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Small business accounting, payroll and HR solutions

Make running your small business easier with powerful software solutions for small business accounting, payroll and HR.

Sage Accounting

Manage income and expenses with ease, master your cashflow. From R200/month.

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Sage Payroll

Pay your people securely, accurately and compliantly every time. From R77/month.

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Sage HR

Onboard your employees, automate your HR process. From R24 per employee/month.

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Why small business accounting, payroll, and HR software from Sage?

Sage has more than 40 years experience perfecting accounting, payroll and HR software, and makes running a small business easier for over 2 million customers.

Get paid faster, get organised, and get your taxes right first time with Sage Accounting. Calculate employee pay and deductions quickly and accurately with Sage Payroll. Get your people management processes streamlined and compliant with Sage HR.

Sage Accounting

Perfect for freelancers, sole traders, and small businesses. Get a 30-day free trial, then from R200/month.

  • Customise, send and track invoices
  • Store and manage digital records
  • Forecast your cash flow
  • Connect seamlessly with your bank

Sage Payroll

Pay your people securely, accurately, and compliantly every time. Get a 30-day free trial, then from R77/month.

  • Manage payroll for up to 100 employees
  • Complete pay runs in 4 simple steps
  • Stay compliant with Revenue standards and guidelines
  • Report on and analyse your payroll for informed decisions

Sage HR

Onboard your employees, automate your HR process, and get meaningful insights. Get a 30-day free trial.

  • Manage core HR tasks in one place
  • Run performance and leave management
  • Schedule and manage shifts
  • Collate and manage timesheets
  • Review and approve expenses

Inventory Planner by Sage

The top-rated inventory planning app that helps retailers accurately forecast future sales and get easy-to-understand buying recommendations.

  • Forecasts that factor in seasonality, sales spikes, and demand shifts for ultimate accuracy.
  • Automated buying recommendations that are easy for your whole team to understand. No more over (or under) ordering.
  • Customised reporting with 200+ meaningful metrics to prioritise your purchasing.

Still haven’t found what you need?

Take your small sized business to the next level with accounting, payroll and payments software from Sage. Find out more today.

FAQs

Although it's possible to run a small business without accounting software, this approach is more time-intensive and error-prone. For example, spreadsheets typically don't update in real time and can't be used to reconcile lots of payments across multiple bank accounts automatically.

Modern accounting software enables business owners to prepare accurate, compliant tax returns. It can also save businesses up to five hours of a week typically spent on admin. Accounting software also enables effective collaboration with other people in the business or with an accountant.

If you're running a small business, you may need a variety of software for marketing, sales and managing the books.

A basic CRM system can keep track of customer details. If you're running an online business, you may use software like Google Analytics and Google Workspace to manage a company web presence and business email.

You may also need software specific to the nature of your business. For example, a graphic designer running a small agency may require software like Adobe Creative Cloud.

Accounting software is also popular with many small businesses. It enables you to get paid faster, spend less time on admin and submit accurate tax returns.

The software needs of a business vary depending on its size, industry and requirements.

For example, a micro-business may need project management software, like Trello or Asana, for managing projects with contractors. They may also use file storage software like Dropbox and Google Drive to manage and store files securely.

A business who accepts payments from customers may use a payments portal like Paypal or Stripe.

Similarly, a business with several dozen employees may use HR software, like Sage HR, to manage people across the business. They may also use software like Sage Payroll to pay employees quickly and accurately.. Most growing businesses use some form of accounting software, like Sage Accounting, so they can manage the books more efficiently and prepare accurate, compliant tax returns.

Ideally, online financial software for small businesses should solve a particular problem.

For example, if Jane struggles to keep track of all the items on her to-do list, she should consider investing in project management software to keep track of multiple projects. Similarly, time-tracking software is sometimes useful for billing.

If Jane works with people remotely, she may find software like Slack and Dropbox useful for collaboration.

Similarly, if Jane spends several hours a week examining profit and loss spreadsheets and reconciling bank transactions, she may be spending her time ineffectively.

Although understanding profit and loss is important for business owners, Jane's time is probably better spent growing the business by serving customers or creating better products. In this case, accounting software, such as Sage Accounting, should free up several hours in Jane's week that she can spend on higher-value activities.

Accountants use software that can help them collaborate with clients and or submit tax returns on their behalf. Sage Accounting is an example of accounting software popular with accountants who work with small businesses.

Accountants also use accounts production software for running their practice and payroll software, such as Sage Payroll, for paying people they employ.

If a practice supports a larger business, they may use an advanced financial management solution like Sage Intacct.

Members tree

Great software, support and insight to help your business grow

As a member of the Sage community, you'll enjoy benefits that help you and your business by connecting with brilliant experts and industry peers.

Expert human support

Experts on hand help you get the most out of your software so you can be more productive.

Member Masterclass

Dip into talks and articles from the world's leading experts to help with business challenges, like using innovation to create impact.

Community forums

Hear from industry experts and connect with businesses like yours to gain useful advice and insights.

Success stories from small businesses

"Financial compliance is imperative. And Sage Accounting gives us peace of mind. It allows for any business owner to use the software quickly and easily."

Mike Anderson
CEO and founder of NSBC (National Small Business Chamber) Africa

Wisdom for smarter small business

Sage advice

Read our blog and get articles, insights, and tips for your small business.

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