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©2026 Bosberaaad. South Africa's independent business software guide.

Bosberaaad

  1. Home
  2. Software
  3. Payroll Software
  4. Sage Payroll

Sage Payroll

Sage compliance, delivered in the browser

4.1
231 verified reviews
Write a review
On this pageOverview
  • Overview
  • Pricing
  • Features
  • Screenshots
  • Ratings
  • Compare
  • Reviews
  • Alternatives
  • FAQs

On this page

  • Overview
  • Pricing
  • Features
  • Screenshots
  • Ratings
  • Compare
  • Reviews
  • Alternatives
  • FAQs

The assessment

What Sage Payroll is, honestly

Sage Payroll brings the Pastel Payroll compliance engine to a cloud product with per employee pricing and no local installation.

This is Sage's answer to SimplePay, and it is a reasonable one. The statutory engine is inherited from a product that has been getting South African payroll right for thirty years, delivered in a browser with per employee pricing and no installation to maintain.

For a business already inside the Sage ecosystem it is the path of least resistance. It posts to Sage Accounting cleanly, the employee record structure matches Sage HR, and the support desk is the one you already phone.

Compliance

EMP201, EMP501, IRP5 and IT3(a), e@syFile, UIF, SDL and ETI are all present and correct. Leave follows BCEA rules. ACB payment files work with the major banks. There is nothing missing that a typical small or medium employer needs.

Where SimplePay still wins

Two things, and they are consistent across our review set. The interface is less clear, particularly for anyone who is not a payroll professional, and the ETI screens in particular take more explaining. And support response times are slower, because it is a large support organisation handling many products rather than a small one handling a single product.

Price is close enough that it is rarely the deciding factor. Compare the two on a trial with your own data and pick the one your administrator finds easier, because over a year that difference is worth more than the rand difference.

Who should buy it

Businesses running Sage Accounting who want payroll in the same account and on the same invoice. Businesses whose accountant is a Sage practice. Anyone who wants cloud payroll from a vendor that will still exist in fifteen years.

Starting price

R72/mo

including VAT

Vendor
Sage Group plc
Founded
2015
Available in
South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe
Languages
English
Support
Telephone, Email, Live chat, Knowledge base
Free trial
Yes
Product demo
Not advertised
Visit Sage Payroll

We may earn a commission when you subscribe through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never affects a rating or a ranking. How we make money

South African compliance

  • EMP201
  • EMP501
  • IRP5 and IT3(a)
  • e@syFile export
  • UIF declarations
  • SDL
  • ETI
  • BCEA leave entitlements
  • POPIA operator agreement

Bank support

AbsaFNBStandard BankNedbankCapitec

What it costs

Plans, priced in rand

Figures below include 15% VAT.

Payroll Essentials

R72/mo

including VAT

Pay employees and handle essential HR admin. Leave is limited to three types.

From 1 to 2 employees

  • EMP201 and EMP501
  • IRP5 and IT3(a)
  • e@syFile export
  • UIF and SDL
  • ETI calculation
  • ACB payment files
  • BCEA leave
  • Employee self service
  • Posts directly to Sage Accounting
Most chosen

Payroll Standard

R90/mo

including VAT

Adds all leave types, an onboarding portal and mobile expenses.

From 1 to 2 employees

  • Everything in Payroll Essentials
  • All leave and absence types
  • Personalised onboarding portal
  • Mobile expense capture

Payroll Premium

R128/mo

including VAT

Adds timesheets and hour tracking on top of Standard.

From 1 to 2 employees

  • Everything in Payroll Standard
  • Timesheets and hour tracking
  • Submit and approve time

Sage now markets this as Sage Payroll. Prices include VAT and are quoted from the one to two employee band; the figure rises with headcount, selected on the pricing page, up to 150 employees. Bundled discounts apply when purchased with Sage Accounting.

Last checked 12 August 2026. Vendors change prices and run promotions without notice, so confirm the current figure on the vendor website before you buy.

FeaturePayroll EssentialsPayroll StandardPayroll Premium
EMP201 and EMP501IncludedIncludedIncluded
IRP5 and IT3(a)IncludedIncludedIncluded
e@syFile exportIncludedIncludedIncluded
UIF and SDLIncludedIncludedIncluded
ETI calculationIncludedIncludedIncluded
ACB payment filesIncludedIncludedIncluded
BCEA leaveIncludedIncludedIncluded
Employee self serviceIncludedIncludedIncluded
Posts directly to Sage AccountingIncludedIncludedIncluded
All leave and absence typesNot includedIncludedIncluded
Personalised onboarding portalNot includedIncludedIncluded
Mobile expense captureNot includedIncludedIncluded
Timesheets and hour trackingNot includedNot includedIncluded
Submit and approve timeNot includedNot includedIncluded

Capability

What it does better than most

The four things our reviewers consistently name, then the full capability list.

1

The Sage compliance engine without a local installation

2

Posts straight into Sage Accounting with no export step

3

Per employee pricing that scales with headcount

4

Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market

Full feature list

  • EMP201 and EMP501
  • IRP5 and IT3(a)
  • e@syFile export
  • UIF and SDL
  • ETI
  • BCEA compliant leave
  • ACB payment files
  • Employee self service portal
  • Payslip email
  • Multiple pay frequencies
  • Medical aid and retirement fund deductions
  • Direct posting to Sage Accounting

Integrates with

  • Sage Accounting
  • Sage HR
  • Sage 200 Evolution
  • Sage 50cloud Pastel

The interface

What it actually looks like

Screenshots of the live product, not marketing renders.

Sage Payroll screenshot 1 of 1

What reviewers say

The numbers, not the marketing

Every figure below is computed from 231 published reviews. Nothing here is written by hand.

4.1

Overall

78% positive16% neutral6% critical

Rating distribution

5
91 of 231
4
89 of 231
3
36 of 231
2
12 of 231
1
3 of 231

Rated by dimension

Ease of use
3.9
Value for money
4.1
Customer service
3.9
Functionality
4.2

Who is reviewing it

Sole trader
33 (14%)
2 to 10 employees
33 (14%)
11 to 50 employees
47 (20%)
51 to 200 employees
42 (18%)
201 to 500 employees
40 (17%)
500 plus employees
36 (16%)

Head to head

Sage Payroll against its closest rival

How Sage Payroll and SimplePay compare on every rating dimension.

RatingSage PayrollSimplePay
Overall4.14.4, higher
Ease of use3.94.3, higher
Value for money4.14.3, higher
Customer service3.94.2, higher
Functionality4.24.3, higher
Reviews231358
See the full comparison

Verified reviews

From people who actually use it

We lead with the most helpful reviews and always include a critical one. A page of five star reviews tells you nothing.

WS

Willem SinghVerified

Partner

RetailSouth AfricaStellenbosch51 to 200 employees
4.0
15 Jul 2026

Our IRP5 files validated in e@syFile first time

I have run payroll on four different systems and this is the one I would choose again. Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. 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

The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. Employee self service cut payslip queries almost to zero. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call.

What does not

Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.

Used for 2 to 5 years
AZ

Achmat ZwaneVerified

Payroll Administrator

ConstructionSouth AfricaVereenigingSole trader
4.0
25 Jan 2024

Support actually understands South African payroll

We switched after our previous provider got an ETI calculation wrong. Backed by the largest accounting software vendor in the market. 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

The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. Support answers in South African hours and understands the question. The ACB file imports into our bank without a support call.

What does not

Reporting outside the statutory pack is thin.

Used for 6 to 12 months
IA

Ilze AbrahamsVerified

Owner

HealthcareSouth AfricaRandburgSole trader
3.0
02 Sept 2024

Good product, frustrating support queue

We use maybe sixty percent of what we pay for. The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. 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. I would shortlist it, not necessarily pick it.

What works

The Sage compliance engine without a local installation. Setup was straightforward.

What does not

No bargaining council support. Support queues get long towards month end.

Used for 6 to 12 months
Read all 231 reviews

Sponsored

Billboard advertising slot, 970 by 250

Category peers

What to look at instead

Products in the same category. We have not yet written a curated alternative set for Sage Payroll.

SimplePay

4.4
#1

SimplePay is a South African built cloud payroll that handles EMP201, EMP501, IRP5 and UIF properly, charged per employee with no minimum.

Custom pricingquoted on request

PaySpace

4.3
#2

PaySpace is a South African built enterprise payroll and HR platform covering more than forty African countries, with deep statutory coverage and a corresponding price.

R21,49per month, from

P

PaySoft

4.0
#3

PaySoft is a long standing South African payroll used heavily in manufacturing, agriculture and security, with strong shift and wage handling.

Custom pricingquoted on request

All Sage Payroll alternatives

Common questions

What buyers always ask

Answered from this product's own record, so these can never drift from the data above.

We may earn a commission when you subscribe through this link, at no extra cost to you. It never affects a rating or a ranking. How we make money

This assessment draws on 231 published reviews of Sage Payroll.

Back to the full directory