342 verified reviews

Sage Pastel Payroll reviews

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

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342 reviews match · page 8 of 35

Kavitha Mnisi

Owner

Manufacturing

BotswanaSole trader

4.0

13 May 2026

Leave finally follows the BCEA without a spreadsheet

We 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. 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. 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.

Lizelle NkunaVerified

Financial Director

Marketing and advertising

Gqeberha201 to 500 employees

2.0

11 May 2026

The March tax year end cost us a weekend

We had to rebuild two EMP501 submissions by hand. In practice, 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. It may suit a simpler business than ours.

What works

It is cheaper than the alternatives.

What does not

Support could not explain their own statutory outputs. Leave accruals did not follow BCEA rules. The March year end process was poorly documented.

Tebogo MashabaVerified

Financial Controller

Security services

Somerset West11 to 50 employees

4.0

09 May 2026

Three tax year ends without a single correction

The 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. It is not perfect, and it is the right choice for us.

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

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.

Kgomotso BezuidenhoutVerified

Chief Operating Officer

Retail

Midrand201 to 500 employees

3.0

03 May 2026

Compliant, but the interface fights you

Compliance side is solid, the day to day is more of a slog than it should be. 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. It is a reasonable choice, provided you know what it does not do.

What works

The largest pool of trained operators in the country. Setup was straightforward.

What does not

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

Craig ChettyVerified

Bookkeeper

Marketing and advertising

Durban51 to 200 employees

4.0

02 May 2026

Support actually understands South African payroll

We 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. 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. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question.

What does not

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

Musa AdamsVerified

Founder

Marketing and advertising

Kimberley201 to 500 employees

2.0

02 May 2026

ETI was calculated wrong for eight months

We had to rebuild two EMP501 submissions by hand. What surprised me was 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. It may suit a simpler business than ours.

What works

It is cheaper than the alternatives.

What does not

ETI required manual correction for months. Leave accruals did not follow BCEA rules. Support could not explain their own statutory outputs.

Nosipho JacobsVerified

General Manager

Telecommunications

Midrand2 to 10 employees

4.0

01 May 2026

Leave finally follows the BCEA without a spreadsheet

The 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

Strong multi company handling for practices. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working.

What does not

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.

Reabetswe Jacobs

Senior Bookkeeper

Education

East London11 to 50 employees

3.0

01 May 2026

Correct outputs, unhelpful reporting

It works. It is not enjoyable, but payroll rarely is. 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

Strong multi company handling for practices. Setup was straightforward.

What does not

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

Response from the vendor10 May 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.

Nadia SolomonsVerified

HR Officer

Wholesale and distribution

Rustenburg51 to 200 employees

3.0

30 Apr 2026

Does what it must, nothing more

It works. It is not enjoyable, but payroll rarely is. 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. Fine for our needs. Test it properly against your own requirements.

What works

Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. Setup was straightforward.

What does not

The reporting cannot break cost down by department. Support queues get long towards month end.

Sunette FourieVerified

Senior Bookkeeper

Education

KimberleySole trader

5.0

29 Apr 2026

Three tax year ends without a single correction

The tax year end is what convinced me. Nothing broke. 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. It is not perfect, and it is the right choice for us.

What works

Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. IRP5 files validated in e@syFile without a single rejection. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero.

What does not

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.

342 verified reviews

We 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. 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. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question.

What does not

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

Musa AdamsVerified

Founder

Marketing and advertising

Kimberley201 to 500 employees

2.0

02 May 2026

ETI was calculated wrong for eight months

What works

It is cheaper than the alternatives.

What does not

ETI required manual correction for months. Leave accruals did not follow BCEA rules. Support could not explain their own statutory outputs.

Nosipho JacobsVerified

General Manager

Telecommunications

Midrand2 to 10 employees

4.0

01 May 2026

Leave finally follows the BCEA without a spreadsheet

What works

Strong multi company handling for practices. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question. ETI is calculated on the sliding scale and shows its working.

What does not

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.

Reabetswe Jacobs

Senior Bookkeeper

Education

East London11 to 50 employees

3.0

01 May 2026

Correct outputs, unhelpful reporting

What works

Strong multi company handling for practices. Setup was straightforward.

What does not

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

Response from the vendor10 May 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.

Nadia SolomonsVerified

HR Officer

Wholesale and distribution

Rustenburg51 to 200 employees

3.0

30 Apr 2026

Does what it must, nothing more

What works

Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. Setup was straightforward.

What does not

The reporting cannot break cost down by department. Support queues get long towards month end.

Sunette FourieVerified

Senior Bookkeeper

Education

KimberleySole trader

5.0

29 Apr 2026

Three tax year ends without a single correction

What works

Runs locally, so month end is not a connectivity risk. IRP5 files validated in e@syFile without a single rejection. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero.

What does not

The interface takes a while for a new administrator.