10 Ways to Reduce Time Theft in South African Businesses

Why time theft matters for growing teams

Manual timesheets and weak clocking systems leave startups and scaling teams open to inflated overtime claims, inaccurate payroll data, and disciplinary disputes. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) expects employers to keep accurate working hour records, so preventing time theft is both a cost and compliance priority.

With SRWS, we designed our attendance module specifically for hybrid, field and on-site teams operating across South Africa—delivering biometric certainty without cumbersome enterprise rollouts.

Core tactics to stop buddy punching instantly

Use facial or fingerprint biometrics to ensure every employee clock-in is tied to a verified identity. Combine this with GPS geofencing for mobile teams so clock-ins only trigger within approved locations.

For high-traffic sites, configure staggered shift windows inside TriSentry to prevent early clock-ins and automatically flag duplicate or missing punches.

• Contactless biometric devices for hygienic verification
• Mobile app clock-ins restricted by site geofences
• Automated exception alerts for missing or duplicate punches
• Mandatory selfie capture for remote or contract workers

Automate overtime accuracy with BCEA rules

Overtime disputes erode trust between management and staff. TriSentry calculates ordinary time, overtime, and Sunday/public holiday rates based on BCEA and bargaining council rules, so you can remove spreadsheet reconciliations entirely.

Supervisors receive exception reports highlighting employees nearing overtime thresholds, enabling proactive scheduling decisions that protect wellbeing and payroll cost.

Real-time visibility for managers and HR

TriSentry dashboards allow managers to see who is currently clocked in, who arrived late, and where absences are impacting coverage. HR can export audit-ready timesheets, complete with biometric evidence, for any inspection or dispute resolution.

When combined with our leave and payroll modules, attendance data flows through to payslips and compliance packs automatically.

Implementation steps for rapid adoption

Our founding specialists run a 30-day implementation sprint that includes device rollout, shift template design, and manager training. Because SRWS is cloud-native, all biometric templates sync instantly across locations, and employees receive guided onboarding via email and SMS.

We recommend starting with a pilot site, reviewing exception reports after week one, and then scaling to additional sites once workflows are refined.