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How to migrate from Sage Pastel in South Africa

Most moves off Pastel Partner or Xpress follow one of two paths. Either a conversion service loads your opening balances and up to two years into the new system, or you export your data to CSV and import it yourself. Whichever you choose, keep a full copy of the Pastel backup's data for the years that don't move.

By Morné Kruger, Founder & SA Tax Editor. Last reviewed 2026-10-29.

Before you start: choose a cut-over date

Pick the date your books move. A financial year-end, often the end of February, keeps the opening position simple. If that is too far away, the start of a VAT period is the next best choice. Capture everything up to the cut-over date in Pastel, reconcile the bank accounts and close the period so the balances you carry across won't change.

Make a Pastel backup and keep it

Take a backup of the company at the cut-over date and store it somewhere safe, away from the PC that runs Pastel. It is your record of everything that doesn't move, and the input for exporting your data later.

Export your data: Pastel's own export vs a backup converter

Pastel's File > Export/Import function exports one masterfile at a time (general ledger accounts, customers, suppliers, inventory and a few others) as comma-delimited CSV in Sage's fixed layouts, and it runs inside a working Pastel install. Customer and supplier balances come from Pastel Explorer's Export to Excel.

Accounter's Pastel backup to CSV converter reads the backup zip instead, so you don't need Pastel installed. It exports every table the backup's data dictionary describes, with a manifest and balance checks, plus a two-year import set of nine CSVs. It doesn't read Pastel Evolution or newer Pervasive or Actian Zen formats.

Pastel to Xero

Xero lists conversion services for South Africa in its App Store. Check what each one moves before you choose. To do it yourself, map the CSVs from your Pastel export to Xero's import templates, starting with the chart of accounts, contacts and opening balances. Keep the full CSV export as your archive of the years that don't move.

Pastel to Sage Business Cloud Accounting

Sage publishes its own guide, Importing Data from Pastel Xpress and Pastel Partner: export masterfiles with Export/Import, add balances from Pastel Explorer, then fill in Sage's CSV templates. The CSVs from a backup conversion can feed the same templates when Pastel is no longer installed.

Pastel to Manager.io

Manager has no Pastel import. Its Import Business function only accepts Manager's own .manager backups, so lists such as accounts, customers and suppliers go in through Manager's batch create. Start from the CSVs you get from the Pastel backup to CSV converter and match the columns to Manager's batch create screens, then test with a copy of the business first.

Pastel to Accounter

Moving to Accounter? Our team maps and loads your chart of accounts, customers, suppliers, opening balances and open items, and you check the result against your Pastel reports before going live. See Pastel to Accounter conversion, or compare the two first on Accounter vs Pastel.

Checklist after the move

  • Tie out the opening trial balance in the new system to Pastel's trial balance at the cut-over date.
  • Compare customer and supplier age analysis totals with Pastel's.
  • Check that VAT control accounts carry the right opening balances.
  • Keep the Pastel backup and your CSV export offline and safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move all my Pastel history to the new system?
Usually not. Most moves load opening balances and a limited number of years, and older years stay in the Pastel backup. Exporting every table from the backup to CSV gives you a readable copy of the rest without keeping a Pastel licence just to look things up.
Do I need Pastel installed to get my data out?
Pastel's own Export/Import function runs inside Pastel and exports one masterfile at a time. Accounter's Pastel converter reads a backup zip directly, so you need the backup file but not a working Pastel install. It doesn't read Pastel Evolution.
When is the best time to switch away from Pastel?
At a financial year-end, or at the start of a VAT period if year-end is too far away. Close the period in Pastel first, so the closing balances you carry across will not change after the move.
Will my Pastel CSV files import straight into Xero or Sage?
Not without mapping. The files keep Pastel's own field names, so you match the columns to your new system's import templates. Check the result against your Pastel trial balance and age analysis before you start capturing.

Related

Sources consulted

Pastel, Sage, Xero and Manager details are from the pages below, read on 2026-10-29. Products change; confirm on the vendor's site.

Compliance Disclaimer

This guide is for information only and is not accounting, tax or legal advice. Accounter is not affiliated with Sage, Xero or Manager. Check every step with your accountant and the vendor.