Junior Payroll Accountant

O'Brien Recruitment; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

O'Brien Recruitment in Cape Town invites a Payroll Accountant to manage payroll journals, GL postings and reconciliations in a busy finance team.

The role requires meticulous accuracy, strong Excel skills and experience with PAYE, UIF, SDL, EMP201/501 processes, and confidential payroll handling.

Suitable for professionals with 24 years’ payroll experience seeking a hands-on, process-driven environment.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience preparing payroll journals and General Ledger entries.

Responsibilities

• Prepare payroll journals for weekly, monthly and fleet payrolls.
• Process payroll-related General Ledger entries.
• Check salaries, wages, bonuses and deductions for accuracy.
• Ensure payroll transactions are correctly reflected in the General Ledger.
• Identify and assist with correcting payroll posting discrepancies.
• Maintain appropriate supporting documentation for payroll journals and adjustments.
• Prepare regular payroll-related General Ledger reconciliations.
• Reconcile payroll control and balance sheet accounts.
• Investigate reconciling items and follow up on outstanding differences.
• Assist with resolving payroll accounting discrepancies.
• Ensure payroll accounts remain accurately reconciled and supported.
• Assist with the preparation and reconciliation of EMP201 submissions.
• Support the EMP501 reconciliation process.
• Reconcile PAYE, UIF and SDL amounts.
• Assist with payroll tax and statutory payment reconciliations.
• Ensure payroll information is accurately maintained for statutory reporting purposes.
• Prepare and reconcile payroll-related third-party payments.
• Reconcile medical aid contributions.
• Reconcile pension and provident fund contributions.
• Reconcile garnishee and other payroll deductions.
• Follow up on discrepancies relating to third-party payments.
• Ensure payments agree to payroll records and supporting schedules.
• Review payroll reports and identify unusual movements or discrepancies.
• Compare current payroll information to previous periods where required.
• Investigate payroll variances and obtain supporting information.
• Escalate unresolved or material discrepancies to the relevant manager.
• Prepare payroll reconciliations and supporting documents for audit purposes.
• Assist with payroll-related audit queries.
• Maintain accurate payroll accounting records and supporting documentation.
• Assist with correcting identified payroll accounting errors.
• Support the Payroll and Finance teams with ad hoc payroll accounting requirements.

Skills

Payroll accounting

Payroll reconciliations

General Ledger reconciliations

Payroll journals

Statutory payroll knowledge

Third-party payment reconciliations

Advanced Excel

Numerical accuracy

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Deadline management

Confidentiality

Teamwork and communication

Education

BCom in Finance / Accounting

Tools

Sage 300 / Sage 300 People

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Payroll Accounting & Journals
  
  
  
  • Prepare payroll journals for weekly, monthly and fleet payrolls.
  
  
  • Process payroll-related General Ledger entries.
  
  
  • Check salaries, wages, bonuses and deductions for accuracy.
  
  
  • Ensure payroll transactions are correctly reflected in the General Ledger.
  
  
  • Identify and assist with correcting payroll posting discrepancies.
  
  
  • Maintain appropriate supporting documentation for payroll journals and adjustments.
  
  
  
  


• Payroll & General Ledger Reconciliations
  
  
  
  • Prepare regular payroll-related General Ledger reconciliations.
  
  
  • Reconcile payroll control and balance sheet accounts.
  
  
  • Investigate reconciling items and follow up on outstanding differences.
  
  
  • Assist with resolving payroll accounting discrepancies.
  
  
  • Ensure payroll accounts remain accurately reconciled and supported.
  
  
  
  


• Statutory Payroll Administration
  
  
  
  • Assist with the preparation and reconciliation of EMP201 submissions.
  
  
  • Support the EMP501 reconciliation process.
  
  
  • Reconcile PAYE, UIF and SDL amounts.
  
  
  • Assist with payroll tax and statutory payment reconciliations.
  
  
  • Ensure payroll information is accurately maintained for statutory reporting purposes.
  
  
  
  


• Third-Party Payments & Benefits
  
  
  
  • Prepare and reconcile payroll-related third-party payments.
  
  
  • Reconcile medical aid contributions.
  
  
  • Reconcile pension and provident fund contributions.
  
  
  • Reconcile garnishee and other payroll deductions.
  
  
  • Follow up on discrepancies relating to third-party payments.
  
  
  • Ensure payments agree to payroll records and supporting schedules.
  
  
  
  


• Payroll Variance Analysis
  
  
  
  • Review payroll reports and identify unusual movements or discrepancies.
  
  
  • Compare current payroll information to previous periods where required.
  
  
  • Investigate payroll variances and obtain supporting information.
  
  
  • Escalate unresolved or material discrepancies to the relevant manager.
  
  
  
  


• Audit & Finance Support
  
  
  
  • Prepare payroll reconciliations and supporting documents for audit purposes.
  
  
  • Assist with payroll-related audit queries.
  
  
  • Maintain accurate payroll accounting records and supporting documentation.
  
  
  • Assist with correcting identified payroll accounting errors.
  
  
  • Support the Payroll and Finance teams with ad hoc payroll accounting requirements.
  
  
  
  

Minimum Requirements

• BCom in Finance / Accounting , or currently studying towards a relevant finance qualification.


• Approximately 24 years relevant payroll accounting, payroll finance or payroll reconciliation experience .


• Hands-on experience preparing payroll journals and General Ledger entries .


• Practical experience with payroll and balance sheet reconciliations .


• Working knowledge of PAYE, UIF and SDL .


• Exposure to EMP201 and EMP501 reconciliations.


• Experience reconciling payroll-related third-party payments.


• Strong Excel skills .


• Good numerical ability and attention to detail.


• Able to investigate and resolve discrepancies.


• Comfortable working with confidential payroll and employee information.


• Able to work accurately within payroll and month-end deadlines.

Advantageous

• Experience using Sage 300 / Sage 300 People .


• Previous experience working within a finance or payroll accounting team.


• Exposure to weekly and monthly payroll environments.

Skills & Competencies

• Payroll accounting.


• Payroll reconciliations.


• General Ledger reconciliations.


• Payroll journals.


• Statutory payroll knowledge.


• Third-party payment reconciliations.


• Advanced Excel.


• Numerical accuracy.


• Attention to detail.


• Problem solving.


• Deadline management.


• Confidentiality.


• Teamwork and communication.

Ideal Candidate Profile

This position would suit someone who has already gained practical payroll and finance experience and is now looking to build further experience within a structured payroll accounting environment.
Candidates may currently be working as a:
Payroll Accountant Junior Payroll Accountant Payroll Finance Clerk Payroll Administrator with strong finance and reconciliation exposure Payroll Reconciliation Clerk
The position is hands-on and operational rather than managerial , and would be best suited to someone with 24 years relevant experience who is still developing their payroll accounting career.