Start with the salary, employer contributions and benefits. Then add the EOR fee, any currency charges and services billed separately. A refundable deposit is money you need upfront, even though it is not a monthly fee.
What goes into the monthly cost?
South African employer UIF and SDL are separate from an EOR’s management fee. UIF normally adds 1% of contribution remuneration, capped at R177.12 per month. SDL is 1% of leviable remuneration where the employer is liable. Employee PAYE and employee UIF are withheld from gross pay, rather than added again as employer costs.
Whether SDL applies depends on the legal employer. The R500,000 threshold considers remuneration for all its employees over the following twelve months, not only one client’s hire. Ask the EOR to name the employer and show how it worked out the levy.
Compensation Fund assessments depend on the employer’s classification and assessed earnings. Ask the provider to price the benefits, any sector rules and the assessment charge for this role. Confirm invoice taxes and the taxable base separately; do not add a blanket tax percentage to the entire payroll without checking its treatment.
This example uses R50,000 gross pay, a liable employer, no UIF exemption and an agreed R1,500 benefits budget. It assumes the benefit budget does not add to the SDL base. A payroll calculation must confirm the treatment of the actual benefits.
Employment cost
Monthly amount
Assumption
Gross monthly salary
R50 000,00
Illustrative salary
Employer UIF
R177,12
1% up to the R17,712 monthly contribution ceiling
Employer SDL
R500,00
Assumes a liable employer and R50,000 leviable remuneration
Agreed benefits budget
R1 500,00
Illustrative employer cost, not a statutory minimum
Selected employment subtotal
R52 177,12
Before the unpriced items below
This is still not the full quote.
You still need a price for the EOR fee, Compensation Fund assessment, invoice taxes, optional services and any deposit. None of those is counted as zero. Paid leave is included in ongoing salary, but accrued leave and termination obligations can affect the final payroll.
Where can currency conversion add to the bill?
A currency margin can add much more when it is charged on salary and employer costs, not only the EOR fee. Ask which invoice lines are converted, the reference rate, when the rate is fixed and whether bank charges are separate.
If the entire R52 177,12 monthly subtotal is converted, a 2.5% or 3% margin adds the amounts below. These are illustrative rates, not an allegation about any listed provider.
Illustrative margin
Extra per month
Extra over 12 months
2.5%
R1 304,43
R15 653,14
3%
R1 565,31
R18 783,76
The example applies the margin to every line of the selected employment subtotal. If additional charges are also converted, the base is higher. If only part of the bill needs conversion, use that smaller base. Deposits are a separate cash-flow calculation.
What each provider charges
Local service availability and advertised prices were reviewed through 24 September 2026. Additional terms below draw on the existing global source review and are questions to confirm in your South Africa agreement. Prices exclude the employment costs above.
Remofirst
From R3 232 est.per employee / monthUSD 199 advertised
Advertised original fee USD 199 per employee / month. Country-specific quote. No annual contract advertised.
FX
No fixed EOR conversion margin established. Ask for the benchmark, timing and amount being converted; contractor pricing is a different product.
Extras
Provider says no setup or termination service fee. Benefits, immigration and other optional services can add cost.
Deposit
Offboarding guidance describes a deposit refund after final costs, but no standard amount or fixed deadline was established.
Leaving
No annual commitment advertised. Employment notice and final payroll obligations still apply.
From R9 729 est.per employee / monthUSD 599 advertised
Advertised original fee USD 599 per employee / month. EOR starting fee. Ask for South African terms and included support.
FX
The help guide explains forward exchange rates but gives no universal percentage margin. Payment-processing fees are separate and depend on the payment method.
Extras
Check immigration, non-local-currency payroll and payment-method charges against your hire. A PEO promotion is not an EOR commitment.
Deposit
A deposit may be required. Refund guidance ties release to termination and settlement; get the applicable deadline in your agreement.
Leaving
Confirm offboarding and legal service charges separately from notice, accrued holiday and other employment costs.
Advertised original fee USD 599 per employee / month. Published USD fee. Monthly terms; employment costs are separate.
FX
Teamed states zero FX markup across currency pairings and shows the invoice rate against a mid-market reference. Confirm the benchmark, conversion timing and covered pairs for your funding and payroll currencies.
Extras
No setup fee is advertised. Contractor management is a separate product from USD 49 per contractor per month. Ask for optional services and statutory employment costs itemised in the quote.
Deposit
A refundable deposit equal to one month's gross salary is held against employment liabilities, rather than added to the monthly service fee. Confirm its calculation and refund deadline.
Leaving
The service agreement is monthly with no general exit fee, and Teamed offers a 90-day satisfaction guarantee. Offboarding during the employee's first three months may still carry a charge. Confirm how the guarantee and that exception interact; statutory employee notice also applies.
From R8 105 est.per employee / monthUSD 499 advertised
Advertised original fee USD 499 per employee / month. EOR starting fee; scope and country pricing require a quote.
FX
Published policies distinguish EOR funding rates from transfer rates. Processing components or buffers may apply; no single universal spread is established.
Extras
Ask for the precise EOR package and any implementation, benefit, immigration or payment charges. Payroll-only prices are different products.
Deposit
Request a South African-specific deposit and funding schedule, including release conditions. Do not apply another customer’s negotiated contract.
Leaving
Get the fees, notice and transfer process for your signed package. A contractor plan’s no-deposit statement does not establish EOR terms.
We convert advertised fees using the European Central Bank reference rates dated 22 Sept 2026, then round to the nearest rand. USD 1 is approximately R16.2418. EUR 1 equals R18.6180 and USD 1.1463 in that reference. These are comparison estimates, not rates offered by a provider or bank.
Each fee keeps its original currency and billing conditions. A global starting price does not establish the fee for a particular South African hire. Ask for a written quote in the currency you will pay, plus a sample invoice showing every extra charge.
Remofirst
