Payroll Specialist Africa

Aggreko; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy solutions provider is seeking a Payroll Specialist for Africa. The role requires managing payroll operations across multiple African countries, ensuring accuracy and compliance, as well as timely execution. The ideal candidate should have at least 5 years of experience in HR/payroll and possess strong stakeholder management skills. Understanding of local labour laws and multilingual proficiency (French and English) is essential. This position is based in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of proven experience in an HR/payroll department.
• Experience in multinational companies.
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment.

Responsibilities

• Process payroll accurately and on time.
• Manage shadow payrolls where appropriate.
• Ensure compliance with legal requirements in each country.
• Respond to employee payroll inquiries and resolve issues.

Skills

Technical knowledge of payroll

Accuracy and attention to detail

Strong stakeholder management

Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills

Good knowledge of local labour laws

Fluent in French and English

Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities

Proven experience in HR/payroll department

Tools

MS Office, mainly Excel

Workday

Job description

Job title: Payroll Specialist Africa

Job Location: Gauteng, Johannesburg

Deadline: November 23, 2025

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Role Description

The Payroll Specialist – Africa is responsible for managing payroll operations across multiple African countries, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely execution.

Detailed Description

Position holder ensures colleagues are paid accurately and on time with correct withholding and deductions. Support colleagues by resolving queries quickly and professionally, and supporting the business by providing accurate calculations, analysis, information and reports. Working with vendors to ensure the continuous improvement of the payroll processes, playing a key role in Payroll projects and initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Process payroll accurately and on time each month across our African countries always ensuring the best colleague experience is our first priority.
• Consolidate, review and process all payroll changes within agreed timelines. Follow the internal process to request the validations and approvals of payrolls and store evidence of all input applied in the payroll cycle.
• Management of shadow payrolls where appropriate.
• Management & tracking of internal company loans.
• Maintain accurate payroll records ensuring payroll data is aligned in Workday and payroll systems.
• Ensure compliance with legal requirements in each country and internal payroll processes and controls.
• Partner with finance payroll lead to build a professional working relationship with external Payroll providers, and hold them to account on agreed KPIs.
• Review, implement and govern our payroll controls across end to end payroll processing cycle.
• Providing information and producing reports including payroll calculations for new hires, international transfers, exiting employees. Carrying-out calculations, checks and analysis.
• Communicating effectively with internal and external stakeholders
• Respond to employee payroll inquiries and resolve issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Pay-slip management, including timely and accurate uploading of employee pay-slips to Workday, and pay-slip simulation requests.
• Drive payroll continuous improvements initiatives and support / lead payroll projects.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee records and sensitive payroll information. Use official channels of communication and data exchange to ensure traceability and security of payroll information.
• Develop understanding of Payroll Database to be able to create reports on demand.
• Support internal and external statutory audits providing the required payroll information in a timely manner.
• Responsible for documenting, updating and evolving payroll processes as required.

Key performance indicators

• Payroll accuracy rate
• Timeliness of payroll processing
• Number of resolved payroll queries
• Compliance audit success rate
• Stakeholder satisfaction score

What we’re looking for

• Technical knowledge of payroll
• At least 5 years of proven experience in an HR / payroll department
• Good knowledge of local labour laws
• Ability to work in a multicultural environment
• Strong stakeholder management across remote teams
• Resilience in handling complex payroll scenarios
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Discretion and confidentiality
• Flexible approach
• Experience in multinational companies
• Good knowledge of French and English languages
• Good knowledge of accounting linked to payroll bookings and reconciliations
• Excellent skills on MS office, mainly excel
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
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