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Take-home salary calculator South Africa
Estimate South African take-home salary for the 2026/27 tax year after PAYE, UIF, pension contributions and the basic medical scheme fees tax credit.
Last reviewed 14 October 2026 · next scheduled review 25 February 2027 · runs entirely in your browser
How to use it
- Enter your gross monthly salary - This is your salary before any deductions, as it appears on your offer letter.
- Set your pension or provident contribution - Enter the percentage your employer deducts. Government employees typically contribute 7.5%.
- Select your age band - Age affects which rebates reduce your PAYE.
- Read the breakdown - The table shows each deduction separately so you can check your payslip against it.
Government employees typically contribute 7.5%.
Enter 0 if you have no medical scheme. Uses 2026/27 monthly credits; other medical deductions are not included.
Your estimated take-home
R0
estimated net pay per month
| Gross monthly salary | R0 |
|---|---|
| Pension contribution | R0 |
| PAYE after rebates and medical credit | R0 |
| Medical scheme tax credit | R0 |
| UIF (1% employee) | R0 |
| Estimated net pay | R0 |
Estimate only for the 2026/27 tax year. It includes the basic medical scheme fees tax credit, but not fringe benefits, additional medical expense credits, all payroll-specific deductions or the full tax treatment of every bonus. Confirm your PAYE with your employer or SARS.
Enter gross monthly salary, pension percentage, age, medical scheme members and any annual bonus to estimate net pay after 2026/27 PAYE, employee UIF and pension deductions.
What comes off your gross salary before you are paid
A South African payslip usually carries four deductions before the net amount: PAYE, the employee's UIF contribution, a pension or provident fund contribution, and anything you instructed your employer to deduct, such as a medical scheme contribution, a retirement annuity, a garnishee order or a staff loan.
The estimate models the first three, because they are the ones that apply to almost everyone. Everything else is personal: two employees on the same gross salary with different medical aid and pension arrangements can take home amounts that differ by a few thousand rand a month, and neither payslip is wrong.
Why the UIF ceiling matters more than the rate
UIF is simple: 1% of your earnings, matched by another 1% from your employer, up to a monthly earnings ceiling. Below the ceiling the contribution rises with your salary; above it, the contribution stops growing. Anyone earning well above the ceiling pays exactly the same rand amount in UIF each month.
That ceiling also determines the maximum benefit if you are ever retrenched, which is why it is worth knowing where your salary sits relative to it rather than treating UIF as a rounding error on the payslip.
The bonus month catches people out
A thirteenth cheque or performance bonus is taxed in the month it is paid, not spread across the year. Because PAYE is calculated on a cumulative basis, the bonus can push that single month into a higher bracket and the deduction looks disproportionate. Over the full year of assessment it usually evens out in the annual reconciliation.
If a bonus month looks impossible to budget for, use the annual view in this tool: enter the bonus in the annual field and compare the estimated tax for the year with the PAYE you have actually paid. That difference is what the next assessment will settle.
How this fits into the rest of the site
A calculator answers "what number", but the decision behind it is usually about a date and an official process. If you are checking whether a deadline has passed, the Important Dates Centre carries the published dates with their sources. If you are checking a government status, no calculator can help you and no website outside government can either - the relevant official link is listed at the bottom of this page.
We do not claim to be a government service and this tool has no official standing. It is an independent estimate published for planning, with its sources named so you can check every figure against the body that actually decides it.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my payslip differ from this estimate?Toggle answer
This is a simplified estimate. Differences may come from allowances, fringe benefits, medical scheme credits, bonus tax treatment, payroll-specific deductions, employer pension arrangements or other factors not modelled here. Check your payslip and confirm with your payroll team or SARS.
What is the UIF deduction on my salary?Toggle answer
The employee contributes 1% of earnings and the employer contributes 1%, up to a published monthly earnings ceiling. Above the ceiling the contribution is capped, which is why the UIF line stops growing on higher salaries.
Is pension deducted before or after tax?Toggle answer
Pension, provident and retirement annuity contributions are deductible within published limits, which means they reduce your taxable income and therefore reduce your PAYE. This calculator applies the deduction before calculating tax.
Does this calculator work for government employees?Toggle answer
Yes. Government employees typically contribute 7.5% to the Government Employees Pension Fund, which you can enter as the pension percentage. Note that public-service medical scheme contributions and housing allowances affect the actual figure and are not modelled here.
Where the numbers come from
- Tax rates and thresholds - SARS
- Unemployment Insurance Fund contributions - Department of Employment and Labour
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