SNShireen NgcoboVerified
People Operations Lead
Mining services
South AfricaVereeniging2 to 10 employees
South AfricaVereeniging2 to 10 employees342 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 18 of 35
SNShireen NgcoboVerified
People Operations Lead
South AfricaVereeniging2 to 10 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. 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. IRP5 files validated in e@syFile without a single rejection. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call.
What does not
Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.
PMPalesa Maharaj
Wages Clerk
South AfricaWitbank11 to 50 employeesWe run about ninety staff on this and it has not missed a submission. 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. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration. IRP5 files validated in e@syFile without a single rejection.
What does not
There is no real HR functionality, so we run a second system.
KJKatlego JonesVerified
Wages Clerk
BotswanaBotswana11 to 50 employeesI have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. The largest pool of trained operators in the country. 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. It is not perfect, and it is the right choice for us.
What works
The largest pool of trained operators in the country. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero.
What does not
The interface takes a while for a new administrator.
SMShireen MolefeVerified
HR Manager
South AfricaGeorge500 plus employeesI have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. Strong multi company handling for practices. 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
Strong multi company handling for practices. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working.
What does not
The interface takes a while for a new administrator.
EWElmarie WilliamsVerified
Founder
South AfricaMidrand11 to 50 employeesWe use maybe sixty percent of what we pay for. Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. 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
Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. Statutory outputs are correct.
What does not
Support queues get long towards month end. The reporting cannot break cost down by department.
Response from the vendor15 Aug 2025
We value the honest assessment. The bank feed reliability issue you mention has been addressed in a recent release, and we would encourage you to reconnect the affected accounts.
JMJames MaharajVerified
Chief Operating Officer
South AfricaSandtonSole traderI 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. If you are weighing it up, do the trial with your own data and you will see it.
What works
The largest pool of trained operators in the country. 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.
ERElmarie Reddy
HR Manager
South AfricaMidrandSole traderCompliance side is solid, the day to day is more of a slog than it should be. Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. 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. Good value, with some real rough edges.
What works
Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. Payslips are clear and employees understand them.
What does not
Support queues get long towards month end. Wage and shift payroll is weaker than salaried.
WCWayne ChettyVerified
Audit Manager
South AfricaKimberleySole traderWe 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. Per employee pricing is fair for a small team.
What does not
Support queues get long towards month end. The reporting cannot break cost down by department.
JMJenna MashabaVerified
Payroll Administrator
South AfricaRichards BaySole traderWe had to rebuild two EMP501 submissions by hand. 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
The payslip layout is clean.
What does not
The March year end process was poorly documented. Support could not explain their own statutory outputs. Leave accruals did not follow BCEA rules.
FSFrancois SolomonsVerified
Payroll Manager
South AfricaJohannesburg2 to 10 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. Worth the migration effort, which is not something I say often.
What works
The largest pool of trained operators in the country. EMP201 and EMP501 submissions have been correct every period. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration.
What does not
Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.