Best e-Commerce Payment Providers in South Africa?

Let's compare the best e-commerce payment gateways in South Africa in 2024, old and new.

Building an e-commerce business can be challenging with many different aspects to consider. What platform to use, which logistics partner and perhaps most importantly which payment provider.

That’s why many budding e-commerce brands choose to partner with an agency that has in-depth knowledge of the various different options available. Today, we’re looking to share our experience in assessing the different payment providers available in South Africa. 

When looking at payment providers, there are 3 core aspects to consider, their reliability, the support they offer and their pricing. 

We’ll run through each of these regarding the different payment providers in South Africa.

The gateways 

There are quite a few payment providers in South Africa, each with their own set of pros and cons. We’ll cover the 5 main gateways available.

• Payfast - is one of South Africa’ oldest payment gateways. They offer a large number of integrations. Additionally, they were recently acquired by an international payments company which has shifted their focus from their merchants.
• Yoco broke into the SA payments world at farmer’s markets and has long been a champion of small businesses. While they do offer online payment products, they are primarily focused on offering in-person payments through their suite of card machines. 
• Peach Payments offers a large suite of payment solutions but are very much geared towards enterprise businesses. 
• Paystack is a Nigerian payments company that was recently acquired by Stripe from the USA. They have recently launched in South Africa with the core team still based in Nigeria.
• WigWag is a one of South Africa’s newest and most innovative payment providers. They are a subsidiary of Stitch, which is a payments infrastructure company providing payments technology for MTN and TFG. Which WigWag is using to provide payments for businesses of all sizes.

Support

Excellent customer support can make or break your experience with a payment provider.  Having dealt with the support channels of each these are my thoughts: 

• Payfast: provides email and phone support but it is very difficult to speak to a person given their scale and also the many internal company changes they have undergone.
• Yoco: Known for its responsive customer service with live chat, email, and phone support.
• Paystack: Offers extensive online resources and email support, but lacks live chat. Additionally, their support team sits outside of South Africa which can mean slower response times. 
• Peach Payments: Provides phone and email support with a reputation for thorough problem-solving.
• WigWag: Stands out with its real-time local support via live chat, email, and phone, ensuring swift resolution of issues. The team is particularly adept at handling complex queries, making it ideal for businesses that require a high level of support.

Pricing

Pricing is often the first consideration for businesses. Here's a detailed comparison of transaction fees and associated costs:

Key Takeaways

• Payfast offers competitive local and international card rates but charges for standard payouts and refunds.
• WigWag offers low transactions fees, affordable payouts and free refunds, positioning it as the cost effective choice for any business.

Conclusion

Choosing the right payment provider depends on your specific needs and priorities. Payfast and Yoco are solid choices for businesses looking for competitive pricing and good support. Paystack shines with its low fees and strong technological capabilities, while Peach Payments offers a balanced mix of features.

However, WigWag the new kid on the block. stands out as a comprehensive solution, combining competitive pricing, exceptional support, and advanced technology. Its unique blend of real-time document processing and customizable API makes it an ideal choice for ecomm brands looking for a reliable and efficient payment provider.

WigWag has a Shopify App to easily integrate, now that's a win.

Check out more information about WigWag. 

Or Sign up immediately for a free account here. 

Or Book a call with one of their payment experts here in South Africa.