Payment Gateways

Best Payment Gateway South Africa (2026): Complete Comparison

Alister

E-commerce Consultant

| 6 Aug 2026 18 min

The quick answer: best payment gateway South Africa

Choosing a payment gateway in South Africa in 2026 feels like a maze. PayFast, Paystack, Yoco, Peach Payments, Stitch, Ozow and PayGate are all reputable options, and each one quotes a different card rate, EFT fee, settlement schedule and platform support story. Pick wrong and you can end up paying 6% of every rand you earn just to get paid. Pick right and you save tens of thousands of rands a year. The good news is that this guide removes the guesswork. We compare every major South African payment gateway side by side using verified mid-2026 fees, show you worked cost examples at R25,000, R100,000 and R500,000 in monthly sales, give you a decision tree by business type, and finish with a clear Shopify recommendation. No jargon, no sales pitch — just the numbers South African business owners need.

Quick answer: For most South African online stores, PayFast (now "Payfast by Network") is the best all-round payment gateway in 2026 — 3.2% + R2 per card transaction, 2% + R2 for Instant EFT, no monthly fee and the widest local payment method coverage. Yoco at 2.95% is the cheapest card-only option (2.55% on paid plans), Ozow is cheapest when you push customers to Pay-by-Bank (1.5%), Peach Payments wins for high-volume merchants on negotiated rates, and Stitch is the only SA gateway with a "Built for Shopify" badge. On Shopify, remember to add the platform's third-party fee: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced.

Why this matters for South African businesses

Payment gateways are not a trivial line item. According to industry estimates, merchant fees are typically a business's third-largest operating cost after product and marketing. For a South African Shopify store doing R100,000 a month, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive gateway combination can be over R1,000 a month — R12,000+ a year of pure margin.

South Africa also has a unique payments reality:

Shopify Payments is not available locally. Every one of the roughly 22,000 active South African Shopify stores (as of May 2026) must use a third-party gateway — and pay an extra fee for the privilege.
EFTs are still king. Many South African shoppers, especially for high-value purchases, prefer paying by bank transfer rather than card. Gateways that offer cheap pay-by-bank options (Ozow at 1.5%, PayFast Instant EFT at 2%) materially change your cost picture.
VAT is everywhere. Gateway fees are quoted ex-VAT, and VAT-registered businesses can claim input VAT back on them — but only if they account for it properly.

The gateway you choose also affects conversion, settlement speed and cash flow. A 0.5% difference in fees matters, but so does whether your customers trust the payment page, and whether your money lands in your bank account in 90 seconds or 7 days.

The 7 major South African gateways at a glance

PayFast (Payfast by Network) — South Africa's best-known gateway, now owned by Network International after a 2025 acquisition. Card rate dropped from 3.5% to 3.2% on 1 June 2026. Widest local method coverage, native Shopify integration, no monthly fee.

Paystack (South Africa) — Stripe-owned, developer-friendly modern API. Strong WooCommerce plugin, increasingly popular with SA developers and international brands entering the local market.

Yoco — The best-known card machine brand in SA that also runs an online gateway. Cheapest standard card rate at 2.95% (2.55% on paid plans) with no per-transaction fee. Ideal for omni-channel businesses that also sell in person.

Peach Payments — A Cape Town-founded gateway that punches above its weight for growing and high-volume merchants. ~2.95% local cards, real-time payouts (~90 seconds) from early 2026, recurring billing, and custom rates for merchants doing R200,000+ a month.

Stitch — A payments and data API company that launched a SA gateway with the only "Built for Shopify" badge (2025). 2.95% cards, 2% Capitec Pay, Express Checkout, and BNPL (buy now, pay later) from May 2026.

Ozow — The pay-by-bank specialist. 1.5% for Pay-by-Bank across Capitec, Absa, Nedbank and PayShap, plus cards at 2.85%. Best economics for high-AOV and B2B businesses that can steer customers away from cards.

PayGate (DPO Group) — The enterprise player. Rates are negotiated, you need your own internet merchant account, and settlement is enterprise-grade. Best for corporates processing millions of rands.

PayPal — Included for honesty, but with severe inbound limitations. You can use PayPal Checkout on a SA store to sell to international customers, but local buyers cannot fund PayPal with SA bank cards, and there's no local settlement. Treat it as a bolt-on for international orders, not a primary gateway.

Master comparison table (2026 fees)

Fees below are mid-2026 published rates, ex-VAT, based on the verified CrazyClicks fee sheet. "Per-txn" is the flat fee charged per transaction on top of the percentage. "Combined on Shopify" adds the platform's third-party payment provider fee for a Basic plan (2%).

Gateway	Card fee	Pay-by-bank / EFT fee	Per-txn	Monthly fee	Settlement	Shopify	WooCommerce	Best for
PayFast	3.2%	2.0% + min R2 (Instant EFT / Capitec Pay)	R2	None	~24-48 hrs	Native	Plugin	All-round small to mid-size stores
Paystack	2.9% local, 3.1% intl	2.0% EFT	R1	None	Daily	App	Best-in-class plugin	Developers, WooCommerce
Yoco	2.95% local, 3.40% intl	Not offered	None	R0 / R249 / R499 (rates to 2.55%)	Next day	App	Plugin	Card-only + POS/omni-channel
Peach Payments	~2.95% local, ~3.50% intl	Capitec Pay supported	R1.50	None	~90 sec (real-time, early 2026)	App	Plugin	High-volume, negotiated rates
Stitch	2.95%	2.0% Capitec Pay	None on cards	None	Daily	Built for Shopify badge	Plugin	Shopify + BNPL merchants
Ozow	2.85% (tiered)	1.5% (Capitec/Absa/Nedbank/PayShap)	Per-method	None	Daily	App	Plugin	High-AOV, B2B, EFT-first
PayGate (DPO)	Negotiated	SiD Secure EFT	Negotiated	Negotiated	Enterprise	Custom	Plugin	Enterprise, existing merchant account
PayPal	~3-4% + fixed (intl)	No local EFT	Per-txn	None	Delayed	App	Plugin	International inbound sales only

Key fact: On a Shopify Basic plan, every third-party gateway effectively costs 2% more than its published rate. PayFast cards on Basic work out to roughly 5.2% to 5.5% all-in; Ozow Pay-by-Bank on Basic is about 3.5% all-in (source: Shopify third-party fee policy and gateway fee sheets, 2026).

Gateway-by-gateway deep dive

PayFast — the all-rounder

PayFast remains the default choice for most South African online stores, and for good reason. It was rebranded "Payfast by Network" after the Network International acquisition, and its card rate dropped from 3.5% to 3.2% + R2 on 1 June 2026 — its most competitive pricing in years.

Strengths: the widest coverage of local payment methods (card, Instant EFT, Capitec Pay, SnapScan, Zapper, Masterpass, Ozow-style bank redirects via their integrations), native Shopify integration, no monthly fee, and a familiar brand that South African shoppers trust at checkout.

Watch-outs: at 3.2% it is not the cheapest card rate in the market, and the R2 flat fee stings on very low-value orders. Settlement is typically 24-48 hours, not real-time.

Best for: small to mid-size online stores, freelancers, service businesses and anyone wanting a dependable, well-known gateway with zero monthly commitment.

Paystack — the developer favourite

Owned by Stripe and operating in South Africa with local acquiring, Paystack is the choice for teams that want a modern API, clean dashboards and excellent WooCommerce support. Local cards cost 2.9% + R1, international cards 3.1% + R1, and EFT 2.0%.

Strengths: best-in-class WooCommerce plugin, great developer docs, recurring payments, and transparent pricing with no monthly fee.

Watch-outs: fewer "grab a QR code" consumer-facing payment methods than PayFast; customer familiarity is lower among older South African shoppers.

Best for: developers, tech-led brands, international companies entering the SA market, and WooCommerce stores.

Yoco — the card specialist (and POS leader)

Yoco is the payment brand South Africans associate with card machines, and it now runs a strong online gateway. Cards are 2.95% (local) with no per-transaction fee — the cheapest standard card pricing among the big names. Paid online plans (Plus R249/mo, Pro R499/mo) drop the rate as low as 2.55%. International cards 3.40%.

Strengths: no per-txn fee, competitive rates, and the ability to run one account across online checkout, Yoco Go card machines and Yoco Invoices. A single dashboard for omni-channel sellers.

Watch-outs: no pay-by-bank option, so you lose the cheap EFT economics. Paid plans add a monthly cost that only makes sense once your volume justifies it.

Best for: restaurants, retailers and any omni-channel business selling in person and online under one brand.

Peach Payments — the growth merchant's gateway

Founded in Cape Town, Peach Payments is a serious contender for businesses that have outgrown starter gateways. Local cards ~2.95% + R1.50, international ~3.50%, Capitec Pay supported, recurring billing, and — the headline feature — real-time payouts in about 90 seconds from early 2026.

Strengths: cash flow is dramatically better than weekly settlement; custom rates for merchants processing R200,000+ per month; strong support and enterprise-grade features.

Watch-outs: the R1.50 flat fee is higher than Paystack's R1; standard rates are not the very cheapest until you negotiate.

Best for: growing stores and high-volume merchants who care about cash flow and can negotiate volume pricing.

Stitch — the Shopify-native challenger

Stitch launched its payments product with the only "Built for Shopify" badge among South African gateways (2025). Cards 2.95%, Capitec Pay 2.0%, no per-transaction fee on cards, Express Checkout, and BNPL added from May 2026.

Strengths: the Shopify-native badge means a checkout experience that matches Shopify's standards; BNPL opens up higher-AOV customers who don't want to pay upfront.

Watch-outs: younger gateway, fewer consumer payment methods, and BNPL is new — expect the product to evolve through 2026.

Best for: Shopify stores that want a modern checkout and BNPL as a conversion lever.

Ozow — the pay-by-bank economics play

Ozow is best known for Pay-by-Bank, letting customers pay directly from Capitec, Absa, Nedbank or via PayShap at 1.5% — roughly half the cost of a card transaction. Cards run at 2.85% (tiered down at volume). Ozow's genius is steering customers toward the cheaper rails.

Strengths: the cheapest all-in route on Shopify (Basic + Pay-by-Bank ≈ 3.5% versus ~5.2-5.5% for PayFast cards), near-instant confirmation for EFT customers, and excellent high-AOV/B2B fit.

Watch-outs: not every consumer is comfortable paying by bank transfer; per-method fees vary; card rate tiering requires volume.

Best for: high-AOV stores, B2B businesses, electronics and furniture retailers where Pay-by-Bank adoption is high.

PayGate — the enterprise incumbent

PayGate (part of DPO Group) is the established enterprise gateway. Rates are negotiated, you need your own internet merchant account, and it offers SiD Secure EFT. It's powerful, but it's not a plug-and-play solution for a starting store.

Best for: corporates and established businesses with dedicated finance teams processing significant volumes.

PayPal — inbound limitations (be honest about it)

PayPal is popular with South African shoppers for international purchases, but as a payment method on a SA store it has severe limitations: local buyers generally can't fund PayPal accounts with SA-issued cards, and you can't settle into a local bank account the way you can with the other gateways here. Treat PayPal Checkout as a bolt-on for international inbound orders only — never as your primary gateway.

Decision tree: which gateway fits your business type

Use this nested decision tree to shortlist your options in under two minutes.

Are you selling mainly online?
On Shopify? → Stitch (Built for Shopify, BNPL), PayFast (widest coverage), or Ozow (cheapest if you push Pay-by-Bank)
On WooCommerce? → Paystack (best plugin), PayFast, or Yoco
On a custom site? → Paystack (API-first), PayFast, or Peach Payments
Do you also sell in person (restaurant, retail, market stall)?
→ Yoco — one account for online checkout + card machines
Are you a freelancer, coach or service provider?
→ PayFast — invoice links, no monthly fee, pay what you earn
High volume (R200k+ per month)?
→ Peach Payments (negotiate custom rates, real-time payouts) or PayGate (enterprise)
B2B or high average order value (R5,000+)?
→ Ozow — Push customers to Pay-by-Bank at 1.5% instead of 2.85% cards
Omni-channel (store + online + invoices)?
→ Yoco (POS + online) or PayFast (invoices + online)

Worked cost examples: R25k, R100k and R500k in monthly sales

All figures assume mostly card payments and include the Shopify Basic third-party fee (2%) where stated. Exchange-rate-sensitive values are approximations.

R25,000/month (a small starting store, ~100 orders)

Gateway	Gateway fee	Shopify 2%	Total
PayFast (3.2% + R2)	R800 + R200 = R1,000	R500	R1,500
Paystack (2.9% + R1)	R725 + R100 = R825	R500	R1,325
Yoco (2.95%)	R738	R500	R1,238
Ozow cards (2.85%)	R713	R500	R1,213
Ozow Pay-by-Bank (1.5%)	R375	R500	R875

At this scale the differences are small in absolute terms, but Ozow Pay-by-Bank is 42% cheaper than PayFast cards. Choose based on what your customers will actually use.

R100,000/month (a growing store, ~250 orders at R400 AOV)

Gateway	Gateway fee	Shopify 2%	Total
PayFast (3.2% + R2)	R3,200 + R500 = R3,700	R2,000	R5,700
Peach (2.95% + R1.50)	R2,950 + R375 = R3,325	R2,000	R5,325
Paystack (2.9% + R1)	R2,900 + R250 = R3,150	R2,000	R5,150
Yoco (2.95%)	R2,950	R2,000	R4,950
Stitch (2.95%)	R2,950	R2,000	R4,950
Ozow cards (2.85%)	R2,850	R2,000	R4,850
Ozow Pay-by-Bank (1.5%)	R1,500	R2,000	R3,500

That's a R2,200/month gap between PayFast cards and Ozow Pay-by-Bank — over R26,000 a year. If 50% of your customers will use Pay-by-Bank, a blended Ozow setup typically beats every card-only option.

R500,000/month (a high-volume store, ~1,250 orders)

Gateway	Gateway fee	Shopify 2%	Total
PayFast (3.2% + R2)	R16,000 + R2,500 = R18,500	R10,000	R28,500
Paystack (2.9% + R1)	R14,500 + R1,250 = R15,750	R10,000	R25,750
Yoco (2.95%)	R14,750	R10,000	R24,750
Stitch (2.95%)	R14,750	R10,000	R24,750
Ozow cards (2.85%)	R14,250	R10,000	R24,250
Ozow Pay-by-Bank (1.5%)	R7,500	R10,000	R17,500
Peach negotiated (~2.4%)	R12,000	R10,000	R22,000

At this volume, moving from PayFast cards to a negotiated Peach rate or an Ozow EFT-led strategy saves R6,500 to R11,000 a month — the salary of a junior staff member. This is exactly where negotiating a custom rate (see our merchant fees guide) pays off.

How to choose a gateway for a Shopify store

Shopify is the dominant SA ecommerce platform — over 22,000 active local stores as of May 2026, growing about 28% year-on-year. Choosing a gateway for Shopify has one extra layer: Shopify Payments is not available in South Africa, so you must use a third-party gateway and pay Shopify's third-party fee on top (2% Basic, 1% Grow, 0.6% Advanced, 0.2% Plus).

Here is the honest shortlist for Shopify:

Stitch — the only SA gateway with the official "Built for Shopify" badge, Express Checkout and BNPL from May 2026. The most "Shopify-native" experience.
PayFast — the safest default. Native integration, widest local method coverage, familiar brand for local shoppers.
Ozow — choose this if your products are high-AOV or B2B and you can drive customers to Pay-by-Bank, where all-in costs drop to ~3.5%.
Peach Payments — once you pass R200k/month, negotiate rates and unlock real-time payouts.
Yoco — great if you also sell in person and want one dashboard.

Run a full comparison before committing — our payment gateway comparison guide walks through every criterion, and our merchant fees deep dive shows how much the "sticker price" can differ from what you actually pay.

Recommendation summaries

Best all-round: PayFast. No monthly fee, widest local coverage, competitive post-June-2026 pricing, native Shopify integration. It's the safe pick for 80% of SA stores.

Cheapest card rate: Yoco at 2.95% (2.55% on paid plans), followed by Ozow cards at 2.85%.

Cheapest all-in on Shopify: Ozow, when customers use Pay-by-Bank — about 3.5% all-in versus ~5.2-5.5% for PayFast cards.

Best for high volume: Peach Payments (negotiated rates + ~90-second real-time payouts) and PayGate (enterprise).

Best for WooCommerce: Paystack, with the smoothest plugin and modern API.

Best for Shopify-native experience: Stitch, the only "Built for Shopify" SA gateway, with BNPL added in May 2026.

Best for omni-channel: Yoco, spanning online checkout, card machines and invoices under one login.

Pros & cons

PayFast

Pros: no monthly fee; widest local payment methods; native Shopify integration; trusted local brand.
Cons: 3.2% card rate is not the cheapest; R2 flat fee hurts low-value orders; ~24-48 hr settlement.

Paystack

Pros: 2.9% local cards; excellent WooCommerce plugin; modern developer API; no monthly fee.
Cons: fewer consumer-facing methods; lower brand familiarity among older SA shoppers.

Yoco

Pros: cheapest standard card rate (2.95%); no per-txn fee; one account for POS + online.
Cons: no pay-by-bank; paid plans add R249-R499/mo; rate drops only on paid plans.

Peach Payments

Pros: real-time payouts (~90 sec); custom rates at volume; recurring billing; Capitec Pay.
Cons: R1.50 flat fee; standard rate not the absolute cheapest until negotiated.

Stitch

Pros: "Built for Shopify" badge; no per-txn fee; BNPL from May 2026; modern checkout.
Cons: newer gateway with fewer methods; BNPL still maturing.

Ozow

Pros: cheapest EFT at 1.5%; tiered card rate from 2.85%; ideal for high-AOV/B2B.
Cons: Pay-by-Bank adoption varies; per-method fees; not everyone trusts EFT checkout.

Step-by-step guide: choosing and launching a gateway (7 steps)

List the payment methods your customers actually use. If your WhatsApp and Instagram enquiries are 50% "can I EFT you?", Pay-by-Bank support should be non-negotiable.
Confirm platform integration. Check the official Shopify app store or WooCommerce plugin page for the gateway before you commit.
Model your costs at your real order size. Use the worked examples above as a template — percentage fee + flat fee per order + platform third-party fee.
Add the Shopify third-party fee. Basic 2%, Grow 1%, Advanced 0.6% — this single line changes the ranking of every gateway on Shopify.
Check settlement speed. If you need cash fast, prefer daily or real-time settlement (Peach ~90 seconds from early 2026).
Verify compliance. PCI DSS, POPIA-friendly checkout, and settlement to your SA bank account.
Test on mobile and go live. A slow checkout kills conversion. Test on a phone with a real R1 transaction before launch.

Beginner mistakes to avoid

Choosing on card rate alone. The flat fee and the Shopify third-party fee often matter more than a 0.1% difference in percentage.
Ignoring pay-by-bank. On a high-AOV store, offering Ozow or Instant EFT can cut processing costs by nearly half.
Forgetting VAT on fees. Quotes are ex-VAT; budget for it, and claim input VAT if you're VAT-registered.
Picking PayPal as a primary gateway. Its inbound limitations in SA make it a bolt-on for international orders, not a main checkout.
Not checking settlement speed. A gateway that settles weekly can wreck cash flow for a growing store.
Skipping the test transaction. Decline rates and a clunky mobile checkout will quietly kill conversion.
Ignoring the merchant account requirement. PayGate needs your own internet merchant account; the others are gateway-and-go.
Never revisiting the decision. Rates change (PayFast dropped 3.5% → 3.2% in June 2026). Review fees at least yearly.

Expert tips

Negotiate at R200k+. Peach Payments (and PayGate for enterprise) will quote custom rates once you have volume. Our merchant fees guide shows how.
Push customers to cheaper rails. Make Pay-by-Bank prominent at checkout on high-AOV products — it's cheaper for you and instant for them.
Watch average order value. The R1-R2 flat fee makes cheap gateways expensive on R50 orders; percentage-based tiers win on R5,000 orders.
Use two gateways as a fallback. A redundant gateway protects you from an outage that stops your whole store taking money.
Track declines monthly. High decline rates usually mean a payment method mismatch, not a gateway problem.
Claim your input VAT. VAT-registered? Those 3.2% + R2 fees include recoverable input VAT if your paperwork is right.
Re-check rates twice a year. The SA gateway market is moving fast — PayFast's 2026 price drop proves rates are negotiable in the market.

The quick-start checklist

Estimated monthly sales volume and average order value
Shortlisted 2-3 gateways from the decision tree above
Confirmed gateway has a native Shopify app or WooCommerce plugin
Modelled total cost including the Shopify third-party fee
Checked settlement speed matches your cash-flow needs
Confirmed PCI DSS compliance and POPIA-safe checkout
Verified the gateway accepts your business type (e.g. restricted industries)
Ran a test transaction on a mobile device
Set up the fallback gateway as a backup
Booked a reminder to review fees in 6 months

South African case study

Illustrative example, not a real client.

The business: Khanya Collective, a Johannesburg-based homeware brand selling on Shopify. Monthly sales R180,000; average order value R450; roughly 400 orders a month; 70% card, 30% Instant EFT.

The problem: On Shopify Basic with PayFast, cards cost 3.2% + R2 and EFT 2% + R2, plus Shopify's 2% third-party fee. Total processing cost was about R10,800/month — 6% of revenue.

The fix: CrazyClicks audited the fees, then Khanya moved to a blended setup: Ozow for Pay-by-Bank (1.5%) and Yoco for card processing (2.95%), keeping PayFast as a fallback. A checkout redesign surfaced the Pay-by-Bank option on products above R400, shifting the mix to 55% EFT / 45% card.

The result: Processing costs dropped to roughly R7,200/month — a saving of about R3,600 a month (R43,000 a year), with faster settlement improving working capital. Conversion stayed flat because the Pay-by-Bank flow was near-instant.

The lesson: in South Africa, the gateway that's cheapest on paper is often not the cheapest in practice once EFT adoption, flat fees and the Shopify surcharge are factored in.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the best payment gateway in South Africa in 2026? A: PayFast is the best all-rounder for most SA online stores (3.2% + R2 cards, no monthly fee, widest local coverage). Yoco is cheapest for cards, Ozow cheapest for pay-by-bank, and Peach Payments best for high volume with negotiated rates.

Q: Which payment gateway is cheapest in South Africa? A: Ozow Pay-by-Bank at 1.5% is the cheapest payment method. Among card options, Ozow (2.85%) and Yoco (2.95%) lead, with Yoco's paid plans dropping to 2.55%.

Q: How much do payment gateways charge in South Africa? A: Typically 2.85% to 3.2% plus R1-R2 per card transaction (mid-2026 rates), and 1.5% to 2% for pay-by-bank. On Shopify, add 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow) or 0.6% (Advanced).

Q: Why is Shopify Payments not available in South Africa? A: Shopify only offers Shopify Payments in select markets, and SA isn't one. That's why local merchants use third-party gateways and pay an extra fee.

Q: What payment gateway should a Shopify store in South Africa use? A: Stitch (Built for Shopify, BNPL), PayFast (widest coverage) or Ozow (cheapest if you push Pay-by-Bank) are the three strongest options for a Shopify store in 2026.

Q: What is the best payment gateway for a WooCommerce store in South Africa? A: Paystack has the best WooCommerce plugin and a modern API. PayFast and Yoco are strong alternatives with no monthly fee on standard plans.

Q: Is Yoco cheaper than PayFast? A: On cards, yes — Yoco is 2.95% with no per-txn fee versus PayFast's 3.2% + R2. But Yoco doesn't offer pay-by-bank, so stores with high EFT usage may still pay less with PayFast or Ozow.

Q: Does Ozow work with Shopify? A: Yes, Ozow has an official Shopify app. Combined with Shopify's 2% Basic-plan fee, Ozow Pay-by-Bank works out to about 3.5% all-in.

Q: How long does it take to be approved for a South African payment gateway? A: Usually 1-3 business days for gateways like PayFast, Paystack and Yoco. PayGate requires your own internet merchant account, which takes longer.

Q: Do I need a merchant account to use these gateways? A: No. PayFast, Paystack, Yoco, Peach, Stitch and Ozow operate as aggregators — you sign up and start taking payments. Only PayGate-style enterprise setups require your own internet merchant account.

Q: Which gateway has the fastest settlement? A: Peach Payments, with real-time payouts of about 90 seconds from early 2026. Most others settle daily or within 24-48 hours.

Q: Can I accept American Express in South Africa? A: Several gateways support AMEX, but AMEX attracts higher interchange in SA and is often priced separately. Check your gateway's rate card — AMEX typically costs more than Visa and Mastercard.

Summary

The best payment gateway in South Africa in 2026 depends on your business type, order value and platform. PayFast is the safe all-round default; Yoco is the cheapest card option; Ozow is the economics play for EFT-first and high-AOV stores; Peach Payments is the high-volume growth choice; and Stitch is the Shopify-native option with BNPL. On Shopify, always add the platform's third-party fee to any gateway rate — it can change the entire ranking.

Key takeaways

PayFast (3.2% + R2, no monthly fee) is the best all-round SA gateway for most stores.
Yoco (2.95%, no per-txn fee) is the cheapest card-only option; Ozow Pay-by-Bank (1.5%) is the cheapest overall.
On Shopify, add 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow) or 0.6% (Advanced) to every third-party gateway rate.
At R100k/month, gateway choice can move costs by R1,000+ a month; at R500k/month, by R6,000-R11,000.
Peach Payments offers negotiated custom rates and ~90-second real-time payouts for high-volume merchants.

Sticky sidebar: CrazyClicks services card (link to /services).

Ready to launch or fix your online payments?

If you want a gateway set up properly — Shopify, WooCommerce or a custom build — CrazyClicks is a full-service digital agency in Cape Town that handles the whole store, not just the checkout. Start a project, see our services, or compare pricing on our pricing page.

Thinking of building on Shopify? It's the most popular ecommerce platform in SA with over 22,000 active local stores, and it makes switching gateways later relatively painless. Start your Shopify store today and claim the current introductory offer where it's active — or read our Shopify pricing guide and Shopify vs WooCommerce breakdown first. (Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

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