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Showing 81 to 100 of 274 reviews
Kate Nkosi
Accountant
16 June 2025
A strong product carrying some old baggage. You need to be disciplined about backups because it is your responsibility alone. Inventory with serial numbers has kept our warehouse honest for years.
Pros
Forms designer matches documents to letterhead; multi company on one licence
Cons
Remote access is clunky without hosting
Nomsa Van Zyl
Bookkeeper · Zyl Trading
6 April 2025
Our network version fought us weekly until we gave up. The workstation installs break with every Windows update, or so it feels. Emailing statements failed silently for a month before we noticed.
Pros
Drill down from report to source document
Cons
Getting data out when leaving is painful. Renewal pricing no longer matches the value
Hannelie Sebola
Managing Director · Richards Bay Properties Solutions
10 March 2025
It is dependable to a fault and dated to a fault. You need to be disciplined about backups because it is your responsibility alone.
Pros
Fast local processing, no browser lag
Cons
Learning curve for staff used to cloud tools
Zanele Du Plessis
Bookkeeper
2 March 2025
A strong product carrying some old baggage.
Pros
Strong stock module with serial tracking; utterly reliable core ledger
Cons
Remote access is clunky without hosting
Anish Baloyi
Bookkeeper · Johannesburg Manufacturing Works
7 February 2025
Does everything we need at the office. Away from the office is another story. You need to be disciplined about backups because it is your responsibility alone. User permissions are granular enough that the juniors only see what they should.
Pros
Point of sale option for the front counter; multi company on one licence
Cons
Interface looks and feels dated
Zanele Zulu
Credit Controller · Baobab Drilling Services
11 November 2024
We stuck with Pastel out of habit and habit finally cost us. The workstation installs break with every Windows update, or so it feels. Our consultant charges by the hour and the odd errors kept him busy.
Pros
Consultants and training available everywhere in SA
Cons
Consultant costs to fix recurring errors add up
Nkosinathi Botes
Accounts Clerk · Botes Properties
8 November 2024
We process for 40 clients in our practice and every one of them is on Pastel. The bank manager module reconciles Standard Bank statements quickly once the rules are set.
Pros
Decades of proven stability; multi company on one licence
Cons
Needs proper IT support on a network
Kavitha Khumalo
Senior Bookkeeper
21 September 2024
After trying the cloud options we stayed with the desktop, speed won. User permissions are granular enough that the juniors only see what they should. Year end procedures look scary the first time but the wizard walks you through it.
Pros
Point of sale option for the front counter; forms designer matches documents to letterhead
Dineo Hadebe
Senior Bookkeeper
21 September 2024
It has survived three office moves, two server upgrades and one flood with us. The forms designer let us match our invoices to our letterhead exactly.
Pros
Works through load shedding and internet outages
Moegamat Le Roux
Accounts Clerk · Drakensberg Properties
30 June 2026
A strong product carrying some old baggage. The Intelligence reporting module turns the ledger into proper management packs.
Pros
VAT reporting aligned with SARS
Cons
Upgrades between versions can be fiddly
Sanele Bezuidenhout
Director · Karoo Steel Group
13 June 2026
Our network version fought us weekly until we gave up. The workstation installs break with every Windows update, or so it feels.
Cons
Data corruption at the worst moments. Network version instability wasted days
Lwazi Mahlangu
Director · Kalahari Motors
31 May 2026
The core is bulletproof. The extras feel bolted on. The interface has not meaningfully changed in a decade.
Pros
Point of sale option for the front counter
Cons
No real mobile story
Chantal Radebe
Financial Director · Milkwood Attorneys Supplies
24 May 2026
We rate the engine highly and the interface far less. You need to be disciplined about backups because it is your responsibility alone. User permissions are granular enough that the juniors only see what they should.
Cons
Occasional data errors need rebuilds
Shaun Venter
Practice Owner
26 February 2026
After trying the cloud options we stayed with the desktop, speed won. Load shedding does not touch us, the server sits on an inverter and we keep working. User permissions are granular enough that the juniors only see what they should. Recommended, especially if you have a consultant nearby.
Byron Molefe
Financial Controller · Table Bay Catering Studio
6 January 2026
We run stock, debtors, creditors and the ledger for two branches on it. Processing speed on a local machine beats waiting for a browser every time. The install base means any problem you hit, someone within driving distance has solved it before. The install base alone makes it the sensible choice here.
Pros
Strong stock module with serial tracking; ageing reports are excellent
Nadia Booysen
Director · Booysen Consulting
3 May 2025
Our auditors know the reports by heart, year end goes quickly because of that. Processing speed on a local machine beats waiting for a browser every time. Support through our local business partner is a phone call, not a ticket queue.
Anele Singh
Financial Controller · Midrand Timber Group
28 March 2025
Renewal pricing finally pushed us to look elsewhere, and elsewhere was better. Everything modern about it costs extra and everything included feels old.
Cons
Windows updates keep breaking workstations
Candice Khumalo
Accounts Supervisor
13 September 2024
Bought it when we started the business and it has scaled with us since. You can drill from any report straight down to the source document. If you want serious desktop bookkeeping in South Africa, this is still the one.
Pros
Colleges still teach it so hiring is easy
Cons
Emailing documents feels clunky
Anele Sebola
Financial Director · Paarl Drilling
7 July 2026
After trying the cloud options we stayed with the desktop, speed won. Supplier and customer ageing reports are exactly what a credit controller needs. Our audit fees dropped because the records are so clean. Enough said.
Cons
Modules are priced separately and add up
Yusuf Erasmus
Director
30 June 2026
The thing about Pastel is that every accountant in the country can work in it. The install base means any problem you hit, someone within driving distance has solved it before.
Pros
Works through load shedding and internet outages
South Africa