Product podcast — April
Stay informed while multitasking with our AI-generated podcast version of the monthly product update. A quick, easy way to catch every new feature and enhancement wherever you are.
Listen to the latest update — podcast series →Ask Pacey — AI Assist is officially here
AI Assist is our new Deel Local Payroll assistant, designed to help your team and employees navigate complex payroll data and questions using simple, natural-language chat.
The initial launch includes two features:
Query my Payroll Component Setup — allows administrators to get immediate, conversational answers to questions about a company's payroll configuration. Streamlines payroll analysis, reduces manual checks, and makes it easier to validate setup information on demand.
- Efficiency — instant access to payroll setup details without running separate reports.
- Accuracy & Compliance — quickly validate configuration settings.
- Focus on Value — free up time for more strategic activities.
Talk to me about my Payslip — enables employees and administrators to ask payslip questions in a simple chat format. Pacey combines payroll data, legislative knowledge, and reference material for clear, context-rich explanations.
- 24/7 Support — employees get immediate answers to payroll and payslip questions at any time.
- Clarity — complex payroll concepts explained in a clear, easy-to-understand manner.
- Efficiency — reduces HR workload by automating responses to repetitive queries.
- Accuracy — consistent, accurate guidance for employee payslip questions.
Activating AI Assist — included on all product editions at no additional cost. Go to Basic Company Information, accept the Terms and Conditions, and the feature will be accessible to all users including ESS access.
We strongly encourage you to share your feedback on AI Assist's responses — continuous improvement relies on your input.
For more information visit the Knowledge Base → or the AI Assist webpage →
Screen Conversion — Company Documents
The Company Documents screen has been converted to NextGen with a refreshed interface and enhanced security controls. All uploaded files now undergo security checks — any detected risk blocks the upload, protecting your data and ensuring safer document management.
Screen Conversion — Rater Setup
The Rater Setup screen has been successfully converted to NextGen. Key changes include:
- Classic Employee KPA's Tab Retention — the Employee KPA's tab remains available in Classic temporarily while a separate NextGen conversion is completed.
- Visual Weighting Bar — a percentage bar showing allocated rater weightings that updates automatically as raters are added.
- Rater Count Badges — each process type now shows the number of linked raters.
- Rater Type field — only one rater per Process Type and Default Template combination for Direct Report, Manager or Self. Selecting "Self" auto-assigns the employee.
- Inherit Rater from Position — when "Manager" or "Direct Report" is selected, the system auto-assigns direct reports from the employee's Position screen.
Custom Fields — Position Management
Administrators can now create and maintain their own Custom Fields on the company's Position Management screen, enabling alignment with specific operational or reporting requirements.
E-Onboarding next-level enhancements
Based on your feedback, several key enhancements are in development:
- Attachment Functionality — new hires will be able to upload documents (IDs, proof of bank details, SARS documents) directly within the E-Onboarding forms.
- Multiple Approver Notifications — notify additional recipients or multiple designated approvers when a form is submitted.
- Export for Completed Hires — a new extract feature for easy tracking of all New Engagements processed through E-Onboarding.
Leave — Calculate leave for employees without a payslip
Leave balances will soon be calculated and displayed for active employees, even in payroll runs where no payslip exists. The system will automatically flag the employee and populate the Leave Balance screen within the Main Run for that period.
Deel Local Payroll — Product Webinar
We hosted a virtual webinar in March offering an exclusive first look at future enhancements and new product features. If you missed it, catch the recap on YouTube →
Retro Pay
Deel Local Payroll offers retro functionality to process backdated pay rate changes automatically — ideal for late approvals on promotions, increases, or union negotiations. The system calculates the difference and reflects the adjustment on a retrospective payslip, with a detailed breakdown for each affected pay component.
Refer to the Knowledge Base → for guidance on how to process Retro Pay.
Customer Support Talk Newsletter
The latest news, tips, and tricks from the customer support team — published monthly. Read now →
Training dates — Q2/Q3 2026
| Course | Format | April dates | May dates | June dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Administration Training | Half day | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Payroll Essentials Training | Full day | 132228 | 5112028 | 181726 |
| HR Essentials Training | Full day | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| Advanced Features Training | 2 days | 14–1523–2429–30 | 7–812–1321–2226–27 | 3–49–1029–30 |
| RSA Payroll Tax Fundamentals | Full day | 14 | 8 | 5 |
| Payroll Tax Submission | Half day | eLearning | ||
| Employment Tax Incentive | 2 half days | On request | ||
| Employment Equity | Half day | eLearning | ||
| Eswatini Country Specific | Half day | eLearning | ||
| Building a Demo Company — Business Partners | Full day | 10 | 15 | 12 |
| Java — Script and Income | 1.5 days | On request | ||
| Tax Seminar | Half day | 19 | TBC | TBC |
| HR Seminar | Half day | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| Lunch and Learn Webinar | 1 hour | 23 | TBC | TBC |
All sessions are virtual. View the full training page →
Product podcast — March
Stay informed while multitasking with our AI-generated podcast version of the monthly product update. A quick, easy way to catch every new feature and enhancement wherever you are.
Listen to the latest update — podcast series →Screen conversion: Period Processes and Payroll Processes Definition
The Period Processes and Payroll Processes Definition screens have been converted to NextGen. Both screens are now consolidated into a single Payroll Cycle Setup screen, organised into two tabs.
Cycle Stages (previously "Period Processes") — use this tab to capture and manage payroll cycle stages. Key changes include:
- In-row editing — the grid now supports in-row editing with search and filter functionality for every column.
- Inactive date column — mark stages as inactive; they will no longer appear in Cloudroom checklist items or the Payroll Process Tracker.
- Frequency column — assign cycle stages to specific frequencies.
Cycle Setup (previously "Payroll Processes Definition") — use this tab to define processes and link them to stages. Key enhancements include:
- Reorder Cycle Setups — drag-and-drop reordering. Dragging one setup onto another creates a parent–child hierarchy.
- Streamlined configuration — new slide-out menu for faster capture and management.
- Rule-based due dates — the most significant update to the payroll cycle. Set deadlines relative to pay date — for example, payroll sign-off due 5 working days before pay date, with a specific cut-off time.
Bulk actions: Cycle Stages and Cycle Setup
Two new bulk actions allow upload of Cycle Stages and Cycle Setups in bulk.
- Cycle Stages — Bulk Actions > Company > Payroll Cycle > Cycle Stages
- Cycle Setup — Bulk Actions > Company > Payroll Cycle > Cycle Setup
Introducing the Payroll Process Tracker dashboard
The new Payroll Process Tracker is your command centre for managing and prioritising payroll tasks across all authorised companies and pay frequencies. Access it under Payroll Cycle > Payroll Tracker Dashboard.
- Interactive status cards — view counts for overdue, due today, and upcoming tasks. Selecting a card auto-filters the grid.
- In-row editing — specify completion dates directly in the grid.
- Customisable grid — column chooser lets you tailor the view or export data for reporting.
- Stage ownership — the owner column indicates Client (C) or Vendor (V) responsibility.
- Security and permissions — super users manage access via the new "Payroll Process Tracker" securable object under the Payroll Cycle menu branch.
Available on all product editions.
Separate cut-off dates for claims and leave
An enhancement is in development for the run management screen to support separate cut-off dates for claims and leave. The existing single cut-off date will be replaced with two distinct fields, allowing independent management per your organisation's policies.
User interface enhancements: future-dated terminations and suspensions
Upcoming UI improvements will surface employee status more clearly across the system:
- Terminated — red border around the employee photo.
- Future-dated terminations — employees remain visible as active until their termination date; upcoming termination details display in grey on their profile.
- Suspended — yellow border, with suspension details prominently displayed for the current period.
Advanced Employee Search will also be enhanced to reflect each employee's current status directly within search results.
Product Webinar — March 2026
An exclusive virtual session for direct customers covering the latest and upcoming features of 2026. Thursday, 12 March.
Knowledge base and FAQs: payroll made easy
Access the Knowledge Base
Navigate to PaySpace Wisdom by clicking your initials and selecting "How can we help?" — then select your region or search for any topic directly.
Customer Support Talk Newsletter
The latest news, tips, and tricks from the customer support team — published monthly. Read now →
Training dates — Q2 2026
| Course | Format | March dates | April dates | May dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Administration Training | Half day | 3691627 | 27132228 | 5112028 |
| Payroll Essentials Training | Full day | 3691627 | 27132228 | 5112028 |
All sessions are virtual. View the full training page →
Welcome to 2026
We wish all our valued customers and partners a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2026. We look forward to an even greater year ahead, driving innovation and achieving new milestones together.
Product Podcast — February
Catch the February newsletter in an easy, on-the-go podcast format.
Listen to the podcast series →E-Onboarding goes continental
Following successful adoption in South Africa, E-Onboarding is now available in 30+ countries across Africa — including Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and more.
- Lite Edition — access to the default template configured for your country.
- Premier & Master Edition — activate and customise your own E-Onboarding form to match your onboarding process.
Don't see your country? Contact [email protected] to request a country form.
Screen conversion — Leave Averaging Income Setup
The Leave Averaging Income Setup screen has been converted to NextGen. Key changes include:
- API endpoints — added to support integrations and automation.
- Collapsible sections — Allowances section expanded by default; other sections collapsible for cleaner organisation.
- Grid layout — standard search and filter in each column, with in-row editing.
Screen conversion — Leave Scheme Parameters
The Leave Scheme Parameters screen is now available following extensive fine-tuning. For details, refer to the October 2025 newsletter and the system's release notes.
Run Management — Column Chooser
The Column Chooser has been introduced to both Company and Bureau Run Management screens. A new Claims and leave application cut-off date column is now available — view all run cut-off dates directly on the grid without opening individual runs.
Phase 1: Employee Templates
Employee Templates is a new feature for setting up structured payroll configurations for defined employee groups, based on contract, pay structures, and payroll variations.
Phase 1 focuses on Component Variables, allowing standardised variable amounts across employee groups for consistency and less manual intervention. Future phases will extend to Leave, Recurring Payroll Components, and other contract configurations.
Three related screens are introduced:
- Company Template Setup — Config > Basic Settings > General Company > Template Setup
- Company Template Configuration — Config > Basic Settings > General Company > Template Configuration
- Employee Templates — Basic Information > Employee Templates
Available on all product editions.
Bulk actions — Employee Templates
A new bulk action allows you to link all employees to Template Configurations at company level. Find it under Bulk Actions > Employee > Basic Information > Employee Templates.
New Income Base — Component Variables
A Component Variables source type has been added to income bases, allowing Template and Sub-template Component Variables to be referenced in calculations automatically — eliminating manual updates when values change.
Payroll Tracker Dashboard
A Payroll Tracker Dashboard is in development — a central command centre to help payroll teams identify which tasks are overdue, due today, or upcoming across multiple companies. Now released in March 2026 — see March update above.
Product User Group Sessions — March 2026
- Johannesburg — Friday, 6 March (direct customers)
- Cape Town — Tuesday, 10 March (direct customers)
- Business Partners — Thursday, 12 March
- Product Webinar — Thursday, 12 March (direct customers outside session areas)
Automate run closure before pay date
Close runs automatically
Set the system to close payroll runs a defined number of days before the scheduled pay date. Configure in Config > Basic Settings > Company Settings > General Settings > Payroll Settings.
Training dates — Q1 2026
See the training page for the full schedule of virtual sessions for Q1 and Q2 2026.
Content migration from legacy site in progress. All section anchors below are preserved for deep linking.
January 2026 Update
See this month's release notes and Knowledge Base for the full feature summary.
Training Courses screen
See release notes for full conversion details.
Rater setup
See release notes for full details.
Custom fields — leave
See release notes for full details.
Bulk actions — Employee KPI
See release notes for full details.
Product survey
Your feedback shapes the roadmap. See the survey link in your email.
December feature spotlight
See Knowledge Base for detailed guides on this month's highlighted feature.
December message
Thank you for another year. See December's full release notes for details.
System security update
See release notes for details on this month's security enhancements.
Parental leave
See release notes for full details.
NextGen screen conversions
See release notes for full details.
Run management
See release notes for full details.
Coming soon — November
Upcoming features previewed this month. See release notes for details.
November feature spotlight
See Knowledge Base for detailed guides.
User group sessions
See calendar invites for session details.
Payroll component screen conversion
See release notes for full details.
General Ledger parameters
See release notes for full details.
Leave scheme parameters
See release notes for full details.
Claims component
See release notes for full details.
Run management
See release notes for full details.
Employee leave setup
See release notes for full details.
October feature spotlight
See Knowledge Base for detailed guides.
User group sessions
See calendar invites for session details.
E-Onboarding
See release notes for full details.
E-Onboarding bulk upload
See release notes for full details.
Dynamic form builder
See release notes for full details.
Training courses
See release notes for full details.
September feature spotlight
See Knowledge Base for detailed guides.
User group sessions
See calendar invites for session details.
Position management
See release notes for full details.
Recurring cost
See release notes for full details.
Rater setup
See release notes for full details.
Claims
See release notes for full details.
Leave bucket mapping
See release notes for full details.
August feature spotlight
See Knowledge Base for detailed guides.
Performance management
See release notes for full details.
Roster
See release notes for full details.
New shift type
See release notes for full details.
Company roster
See release notes for full details.
Onboarding
See release notes for full details.
Payroll component
See release notes for full details.
July feature spotlight
See Knowledge Base for detailed guides.
Leave settings
See release notes for full details.
Pacey AI update
See release notes for full details.
Run management
See release notes for full details.
Screen conversion
See release notes for full details.
Bulk actions
See release notes for full details.
June feature spotlight
See Knowledge Base for detailed guides.
Leave scheme setup
See release notes for full details.
Pacey AI update
See release notes for full details.
Run management
See release notes for full details.
Custom fields
See release notes for full details.
Other dropdowns
See release notes for full details.
May feature spotlight
See Knowledge Base for detailed guides.
Payslip pay date
See release notes for full details.
Proration
See release notes for full details.
Calculation settings
See release notes for full details.
Grid display
See release notes for full details.
Public holidays bulk action
See release notes for full details.
Company roster
See release notes for full details.
Dynamic form builder
See release notes for full details.
April webinar
See calendar invite for details.
Dynamic form builder
See release notes for full details.
Bulk upload
See release notes for full details.
Tax ESS
See release notes for full details.
Leave
See release notes for full details.
Pay day
See release notes for full details.
Stats SA
See release notes for full details.
Leave setup
See release notes for full details.
Training courses
See release notes for full details.
Screen conversion
See release notes for full details.
Security settings
See release notes for full details.
Employee termination
See release notes for full details.
New company setup
See release notes for full details.
Grid enhancements
See release notes for full details.
Pay dates
See release notes for full details.
Calculation settings
See release notes for full details.
User groups
See release notes for full details.
February message
See release notes for full details.
Screen conversion
See release notes.
Copy payroll
See release notes.
Pacey AI update
See release notes.
Tax years
See release notes.
Leave balances
See release notes.
Bulk actions
See release notes.
Bulk uploads
See release notes.
New payroll
See release notes.
Payslip message
See release notes.
Product reminder
See release notes.
December 2024 message
See release notes.
Screen conversion — grades
See release notes.
Bulk actions — grades
See release notes.
Leave calendar
See release notes.
Security screens
See release notes.
Leave balances
See release notes.
Bank names
See release notes.
Tooltips
See release notes.
Screen conversion
See release notes.
Recurring template
See release notes.
Custom form
See release notes.
Dynamic form builder
See release notes.
Company themes
See release notes.
Bulk actions
See release notes.
Pacey AI — language support
See release notes.
Custom fields
See release notes.
Bank names
See release notes.
Cloud room
See release notes.
GP community
See release notes.
Screen conversion
See release notes.
Pacey AI update
See release notes.
New custom field type
See release notes.
Bulk actions
See release notes.
Screen conversion — grades
See release notes.
Power conference
See event details in your email.
Did you know?
See release notes.
Support code
See release notes.
ESS deregistration
See release notes.
Leave approval
See release notes.
Bulk actions
See release notes.
Bulk action
See release notes.
Custom field
See release notes.
Report enhancement
See release notes.
Screen conversion
See release notes.
Did you know?
See release notes.
Screen conversion
See release notes.
Report enhancement
See release notes.
New bulk uploads
See release notes.
Did you know?
See release notes.
New report fields
See release notes.
Tax profile
See release notes.
Customer code
See release notes.
Bulk upload
See release notes.
Did you know?
See release notes.
Bulk actions
See release notes.
Account deregistration
See release notes.
Screen conversion
See release notes.
Bulk actions — termination
See release notes.
User group sessions
See calendar invites for details.
Did you know?
See release notes.
Leave entitlement
See release notes.
User profiles
See release notes.
Component variance report
See release notes.
Custom fields configuration
See release notes.
Custom theming tool
See release notes.
Leave history
See release notes.
User group sessions
See calendar invites for details.
Did you know?
See release notes.