One of the first surprises for South African Shopify owners is that Shopify Payments, Shopify's built-in payment system, isn't available here. Instead, you connect a third-party payment gateway. The good news: there are solid local options.
Common gateways for South African Shopify stores
Popular choices include Paystack, PayFast, Yoco, Ozow and Peach Payments. Each integrates with Shopify, but they differ in fees, features and how they look at checkout.
Fees and features change, so always check each provider's current pricing page rather than relying on old comparisons.
What to compare
Transaction fees. Most charge a percentage per transaction, sometimes plus a fixed fee. Small differences add up quickly as your sales grow.
Payment methods. Do you need cards only, or also instant EFT, Apple Pay, SnapScan or buy-now-pay-later? Offering the methods your customers prefer can lift conversions.
Payout speed. How quickly does money reach your bank account? Cash flow matters for a small business.
Checkout experience. Does the customer stay on a clean, trustworthy payment page? A clunky redirect can cause people to abandon their order.
Shopify transaction fees. When you use an external gateway, Shopify may charge its own additional transaction fee depending on your plan. Factor this into your total cost.
Support. When a payment fails at 9pm on Black Friday, can you reach someone?
Can you use more than one?
Yes. Many stores offer a main card gateway plus an instant EFT option. Just don't overwhelm customers with too many choices at checkout. Two or three clear options is usually best.
Setting it up
In your Shopify admin, go to Settings → Payments, choose your provider and follow its connection steps. You'll usually need to create and verify an account with the provider first, which can take a few days. Start early, not the night before launch.
Once connected, place a real test order and refund it. Check the money arrives and the order shows as paid in Shopify.
The bottom line
Choose a gateway based on total cost, the payment methods your customers actually use, payout speed and support. Then test it properly before launch.
Need help choosing or setting one up? Ask us for free advice.