Solo
Sole proprietors, freelancers and individuals
- Personal income tax return (ITR12)
- Provisional tax where applicable
- Basic bookkeeping and expense records
- Rental income schedule if you own property
- SARS correspondence handled
What accounting and payroll actually costs in South Africa
We publish the market ranges instead of hiding them behind a form. Below is what South African SMEs typically pay, how our Scale Growth Model works, and how to get a fixed written quote for your own business within 48 hours.
Pricing guide
Typical South African market rates
These are the ranges businesses pay in South Africa for each service bought on its own. A bundled PayStream plan combines them into one fixed monthly fee that normally lands below the sum of the parts, because the underlying work overlaps.
| Service | Typical SA rate | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly bookkeeping, small business Driven by transaction volume and how many bank and card accounts there are. | R1,500 to R5,000 | Per month |
| Full outsourced accounting, SME Bookkeeping plus reconciliations, management accounts, VAT and tax filings. | R3,000 to R12,000 | Per month |
| Payroll processing Lower end for simple monthly salaries, higher for weekly wage runs and multiple cost centres. | R150 to R500 | Per employee per month |
| VAT201 return submission Assumes the underlying bookkeeping is current and the VAT control account reconciles. | R500 to R1,500 | Per return |
| Annual financial statements Depends on entity complexity, whether the books were kept properly, and if a review is required. | R5,000 to R25,000 | Per year |
| Company income tax return (ITR14) Includes the tax computation and supporting schedules. | R2,500 to R7,500 | Per year |
| Provisional tax (IRP6) Two periods a year, plus an optional third top up. | R750 to R2,000 | Per period |
| CIPC annual return Plus the CIPC fee itself, which is calculated on turnover. | R450 to R1,200 | Per year |
| Payroll health check A full review of an existing payroll for exposure, with a written findings report. | R3,500 to R9,500 | Once off |
| Accounting file cleanup or backlog Always quoted as a fixed price up front rather than billed hourly. | Quoted on scope | Once off |
Ranges reflect typical South African market rates as at 2026 and vary with transaction volume, entity complexity and headcount. They are published as a budgeting guide, not as a PayStream price list. Your own figure is quoted in writing after a short scoping conversation, and it is fixed monthly.
How we price
The Scale Growth Model
Your accounting cost should track the size of the business, not jump every time you cross an arbitrary line. We scope by headcount and complexity, so the fee moves with you rather than against you.
1 to 5 staff
Micro business finding its feet
- Monthly bookkeeping and reconciliations
- Payroll for up to five employees
- EMP201 monthly and EMP501 twice a year
- VAT201 where registered
- CIPC annual return
- Annual financial statements
6 to 50 staff
Growing SME, our most common plan
- Everything in the tier below
- Monthly management accounts with commentary
- Full payroll including leave and terminations
- COIDA Return of Earnings and Letter of Good Standing
- Provisional and company income tax
- Director personal tax included
51 to 99 staff
Established SME or multi entity group
- Everything in the tiers below
- Multi entity and inter company loan accounts
- Consolidated group reporting
- Complex or multi cycle payroll
- Dedicated director oversight
- Bank and funder reporting packs
The Scale Growth Model is built for businesses up to 99 employees. For larger organisations or complex group structures, contact us for a tailored engagement.
The honest comparison
PayStream, a large firm, or doing it yourself
Each of these works for somebody. This is where the differences actually sit.
| What you need | PayStream | Large firm | DIY software |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct access to a senior accountant | Yes | No | No |
| Fixed monthly fee, no hourly billing | Yes | No | Yes |
| Reply within one business day | Yes | No | No |
| Full SARS compliance (VAT, EMP201, EMP501, IRP5) | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| CIPC annual returns and secretarial | Yes | Yes | No |
| Monthly management accounts with commentary | Yes | Partial | No |
| Property specific accounting and tax | Yes | Partial | No |
| SARS correspondence handled for you | Yes | Yes | No |
| WhatsApp access to the person doing the work | Yes | No | No |
| Scales as headcount grows | Yes | Yes | Partial |
If you have an internal finance team and need a statutory audit signed off, a large firm is the right call and we will say so. If you are a sole trader with twenty transactions a month, software and an annual tax return is enough. The gap in the middle is the one we are built for.
Getting a number
How a quote actually happens
No discovery workshop, no three meeting sales process. A short conversation and a written figure.
- 1
Tell us the shape of the business
Headcount, turnover band, VAT status, how many entities, what software you are on and what is currently going wrong. Fifteen minutes on the phone or a filled in form.
- 2
We check the position
Where you give us permission, we look at your SARS and CIPC status so the quote reflects reality rather than what you believe is up to date. Anything outstanding gets quoted separately and visibly.
- 3
You get it in writing within 48 hours
A fixed monthly fee, a clear list of what is inside the scope, a separate figure for any cleanup, and no obligation to proceed.
Questions
Pricing questions
How much does an accountant cost per month in South Africa?
For a small business, monthly bookkeeping typically runs R1,500 to R5,000 and a full outsourced accounting service R3,000 to R12,000 a month. The range is wide because it is driven by transaction volume, the number of bank accounts, whether you are VAT registered, and how many entities are involved. PayStream quotes a fixed monthly amount for your specific scope rather than a rate card.
What does payroll cost per employee in South Africa?
R150 to R500 per employee per month is the normal range. The lower end applies to straightforward monthly salaried staff on a single cycle. The higher end applies to weekly wage runs, multiple cost centres, complex earnings and deductions, or small headcounts where there is a minimum charge to cover the fixed work of a payroll run.
Why do you not publish exact package prices?
Because a fixed price list either overcharges the simple business or underquotes the complex one, and the second is worse: it leads to scope arguments six months in. We publish the market ranges so you can budget, then scope your actual plan properly and give you a fixed number in writing within 48 hours.
Is there a lock in contract?
No lock in period on monthly plans. We ask for a month's notice so that a proper handover can happen, including transferring the SARS representative appointment and giving your next accountant clean records. Holding client data hostage is a practice we have no interest in.
What is not included in a monthly fee?
Anything outside the agreed scope, and we say what that is upfront. The usual examples are clearing a historical backlog, a SARS audit defence, a company restoration, a due diligence for a sale, or a statutory audit by an independent firm. Each of those is quoted as a fixed price before we start.
Do you charge for phone calls and emails?
No. Queries in the ordinary course are part of the monthly fee. Billing a client for asking a question guarantees they stop asking, and then you find out about the problem at year end.
Will my fee go up as my business grows?
It moves with the scope, which is the point of the Scale Growth Model. Adding staff to a payroll or moving from bookkeeping to full management accounts changes the fee, and we tell you before it changes rather than after. What does not happen is an unannounced annual increase or a surprise invoice for work you thought was included.
Get your number.
Fifteen minutes of information from you, a fixed written monthly fee from us within 48 hours. No obligation.