Tawala
HR & Payroll

Tanzanian Payroll
in 15 Minutes

NSSF, PAYE, NHIF, SDL, WCF — all auto-computed. Pay via M-Pesa B2C or NMB / CRDB / NBC bulk-pay. Self-service portal for staff. Built for Tanzania, in TZS.

Migrate from Excel in 5 days · NSSF / PAYE / NHIF returns auto-generated

Tawala HR & Payroll dashboard showing NSSF and PAYE

5

Statutory returns

4

Bank bulk-pay formats

15 min

Per pay cycle

60%

Less HR admin

Features

Everything Tanzanian payroll needs

NSSF, PAYE, NHIF, SDL, WCF, leave, attendance, self-service — one platform, no spreadsheets.

Auto Statutory Computation

NSSF (10/10), PAYE (graduated bands), NHIF (3% capped 7,500), SDL (4% if 10+), WCF (industry).

M-Pesa B2C + Bank Bulk Pay

NMB / CRDB / NBC / Stanbic bulk-pay file + M-Pesa B2C bulk file. One run, whole team paid.

Leave Management

Annual, sick, paternity, maternity, study, unpaid. Configurable accrual + approvals per role.

Attendance Tracking

Mobile clock-in (GPS optional), biometric integration, manual entry, or time-clock import.

Self-Service Portal

Staff download payslips, request leave, update bank details, log time — without HR admin.

Reports + TRA-Ready Returns

NSSF, PAYE, NHIF, SDL, WCF returns generated each pay cycle, ready to upload.

Simple Process

From hire to pay in 5 days

A migration so simple your finance manager can do it without a consultant.

1

Set tax bands

Tawala pre-loads current NSSF / PAYE / NHIF / SDL / WCF rates. You confirm.

2026 Tanzanian rates · pre-loaded
PAYE8% – 30% brackets
NSSF10% + 10%
NHIF3% + 3% · cap TZS 7,500
SDL4% (employer)
WCF0.5% – 1%
✓ Auto-updates whenever TRA changes
2

Import employees

Excel / CSV upload. Tawala auto-detects salary, allowances, deductions, statutory enrolments.

📄 employees.csv
name,nida,nssf,gross_tzs
Hadija M.,12345…,A12…,1,500,000
Faraja K.,23456…,B23…,1,200,000
Issa M.,34567…,C34…,950,000
+ 44 more
✓ 47 employees ready to import
3

Configure pay cycles

Monthly default; weekly + bi-weekly supported. Set pay date, cut-off, approval workflow.

Pay schedule
CycleMonthly
Pay dateLast working day
Cut-off25th
ApprovalManager → CFO
CurrencyTZS
4

Run live + bulk pay

Generate payslips, NSSF / PAYE / NHIF / SDL / WCF returns, and bank + M-Pesa B2C bulk-pay file. One click.

One click generates
  • Payslips PDF (per employee, branded)
  • NSSF / PAYE / NHIF / SDL / WCF returns
  • Bank file: NMB · CRDB · NBC · Stanbic
  • M-Pesa B2C bulk-pay CSV
  • GL journal posting (auto)
In practice

What HR & Payroll looks like in practice

Illustrative scenarios drawn from the operations Tawala HR & Payroll is designed to support. Named customer case studies will be published as customers sign off.

"Seasonal payrolls — like 200+ pickers paid for a 3-month harvest — turn into days of manual NSSF and PAYE filing. The platform compresses that into a single batch run."

E

Estate HR manager

Iringa · seasonal payroll

"Sage Pastel and similar tools predate the latest TRA NHIF and SDL formatting rules. A modern payroll outputs the returns the way TRA wants them — no hand-formatting every month."

F

Finance manager

Construction supplies · Arusha

"A self-service payslip portal removes one of the most predictable HR tickets — "where is my payslip?" Staff see it the day they get paid; HR moves on to higher-value work."

S

SMB owner

Apparel retail · Kariakoo

Why Tawala

Built for the actual mess of Tanzanian payroll

Generic global payroll software doesn't know what NHIF caps look like, doesn't generate the SDL return TRA actually accepts, and doesn't emit an M-Pesa B2C bulk file. Tawala does.

All five returns native

NSSF, PAYE, NHIF, SDL, WCF. Auto-generated each pay run. Format matches what each authority accepts.

M-Pesa B2C bulk payouts

Pay every employee via M-Pesa in one go. No "send to each one separately" workarounds.

Seasonal + casual workers

Day-rate, hourly, piece-rate, or salaried — same payroll. Statutory deductions still compute correctly.

Tanzanian support

Dar es Salaam-based payroll specialists. Swahili + English. WhatsApp + phone, 24/7.

Tanzanian HR team using Tawala payroll
FAQ

Common questions

What are the 2026 PAYE bands?

Approximately: 0% on first TZS 270,000/month, 8% on next TZS 250,000, 20% on the next, 25% on the next, 30% above TZS 1,020,000. Tawala auto-updates when TRA publishes new bands. See our payroll buyer's guide for full statutory detail.

Is SDL automatic when I cross 10 employees?

Yes — Tawala detects when your headcount hits 10 and activates the 4% SDL deduction the next pay cycle. You don't have to remember.

Can I run payroll for staff paid in different currencies?

Yes — multi-currency payroll is supported. Statutory deductions always compute in TZS regardless of pay currency. FX gain/loss flows through the GL.

How do staff access their own payslips?

Each employee gets a self-service portal login. They see only their own data: payslips (PDF download), leave balance, attendance, bank details. No HR-admin work.

What if I have field staff who need to clock in remotely?

The Tawala mobile app supports GPS-tagged clock-in/clock-out. Geofencing is optional. Hours auto-feed into payroll.

How does NHIF work for private-sector employees?

NHIF is 3% of gross salary, split equally employee/employer, capped TZS 7,500 per side. Tawala calculates per pay cycle and emits the NHIF return file in the format the fund accepts.

Can I migrate from Sage Pastel Payroll or Bravo?

Yes — most teams migrate in 5 days. Export your existing employee master + opening leave balances; Tawala maps them and runs a parallel pay cycle to verify before cut-over.

How long is the free trial?

14 days, full access. No credit card required.

Run your payroll in 15 minutes

NSSF, PAYE, NHIF, SDL, WCF — all native. M-Pesa B2C bulk pay. Plans from TZS 99,000/mo.

Run more on Tawala

Pair HR & Payroll with the rest of your stack

By industry

See HR & Payroll in your sector

Read the deep dive

Long-form guides for Tanzanian operators

Ready to put HR & Payroll to work?

Live demo with a Tawala specialist in 30 minutes — or send your team size on WhatsApp for a same-day proposal.

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