Businesses
Employers registered with SARS for PAYE or SDL register for UIF with SARS, at the same time as PAYE.
- Registered on eFiling
- Paid with your EMP201
- Employee details declared
UIF · Employers & households
UIF registration for employers and domestic workers
If anyone works for you for 24 hours or more a month, you must register them for UIF and declare and pay contributions every month. We register you through the right channel, SARS or the Department of Employment and Labour's uFiling, and keep the declarations right so your workers can claim when they need to.
Businesses and householdsSARS or uFilingMonthly declarations
What's included
UIF done properly, from day one
Registration, monthly declarations and payments, so your workers' claims go through when they need them.
Domestic workers
Domestic workers, gardeners, nannies and caregivers registered on uFiling with the Department of Employment and Labour.
- UI-8D employer registration
- UI-19 for each worker
- Monthly payment by the 7th
Monthly declarations
Every month's earnings declared, so the UIF record matches what each worker was paid.
- New starters added
- Pay changes updated
- Leavers recorded
Never registered?
We register you now, declare the months you missed and work out what is owed, before an inspector does.
- Arrears calculated
- Declarations brought up to date
- Back on track
Leavers and claims
When someone leaves, their details are updated and they get a completed UI-19, so their claim is not held up.
- Termination declared
- UI-19 issued
- Claim-ready records
The whole payroll
UIF is one part of payroll. We can run the payslips, PAYE, SDL, EMP201 and EMP501 too.
Payroll services →Who must register for UIF?
Almost every employer in South Africa. If someone works for you for 24 hours or more a month, you must register as an employer with the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and register that person too. That includes domestic workers, gardeners, nannies and caregivers employed by households.
The main exclusions are people who work for you for less than 24 hours a month and certain categories of government employees. If you are not sure whether someone counts, ask us before you decide not to register them: back-payments are far more expensive than registering on time.
How to register: SARS or uFiling?
There are two routes. Which one you use depends on whether you are registered with SARS as an employer:
| Your situation | Where you register | How you pay |
|---|---|---|
| Business registered with SARS for PAYE or SDL | SARS, through eFiling, together with your PAYE registration | Monthly on the EMP201, by the 7th |
| Household employing a domestic worker, gardener or nanny | Department of Employment and Labour on uFiling (UI-8D employer form and a UI-19 for each worker) | Monthly on uFiling, by the 7th |
| Small employer not registered with SARS for PAYE or SDL | Department of Employment and Labour on uFiling | Monthly on uFiling, by the 7th |
The Department also accepts the forms by email, by post or at a labour centre, but uFiling is quickest and leaves a clear record of what you submitted and when.
How much is UIF?
UIF is 2% of each worker's monthly pay: 1% deducted from the worker and 1% paid by you. It is calculated on earnings up to a ceiling of R17 712 a month, so the most anyone pays is R177.12 each, or R354.24 together.
| Monthly pay | Worker (1%) | Employer (1%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| R5 000 | R50.00 | R50.00 | R100.00 |
| R12 000 | R120.00 | R120.00 | R240.00 |
| R25 000 (above the ceiling) | R177.12 | R177.12 | R354.24 |
Monthly declarations and payments
Registering is only the start. Every month you must declare each worker's earnings to the UIF and pay the contributions by the 7th of the following month: on the EMP201 if you are registered with SARS, or on uFiling for households. Add new workers when they start, update pay when it changes, and when someone leaves, record the termination and give them a completed UI-19.
Keep a copy of every declaration and proof of payment for at least five years. It is your evidence if a claim is queried or an inspector calls.
Claiming UIF as a worker
Workers claim unemployment, illness, maternity, parental and adoption benefits, and dependants can claim after a worker's death, from the Department of Employment and Labour on uFiling or at a labour centre. A claim can only be paid if the employer registered the worker and declared their earnings, which is why the monthly declarations matter so much.
Is your claim stuck because an employer never registered you? Report it to the Department of Employment and Labour at your nearest labour centre. It can require the employer to register you and pay what is owed.
What if you never registered?
Registering late is far better than not at all. The Department of Employment and Labour can require contributions to be paid back to the date employment started, with interest, and its inspectors can issue a compliance order. We register you, work out the arrears and declare the missing months, so the problem is solved before it becomes an inspection.
Tip: Employing someone for the first time? Register before their first payday and diarise the 7th of every month. It takes minutes once it is set up.
Key numbers
UIF at a glance
The figures every employer needs to know.
24 hours a month
Who must be registered
Anyone who works for you for 24 hours or more a month.
1% + 1%
Contributions
1% from the worker and 1% from the employer.
R17 712
Monthly earnings ceiling
Maximum contribution R177.12 each.
By the 7th
Declare and pay
Every month, for the month before.
Contribution rules are set by the Unemployment Insurance Contributions Act; we keep up with every change.
Ask us about UIF
How it works
Registered in three steps
Send us the details; we handle the forms.
Tell us who works for you
Names, ID numbers, start dates and monthly pay for each worker.
We register you
On SARS or uFiling, whichever applies, and declare every worker.
Monthly, on time
Declarations and payments by the 7th, every month, as part of your payroll.
FAQ
Good questions, quick answers
Do I have to register my domestic worker for UIF?
Yes, if your domestic worker works for you for 24 hours or more a month. Households register on uFiling with the Department of Employment and Labour and pay 1% of the wage, plus 1% deducted from the worker, every month.
How much UIF must I pay?
2% of the monthly wage: 1% from the worker and 1% from you, on earnings up to R17 712 a month. The maximum is R177.12 each.
When must UIF be paid?
By the 7th of the month after the wages were paid, on the EMP201 for employers registered with SARS, or on uFiling for households.
Do I register for UIF with SARS or the Department of Labour?
Businesses registered with SARS for PAYE or SDL register for UIF with SARS. Households, and employers not registered for PAYE or SDL, register with the Department of Employment and Labour on uFiling.
Which forms are used for UIF registration?
Households use the UI-8D to register as an employer and the UI-19 to declare each worker. Employers registered with SARS register on eFiling and declare their workers' details to the UIF every month.
My employer never registered me. Can I still claim?
Your claim depends on your employer's registration and declarations. Report it to the Department of Employment and Labour, which can require the employer to register you and pay the arrears.
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Your contactTherèse Mellett
WhatsApp076 771 8483
Call us076 771 8483
Emailinfo@Office hoursMon – Thu · 08:30 – 17:00
Fri · 08:30 – 14:00
Based inElarduspark, Pretoria East
Fri · 08:30 – 14:00
Serving all of South Africa: the whole of Gauteng (Pretoria, Centurion, Johannesburg, Midrand and more), Cape Town, Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) and everywhere in between — everything is handled by email, WhatsApp and phone, so there is no need to come in.
Need UIF registration sorted?
Send us a WhatsApp and we will register you through the right channel.