What this guide covers
Before myWork can push payroll inputs to SimplePay, it needs to know which SimplePay item each myWork thing belongs to. That's the job of the SimplePay Export Setup screen (Payroll > Payroll Settings > SimplePay Export Setup) — a one-time mapping you set up once (and only touch when something changes). This explains the company and bank registers, the three maps, the Send as choice, and what to leave blank.
Who can do this: payroll administrators (the manage payroll runs permission). Set it up before your first run — see Running monthly payroll (myWork → SimplePay).
First: which SimplePay company?
The screen opens with "SimplePay companies". One API key can reach several SimplePay companies, and every mapping below is per company (per client id). Register the company or companies you use:
"Load companies from SimplePay" lists every company the key can reach; click "Add" next to one to register it.
Or type the "SimplePay client id" and a "Name (e.g. Production)" and click "Add company".
Then pick the company you are mapping from the selector. Each map heading ends with the selected client id (for example "Component mapping — 12345") so you can see which company you are working on. An employee is linked to a company when you click "Create / link in SimplePay" on their HR page.
SimplePay banks
Below the companies is "SimplePay banks": myWork's bank names paired with SimplePay's bank ids (Bank name, SimplePay bank id, Default branch, Active). This is needed to push an employee's verified banking to SimplePay from the SimplePay Employees page. SimplePay has no banks list to fetch, so "Discover from employees" reads the banking already held in SimplePay and pairs it with myWork's bank name for the same person. You can also "Add bank" by hand. Click "Save banks" when done.
Step 0 — Discover SimplePay items
Click "Fetch from SimplePay". This reads (read-only) the selected company's pay items (split into system and custom), leave types and pay frequencies, and fills the dropdowns below. Click it again any time SimplePay changes.
The three maps
1. Component mapping
For each myWork pay component, pick the matching "SimplePay item" from the dropdown (or "— don't export") and set "Send as". Then click "Save component mapping".
Leave a row on "— don't export" to not send that component.
"Clear if absent" tells the export to blank the SimplePay line when myWork has nothing for the period, instead of leaving last month's value standing.
Behind the scenes the choice composes the attribute key SimplePay reads, but you only deal with the dropdown + Send as.
2. Leave type mapping
For each myWork leave type, pick the matching SimplePay leave type (or "— don't send"), then "Save leave-type mapping". This is what lets Send leave to SimplePay post that leave. Only Annual pays out on termination.
3. Default pay frequency
Pick the pay frequency new employees should be created on, then "Save pay frequency". It's used when you click "Create / link in SimplePay" on an employee's HR page.
Send as — the key decision
This tells SimplePay what value to take for the component:
Hours — for a system overtime or public-holiday item. myWork sends the worked hours; SimplePay works out the rand from the basic salary it already holds.
Quantity / hours — the same idea for a custom item whose input field is a quantity.
Amount — for bonuses, allowances and deductions. The rand value goes across directly.
Fixed monthly amount — for the Basic Salary item, if you map it at all.
Commission input — for SimplePay's commission items.
Rule of thumb: overtime → Hours (or Quantity / hours); a once-off bonus or a deduction → Amount.
The input field name is per item and cannot be guessed. Use the chips shown after a fetch (each shows its key and type) to confirm which Send as an item expects.
What to leave blank
The statutory tax items — PAYE, UIF, SDL — are owned by SimplePay. Don't map them; leave those rows on "— don't export". Basic Salary is normally left to SimplePay as well.
Any component or leave type you simply don't want exported — a blank mapping = "skip it".
Map unpaid leave only once — either as a leave type (recommended) or as a deduction component, never both, or it'll be counted twice.
Good to know
Set it up once per company. You only revisit this screen when SimplePay items change, you add a new pay component or leave type, or you onboard staff on a new pay frequency.
A saved mapping you can't see after a re-fetch shows as "(saved — re-fetch to confirm)" — it's still applied; fetch again to reconcile the list.
Mapping is what makes the export accurate — an unmapped item or leave type is the usual cause of an "Unmapped" warning during a run. Set it here and re-run.
Deduction and bonus types are mapped here, not on their own pages.
Related guides
Running monthly payroll (myWork → SimplePay) — the monthly run that uses these mappings.
HR Settings — leave types, plans & balances — where myWork's leave types come from.
Employee page: Personal Info — linking each employee to SimplePay.