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Showing 221 to 240 of 274 reviews
Lindiwe Van der Merwe
Office Manager
8 July 2026
The core is bulletproof. The extras feel bolted on. The annual renewal invoice grows every year without much new to show for it. The 20 percent payroll discount when you buy Pastel made the bundle an easy yes.
Pros
Ageing reports are excellent
Sanele Buthelezi
Bookkeeper · Karoo Construction Services
7 July 2026
It is dependable to a fault and dated to a fault. Processing speed on a local machine beats waiting for a browser every time.
Pros
Works through load shedding and internet outages
Riaan Ngcobo
Managing Director
5 July 2026
Does everything we need at the office. Away from the office is another story.
Pros
Multi company on one licence
Cons
Needs proper IT support on a network
Charmaine Pretorius
Accountant · Kudu Attorneys Group
3 July 2026
We rate the engine highly and the interface far less. Every useful extra is a separate module with a separate price.
Pros
Fast local processing, no browser lag
Cons
Learning curve for staff used to cloud tools
Katlego Ferreira
Practice Owner
30 June 2026
Happy with the bookkeeping, less happy with the bill. New staff who trained on cloud tools find the learning curve real.
Ronel Xaba
Senior Bookkeeper
29 June 2026
After trying the cloud options we stayed with the desktop, speed won. Year end procedures look scary the first time but the wizard walks you through it.
Pros
Drill down from report to source document
Cons
Emailing documents feels clunky
Mandla Booysen
Accounts Supervisor
28 June 2026
The general ledger structure is exactly how accounting should be done. Training a new clerk takes days because half the candidates already know it. Supplier and customer ageing reports are exactly what a credit controller needs.
Pros
Ageing reports are excellent
Nkosinathi Nxumalo
27 June 2026
Renewal pricing finally pushed us to look elsewhere, and elsewhere was better.
Pros
Forms designer matches documents to letterhead
Cons
Data corruption at the worst moments. Getting data out when leaving is painful
Marlene Botha
Financial Director · Vereeniging Agri and Sons
26 June 2026
I learned Pastel at varsity and walked into my first job already productive. You can drill from any report straight down to the source document.
Pros
Most bookkeepers already know it; decades of proven stability
Nomvula Bester
Accounts Clerk
19 June 2026
Fine software if you accept what it is and is not. Multi user on a network needs proper IT support or you will have odd errors. You need to be disciplined about backups because it is your responsibility alone.
Cons
Modules are priced separately and add up
Estelle Perumal
Senior Bookkeeper · Highveld Catering Group
8 June 2026
A strong product carrying some old baggage. The annual renewal invoice grows every year without much new to show for it. New staff who trained on cloud tools find the learning curve real.
Pros
Decades of proven stability; payroll bundle discount is worthwhile
Cons
Interface looks and feels dated
Elna Maseko
Owner
4 June 2026
We run stock, debtors, creditors and the ledger for two branches on it. Supplier and customer ageing reports are exactly what a credit controller needs. Recommended, especially if you have a consultant nearby.
Pros
Granular user permissions
Cons
Upgrades between versions can be fiddly
Naadira Taylor
Accounts Supervisor
3 June 2026
It is dependable to a fault and dated to a fault. The interface has not meaningfully changed in a decade.
Pros
Drill down from report to source document; data lives on your own server
Cons
Interface looks and feels dated
Wynand Rikhotso
Credit Controller · Kudu Farming Group
3 June 2026
Bought it when we started the business and it has scaled with us since. You buy Pastel for the reliability and it delivers exactly that.
Pros
Drill down from report to source document
Khanyisile Zwane
Accounts Supervisor · Zwane Construction
30 May 2026
Our auditors know the reports by heart, year end goes quickly because of that. It will outlast half the cloud startups people keep pitching me.
Pros
VAT reporting aligned with SARS
Vinesh Ramjee
Accounts Supervisor · Ramjee Mining
29 May 2026
Happy with the bookkeeping, less happy with the bill. Processing speed on a local machine beats waiting for a browser every time.
Warren Buthelezi
Owner
27 May 2026
Pastel does the accounting properly, it just makes you work for it sometimes. Report layouts beyond the standard ones need the forms designer and patience. Backups take a minute and I sleep well knowing the data sits on our own server.
Cons
Report customisation takes patience
Leandra Meyer
Financial Controller
13 May 2026
It has survived three office moves, two server upgrades and one flood with us. Multi company support means our two entities live side by side cleanly. Solid, familiar and everywhere. That combination is hard to beat.
Pros
Data lives on your own server; works through load shedding and internet outages
Cons
Occasional data errors need rebuilds
Kagiso Reddy
9 May 2026
Good software wrapped in a 2010 experience. The bank manager module reconciles Capitec statements quickly once the rules are set.
Pros
VAT reporting aligned with SARS
Cons
Annual renewal increases keep coming
Shanice Singh
Managing Director · Protea Timber Group
29 April 2026
It is not glamorous but the trial balance is right every single month. The forms designer let us match our invoices to our letterhead exactly. It will outlast half the cloud startups people keep pitching me.
Pros
Granular user permissions
Cons
Annual renewal increases keep coming
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