DNA

What DNA does

DNA Outsourcing (Pty) Ltd is a South Africa-based payroll and HR outsourcing company founded in 2018, headquartered in Pretoria with sales offices in Amsterdam, London, and Chicago. The company delivers end-to-end payroll processing, statutory compliance, and Employer of Record (EOR) / Professional Employer Organization (PEO) services to roughly 315+ active clients — primarily mid-to-large enterprises (15 to 9,000 employees) and multinationals operating across Africa, the UAE, the UK, and Saudi Arabia. Its core technology stack is the Payspace cloud payroll platform hosted on Microsoft Azure, augmented by ISO 27001 certification, GDPR and POPIA compliance, and an Employee Self-Service portal providing 24/7 access to payslips, leave, and live payroll data across 46 tax jurisdictions and multiple currencies.

The business model is predominantly recurring subscription-based, charging either a per-employee monthly fee (EOR/PEO ranges $125-$275 in USD/GBP/EUR/ZAR) or a calculator-based outsourcing fee sized to client headcount. A tiered referral program pays R2,500 to R12,500 per successful introduction depending on the new client's employee count. Go-to-market is direct sales-led, with each client assigned a dedicated account manager and consultations booked through Calendly; there is no disclosed channel or reseller network. The company is privately held and founder-led by Managing Director Anton van Heerden (former Sage MD for Africa and the Middle East), with no evidence of external institutional or venture capital investment. Revenue, headcount growth, and unit economics are not publicly disclosed, and AI/ML capabilities are not mentioned in any source material.

Name

DNA

Legal name

DNA Outsourcing (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://dnaoutsourcing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DNA Outsourcing is a South Africa-based payroll and HR outsourcing firm serving 315+ mid-to-large enterprises across 46 African and international jurisdictions, using the Payspace cloud platform to deliver payroll processing, EOR/PEO services, and statutory compliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payroll Outsourcing Services

NAICS

Payroll Services (541214), Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Professional Employer Organizations (56133)

SIC

Services-Help Supply Services (7363), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Payroll Outsourcing & Pay Administration (Multi-country/Managed Payroll) (BPACAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services (BPACAHAB), Global Payroll & Multi-Country Payroll Management (BPACAHAC), Global Payroll & Multi-Country Payroll Coordination (EOR/PEO Interface) (BPAAAHAE), Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL), Employer Payroll Processing (SMB & Enterprise) (FSAMAKAA)

Keywords

• Payroll outsourcing services
• Employer of record solutions
• Multi-country payroll management
• HR and payroll compliance
• African payroll processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Pretoria

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Payroll Outsourcing Services: End-to-end payroll outsourcing services for organizations employing 15 to 9000 employees across 46 African countries, UAE, UK, and Saudi Arabia. Services include payroll processing, compliance management, and statutory submissions.
2. Employer of Record (EOR) / Professional Employer Organization (PEO): Legal employment services for global businesses entering African markets. Fixed fee per employee ranging from $125 to $275, quoted in GBP, USD, EUR, or ZAR. VAT exempt when qualifying as exported services.
3. Referral Program: DNA pays referral fees for successful client introductions: R12,500 for 250+ employees, R8,000 for 100-249 employees, R5,000 for 50-99 employees, R2,500 for fewer than 50 employees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

DNA Outsourcing provides end-to-end payroll outsourcing services for organizations employing between 15 and 9,000 staff across 46 African countries, the UAE, UK, and Saudi Arabia, covering payroll processing, statutory compliance, employee self-service, leave management, and multi-currency reporting. The company also offers Employer of Record (EOR) and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) services that allow global businesses to legally employ staff in new markets without establishing a local entity, with per-employee fees ranging from $125 to $275. Services are delivered through the Payspace cloud payroll platform hosted on Microsoft Azure, with ISO 27001 certified security.

Product overview

DNA Outsourcing is a South Africa-based payroll outsourcing company offering a unified platform of HR and payroll services. The core offering centers on end-to-end Payroll Outsourcing Services, supported by Employer of Record (EOR) and Professional Employer Organization (PEO) products for global companies entering African markets. Additional modules include Multi-Country Payroll Coverage across 43 African countries plus UAE, UK, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Poland; Employee Self-Service (ESS) portal for 24/7 access; Expat Payroll for international assignees; and NGO-specific payroll services. All services operate through the PaySpace cloud platform, enabling consolidated multi-currency reporting and statutory compliance across jurisdictions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Payroll Outsourcing Services End-to-end outsourced payroll service for businesses employing 15 to 9,000 staff across 46 African countries plus UAE, UK, and Saudi Arabia. Includes payroll processing, statutory compliance, employee self-service, leave management, and statutory submissions, delivered via the Payspace cloud platform.
• Employer of Record (EOR) Legal employment service for global businesses entering African, Middle Eastern, or UK markets. DNA becomes the legal employer of record, managing contracts, payroll, HR compliance, and terminations; pricing is a fixed per-employee fee of $125 to $275 quoted in USD, EUR, GBP, or ZAR.
• Professional Employer Organization (PEO) Co-employment arrangement in which DNA assumes HR and payroll administration responsibilities for the client's workforce while the client retains operational control. Suited to organizations that want to offload compliance burden without giving up day-to-day management.
• Expat Payroll Specialized payroll service for expatriate employees, covering the unique complexities of incentive schemes, bonus structures, share options, and other international compensation components across African and Middle Eastern jurisdictions.
• NGO Payroll Services Payroll outsourcing tailored for non-governmental organizations operating in challenging environments with complex local regulations, designed to mitigate the risk of fund misappropriation and ensure statutory compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero staff turnover maintained for consistent service quality
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• NetcashsupportingTechnology or Integration · 13 January 2020Netcash used as preferred payment gateway for payroll-related payments in South Africa, facilitating salary disbursements for clients.
• PayspacecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 October 2018Payspace selected as preferred cloud service provider for DNA HR and Payroll. Payspace provides true multi-tenant cloud payroll technology supporting 39+ African countries. Partnership enables DNA to deliver end-to-end HR and Payroll Outsourcing Cloud Solutions with real-time access to payroll data from anywhere.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Remote: Global EOR and contractor management platform expanding country coverage, including into African markets. Targets the same multinational buyer as DNA's EOR service, with strong employer brand and venture backing.
• Deel: Global EOR/PEO platform rapidly expanding into emerging markets. Competes with DNA for multinationals hiring in Africa, but with a self-service, venture-funded, software-led model rather than DNA's high-touch outsourcing approach.
• Multiplier: EOR and global payroll SaaS platform expanding country coverage. Competes with DNA on cross-border hiring and payroll, especially for SMEs and mid-market entering African markets.
• Oyster HR: Global EOR platform focused on compliant international hiring, expanding into additional African countries. Targets the same mid-market and enterprise customer base seeking Africa payroll and EOR coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Globalization Partners: Established global EOR provider with presence in 180+ countries. Competes with DNA for enterprises hiring abroad, including into Africa, with deeper capital base and broader HR services portfolio.
• ADP: Largest global payroll and HR services vendor with multinational payroll offerings. ADP competes in multinational payroll across Africa via partners/local entities and represents the incumbent alternative for large enterprise clients.
• Sage: Global HR/payroll software and services vendor with a long-standing African payroll footprint through Sage VIP, Sage 300 People, and cloud payroll offerings. DNA's MD previously led Sage Africa & Middle East, and Sage competes directly in African payroll outsourcing.

Regional players

• SD Worx: European HR and payroll services provider with growing international footprint. Comparable to DNA as a multi-country payroll outsourcer, though primarily Europe-anchored, with selective expansion into other regions.
• Africa Payroll Services: Boutique payroll outsourcing specialist focused on African payroll compliance and multi-country processing. Closest like-for-like regional peer, competing for the same multinational clients seeking a single African payroll partner.

Direct peers

• PaySpace: True-cloud multi-tenant payroll provider covering 39+ African countries. PaySpace is both DNA's technology platform and a direct competitor offering its own payroll outsourcing services across the same geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DNAHRandPayroll
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dna-hr-payroll-visionaries

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DNA