The Main Payment Gateways in South Africa
A payment gateway sits between your website and the banks — it handles the card details, the security, and the settlement into your account. These are the ones we see South African businesses use most:
PayFast
The most widely used SA gateway. Cards, instant EFT, and recurring billing. No monthly fee on the standard plan — you pay per transaction. Integrates with almost everything.
Yoco
Known for card machines, but Yoco Gateway and payment links work well online too. Good fit if you already use Yoco in person and want one dashboard for everything.
Ozow
Instant EFT specialist — customers pay directly from their bank account, no card needed. Typically lower fees than card payments, popular for larger amounts.
Paystack
Backed by Stripe, strong developer tooling and clean checkout. A good choice for subscription products and businesses that want a modern API.
SnapScan / Zapper
QR-code payments. Better suited to in-person and invoice payments than full e-commerce checkouts, but simple to add alongside another gateway.
Manual EFT
No gateway at all — you display bank details and confirm payment manually. Free, but slow, unverifiable in real time, and easy for customers to abandon.
Fees change and depend on your volume, but budget roughly 2.5% – 3.5% per card transaction across the major gateways, with instant EFT usually cheaper. Always check current rates on the provider's pricing page before committing.
Payment Link vs Full Checkout: What Does Your Business Actually Need?
Payment links — for invoices and once-off payments
Every gateway can generate a link you send via WhatsApp or email. The customer clicks, pays, done. Zero website integration needed. Perfect for service businesses, deposits, and quotes.
A 'Pay Now' page — for fixed services
One page on your website with your services and prices, each with a pay button. A light integration that works well for consultants, coaches, and bookings with fixed fees.
Full e-commerce checkout — for product stores
Cart, shipping, order confirmation, stock management. This is a proper build with the gateway integrated into the flow — the standard for online stores.
Recurring billing — for subscriptions and retainers
Gateways like PayFast and Paystack support automatic monthly billing. Ideal for memberships, retainers, and support plans.
What Integration Costs on a Custom Website
Adding a payment gateway to a custom-built website typically costs R3,000 – R7,000 depending on the flow — a simple pay-now page sits at the bottom of that range, a full store checkout at the top. The gateway's own signup is free for the major providers; they earn from transaction fees.
Good news on security:
With hosted gateway checkouts (the standard approach), card details never touch your website — the customer pays on the gateway's secure page. PCI compliance stays the gateway's problem, not yours. Your site just needs SSL, which any decent host includes.
How to Choose: Quick Recommendations
Want Payments on Your Website?
We integrate PayFast and other South African gateways into custom websites — from a simple pay-now page to a full e-commerce checkout. Tell us what you sell and we'll recommend the right setup.
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