You worked the full month but your bank shows less than you expected. You got cash in Butterworth with no slip, or a slip in East London that says “other” for deductions. You cannot check if you were paid right.
Why your payslip is a legal right, not a favour
A payslip is not a favour. It is your proof of pay, hours and deductions.
Under the BCEA (Basic Conditions of Employment Act), your employer must give you a written statement every payday. It can be paper or electronic – PDF on WhatsApp is fine – but you must get it on pay day. Keep every slip. You need it for UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund), SARS (South African Revenue Service), loans, and CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration).
Same rule in Gqeberha, Cathcart, Komani and elsewhere.
What section 33 of the BCEA says you must get
Section 33 says you must get a payslip on payday that you can read and keep. It must show 8 required details. No slip, or cash with no record, is not allowed. Cash is legal only if you also get a full slip.
The 8 details that must be on every payslip
- Employer name and address. Full legal name and address, not “Shop”.
- Your name and occupation. Eg, “Noma – General Worker”.
- Pay period. Dates, eg 1 to 31 May 2026.
- How pay was worked out. If paid by time, ordinary hours, overtime hours, rate and overtime rate.
- Gross pay. Total before deductions.
- Every deduction with reason and amount. Each on own line.
- Net pay. What you take home.
- Hours and rates if paid by time. Must be listed if hourly.
Makhanda example: “160 hrs @ R30.23 + 10 hrs overtime @ R45.34”. “Salary R4500” alone is not enough.
How your gross pay must be broken down
Gross must be split. Basic separate from overtime, allowances, bonus, commission. Overtime is 1.5 times normal rate, double on Sunday and public holiday.
Mthatha example: Basic R5,240 for 40-hour week plus 8 hrs overtime. Slip should show Basic R5,240, Overtime 8 hrs @ R45.34 = R362.72, Gross R5,602.72. If only “Total R5,602”, you cannot verify overtime.
For 2026, National Minimum Wage is R30.23 per hour from 1 March 2026, about R5,240 per month on 40-hour week. EPWP (Expanded Public Works Programme) rate is R16.62 per hour from 1 March 2026.
What deductions are allowed and what must be written clearly
Every deduction must be listed separately. “Other R300” is not allowed.
PAYE (Pay As You Earn). SARS tax. For 2026/27 tax year (1 Mar 2026 to 28 Feb 2027), tax-free threshold is R99,000 per year, rebate R17,820. Below that, PAYE should be R0.
UIF. 1% from you, 1% from employer. Capped at R17,712 per month in 2026, so max R177.12 per side. Earn R8,000 = R80 UIF. Earn R20,000 = still R177.12.
Written consent deductions. Pension, provident fund, medical aid, union fee, staff loan you signed for. Must show name like “ABC Pension R250”.
Court orders. Like garnishee.
No breakage or till short deduction unless you agreed in writing and BCEA process followed: loss at work, fair chance to explain, actual loss only, cannot drop you below minimum wage. Net must match bank.
What is never allowed on your payslip
- No slip at all, even for one day.
- Cash with no record.
- “Other” with no details.
- Job fees: training, uniform, recruitment. If a job in Hogsback asks R500 for uniform before start, that is a scam. See our job scams check.
- Deductions below R30.23 per hour.
- Blanket deductions for stock loss without agreement.
This covers jobs with no matric and retail jobs too.
5 checks you can do in 2 minutes to spot problems
1. Employer name and address real? If only “Boss”, wrong answer means you cannot trace them for UIF.
2. Period and hours match? Worked 45 hours near Butterworth but slip shows 40 with no overtime? Wrong answer means overtime not paid.
3. Gross and net broken down and net matches bank? Bank R4,200 but slip net R4,900? Wrong answer means hidden deduction.
4. Every deduction named? Must see “UIF R77.12”, “PAYE R0”. Max R177.12. Wrong answer means over-deduction.
5. Illegal fees? See “uniform”, “training”, “breakage”. Rate below R30.23? Wrong answer means unlawful.
What the national minimum wage does not include
Bosses in East London say “we add food and transport, so you meet minimum”. Gazette says these do NOT count for NMW: transport, food or accommodation, tools, tips, bonuses or 13th cheque.
Only normal wage counts. R30.23 per hour from 1 March 2026 must be cash wage before extras. Same for EPWP R16.62.
If you earn below R269,600.90 per year from 1 May 2026 (about R22,466.74 per month), extra protection under Section 198B of the LRA (Labour Relations Act) applies.
What to do if your employer will not give you a payslip
1. Ask in writing. WhatsApp: “Please send my payslip for 1-31 May 2026 as required by Section 33 BCEA. My hours were 184 including 12 overtime.” Keep screenshot.
2. Contact Department of Employment and Labour. Visit labour centre in East London, Mthatha, Gqeberha, Komani. Take ID, hours record, bank statement. Or lodge at www.labour.gov.za.
3. Keep own records. Daily write date, start, end, break, total, overtime. Keep roster photos and bank SMSs. Helps inspector and CCMA.
Inspectors can order employer to issue slips and pay owed money. You cannot be fired for asking.
Frequently asked questions
Can my boss pay me cash with no payslip?
No. Cash allowed, but must still give written payslip on payday with all 8 details under Section 33 BCEA. Envelope with no slip means no proof of UIF or rate.
Can my employer deduct money if I break something?
Only if you agreed in writing and BCEA process followed. Must prove loss at work, give chance to explain, deduction cannot exceed actual loss or drop you below minimum. Must show as “Breakage – agreed R150”, not “other”.
Does my payslip prove I am paying UIF?
Yes if it shows UIF. Check 1% up to ceiling R17,712, max R177.12. Earn R7,500 = R75.00. Keep slips for 3 years for UIF claim.
Next step
Pull your last payslip tonight and run the 5 checks. If anything is missing, send your boss a WhatsApp asking for a corrected slip with all Section 33 details and keep the screenshot.