Popay marks four consecutive years of recognition in multi-country payroll, as an Aspirant in both the Global and EMEA views of the Everest Group Multi-country Payroll (MCP) Solutions PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026 report. The recognition comes as organisations navigate complex payroll requirements across countries, balancing local compliance with the need for greater operational control and consolidated reporting.
The Everest Group PEAK Matrix® compares service providers on two dimensions: market impact, which measures the impact a provider has created in the market, and vision and capability, which measures its ability to deliver solutions successfully. The 2026 multi-country payroll assessment covers 32 providers worldwide, with separate Global and EMEA views.
The EMEA view assesses Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a much wider scope than the markets Popay serves. Popay’s multi-country payroll business is built around Africa and the Indian Ocean, where it runs payroll in more than 40 countries. On an Africa-only view, Popay believes its position would realistically be stronger.
For Popay, this continued recognition highlights its sustained focus: helping organisations manage payroll across borders through technology, local expertise and ongoing support.
Key facts: the Everest Group PEAK Matrix® 2026
- Report: Everest Group Multi-country Payroll (MCP) Solutions PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026
- Popay’s position: Aspirant, in both the Global and EMEA views
- Providers assessed: 32 worldwide
- Consecutive years: 4 (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
Addressing the complexity of multi-country payroll in Africa
Managing payroll across several jurisdictions requires more than accurate salary calculations. Each country brings its own statutory requirements, reporting obligations and deadlines. Organisations must accommodate these differences while maintaining consistent processes and reliable information across their operations.
Popay runs every country on a single platform, using its own payroll engine, maintained by Popay’s teams, who follow legislative change in each country. It is not an aggregator of local providers: customers get one system, one data model and one point of accountability across countries, and one security posture to audit rather than one per country. Its approach supports local payroll requirements while giving central teams greater visibility across countries and entities.
For organisations operating across Africa, this means working with a partner that understands the practical demands of payroll in diverse markets, from legislative changes to the coordination of local payroll activities. World Vision South Sudan moved its payroll from manual work to Popay. Wave, launched in Senegal in 2017 and now operating in ten countries, outsourced its payroll to Popay early on. In Senegal, Groupe EDK and Les Fermes de la Teranga also run their payroll on Popay, IPRES and CSS reports included.
Bringing clarity to payroll and workforce costs
As organisations expand, fragmented payroll processes can make it harder to investigate discrepancies, coordinate approvals and understand workforce expenditure.
Popay helps bring these activities into a more structured environment, supporting payroll oversight and clearer reporting. Payroll teams can understand how calculations were produced, while finance teams gain a consolidated view of workforce costs across entities and currencies.
The objective is practical: help local teams manage payroll effectively while providing management with the information needed to make informed decisions.
Connecting payroll with the wider HR environment
Payroll depends on accurate, timely employee information. Changes to contracts, working time, leave and employment status all affect the payroll process.
Popay’s broader HR offering connects these activities, helping organisations reduce duplicate data entry and improve consistency between HR and payroll. Groups that already run a global HRIS or ERP keep it: Popay connects it to Popay Payroll in Africa, and to local payrolls elsewhere, so HR, payroll and finance data stay in sync.
Run payroll yourself or let Popay run it, country by country
Alongside its software, Popay provides implementation, integration and application support. Payroll can be run by the customer’s own team or by Popay through its Managed payroll services, on the same platform. The choice can differ from one country to another and can change over time without changing system.
A continued focus on customer needs
Four consecutive years of recognition represent a milestone for Popay. Its priorities remain centred on the operational needs of customers: supporting compliance, strengthening payroll control and making HR and payroll processes easier to manage across borders.
“For four years running, Everest Group has assessed us alongside the largest payroll providers in the world. In that time we have focused on extending our payroll coverage across Africa. Popay now runs gross-to-net in more than 40 countries, all on a single platform.
Next step: more countries, more integrations, and AI-based payroll controls and compliance monitoring.”
Pierre Lamboray, Founder and Managing Director of Popay
As employers grow across Africa, Popay continues to combine technology and expertise to support their next stage of development.
Looking to simplify multi-country payroll? Speak with Popay about your operations and growth ambitions. Your contact: Pierre Lamboray, Founder and Managing Director of Popay, based in Mauritius. No commitment: a working conversation about your countries, your entities and who runs payroll in each. Book a conversation with Pierre
Read more about the assessment and Popay’s recognition: Multi-country Payroll (MCP) Solutions PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2026 - Everest Group Research Portal
Read next: Popay in the Everest Group PEAK Matrix® in 2025, 2024 and 2023.
About Popay
Popay, Belgian HR & payroll software vendor since 2004, for Belgium, the Netherlands and Africa. More about Popay.