Boost HR Efficiency and Slash Costs with Advanced Digital Payslip Distribution in SA

Learn to cut payroll costs, reduce errors and empower distributed deskless employees with faster, better and more efficient digital payslip distribution in South Africa

Boost HR Efficiency and Slash Costs with Advanced Digital Payslip Distribution in SA

Payslips are extremely important for your employee relationships.

It’s how employees access vital financial instruments for various life events – moving house, applying for credit, or proving employment. 

But, in South Africa, some 97% of the workforce is deskless, meaning they are not all located in a single location, office or building. They’re often distributed across a wide geographical region, and many work at different locations on different days.

This presents many local companies with a unique problem: Most of the big existing payslip distribution solutions such as Sage, Payspace, SAP etc. are designed and built for a desked or office-based workforce.

Here’s how a locally-made, fully-optimised digital payslip distribution solution can help SA companies save on HR and payroll costs and resources…

The Problem: Time and Cost-Intensive Payslip Management

For HR teams, managing payslip distribution is often an administrative nightmare, particularly in businesses with deskless or distributed workforces. 

Many companies still rely on paper-based systems, which means HR professionals spend hours printing, folding, and delivering payslips. 

According to industry data, distributing paper payslips can take up to 27 hours per month for large teams. Not only does this waste valuable time, but it also introduces high costs – averaging around R20 per employee each month.

Beyond the burden on HR teams, employees face their own frustrations. For those without access to office systems or regular email, requesting and receiving payslips can be a time-consuming process. 

Deskless workers rarely have access to email or company apps, making it difficult to receive digital payslips. 

This struggle adds unnecessary delays to essential tasks like applying for finance or securing rental agreements. In a modern workforce, these inefficiencies are unacceptable.

Many Existing Solutions Don’t Work in South Africa

To solve the problem, many companies have tried to move toward the traditional, internationally-developed digital payslip solutions, but not all systems are built for SA’s deskless workforce.

They soon realise the shortcomings:

• Traditional email-based platforms, such as Sage or Payspace, have low engagement rates among employees. 
• South Africa’s high mobile data costs further discourage the use of employee self-service (ESS) apps. 
• Deskless workers either don’t have regular access to email or fail to engage with ESS platforms, leading to more manual work for HR and payroll teams.

In contrast, WhatsApp is one of the most widely used apps in South Africa, with a 95% penetration rate among mobile phone users. 

Jem’s revolutionary payslip distribution solution leverages WhatsApp to simplify payslip distribution, making it easier for workers to access their payslips using a tool they are already familiar with. 

Instead of relying on email or data-heavy apps, Jem’s WhatsApp-based system meets employees where they are, ensuring seamless delivery and higher engagement.

See Jem’s payslip solution in action.

How Jem’s Digital Payslip Distribution Works

Jem’s innovative approach to HR systems is built around a simple yet powerful idea: using WhatsApp, the most popular messaging platform in South Africa, to distribute payslips, keep timesheets and rosters, manage employee communications and even offer valuable employee benefits such as earned wage access. 

This solution is not a replacement for your existing HR or payroll system, but rather an add-on that integrates seamlessly with the systems you already use.

With Jem, setting up your payslip distribution is a quick and painless process that can take as little as two hours:

1. Data upload: HR teams download a CSV file from their existing payroll system and upload it into the Jem Dashboard – a user-friendly web portal. This ensures that employee information is correctly imported.
2. Payslip matching: You then download all PDF payslips from your payroll system and upload them into the Jem Dashboard. Jem’s system automatically matches each payslip to the correct employee.
3. WhatsApp delivery: Once matched, employees receive their payslips directly on WhatsApp. This immediate delivery cuts out the need for email or physical distribution entirely. 
4. Query management: If employees have queries about their payslip, they can simply reply on WhatsApp to get support.

Jem’s solution not only saves time but also dramatically improves accuracy and engagement. 

For example, a South African ceramic manufacturer reduced their payslip processing time from 27 hours a month to just 15 minutes by using Jem. Employee queries dropped from 200+ a month to just two – a 97% reduction in payslip queries.

The Benefits for Employers

For employers, the advantages of Jem’s WhatsApp-based solution go far beyond time savings:

1. Cost efficiency: With paper-based payslip systems costing around R20 per employee each month, switching to Jem's digital solution can save significant resources. Businesses can reduce their monthly payslip distribution costs by up to 90%, making Jem three times cheaper than printing and distribution.
2. Reduced admin burden: By automating the distribution of payslips, Jem frees up HR and payroll teams to focus on higher-value tasks. HR professionals no longer need to spend hours printing, distributing, and fielding queries related to payslips.
3. Fewer errors and queries: Traditional systems are prone to errors, particularly when distributing paper or using manual processes. Jem reduces payslip-related queries by up to 95%, as employees have direct access to their payslips via WhatsApp and can easily resolve their own issues.
4. Seamless integration: Jem integrates smoothly with existing payroll systems. There’s no need for companies to overhaul their HR software or invest in complex new infrastructure – setup takes just two hours, with minimal disruption to existing operations.

Case Studies: Jem Payslips in Action

See how: Jem saved Prosec Security R120k per year on payslip distribution, helped cut DoubleTree Hilton’s payslip queries by 100% and helped save Oryx Group R6M per year on HR administration.

The Benefits for Employees

Jem’s solution isn’t just about making life easier for HR teams – it also significantly improves the employee experience:

1. Easy access: Employees can access their payslips directly on WhatsApp, a tool they already use and trust. This is especially crucial for deskless workers, 95% of whom use WhatsApp as their primary communication channel in South Africa.
2. Fast, convenient service: No more waiting days to receive a printed payslip or struggling to log into complex email or ESS systems. Payslips are delivered instantly and can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
3. Query resolution: Employees no longer need to contact HR for simple requests like reissuing old payslips or resolving basic queries. They can do it themselves via WhatsApp, saving both parties time and frustration.
4. Financial planning and convenience: Having instant access to payslips helps employees manage their financial affairs more effectively, whether they are applying for loans, renting a house, or managing their monthly budgets.