Sage Accounting

Sage Accounting, which many local business owners still know as Sage One or Sage Business Cloud Accounting, is one of the most widely used online accounting products in South Africa. The localisation is genuine rather than bolted on. VAT is calculated at the standard 15% rate, VAT returns are prepared in a format that lines up with what SARS expects on eFiling, and bank feeds pull transactions in from the major South African banks so reconciliation becomes a matter of confirming matches instead of capturing statements by hand.

Day to day, owners use it to send quotes, convert them to invoices, capture supplier bills and keep an eye on who owes them money. Accountants and bookkeepers get their own access, which is a big part of why so many local practices recommend it to clients. When payroll enters the picture, Sage Business Cloud Payroll connects directly and posts its journals into the books.

Pricing is refreshingly clear for the local market. Accounting Start costs R240 per month including VAT and covers one user who needs quoting, invoicing and banking. Accounting Standard costs from R435 per month including VAT, starts at two users and one company, and adds full bookkeeping, VAT returns and stock. You can bolt on extras as you grow: additional users at R75 per month, an extra company at R410, advanced inventory at R415, Debtors Manager at R290, time tracking at R165 and foreign currency processing at R165. Every new subscription starts with a 30 day free trial, and Sage offers a full refund within 30 days of purchase if the product turns out not to fit.