Payslip: how to read it, deductions and online access

A payslip is the document the employer gives the employee with every salary payment: it details gross pay, each deduction (social security contributions, tax) and the net amount paid. In French-speaking Africa it is called a bulletin de paie, fiche de paie or bulletin de salaire: all three terms mean the same document. This guide explains the items common to every country in the region, how to read a payslip line by line, the deductions specific to Senegal, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Cameroon, the DRC and Benin, electronic payslips, retention periods and how to get your payslip online. Updated 3 November 2026.

In short:

• bulletin de paie, fiche de paie, bulletin de salaire: one and the same document, mandatory with every payment;
• it reads in four blocks: identification, earnings (gross pay), deductions, net pay;
• deductions change from one country to another: pension fund, health insurance, tax on salaries, local levies;
• it can be electronic in several countries, provided its integrity and confidentiality are guaranteed;
• civil servants in Senegal view theirs on the eSolde portal.

What is a payslip?

It has two roles. For the employee, it proves what they earned, what was deducted and what they actually received; it also serves as proof of income for a lease, a loan or a visa. For the employer, it is the written record of the payment and of the base used to calculate the contributions and tax paid over to the authorities.

In French-speaking African countries, labour law expressly requires it:

• Senegal: the 2026 Labour Code (Law No. 2026-18, Article 202) provides for a paper or electronic payslip, drawn up and certified by the employer and handed over at the time of payment;
• Ivory Coast: Article 32.5 of the Labour Code requires an individual payslip issued at the time of payment;
• Morocco: a payslip is issued with every payment, with items set by ministerial order (Article 370 of the Labour Code);
• Cameroon: Article 69 of the Labour Code provides for an individual payslip handed over at the time of payment;
• DRC: a 2008 ministerial order sets the model for the payroll ledger and the written pay statement given to the worker with each payment.

In these countries, one principle recurs: accepting or signing a payslip without protest does not mean waiving amounts due. In Senegal, the words “in full and final settlement” (pour solde de tout compte) cannot even be used against the employee (Article 204).

Items common to every payslip

The exact list depends on the country (labour code, collective agreement or order), but a compliant document always contains the same groups of information:

In Ivory Coast, the interprofessional collective agreement sets thirteen mandatory items; in Morocco, it is Order No. 346-05; in Senegal, the interprofessional collective agreement (Article 48), pending the order provided for by the new Code. Details are in each country guide.

How to read a payslip line by line

1. The header

Check your identity, category and social security number first. A wrong category can deprive you of the minimum wage for your grade; a wrong registration number, of your pension rights.

2. Earnings and gross pay

The base salary, then everything added to it: overtime with its premium, bonuses, allowances, benefits in kind. Their total is gross pay. Check overtime hours and the seniority bonus, two frequent sources of error.

3. Employee contributions

Each contribution appears on its own line: the base (often capped), the rate and the amount. It often also shows the employer’s share, which is not deducted from you but shows the full cost of your job.

4. Tax on salary

It is calculated on taxable pay, after certain deductions (contributions, professional expenses depending on the country) and taking into account your family situation (tax shares or dependants). A family situation that has not been updated means paying too much tax.

5. Other deductions

Salary advances, loan repayments, mutual insurance, wage garnishments. They are regulated: in Morocco, for example, deductions to repay an employer loan cannot exceed one tenth of the salary due (Article 386).

6. Net pay

This is the amount actually paid into your account, in cash or by mobile money. It must match exactly what you receive.

Illustration for Senegal: for a gross salary of FCFA 300,000, one tax share and an IPM (company health insurance) rate of 3%, our model gives IPRES FCFA 16,800, IPM FCFA 7,500, income tax FCFA 44,500 and TRIMF FCFA 1,000, for a net of FCFA 230,200. The full calculation is in our guide to the payslip in Senegal.

Payslip deductions by country

The structure is the same everywhere; what changes is the deductions. The table below summarises employee deductions in 2026 and links to each country guide.

To compare employer and employee contributions across all countries, see our article on social security contributions in Africa. To go from gross to net on your own salary, use our gross-to-net salary simulators.

The electronic payslip

Paperless pay statements, sent by email or made available in an employee portal, are becoming the norm. Legal texts increasingly allow them explicitly:

• Senegal: Article 202 of the 2026 Labour Code allows the electronic format, provided their availability, integrity, confidentiality and data protection are guaranteed; an order is to set out the electronic format.
• Ivory Coast: the payment register may be kept electronically (Article 32.5).
• Morocco: the payroll ledger may be replaced by a computer system (Article 372).

In practice, a reliable electronic payslip is generated by the payroll software, signed or sealed, stored in a digital vault and accessible to the employee at any time, including after they leave. Staff no longer need to ask for duplicates, and the employer knows who viewed what. Our article on the HR digital vault covers archiving conditions, and Socium’s HR document management page shows how pay documents reach employees through the mobile app.

How long should a payslip be kept?

For the employer

• Senegal: payroll documents are kept until the end of the eleventh year following the year of the deductions (Article 184 of the General Tax Code).
• Ivory Coast and Cameroon: payment records are kept under the same conditions as accounting records. In the OHADA area (the common business law zone), the Uniform Act on accounting law sets a ten-year retention period for supporting documents.
• Morocco: the payroll ledger is kept for at least two years (Article 373 of the Labour Code).

These are minimums: an employee can claim back pay for two years in Ivory Coast and three years in Cameroon, and pension funds may ask for much older records.

For the employee

No law requires employees to keep them, but it is in their interest: they prove periods of employment and salaries when claiming a pension. The advice is simple: keep your payslips until you retire, on paper or in a secure digital space.

Getting your payslip online

Private-sector employees

The employer issues the payslip. If it uses payroll software with an employee portal, you view and download your payslip online, from a browser or a mobile app. Otherwise, ask HR or payroll: they must be able to give you a copy. If they persistently refuse, the labour inspectorate has jurisdiction.

Civil servants in Senegal: eSolde

Senegalese civil servants and public employees view and download their pay statements on eSolde, the portal of the Directorate General of the Budget. The account is activated online with an identity document. The steps, and the rules for the private sector, are in our guide to the payslip in Senegal and eSolde access.

Public employees in other countries

Public employees depend on their country’s payroll administration, which sets how pay statements are issued. Ask your managing department, and never enter your login details on a site that is not the official portal.

Common payslip mistakes

• category or grade not matching the actual job;
• overtime paid without a premium or at the wrong rate;
• seniority bonus forgotten on the anniversary date;
• contribution ceiling not applied, or applied wrongly;
• family situation not updated, so tax is too high;
• net pay different from the amount received.

Payroll software that complies with local rules applies the year’s scales and ceilings automatically and cuts these errors. For a multi-country view, see our guide to payroll software in Africa.

For the wider picture, see our guides to net salary calculation, payroll software and minimum wage by country.

Frequently asked questions about the payslip

Fiche de paie, bulletin de salaire, bulletin de paie: what is the difference?

None. All three terms refer to the same document, the payslip; official texts use bulletin de paie or bulletin de paye, while everyday French often says fiche de paie.

Is the employer required to issue a payslip?

Yes, with every salary payment. In Senegal, without a signed payslip or other proof of payment provided for by law, the salary is presumed unpaid (Article 205 of the 2026 Labour Code).

How do I download my payslip online?

In the private sector, from your employer’s employee portal or payroll app. Civil servants in Senegal use the eSolde portal.

Does signing a payslip mean agreeing to it?

No. In Senegal, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Cameroon, accepting a payslip without reservation does not waive amounts due: you can challenge an error after signing it.

Does an electronic payslip have the same value as a paper one?

Yes where the law allows it, as in Senegal, provided the employer guarantees its integrity, confidentiality and availability.

How long should I keep my payslips?

As an employee, until retirement. As an employer, at least the legal period in the country, for example until the end of the eleventh year in Senegal.

I have lost my payslip: what should I do?

Ask your employer for a duplicate, as it keeps payroll records. If they are online, download them again from the employee portal.

Which deductions appear on a payslip in French-speaking Africa?

A pension contribution, often a health contribution, tax on salary and, depending on the country, local levies. The country table above links to the details.

Key takeaways

• Bulletin de paie, fiche de paie and bulletin de salaire all mean the payslip, mandatory with every payment.
• A payslip reads in four blocks: identification, gross pay, deductions, net pay.
• Deductions vary by country: check them against your country guide.
• Electronic payslips are allowed, with guarantees of integrity and confidentiality.
• Keep them until retirement; civil servants in Senegal use eSolde.

To produce compliant payslips in every country and share them with employees on mobile, book a Socium demo: it is arranged within 24 hours.