Horizons

Horizons sells EOR from $299 per employee per month across 180+ countries and claims 24–48 hour onboarding. For Africa, that headline is only partly true: you get the lowest list price of any credible global EOR — about $300/month less than Deel and $100 less than Multiplier — but Africa coverage stops at five countries (South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana), and the $299 often becomes $400–500 once you add benefits and country surcharges. If your hiring is confined to those five markets and budget is the main constraint, Horizons is the cheapest option that still handles statutory payroll and compliance properly. The trade-off is thinner Africa-specific compliance depth, variable support outside European hours, and no path to Tanzania, Ethiopia, Morocco, or the rest of the continent.

Overall rating: 4.1

Ratings Breakdown

Horizons in Africa: Key Facts

What Horizons Does Well

Aggressive pricing

$299/employee/month undercuts Deel ($599) by $300 and Multiplier ($400) by $101. For 10 employees that’s $36,000 per year less than Deel and $12,120 less than Multiplier. The base price is not guaranteed for every African country or every benefits stack — country and benefits add-ons can push the real number to $400–500 — but even at that band Horizons usually lands below premium competitors. If the decision is driven by cost, Horizons sets the floor.

Fast onboarding

Horizons advertises 24–48 hour onboarding; in African markets expect 2–5 business days in South Africa and 5–8 in Nigeria. Local registration and document requirements dictate the floor, so no provider can deliver true 24-hour EOR in Lagos or Johannesburg. Within that reality, their workflow is built to minimise delay: standard hires with documents ready get on payroll in line with or slightly ahead of market. That’s a tangible advantage over slower, more manual EORs.

Global scale at budget pricing

One platform for 180+ countries at a starting price well below Deel and Remote. For teams that need South Africa plus a handful of European or Asian countries on a tight budget, Horizons avoids juggling multiple vendors and multiple price tiers. One contract, one dashboard, one invoice. The Africa footprint is narrow, but the global coverage at that price point is hard to match.

Pan-African workforce and reverse hiring

Horizons explicitly serves African companies hiring abroad, with outbound EOR from $199/month. A Nigerian or South African company hiring its first engineer in Germany or Singapore can use the same vendor. Most EOR content assumes US/EU hiring into Africa; Horizons supports the reverse flow, which matters for African-headquartered teams expanding globally.

Single contract and consolidated billing

One master agreement covers all countries; you don’t sign separate deals per market. Invoicing is consolidated, which simplifies finance and procurement. For companies with a few hires in SA, Nigeria, and Kenya, that’s one relationship and one renewal instead of three. The trade-off is that you’re locked into their five-country Africa list — no cherry-picking another provider for one country without adding a second EOR. For finance teams that hate managing multiple vendor contracts and PO lines, that consolidation has real value.

Where Horizons Falls Short

Only five African countries

South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana. No Tanzania, Ethiopia, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, or anyone else. Deel covers more African markets; GoGlobal has 30+; Africa HR Solutions reports 46+. If your roadmap includes any country outside those five, Horizons can’t serve it. That’s the main reason to look elsewhere for Africa-heavy expansion. The cost of that limitation: you either use a second EOR for the extra country (double admin, two contracts) or you delay or drop the hire. For a single Tanzania or Ethiopia role, the “cheap” provider can end up forcing you onto a more expensive multi-vendor setup.

The $299 price has asterisks

$299 is the entry point, not the guaranteed price for an African hire. Country surcharges, health and benefits packages, and add-ons (visa, work permits, recruitment) routinely push all-in cost to $400–500 per employee. Get a country-specific quote before basing the business case on the headline number; otherwise the delta can be $1,200–2,400 per employee per year.

Thinner compliance depth in Africa

Horizons is built for breadth, not Africa-specific depth. They run PAYE, UIF, pension, and the usual statutory items correctly. For complex cases — multi-jurisdiction terminations, unionised roles, or disputes under Nigerian or Kenyan law — they don’t match the in-country bench of Safeguard Global (400+ in-country experts) or the 15-year Africa track record of Africa HR Solutions. Fine for straightforward hires; riskier when the situation is messy. If you’re hiring in a regulated sector or expect contentious exits, the cost you save versus Deel or Remote may not cover the extra risk.

Support quality and time-zone mismatch

Berlin and Singapore HQs mean support is optimised for European and Asian hours. African business hours are not the primary coverage window. A payroll or contract issue at 2 p.m. Lagos (1 p.m. Berlin) often gets same-day attention; the same issue at 5 p.m. Lagos may slip to the next day. Reviews mention inconsistent response times. If you need same-day resolution during African business hours, factor that in.

Platform still maturing

Founded in 2018, Horizons is younger than Deel and Remote. The dashboard covers contract generation, payroll tracking, and basics; advanced reporting, integrations, and workflow automation lag. You get a functional tool, not the polish of the top-tier platforms. Acceptable for cost-focused teams; a drawback if you prioritise platform depth.

Pricing Breakdown

Base EOR fee: From $299 per employee per month. That’s the global starting point; African countries may carry surcharges.

Included: Employment contracts, payroll processing, statutory compliance (PAYE, UIF, pension, etc. by country), and basic benefits where applicable. Contractor management is available at a lower tier.

Not included in base: Health insurance above statutory minimums, visa and work permit handling, recruitment, and premium support. These are add-ons and increase the effective monthly cost. A typical “full” package with health and work-permit support can add $80–150/month per employee, which is why $400–500 all-in is common.

Volume: Discounts for larger headcount; enterprise pricing is custom. Don’t assume $299 at scale without a negotiated quote. At 20+ employees, push for a dedicated account and written volume terms.

Comparison: At list, $300/month less than Deel ($599) and $100 less than Multiplier ($400). The lowest advertised EOR price among credible global providers. Realistic all-in for African hires after typical add-ons: $400–500/month. Still usually below Deel and Remote; closer to or slightly below Multiplier depending on country and benefits. Against Oyster or G-P, Horizons remains the cheaper option; against niche Africa-only providers, compare country-by-country because some specialists undercut on a single market.

Africa Country-by-Country

South Africa

Horizons handles PAYE, UIF (1% employee, 1% employer), SDL (1%), and COIDA. First payroll typically in 2–5 business days. The 13th cheque is not statutory but is common in many sectors — confirm whether your package includes it. Ask whether the employing entity is owned or a partner; it affects liability and consistency.

Nigeria

CPS (10% employee, 8% employer), NHF (2.5%), NSITF (1%), ITF (1%), and PAYE are covered; PFA coordination is included. First payroll usually 5–8 business days. Multiple pension and statutory bodies mean more coordination; work permit and visa processing can be slow — plan start dates accordingly for non-Nigerian hires.

Kenya

NHIF, NSSF, and PAYE are managed. Work permits for non-Kenyans are an add-on. NSSF rates and thresholds have changed recently; confirm current contribution numbers at quote stage to avoid budget surprises. Onboarding is in line with market for standard, document-ready hires.

Egypt

Payroll runs in EGP; social insurance and income tax are handled by the EOR. End-of-service gratuity is material and accrues with tenure — clarify how Horizons calculates and funds it so you can budget for termination. Currency and remittance timing can affect when funds reach the employee.

Ghana

SSNIT Tier 1 and Tier 2 plus PAYE are covered; contracts align with the Ghana Labour Act. Onboarding is straightforward for standard roles. Sector-specific or unionised roles may have extra obligations; confirm with your account contact if your hire falls in a regulated or collective-bargaining context.

Pros and Cons Summary

Pros:

• Starting at $299/month — the lowest credible global EOR list price.
• 180+ countries on one platform at budget-friendly rates.
• Fast onboarding (2–5 days in South Africa) competitive with market leaders.
• Serves African companies hiring globally (outbound from $199/month).
• Berlin/Singapore dual-HQ covers European and Asian time zones.
• Single contract and consolidated billing across all countries.

Cons:

• Only five African countries — the narrowest Africa coverage among major EORs.
• $299 is a starting price; real cost for Africa often lands at $400–500+.
• Thinner Africa-specific compliance depth than specialist or large global providers.
• Variable support, especially outside European business hours.
• Platform lags Deel and Remote on features and integrations.

How It Compares

Horizons vs Deel. Deel covers more African countries (10 vs 5), uses owned entities in several African markets, and has a more mature platform. Horizons costs about $300/month less per employee. Choose Deel for maximum Africa coverage and platform polish; choose Horizons when budget is the main constraint and your hires are in the five countries they serve.

Horizons vs Multiplier. Multiplier offers similar African coverage at around $400/month with a more established product. Horizons is about $100 cheaper. Choose Multiplier for platform maturity; choose Horizons for lower cost.

Horizons vs GoGlobal. GoGlobal covers 30+ African countries with a dedicated Africa practice. Horizons covers five at a lower price. Choose GoGlobal for Africa breadth; choose Horizons for budget and global coverage within their country set.

Horizons vs Remote. Remote has stronger compliance positioning and a richer platform at a higher price. Choose Remote if compliance and platform are priorities; choose Horizons if you need the lowest price and your Africa footprint fits their five countries.

Horizons vs Africa HR Solutions. Africa HR Solutions covers 46+ African countries and focuses only on the continent. Horizons covers five African countries but adds 175+ others at low cost. Pick Africa HR Solutions for pan-African expansion; pick Horizons for global coverage including a handful of African markets on a tight budget.

Real User Feedback

Horizons has a moderate review footprint on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot.

Positive:

“The pricing made it possible for us to hire our first employee in South Africa. We couldn’t justify $599/month at our stage.” — Seed-stage startup

“Onboarding was genuinely fast. Our Kenya hire was on payroll within a week.” — Series A company

“One contract and one dashboard for our team in Nigeria and our team in Germany. No separate vendors to manage.” — SMB operations lead

Negative:

“The $299 price went up once we added the benefits package we needed. Final cost was closer to $450.” — Startup founder

“Support response times were inconsistent. Some queries resolved same-day; others took two to three days.” — Mid-market client

“We needed someone in Tanzania and they don’t support it. Had to go with another provider just for that one hire.” — HR manager

Final Verdict

Who should use Horizons: Budget-conscious startups and SMBs that need to hire in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, or Ghana — and possibly elsewhere globally — without paying Deel or Remote prices. Also a good fit for African companies hiring their first employees outside the continent.

Who should NOT use Horizons: Teams that need broad Africa coverage (Tanzania, Ethiopia, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, etc.). Use GoGlobal, Africa HR Solutions, or another Africa-focused provider. Also avoid if you need deep in-country compliance support for complex or high-risk situations — Safeguard Global or Africa HR Solutions are safer.

Bottom line: The budget option that works when your Africa hiring is limited to five markets. At $299/month starting, no one else is cheaper; just lock in the real price with a country-specific quote before you commit, and skip Horizons if you need more African countries or deep in-country compliance support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the $299/month price real for African countries?

It’s the global starting price. African hires can cost more depending on country, benefits, and add-ons. Get a country-specific quote. Realistic all-in for Africa is often $400–500/month.

How many African countries does Horizons cover?

Five: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and Ghana. For more African markets, consider GoGlobal (30+) or Africa HR Solutions (46+).

Can African companies use Horizons to hire globally?

Yes. Horizons offers outbound EOR for African companies hiring in 150+ countries from $199/month.

Does Horizons own entities in African countries?

Horizons uses a mix of owned and partner entities globally and reports owned entities in 100+ countries. Confirm for each African country whether the employing entity is owned or a partner.

How fast is onboarding in Nigeria?

Typically 5–8 business days for standard hires with documents ready. Competitive with market; slightly slower than Deel’s best-case 5–7 days in some setups.

Does Horizons handle 13th cheque or end-of-service gratuity in Africa?

In South Africa, the 13th cheque is not statutory but often expected; confirm with Horizons if it’s in your package. In Egypt, end-of-service gratuity is material and accrues with tenure — ask how it’s calculated and funded. In Nigeria and Ghana, statutory and contractual severance are handled as part of termination.

What’s not included in the base $299?

Health insurance above statutory minimums, visa and work permit services, recruitment, and premium support are add-ons. Country surcharges can also apply. Request a full quote for your country and benefits so you’re not comparing $299 to a competitor’s all-in number.

Can I add more African countries later if Horizons expands?

If Horizons adds countries (e.g. Tanzania, Ethiopia, Morocco), existing clients can typically add them through the same platform. Today, for a country they don’t cover, you need a second EOR or a contractor arrangement for that hire.