HR and Payroll Generalist Jobs in Johannesburg

A vacancy for an HR and Payroll Generalist is open in Johannesburg through Unique Personnel. The role combines human resources generalist work with hands-on payroll administration, supporting the business through consultation, advice and guidance, and helping to build and maintain excellent relationships between management and employees. Applications close on November 29, 2026, and the advert reference is 80905.

Please note: some duty lines were cut off in the Careers24 detail view, so this post paraphrases only the sections that were fully visible. Applicants should confirm the complete duty wording in the original advert before applying.

About the company and the work

Unique Personnel is the recruiter advertising this role for a Johannesburg business. The purpose of the position is to support the business through consultation, provide advice and guidance, improve efficiency, and build and maintain excellent relationships between management and employees. It is a broad generalist role: one part payroll accuracy and statutory compliance, one part human resources administration, business partnering and employee engagement.

Role details and duties

The advert groups the duties as follows:

• Payroll administration: checking that new employees have the correct documentation and accurately loading them on payroll before the 15th of each month; processing all terminations accurately as per set deadlines and ensuring that employees who have left are removed; capturing accurate information on transfers, salary changes, maternity, staff loans and study loans; and accurately capturing overtime and ensuring that it is duly authorised before processing, to minimise financial risk.
• Payroll reconciliations: accurate monthly reconciliation of payroll accounts, including medical aid, provident fund, PAYE and SDL; accurate payment of monthly reconciliations to third parties as per deadline, before the 7th of each month; reconciling IRP5s annually and submitting them to SARS as per the set deadline to ensure compliance; calculating and making provision for the WCA assessment fee and submitting it to the Compensation Commissioner annually; monitoring and ensuring that statutory and benefits obligations are complied with at all times to avoid fines; and liaising with the finance department to ensure that all statutory payments, including PAYE, UIF, SDL and WCA, are paid on time.
• Registration of new employees: ensuring the existence, communication and application of appropriate policies and procedures; providing management with meaningful and quality reports on new employees, terminated employees and job transfers; communicating to management and staff on payroll-related activities through a business communiqué; assisting with the process of a potential disability where it is expected that an employee will not recover; ensuring that information loaded onto VIP is always accurate and reliable; and compiling accurate quarterly employment statistics and submitting them on time to ensure compliance.
• Payroll queries: monitoring and ensuring that payroll queries sent through the mailbox are investigated and answered correctly; liaising with third parties, such as benefits administrators, in dealing with employee queries when necessary; and keeping customers in the loop about their queries by providing regular feedback about the status of their queries.
• Payroll reports: compiling all required reports within deadlines.
• Job profiling: monitoring and ensuring that there are job profiles for all positions; ensuring that all employees have signed job profiles so that they have a clear understanding of required performance standards; and ensuring that employees transferred to new positions sign new job profiles.
• Business partnering: creating and maintaining productive relationships with allocated business partners through providing advice; meeting monthly with business partners to increase the visibility of HR in the business and its proactiveness; providing feedback on deliverables to the direct manager as per agreed timelines; keeping all informed; and building a positive image of the department through exceeding client expectations at all times.
• Employee engagement: conducting new employee engagement surveys and giving feedback; one-on-one sessions with new employees to ensure they adjust to the culture; one-on-one sessions with existing employees in allocated areas to establish if there are any issues; and addressing issues where necessary to maintain and increase employee morale.
• HR administration: assisting with induction by presenting policies and procedures to new employees; ensuring agreements with service providers are in place and negotiating a reasonable placement fee; maintaining effective relationships with external service providers by evaluating performance through service level agreements; and conducting exit interviews and giving feedback to Line Managers on areas that need improvement.

The advert states no separate experience level label and no separate minimum qualification, so none is shown in the job details for this post.

Requirements

Only the requirements stated in the original advert are listed here: 4 to 5 years of HR Generalist experience with strong experience in payroll working on VIP; extensive knowledge of relevant South African legislation (UIF, SDF, PAYE, WCA); sound knowledge and experience in South African labour legislation (BEE, EE, BCEA, LRA); related experience in all HR component areas, for example compensation and benefits and employee relations; proficiency in the MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); and the ability to use a database for recording and reporting.

Where to find and apply safely

Apply through the original Careers24 advert using the Apply button on this page, which links directly to the Unique Personnel vacancy. Do not pay anyone who promises to secure this job for you, and do not share your identity document, bank details or passwords with anyone claiming to fast-track your application.

Practical tips

Payroll generalist roles are won on accuracy and deadlines, so show evidence of payrolls you have run end to end, reconciliations you have completed on time, and statutory submissions you have handled, including PAYE, UIF, SDL and WCA. Name the systems you have used, especially VIP, and be ready to discuss how you have resolved payroll queries and kept managers and employees informed. Because the role also covers business partnering and engagement, give examples of how you have worked with line managers and supported new employees settling into a team.

How the process works

Applications are submitted through the original Careers24 advert before the closing date of November 29, 2026. Shortlisted applicants can expect the usual screening and interview steps for a human resources role, including a discussion of payroll experience, legislative knowledge and generalist work.

Important information

This post is for information only and summarises the vacancy as advertised. It is not a job offer. Always confirm the requirements, the closing date and the application steps in the original advert before you apply, and note that some duty lines were cut off in the detail view, so the full duty wording should be checked there.

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