How to Accept Payments in South Africa Without Shopify Payments

Why Shopify Payments isn’t available in South Africa—and what to use instead

Shopify states that businesses in countries not on its list cannot use Shopify Payments and need a third-party payment provider instead. In your admin, the list of providers is filtered by the store address in Settings, General. If a provider is missing, check that your store address matches the country where it operates. Shopify also notes that a listing on its providers page does not guarantee availability in your admin, because location, plan and payment configuration can all affect it.

One rule shapes your setup: only one credit card provider can be active at a time. This is one reason merchants look for a layer that connects to several providers without extra installs.

Which payment gateways work with Shopify in South Africa?

Through UnumPay, South African Shopify merchants may connect Paystack or Flutterwave using approved provider accounts. UnumPay lists both integrations, and its Flutterwave setup guide lists South Africa among supported countries. Confirm eligibility for your merchant account before choosing a provider.

The key point is that you bring your own provider account. UnumPay does not replace Paystack or Flutterwave and is not a payment gateway. It is a payment mediation platform, sometimes described as a payment orchestration platform or payment gateway hub that plugs into your provider account with your keys and runs payments through Shopify checkout. It provides unified reporting on revenue, transactions and success rates. If you connect more than one provider, confirm routing and fallback behavior with UnumPay before relying on it during an outage.

Each provider has its own UnumPay setup walkthrough. See the Paystack integration guide or the Flutterwave integration guide.

How UnumPay helps a South African Shopify store accept payments

Because Shopify Payments is unavailable, every South African store needs a third-party route to get paid. That is where UnumPay fits. The flow has six steps:

1. Apply for a merchant account — Start with Paystack or Flutterwave.
2. Get approved — The provider reviews your application and business details.
3. Receive your keys — The provider issues the credentials for your account. For Flutterwave, that means the secret, public and encryption keys.
4. Install UnumPay — Choose the Shopify store where you want to use the app.
5. Configure the provider — Enter your keys in UnumPay, give the configuration a name and description, then set it to Active.
6. Go live — Test with demo credentials in Test Mode first, then turn Test Mode off and click Activate UnumPay to enable it on your storefront. Your store then accepts payments through the methods your provider supports.

Approval timing depends on the provider and your business documents, so apply before planning a launch date. Keep your business documents and bank details ready. You can add providers later in the same dashboard without another Shopify installation.

Benefits of online payments and payment methods you can accept

Moving from manual payments to online checkout changes how a store operates day to day.

• Sell around the clock — Customers can buy at any hour, without waiting for you to confirm a bank deposit.

• Faster order handling — Paid orders arrive in Shopify with the payment attached, so fulfilment starts sooner and reconciliation takes less manual work.

• Fewer cash and trust problems — Shoppers pay through familiar checkout screens, and you avoid chasing proof of payment.

• Wider reach — International customers can pay in the way they are used to, instead of looking for a South African bank account.

• Better visibility — Reporting on revenue, transactions and success rates shows which methods convert.

Understand the total payment cost. Budget for three potential layers of cost when using UnumPay: Shopify’s third-party transaction fee, the payment provider’s processing charges, and UnumPay’s current app charge of 0.85% per successful transaction. Confirm rates, currency conversion and your Shopify plan before estimating margins. Shopify exempts manual payment methods such as cash on delivery and manually arranged bank transfers from its third-party transaction fee; online bank payments through a gateway are not necessarily exempt.

Local payment methods in South Africa

• Cards — Both Paystack and Flutterwave support card payments in South Africa.

• Instant EFT — Paystack’s pay by bank option lets customers approve a payment through their own internet banking, with major banks supported. It is for once-off payments, not recurring ones.

• Capitec Pay — Capitec customers enter a mobile number, ID number or account number, then approve a push notification in the Capitec app. Paystack’s bank methods require additional KYC review before activation. Confirm approval and checkout visibility before offering these methods.

• Bank account and 1Voucher — Flutterwave lists bank collections and 1Voucher among its South African methods, subject to account eligibility.

• Wallets — Flutterwave’s documentation mentions Apple Pay and Google Pay for South Africa; verify either wallet is enabled in your merchant account and UnumPay checkout before promising it to shoppers.

International cards and currencies

• International cards — Apple Pay on Paystack works for both local and internationally issued cards in South Africa. It is not on by default: you must enable international transactions on your Paystack business, then switch Apple Pay on in your dashboard preferences.

• Multiple currencies — UnumPay lists multi-currency acceptance capabilities. Which currencies you can settle in depends on what your provider enables for your account, so confirm that during onboarding.

The name displayed at checkout depends on your configuration. UnumPay’s Flutterwave guide describes the label “Debit, Credit Card.” Confirm which payment methods and labels are actually visible to customers.

Fraud and regulation: what South African merchants should know

Fraud pressure is rising. The South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC) reported that digital banking crime losses reached R2.4 billion in 2025, up from about R1.9 billion in 2024, and that card fraud overall rose 18% to R1.7 billion. Use the provider’s authenticated checkout, including 3-D Secure where it applies, and keep card data on a hosted checkout rather than on your own servers.

Regulation also changed. In August 2026, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) notified the industry that the Payments Association of South Africa’s recognition as the payment system management body was withdrawn, effective 2 September 2026, and that authorisation and registration of third-party payment providers is moving to the SARB. Existing registrations stay valid until the SARB issues new requirements. The SARB also stated that the transition will not affect consumers’ or businesses’ ability to make or receive payments.

Ask any provider about its regulatory standing and verify relevant authorisation with the South African Reserve Bank.

How to choose a payment provider for your Shopify store

• Standing — a provider whose registration or banking partnership you can verify.

• Shopify fit — it connects to your store through a Shopify-approved payment app and works on your plan.

• Method mix — the cards, Instant EFT or wallets your customers use.

• Fees and settlement timing — Ask for both in writing.

• Resilience — verify any alternative payment route if the main provider has an outage.

Frequently asked questions

Is Shopify Payments available in South Africa?

No. South Africa is not on Shopify’s list of supported countries, so merchants use a third-party payment provider instead.

Which payment gateways work with Shopify in South Africa?

With UnumPay, you can connect Paystack or Flutterwave, using your own account and keys. Check your Shopify admin for any other provider you are considering.

Is UnumPay a payment gateway?

No. UnumPay is a payment mediation platform and Shopify-approved payment app. It connects your store to an approved payment provider account and offers unified reporting. Confirm fallback functionality for your configured providers.

Do I need my own Paystack or Flutterwave account?

Yes. You apply to the provider, get approved and receive your keys, then enter them in UnumPay.

Can I connect both Paystack and Flutterwave?

Yes. Shopify allows only one credit card provider to be active from its own list at a time, but UnumPay connects through a single Shopify-approved payment app and lets you add more providers in its dashboard. A second connected provider may offer an alternative route, but does not guarantee automatic failover; test how switching works in your checkout.

Do I pay Shopify’s transaction fee on cash on delivery or bank transfers?

No. Shopify exempts manual payment methods, including cash on delivery and bank transfers, from its transaction fee.

Ready to start accepting payments?

Apply for your Paystack or Flutterwave account, then follow the Paystack integration guide or Flutterwave integration guide to connect it to your store with UnumPay. You can also install UnumPay from the Shopify App Store.