Payroll in South African businesses has grown and is stealing a great deal more of the corporate limelight than has been the case in the past.  This was confirmed by experts in HR and payroll administration recently at the South African Payroll Association’s (SAPA) annual National Conference, hosted in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg in August and the first week of September.

The event, presented under the theme Payroll on Broadway was chaired by television presenter and veteran journalist Jeremy Maggs, who reminded delegates of the significance of two key trends being mobile payroll and outsourcing.

The Association also secured the attendance of speakers, representing companies and organisations from across the spectrum of South Africa’s HR and payroll market. These speakers covered numerous topics that continue to have a direct influence on these business disciplines, including the art of networking, South African Labour Market trends 2013, SARS, Data Analytics and the function of payroll, changes in payroll over time, tax updates, employee benefits, and training available to payroll administrators and managers, amongst others.

Several high profile industry stalwarts participated including Payroll Giving’s advocate Dawie Crous, Sagren Govender from UIF, Daleen Meinhardt, Human Capital Management Solutions, Business Connexion; Mariana Stander, Tax Consulting SA, Jody Cedras, Director: Registration and Recognition, as well as Teryl Schroenn, CEO of Accsys.

SAPA’s executive committee was pleased to host special guest Dan Maddux, representing the American Payroll Association (APA). Attendance by global representatives is indicative of SAPA’s growing international relevance.

All aspects of payroll were covered in the presentations, including an emphasis of the importance of qualifications within the payroll discipline.

SAPA Board Director Val Forrest announced that the Payroll Diploma is being integrated into a BCom NQF Level 6 Degree and this line of study should be seriously considered. It will also be counted as a learnership for companies, Forrest reminded delegates.

Whilst the Association paid homage to the new-found respect that Payroll now receives in business, emphasised by technology, evolving legislation and changes in HR management, the Body retained its very prominent focus on the practical, logistic aspects of payroll management in business.

Among the main topics discussed were tax, UIF and social security reform, the influence of payroll giving, connection with- and exposure to international payroll bodies and related affiliation, labour market developments and the value of networking in general.

“We successfully offered something for everyone,” says James McKerrell, Chairperson of the Association. “Although we kept to a tight schedule that was filled with presentations which reflected the serious side of payroll and the very real challenges that do exist, particularly in terms of life-long learning, we managed to demonstrate the ‘human’ side, the fact that people represent the core of payroll – without them, the payroll administration function would not work and the business, ultimately, would fail.”