Payroll & HR Administrator
wine.co.za
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Job summary
Farm Vorentoe in Hermon is seeking a senior payroll administrator to manage end‑to‑end payroll and HR administration for a high‑volume production environment. You will convert source data into accurate payroll outputs in the VIP system, maintain records, and provide support to managers and staff.
The role requires extensive experience with Sage VIP and Uniclox, strong reconciliation skills, and fluency in Afrikaans and English.
Qualifications
- National Diploma or equivalent qualification in HR, payroll or accounting.
- Minimum 8 years of full-function payroll and HR administration experience.
- Proven experience with Sage VIP and Uniclox time‑and‑attendance systems.
- Professional proficiency in Afrikaans and English.
Responsibilities
- Maintain the approved payroll calendar, cut‑off dates and year‑end activities.
- Process wage and salary payrolls from approved inputs through validation and posting.
- Maintain employee master data and ensure accurate deductions, leave and benefits.
- Capture and validate hours, overtime, shifts, public holidays and allowances.
- Prepare journals and reconciliations, and report payroll variances to Finance.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
(Company) operates as part of the Pick n Pay Group in a listed-group control environment. Payroll and employee data must therefore meet high standards of accuracy, documented approval, segregation of duties, traceability, information security and timely response to internal and external assurance requirements.
To take end-to-end operational ownership of accurate, compliant and audit-ready payroll administration, supported by disciplined HR administration, across a shift-based abattoir and meat-processing environment. The incumbent converts approved Uniclox time-and-attendance data into correct payroll outcomes in Sage VIP, maintains reliable employee and statutory records, reconciles payroll to Finance and provides managers and employees with consistent, practical support.
Prepares, captures, validates, reconciles, reports and retains evidence. May reject or elevate late, incomplete, inconsistent or unapproved inputs.
Line managers and supervisors
Approve hours, overtime, leave, rosters, absences, incentives and factual employee changes at source, within delegated authority.
Finance / authorised signatories
Review the payroll control pack and approve journals, bank files, manual payments and payment release in line with the delegation of authority.
Site Executive / Group HR
Approve headcount, remuneration, structural changes, policy exceptions and high-risk employee‑relations decisions.
Group functions / Internal Audit
Set governance expectations, perform assurance and require timely evidence, explanations and remediation of findings.
Accurate payEmployees are paid correctly and on time from fully approved source data.
Reliable workforce dataUniclox, Sage VIP, personnel records and finance outputs agree.
Compliance
Tax, labour, fund and recordkeeping obligations are completed on time.
Audit readiness
Evidence is indexed, reconciled, approved and available without reconstruction.
Responsive service
Managers and employees receive clear, consistent and confidential support.
Control improvement
Recurring errors and manual workarounds are root‑caused and reduced.
Maintain and communicate the approved payroll calendar, cut‑off dates, review deadlines and year‑end activities for every payroll cycle in scope.
Process wage and salary payrolls from approved inputs through validation, final calculation, pay‑register review, payment schedules, payslips and post‑payroll filing.
Maintain employee master data for appointments, terminations, transfers, promotions, cost‑centre movements, remuneration, banking, tax, leave and benefit elections, supported by authorised source documents.
Capture and validate ordinary hours, overtime, shifts, public holidays, leave, allowances, incentives, deductions, garnishees, employee loans and approved once‑off payments.
Perform pre‑payroll validation for new starters, leavers, negative or unusual net pay, large gross‑to‑net movements, duplicate banking or identity details, unusual allowances and off‑cycle/manual payments.
Complete payroll reconciliation, prepare journals and finance schedules, investigate balancing items and ensure that payroll, general ledger and payment totals agree before release.
Issue payslips and resolve employee pay queries professionally; document, approve and report all corrections, reversals, recoveries and back‑payments.
Execute tax‑year‑end and reconciliation activities, system rollovers and payroll table updates only after validation, approval and appropriate backup.
Administer employee enrolment, biometric or clocking profiles, employee numbers, departments, cost centres, shift patterns, rosters, rules and authorised system access.
Ensure that appointments, transfers, terminations and access changes are reflected promptly and consistently across Uniclox, Sage VIP and supporting HR records.
Run and resolve exception reports for missed or duplicate punches, late arrivals, early departures, unauthorised overtime, absences, roster mismatches, public holidays and leave discrepancies before payroll cut‑off.
Obtain documented manager approval for hours, overtime, shift changes, allowances, absences and corrections; maintain a clear escalation log for late or repeated exceptions.
Reconcile approved Uniclox hours and categories to Sage VIP payroll inputs and investigate differences before payroll is finalised.
Monitor unusual clocking patterns, buddy‑clocking indicators, excessive overtime and access anomalies, and elevate potential fraud, control failure or employee‑relations risk.
Maintain accurate absenteeism, leave and labour‑hour information by cost centre to support workforce planning, productivity analysis and management reporting.
NON‑NEGOTIABLE: No payroll change, overtime payment, banking amendment or manual payment may be processed without sufficient evidence and approval. The incumbent is expected to stop and elevate unsupported transactions.
Operate a documented preparer‑reviewer‑approver process and enforce segregation of duties between payroll preparation, review, bank‑file authorisation and payment release.
Prepare a complete control pack for each payroll cycle, including input registers, masterfile changes, Uniclox exceptions, variance reports, pay registers, reconciliations, approvals and proof of release.
Independently verify bank‑detail changes using the approved identity and call‑back process; do not rely solely on an email, message or unverified attachment.
Perform active‑versus‑terminated employee checks, duplicate identity and bank‑account checks, headcount reasonableness and ghost‑employee risk reviews.
Complete payroll‑to‑general‑ledger, payroll‑to‑bank, statutory, benefit, garnishee and other third‑party reconciliations; investigate and clear reconciling items promptly.
Control off‑cycle, manual and emergency payments through a documented request, calculation, review, approval, payment and recovery process.
Maintain Sage VIP and Uniclox user‑access registers, remove leavers promptly, prevent shared credentials and support periodic access recertification.
Maintain payroll and HR standard operating procedures, control checklists, approval matrices, data maps, calendars and evidence indexes so that processes remain repeatable and auditable.
Respond to Group Finance, Group HR, Internal Audit, external audit and management information requests accurately and within agreed deadlines.
Record findings, root causes, corrective actions, owners and due dates; drive closure and prevent repeat findings through practical control improvements.
Prepare and reconcile PAYE, UIF, SDL and ETI information and support accurate EMP201, interim and annual EMP501, IRP5/IT3(a), SARS eFiling and e@syFile processes.
Maintain UIF declarations and UI‑19 documentation for appointments, changes and terminations, and resolve routine Department of Employment and Labour queries.
Administer Compensation Fund and COIDA/WCA records, including injury‑on‑duty documentation, supporting records and Return of Earnings inputs.
Reconcile and submit approved pension or provident fund, group‑risk, funeral, garnishee and other third‑party changes, contributions and payments.
Retain proof of submission, payment and reconciliation and identify deadline risks early to avoid rejected records, penalties or interest.
Apply the BCEA, LRA, EEA, National Minimum Wage Act, POPIA, COIDA and relevant tax, employment, occupational health and company requirements to payroll and HR administration.
Coordinate recruitment administration, interview scheduling, reference and background checks, offers, contracts and pre‑employment requirements for approved vacancies.
Manage onboarding documentation, induction coordination, employee‑file creation, medical‑fitness and site‑access requirements, policy acknowledgements and probation tracking.
Process approved promotions, transfers, remuneration changes, confirmations, fixed‑term renewals, resignations, dismissals, retirements, retrenchments and other exits across all relevant systems and records.
Maintain complete, secure and audit‑ready electronic and physical personnel files, contracts, leave records, employee correspondence, certificates of service and exit documentation.
Administer employee benefits and fund changes, including entries, dependants, transfers, exits and provider queries, and ensure that payroll deductions and provider records agree.
Maintain training, skills‑development, SETA, Employment Equity and B‑BBEE evidence and support policy, POPIA, occupational health and safety and compliance administration.
Provide practical, neutral guidance within delegated authority on attendance, absenteeism, counselling, misconduct, grievances, incapacity, poor performance and workplace concerns.
Prepare notices, evidence packs, minutes, outcome records, employee correspondence and approved payroll consequences for employee‑relations processes.
Support hearing logistics, dismissal and appeal documentation and CCMA case preparation or liaison; elevate high‑risk, legal or precedent‑setting matters promptly.
Handle employee queries with empathy, consistency and confidentiality in Afrikaans and English and keep a documented record of commitments and outcomes.
Promote consistent application of policies and respectful workplace conduct while remaining fact‑based and protecting the integrity of the process.
Produce accurate management reporting on headcount, payroll cost, overtime, absenteeism, leave liability, appointments, terminations, vacancies, corrections, manual payments and outstanding compliance actions.
Analyse labour‑cost and overtime trends by cost centre and highlight unusual movements, control breaches and emerging workforce risks to management.
Support budgeting, forecasting, remuneration reviews, job data, workforce planning and group reporting with reconciled and clearly explained information.
Treat bank details, identity information, medical information and biometric data as highly restricted personal information and apply approved POPIA, access and retention controls.
Maintain reliable backups, continuity procedures and handover records so payroll can be completed during absence, system disruption or emergency.
- Identify recurring errors, duplicate effort and manual workarounds and implement approved improvements with Finance, Operations, Group functions and system providers
CONTROL STANDARD: The payroll is not complete when employees have been paid. It is complete when the source data, system outputs, reconciliations, approvals, payment evidence and statutory records form one coherent, indexed and reviewable audit trail.
1. Payroll calendar and cut‑off
Approved calendar, input register, late‑input log and cut‑off communication.
2. Masterfile changes
Sage VIP change report matched to approved appointment, transfer, remuneration, tax, benefit and termination documents.
Independent identity and call‑back verification, approval and change report.
As occurred Reviewer
Signed time, overtime, leave, roster and exception reports; reconciliation to payroll inputs.
Each cycle Line manager / payroll
5. Employee existence and duplicates
Active‑versus‑terminated review, duplicate ID and bank checks, headcount reasonableness and ghost‑employee review.
6. Variance and reasonableness
Gross‑to‑net, payroll cost, overtime, allowance, deduction, net‑pay and manual‑payment variance explanations.
7. Pay register and release
Final pay register, preparer‑reviewer‑approver sign‑off, bank‑file control totals and payment authorisation.
Each cycle Finance approver
8. Finance reconciliation
Sage VIP to general ledger, journals, cost centres, bank and clearing‑account reconciliation.
9. Statutory and third parties
PAYE, UIF, SDL, ETI, retirement fund, garnishee and other reconciliations with proof of submission/payment.
Monthly / biannual / annual
10. System access and changes
Current Sage VIP and Uniclox access lists, leaver removals, privileged‑access review, change log and backup evidence.
Quarterly / on change
11. Record retention and POPIA
Secure indexed evidence pack, restricted access, retention schedule and controlled disposal.
Ongoing Annual review
12. Findings and remediation
Audit‑request tracker, finding, root cause, action owner, due date and closure evidence.
Monthly until closure
ESCALATE BEFORE RELEASE: Unsupported or late payroll changes; unapproved overtime; duplicate identity or bank details; payment to a terminated employee; unexplained material variance; unreconciled control account; unauthorised manual or off‑cycle payment; conflicting system access; suspected clocking or payroll fraud; data breach; or a statutory deadline at risk.
- Relevant National Diploma or equivalent qualification in Human Resources, Payroll, Accounting or a related field.
- At least 8 years of full‑function payroll and HR administration experience, including proven experience operating independently with full payroll accountability.
- Demonstrated wage and salary payroll experience in a shift‑based production, manufacturing, FMCG, agriculture, logistics or comparable environment.
- Advanced hands‑on Sage VIP Premier/Classic capability; super‑user level is strongly preferred.
- Practical working experience with the Uniclox time‑and‑attendance/clocking system.
- Strong payroll reconciliation, statutory, benefit, HR record and audit‑preparation experience.
- Professional written and spoken Afrikaans and English.
- Valid Code EB driver’s licence and reliable transport for an on‑site position in Hermon.
- Bookkeeping, payroll practitioner or related certification.
- SAP or comparable ERP/finance integration exposure.
- Experience in a listed‑company, corporate group or strongly audited control environment.
- Exposure to abattoir, meat‑processing, food‑manufacturing or high‑volume labour operations.
- Experience with employee relations, CCMA administration, Employment Equity, B‑BBEE, SETA and skills‑development evidence.
- Experience improving payroll processes, control matrices, standard operating procedures and audit remediation.
Sage VIP payroll processing, payroll reports, masterfile controls, tax‑year‑end and reconciliations.
Uniclox employee administration, shifts, rosters, clocking exceptions, overtime and payroll integration or export controls.
Strong Microsoft Excel capability, including lookups, reconciliation, data validation, exception analysis and clear management reporting.
SARS eFiling and e@syFile, UIF, Compensation Fund/ROE and benefit‑provider portals.
Working knowledge of South African payroll, tax, employment, privacy and occupational‑health requirements.
Document control, evidence indexing, access control, change management, backup and business‑continuity disciplines.
- Exceptional integrity, discretion and confidentiality.
- Meticulous accuracy and strong reconciliation ability.
- Control‑minded and willing to challenge unsupported inputs.
- Deadline discipline and calm performance under pressure.
- Analytical judgement and practical problem‑solving.
- Hands‑on, independent, accountable and dependable.
- Tactful, assertive communication across shop‑floor and management levels.
- Service‑oriented without compromising controls or consistency.
- Resilient, adaptable and comfortable with change.
- Strong planning, organisation, follow‑through and team collaboration.
NO.
MEASURE
EXPECTED STANDARD
1
All payrolls completed by the approved cut‑off and payment deadline; no avoidable late payment.
2
Payroll accuracy
No material payroll errors; corrections are limited, fully approved, tracked and root‑caused.
3
All changes, hours, overtime, leave and payments are supported and approved before processing.
4
Clocking and attendance exceptions are resolved or formally approved before payroll finalisation.
5
Reconciliation and sign‑off
Payroll, bank, general ledger, statutory and third‑party reconciliations are complete, balanced and reviewed.
6
Compliance
Statutory and third‑party submissions are on time, with no avoidable penalties, interest or rejected records.
7
Audit requests are met by the deadline; findings are closed on time and repeat findings are prevented.
8
Data and records
Employee master data, personnel files, benefits and access records are current, secure and audit‑ready.
9
Payroll and HR queries are acknowledged and resolved within agreed service levels and with clear communication.
10
Management information
Accurate reports are delivered on time and highlight material labour‑cost, overtime, absence and control risks.
This is a full‑time, on‑site role at Farm Vorentoe, Hermon, with regular engagement with production, operational and finance teams.
Food‑safety, hygiene, PPE, access‑control and occupational‑health and safety requirements apply when entering operational areas.
Early, late or extended hours may be required at payroll cut‑off, tax year‑end, during audits, system incidents or urgent employee‑relations matters.
The role handles highly confidential personal, payroll, medical, banking and biometric information and is subject to strict confidentiality obligations.
E&OE - liquor licence WCP/040589
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