231 verified reviews

Sage Business Cloud Payroll reviews

Every published review of Sage Business Cloud Payroll, unedited beyond length and clarity. Vendor responses are shown alongside the review they answer.

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231 reviews match · page 2 of 24

Shalini IsaacsVerified

Founder

Engineering

Richards Bay11 to 50 employees

3.0

14 Jul 2026

Good product, frustrating support queue

We use maybe sixty percent of what we pay for. Per employee pricing that scales with headcount. Beyond that it is more ordinary than the marketing suggests. It sits squarely in the middle for us, useful but not something I would champion. Fine for our needs. Test it properly against your own requirements.

What works

Posts straight into Sage Accounting with no export step. Payslips are clear and employees understand them.

What does not

Support queues get long towards month end. No bargaining council support.

Tracy NkunaVerified

Group Financial Manager

Retail

Bloemfontein2 to 10 employees

2.0

14 Jul 2026

The March tax year end cost us a weekend

It was sold as suitable for wage staff. It is not. The thing worth knowing is that the parts we were sold on never worked the way they were demonstrated. The gaps are the kind that create work rather than save it. Test it hard during the trial with real volume before committing.

What works

It is cheaper than the alternatives.

What does not

Support could not explain their own statutory outputs. The March year end process was poorly documented. ETI required manual correction for months.

Willem MahlanguVerified

Payroll and Benefits Officer

Legal services

George500 plus employees

4.0

12 Jul 2026

Payroll stopped being the worst week of the month

The tax year end is what convinced me. Nothing broke. Per employee pricing that scales with headcount. That is the part that genuinely changed how we work. There are irritations, and none of them are the kind that make you look elsewhere. Worth the migration effort, which is not something I say often.

What works

The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question.

What does not

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.

Refilwe RobertsVerified

Managing Director

Property and real estate

Rustenburg500 plus employees

5.0

10 Jul 2026

Our IRP5 files validated in e@syFile first time

We run about ninety staff on this and it has not missed a submission. Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. That is the part that genuinely changed how we work. Nothing has come up in the last year that I would call a real problem. Worth the migration effort, which is not something I say often.

What works

Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration.

What does not

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.

Hlengiwe Kruger

Chief Operating Officer

Manufacturing

Randburg11 to 50 employees

5.0

09 Jul 2026

Payroll stopped being the worst week of the month

We run about ninety staff on this and it has not missed a submission. The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. That is the part that genuinely changed how we work. Nothing has come up in the last year that I would call a real problem. I would recommend it to a business of our size without hesitation.

What works

Posts straight into Sage Accounting with no export step. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call.

What does not

Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.

Sarisha Khumalo

Practice Manager

Security services

Durban2 to 10 employees

5.0

07 Jul 2026

Our IRP5 files validated in e@syFile first time

I have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. That is the part that genuinely changed how we work. Nothing has come up in the last year that I would call a real problem. I would recommend it to a business of our size without hesitation.

What works

Per employee pricing that scales with headcount. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working.

What does not

There is no real HR functionality, so we run a second system.

Gerhard SmithVerified

Managing Director

Professional consulting

Kimberley11 to 50 employees

4.0

07 Jul 2026

Leave finally follows the BCEA without a spreadsheet

I have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. That is the part that genuinely changed how we work. There are irritations, and none of them are the kind that make you look elsewhere. Worth the migration effort, which is not something I say often.

What works

Posts straight into Sage Accounting with no export step. EMP201 and EMP501 submissions have been correct every period. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero.

What does not

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.

Naledi NetshitenzheVerified

Learning and Development Manager

Manufacturing

Centurion51 to 200 employees

5.0

05 Jul 2026

ETI calculated correctly, with the working shown

We run about ninety staff on this and it has not missed a submission. The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. That is the part that genuinely changed how we work. Nothing has come up in the last year that I would call a real problem. Worth the migration effort, which is not something I say often.

What works

The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call.

What does not

There is no real HR functionality, so we run a second system.

Refilwe Jacobs

Senior Payroll Consultant

Education

Nelspruit51 to 200 employees

3.0

03 Jul 2026

Good product, frustrating support queue

We use maybe sixty percent of what we pay for. Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. Beyond that it is more ordinary than the marketing suggests. It sits squarely in the middle for us, useful but not something I would champion. Fine for our needs. Test it properly against your own requirements.

What works

Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. Per employee pricing is fair for a small team.

What does not

No bargaining council support. Wage and shift payroll is weaker than salaried.

Thandiwe MolefeVerified

HR Manager

Recruitment

Rustenburg2 to 10 employees

3.0

01 Jul 2026

Correct outputs, unhelpful reporting

It works. It is not enjoyable, but payroll rarely is. Per employee pricing that scales with headcount. Beyond that it is more ordinary than the marketing suggests. It sits squarely in the middle for us, useful but not something I would champion. It is a reasonable choice, provided you know what it does not do.

What works

Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. Per employee pricing is fair for a small team.

What does not

The reporting cannot break cost down by department. Wage and shift payroll is weaker than salaried.

Response from the vendor09 Jul 2026

Thank you for this. We recognise the pricing concern and would like to review your plan with you, as there may be a better fit for your usage. Our team will be in touch.

231 verified reviews

I have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. That is the part that genuinely changed how we work. There are irritations, and none of them are the kind that make you look elsewhere. Worth the migration effort, which is not something I say often.

What works

Posts straight into Sage Accounting with no export step. EMP201 and EMP501 submissions have been correct every period. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero.

What does not

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.

Naledi NetshitenzheVerified

Learning and Development Manager

Manufacturing

Centurion51 to 200 employees

5.0

05 Jul 2026

ETI calculated correctly, with the working shown

We run about ninety staff on this and it has not missed a submission. The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. That is the part that genuinely changed how we work. Nothing has come up in the last year that I would call a real problem. Worth the migration effort, which is not something I say often.

What works

The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call.

What does not

There is no real HR functionality, so we run a second system.

Refilwe Jacobs

Senior Payroll Consultant

Education

Nelspruit51 to 200 employees

3.0

03 Jul 2026

Good product, frustrating support queue

What works

Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. Per employee pricing is fair for a small team.

What does not

No bargaining council support. Wage and shift payroll is weaker than salaried.

Thandiwe MolefeVerified

HR Manager

Recruitment

Rustenburg2 to 10 employees

3.0

01 Jul 2026

Correct outputs, unhelpful reporting

What works

Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. Per employee pricing is fair for a small team.

What does not

The reporting cannot break cost down by department. Wage and shift payroll is weaker than salaried.

Response from the vendor09 Jul 2026

Thank you for this. We recognise the pricing concern and would like to review your plan with you, as there may be a better fit for your usage. Our team will be in touch.