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Showing 141 to 160 of 274 reviews
Danie Nel
Accounts Clerk · Marula Distributors
12 August 2025
Our auditors know the reports by heart, year end goes quickly because of that. You can drill from any report straight down to the source document. It does the unglamorous work perfectly and that is the whole job.
Pros
Most bookkeepers already know it
Ashwin Venter
Practice Owner · Pietermaritzburg Drilling Studio
2 August 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. The bank manager module reconciles Nedbank statements quickly once the rules are set.
Pros
VAT reporting aligned with SARS
Cons
Backups are entirely your responsibility
Craig Naidoo
Financial Controller
27 June 2025
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. The 20 percent payroll discount when you buy Pastel made the bundle an easy yes. Twenty years from now someone will still be running their books on Pastel.
Pros
VAT reporting aligned with SARS; drill down from report to source document
Cons
Interface looks and feels dated
Rashida Singh
Credit Controller · Singh Textiles
3 June 2025
I learned Pastel at varsity and walked into my first job already productive. Support through our local business partner is a phone call, not a ticket queue. The install base alone makes it the sensible choice here.
Cons
No real mobile story
Zinhle Naicker
Accountant
6 May 2025
Fine software if you accept what it is and is not. Emailing invoices works but feels clunky next to modern systems. Processing speed on a local machine beats waiting for a browser every time.
Pros
Utterly reliable core ledger
Cons
Annual renewal increases keep coming
Nandi Bester
Credit Controller
16 March 2025
When the fibre goes down in Cape Town we keep capturing like nothing happened. Supplier and customer ageing reports are exactly what a credit controller needs. Solid, familiar and everywhere. That combination is hard to beat.
Pros
Works through load shedding and internet outages
Gavin Olivier
Senior Bookkeeper
7 March 2025
Happy with the bookkeeping, less happy with the bill. Report layouts beyond the standard ones need the forms designer and patience.
Pros
Drill down from report to source document
Musa Van Wyk
Financial Controller
2 March 2025
It is dependable to a fault and dated to a fault. Every useful extra is a separate module with a separate price.
Cons
Interface looks and feels dated
Naadira Daniels
Accounts Supervisor
12 February 2025
Does everything we need at the office. Away from the office is another story. Support through our local business partner is a phone call, not a ticket queue.
Pros
Strong stock module with serial tracking
Cons
No real mobile story
Gerhard Mokgadi
Director · Bateleur Attorneys SA
11 January 2025
New staff always know it already because the colleges all teach it. The GL is strict in the best way, it forces clean processing habits. Processing speed on a local machine beats waiting for a browser every time.
Cons
Needs proper IT support on a network
Lindiwe Cloete
Financial Manager
1 January 2025
We process for 12 clients in our practice and every one of them is on Pastel. The Intelligence reporting module turns the ledger into proper management packs. It does the unglamorous work perfectly and that is the whole job.
Pros
Utterly reliable core ledger; batch processing suits real accounts teams
Cons
Occasional data errors need rebuilds
Lisa Ngcobo
18 December 2024
Our auditors know the reports by heart, year end goes quickly because of that. Load shedding does not touch us, the server sits on an inverter and we keep working. Supplier and customer ageing reports are exactly what a credit controller needs.
Cons
Emailing documents feels clunky
Simphiwe Zulu
Bookkeeper · Somerset West Logistics Studio
11 December 2024
Happy with the bookkeeping, less happy with the bill. You need to be disciplined about backups because it is your responsibility alone. The Intelligence reporting module turns the ledger into proper management packs.
Schalk Joubert
Financial Director · Joubert Steel Supplies
9 November 2024
New staff always know it already because the colleges all teach it. The GL is strict in the best way, it forces clean processing habits. You buy Pastel for the reliability and it delivers exactly that.
Pros
Ageing reports are excellent
Khanyisile Ramjee
Kalahari Medical Group
5 November 2024
Pastel does the accounting properly, it just makes you work for it sometimes. New staff who trained on cloud tools find the learning curve real. It handles our point of sale till at the front and the ledger at the back.
Pros
VAT reporting aligned with SARS
Cons
Report customisation takes patience
Tracey Gumede
Senior Bookkeeper
26 September 2024
Good software wrapped in a 2010 experience. Report layouts beyond the standard ones need the forms designer and patience. It handles our point of sale till at the front and the ledger at the back.
Pros
Strong stock module with serial tracking
Ronel Cassim
Managing Director
31 July 2024
The thing about Pastel is that every accountant in the country can work in it. It handles our point of sale till at the front and the ledger at the back.
Cons
Interface looks and feels dated
Khanyisile Perumal
Office Manager · Horizon Distributors
8 July 2026
Does everything we need at the office. Away from the office is another story. Remote access means remote desktop gymnastics or paying for hosting.
Pros
Data lives on your own server
Cons
Needs proper IT support on a network
Naledi Maseko
Office Manager · Karoo Consulting
8 July 2026
Still the right tool for us, though the cloud options get more tempting yearly. Every useful extra is a separate module with a separate price. The install base means any problem you hit, someone within driving distance has solved it before.
Cons
Upgrades between versions can be fiddly
Marlene Viljoen
6 July 2026
Renewal pricing finally pushed us to look elsewhere, and elsewhere was better. The licence tiers force you up a level for one extra user.
Pros
Fast local processing, no browser lag
Cons
Network version instability wasted days
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