Editorial policy

Last updated 1 July 2026. This is how we work.

Independence

Editorial decisions are made by the editorial team alone. No vendor, advertiser or affiliate partner has any input into what we publish, how a product is rated or where it appears in a ranking. Our commercial arrangements are set out in full on the affiliate disclosure page.

How products are selected

We include products that South African businesses genuinely shortlist: local incumbents, international products with a real local presence, and anything that appears often enough in buyer conversations to deserve an answer. We exclude products we cannot assess properly. Nobody pays to be included.

How products are assessed

Every product is assessed on ease of use, value for money, customer service, functionality and an overall judgement. In addition, each category is measured against a fixed local checklist:

• Accounting: VAT201 output at 15%, treatment of standard, zero rated and exempt supplies, SARS eFiling transfer, bank feed coverage across Absa, FNB, Standard Bank, Nedbank and Capitec, and accountant access.
• Payroll: EMP201, EMP501, IRP5 and IT3(a), e@syFile validation, UIF declarations, SDL, ETI on the correct sliding scale, BCEA leave accrual and the ACB payment file.
• HR: BCEA annual, sick and family responsibility leave, Employment Equity reporting, skills development submissions, and POPIA handling of special personal information.
• CRM and project management: rand cost including exchange rate exposure, seat and band structures, local support hours, POPIA consent handling and real world adoption.

Where a product fails a checklist item we say so plainly, including where the product is otherwise excellent.

How ratings are calculated

Star ratings come from verified user reviews and nothing else. Our editorial view shapes what we write, not the average. Aggregate ratings are computed automatically from published reviews and are never written by hand.

How ranking works

We rank using a Bayesian weighted average rather than a raw star average. A raw average lets a product with eleven reviews at 4.8 outrank one with four hundred at 4.4, which is not useful to a buyer.

Each product's score is blended towards the platform mean, weighted by its review volume, using the median review count across the catalogue as the prior weight. A product with many reviews sits close to its own average. A product with few sits closer to the middle until it has earned its position.

How reviews are verified

Reviewers state their role, industry, company size, country and how long they have used the product. Where we can confirm a reviewer's professional identity, the review carries a verified badge.

We remove reviews that appear to be written by the vendor, by a competitor, or in exchange for something of value. We do not remove negative reviews at a vendor's request. Vendors may respond publicly and the response is published with the review.

Pricing

Prices are taken from the vendor's own South African pricing page or official shop, quoted in rand, with the VAT basis stated because vendors are not consistent about it. Each product page shows the date the price was last checked. We re verify quarterly and run an automated check weekly that flags products whose vendor page no longer matches our stored figure.

Corrections

We correct errors openly rather than quietly. Where a correction changes the substance of an assessment, we add a dated note explaining what changed and why. If you believe something here is wrong, write to hello@bosberaaad.co.za with the detail and we will look at it.

Use of AI

Editorial assessments, comparisons and buying guides are written and edited by people. We use software for research assistance, transcription and routine formatting. We do not publish generated text as editorial opinion, and every published assessment carries a named author who stands behind it.