft Power Automate connectors.
Workday GPC Connector
Certified Workday Global Payroll Connect integration — real-time sync between Workday and PaySpace calculations.
Software
| Feature | Lite 1–50 employees | Premier 51–500 employees | Master Enterprise | Outsourcing Fully managed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cloud-native, single-instance multi-tenant A single, secure online database serving multiple customers simultaneously. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Access on any device Mobile, tablet or desktop — log in and run payroll from anywhere. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Cloud room A secure portal for submitting sensitive information, with full audit trails. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Multilingual system English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, French, Portuguese and Polish. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
API integration (web services) Pre-defined API endpoints for employee data and external data input. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Security roles Role-based access control with specific permissions. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Bulk uploads Import multiple transactions at once — leave, payroll input, new employees — via Excel. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Basic workflows Single-level approval workflow, handled by direct supervisors. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Essential standard reports Pre-defined reports covering essential legislative requirements. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Sandbox environment Test features and calculations in a secure, risk-free demo environment. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Detailed reports Detailed reports across payroll, leave and workforce data — exportable and auditable. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Advanced workflows Multi-level approval processes with customisable workflows. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom fields Unlimited user-defined fields at employee and company level. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom forms Unlimited custom forms at employee or company level. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom report writer Drag-and-drop custom reports from all system data, powered by DevExpress. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Payroll
| Feature | Lite 1–50 employees | Premier 51–500 employees | Master Enterprise | Outsourcing Fully managed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Effortless GL integration Post ledger files directly to Xero, QuickBooks and Acumatica — no manual upload. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
General ledger configuration Pre-defined or custom GL layouts, full control over your general ledger. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Effortless payroll automation Automated payroll management with run-free processes — bank files, payslips, backups. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Unlimited interim payslip runs Generate as many interim payslips as needed within your payroll cycle. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Statutory reporting by country Country-specific statutory reports for monthly and year-end compliance. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Mock payslip generator Generate accurate payslips for recruits, including precise legislative calculations. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Additional tax countries (40+) Specific region on Lite; multi-country tax legislation on Premier and Master. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
AI Assist AI-powered answers for payroll setup and payslip questions — desktop and mobile, 24/7. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
HMRC integration (UK) Direct HMRC integration for real-time UK submissions and automatic compliance updates. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Pension auto-enrolment (UK) Automates the full UK pension auto-enrolment process, assessment to contributions. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Automatic medical scheme rate updates (SA) Automatically updates medical aid rate tables for South African payrolls. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Automated UIF submission (SA) Submits UIF files to the SA Dept of Labour automatically — no manual intervention. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
eSocial integration (Brazil) Built-in integration with Brazil's eSocial platform for real-time statutory submission. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Advanced costing Allocate costs at organisational level, down to project or activity level. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Third-party payment files Simplify payments to external entities using banking files. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Expense claims — one approver Expense claims routed to a single approver — simple, tracked, resolved. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Expense claims — multi-level approval Multi-level expense approval process for complex organisations. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom payslips Tailor payslips with custom configurations, powered by the DevExpress reporting tool. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Retroactive salary calculation Automatically calculates backdated salaries for accurate retroactive pay adjustments. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Multi-currency payment file (expat module) Generate payment files in various foreign currencies for internationally mobile employees. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Automated tax equalisation (expat module) Calculate tax in local currency and convert to foreign currency for international compliance. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
HR
| Feature | Lite 1–50 employees | Premier 51–500 employees | Master Enterprise | Outsourcing Fully managed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Attachments Attach supporting documents to employee records — contracts, IDs, certificates. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
Leave management Leave rules, balances and approval flows, built for local statutory requirements. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Organisation & position management Position records, employment equity groupings, job purpose and minimum skill requirements. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Employee self-service (ESS) Employees access payslips, submit leave, view documents and update their own information. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Deel HRIS sync Basic employee data flows from Deel HRIS into PaySpace; payslips sync back to the employee record. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
e-Onboarding Standard new-hire forms on Lite; customisable forms on Premier and Master. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Asset register, notes and reminders Track assets assigned to employees, log notes, set reminders for key HR dates. | — | ✓ | ✓ | — |
Incident management Track disciplinary actions, hearings and outcomes to ensure compliance. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Training, skills and qualifications Set up training courses, record history, attach skills to positions, search vacancies by skill. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Employment equity (EEA2 & EEA4, SA) Configured to display information required in EEA2/EEA4 payroll reports. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Onboarding & termination notifications Automated email notifications to stakeholders on successful onboarding or termination. | — | ✓ | ✓ | — |
Add-on modules
| Feature | Lite 1–50 employees | Premier 51–500 employees | Master Enterprise | Outsourcing Fully managed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
WhatsApp ESS Employees access payslips, submit leave and query payroll via WhatsApp — no app download. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Breezy Recruitment Find and hire employees sooner — a complete ATS from job posting to offer. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Power BI connector Visualise payroll data in Microsoft Power BI. Build live dashboards for finance and HR. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Cloud Analytics (QlikView) QlikView-powered analytics embedded in the platform. Report across entities without exporting. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
OrgChart Automatically generate visual organisational charts directly from your HR data. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Performance management & succession planning Custom appraisal templates, goal monitoring, feedback and succession planning. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Workforce planning Forecast and analyse workforce headcounts and costs in real time for strategic HR decisions. | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Workday connector Certified Global Payroll Cloud integration with Workday — automated bidirectional sync. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Expat management — multi-currency Multi-country, multi-currency salary processing with a single payslip; automated gross-up and tax equalisation. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Priority project support Dedicated account managers, personalised consultant services and proactive project assistance. | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Payroll is unforgiving: it is either right or it is a crisis. We implement and support PaySpace, Sage 300 People, Sage VIP and Sage Business Cloud Payroll for single companies and multi-entity groups — with statutory compliance, employee self-service and the reporting HR actually uses. And because people-systems start before day one, we implement DirectHire so recruitment feeds payroll instead of preceding it on paper.
Sage 300 People
Deep payroll and HR for larger employers — complex rules, unions, multiple pay cycles and serious reporting requirements.
Migration & parallel runs
Moving payroll is done with parallel runs and reconciliation to the cent — nobody's salary is the test case.
Sage VIP & Sage Business Cloud
Sage VIP for established Southern African payroll practice; Sage Business Cloud Payroll for smaller teams that want compliant cloud payroll without the enterprise overhead — the right size of tool for the size of the payroll.
Recruitment with DirectHire
Vacancies, applicants and offers managed in DirectHire, feeding the employee record that payroll picks up — recruitment-to-payslip as one flow rather than a stack of CVs and a re-typing exercise.
Payslips on WhatsApp with 4edge
Secure, data-protection-compliant delivery of payslips and HR documents over WhatsApp — the 4Sight group's 4edge platform, built for African workforces where a payslip on the phone beats one in an inbox nobody checks.
Payroll support when it counts
When payroll runs on the 25th, our support desk is reachable on the 25th — with penalty-backed response times on contract.
Will the payroll system handle Botswana statutory compliance?
Yes — and that is the bar any payroll system must clear. Monthly PAYE remitted to BURS by the 15th on the ITW-7, the annual ITW-10 employer return with ITW-8 certificates to staff, itemised payslips, and five-year record retention are handled in-system. PaySpace maintains Botswana legislation as an always-current service; Sage 300 People ships the Botswana tax country with statutory updates applied by our team.
Can we switch payroll systems mid-tax-year?
Yes. The requirement is accurate year-to-date take-on balances — taxable earnings, PAYE withheld, deductions — loaded into the new system so your annual certificates still reconcile. Best practice is to cut over at a clean boundary (Botswana's tax year starts 1 July), run at least one parallel pay period, and agree in writing who files the remaining returns.
We operate in several countries — can one system run all our payrolls?
Yes. PaySpace runs native, always-current legislation across more than forty African countries on a single platform with consolidated reporting; Sage 300 People supports multi-country African payroll through its tax country modules. One platform ends the per-country spreadsheet ritual and its penalty risk.
PaySpace or Sage 300 People — which should we choose?
We implement both, so we answer this on fit. PaySpace is cloud-native: nothing to install, legislative updates arrive automatically, priced per employee per month. Sage 300 People is deeply configurable — unlimited companies, complex rules, unions, multiple pay cycles — and suits larger employers with demanding requirements. Deployment preference, country footprint and HR depth decide it.
What does payroll software cost?
PaySpace is priced per employee per month by edition, with unlimited users and pay runs included; Sage 300 People is quoted on modules and headcount. Nobody publishes Botswana price lists, and any figure quoted without your headcount and country footprint is a guess — send us those two numbers and you get a real quote.
Platforms: PaySpace · Sage 300 People · Sage VIP · Sage Business Cloud · DirectHire · 4edge