JJJames Jacobs
People Operations Lead
Construction
South AfricaStellenbosch2 to 10 employees
South AfricaStellenbosch2 to 10 employees4.0
342 verified reviews
Every published review of Sage Pastel Payroll, unedited beyond length and clarity. Vendor responses are shown alongside the review they answer.
342 reviews match · page 16 of 35
JJJames Jacobs
People Operations Lead
South AfricaStellenbosch2 to 10 employeesWe run about ninety staff on this and it has not missed a submission. Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. 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. If you are weighing it up, do the trial with your own data and you will see it.
What works
Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working. IRP5 files validated in e@syFile without a single rejection.
What does not
Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.
YSYusuf SmithVerified
Payroll and Benefits Officer
South AfricaSomerset West500 plus employeesI have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. 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. It is not perfect, and it is the right choice for us.
What works
Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. EMP201 and EMP501 submissions have been correct every period. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working.
What does not
The interface takes a while for a new administrator.
KHKgomotso Hendricks
Senior Payroll Consultant
South AfricaCape Town201 to 500 employeesWe switched after our previous provider got an ETI calculation wrong. The largest pool of trained operators in the country. 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. It is not perfect, and it is the right choice for us.
What works
Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question.
What does not
The interface takes a while for a new administrator.
CPChristiaan PetersenVerified
Founder
South AfricaCape Town201 to 500 employeesWe use maybe sixty percent of what we pay for. The largest pool of trained operators in the country. 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. I would shortlist it, not necessarily pick it.
What works
Strong multi company handling for practices. Per employee pricing is fair for a small team.
What does not
No bargaining council support. Wage and shift payroll is weaker than salaried.
CMChristiaan MudauVerified
Debtors Manager
South AfricaRandburg51 to 200 employeesThe tax year end is what convinced me. Nothing broke. Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. 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. I would recommend it to a business of our size without hesitation.
What works
Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration.
What does not
Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.
SRSarisha ReddyVerified
Financial Manager
South AfricaGeorge51 to 200 employeesWe had to rebuild two EMP501 submissions by hand. For context, 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
Leave accruals did not follow BCEA rules. The March year end process was poorly documented. Support could not explain their own statutory outputs.
Response from the vendor07 Nov 2025
Thank you for the feedback and for being a customer. We have shared your comments on the mobile experience with our product team, and a redesigned application is currently in beta.
DMDenise MolefeVerified
HR and Payroll Manager
South AfricaVereeniging11 to 50 employeesWe use maybe sixty percent of what we pay for. Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. 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
Strong multi company handling for practices. Setup was straightforward.
What does not
Support queues get long towards month end. No bargaining council support.
Response from the vendor05 Nov 2025
Thank you for the detailed feedback. Our product team has logged the reporting limitations you describe and improvements are on the roadmap for this year. Please contact our support team so we can look at your specific configuration.
KRKarabo RobertsVerified
Payroll and Benefits Officer
South AfricaDurban500 plus employeesThe tax year end is what convinced me. Nothing broke. The largest pool of trained operators in the country. 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. I would recommend it to a business of our size without hesitation.
What works
Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. EMP201 and EMP501 submissions have been correct every period. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call.
What does not
The interface takes a while for a new administrator.
SJSipho JonesVerified
Payroll and Benefits Officer
South AfricaNelspruit201 to 500 employeesI have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. 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. It is not perfect, and it is the right choice for us.
What works
Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call.
What does not
Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.
LPLizelle Pretorius
Chief Operating Officer
South AfricaRustenburg11 to 50 employeesI have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. 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. I would recommend it to a business of our size without hesitation.
What works
Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration.
What does not
Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.