ZMZaida MalekaVerified
Payroll Manager
Retail
South AfricaKlerksdorp2 to 10 employees
South AfricaKlerksdorp2 to 10 employees2.0
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 23 of 35
ZMZaida MalekaVerified
Payroll Manager
South AfricaKlerksdorp2 to 10 employeesIt was sold as suitable for wage staff. It is not. The honest position 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. I would look elsewhere unless price is the only consideration.
What works
It is cheaper than the alternatives.
What does not
Support could not explain their own statutory outputs. ETI required manual correction for months. The March year end process was poorly documented.
LBLindiwe BaloyiVerified
Chief Operating Officer
South AfricaRandburg500 plus 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. 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
Strong multi company handling for practices. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question. 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.
MZMusa ZwaneVerified
Debtors Manager
South AfricaNelspruit2 to 10 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
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.
NONonhlanhla OctoberVerified
Wages Clerk
South AfricaWitbank51 to 200 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. Good value, with some real rough edges.
What works
Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. Per employee pricing is fair for a small team.
What does not
No bargaining council support. The reporting cannot break cost down by department.
RJRajesh JonesVerified
HR Business Partner
South AfricaJohannesburgSole traderThe compliance errors were the problem, and they took too long to acknowledge. Where it earns its keep 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. I would look elsewhere unless price is the only consideration.
What works
It is cheaper than the alternatives.
What does not
ETI required manual correction for months. The March year end process was poorly documented. Support could not explain their own statutory outputs.
Response from the vendor21 Feb 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.
DRDavid RamaphosaVerified
Chief Executive Officer
South AfricaSandton51 to 200 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. Worth the migration effort, which is not something I say often.
What works
Strong multi company handling for practices. IRP5 files validated in e@syFile without a single rejection. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question.
What does not
Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.
ANAchmat Netshitenzhe
Management Accountant
South AfricaRandburg2 to 10 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. I would recommend it to a business of our size without hesitation.
What works
Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero.
What does not
Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.
TRThandiwe RadebeVerified
Senior Payroll Consultant
South AfricaGeorge11 to 50 employeesWe run about ninety staff on this and it has not missed a submission. Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. 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. Two years in and nobody has suggested we look at alternatives.
What works
Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working. 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.
RSRetha SeptemberVerified
Owner
South AfricaGqeberha500 plus 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. Nothing has come up in the last year that I would call a real problem. Two years in and nobody has suggested we look at alternatives.
What works
The largest pool of trained operators in the country. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration.
What does not
There is no real HR functionality, so we run a second system.
CMChristiaan Maleka
HR Officer
NamibiaNamibiaSole traderThe tax year end is what convinced me. Nothing broke. 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
Complete SARS statutory coverage, maintained for decades. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question. BCEA leave accruals are right without configuration.
What does not
There is no real HR functionality, so we run a second system.