Paystack is live in South Africa!

Paystack is live in South Africa, and we're super excited to bring our services to even more ambitious brands and businesses on the continent!

Over the past six months, we ran a pilot in South Africa and worked very closely with incredible developers and business owners. They helped us appreciate the local commerce landscape and deepen our understanding of your needs.

We also helped hundreds of businesses — tech startups, ecommerce stores, agencies, and creators — get paid online, and built out our team in South Africa to better serve you.

We learnt so much during the pilot, and today, we're thrilled to open our doors to everyone.

To get started with Paystack in South Africa, simply create a free account at paystack.com/signup.

What's in the box?

When you create your free Paystack account today, you have immediate access to the following features:

• Well-documented APIs, libraries, and SDKs to help you build custom payment experiences
• A robust lineup of plugins to ecommerce platforms, such as WordPress, Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, Wix, and lots more. See our full list of plugins here
• Simple, powerful seller tools to help you bring your ideas to market beautifully
• Automated recurring billing
• A data Dashboard to monitor your business' performance
• Advanced fraud detection
• Detailed reporting for accounting, reconciliation, and audits
• No signup or recurring monthly fees, and lots more!

Live Q&A with Paystack CEO, Shola Akinlade

Join a live Q&A chat with Paystack CEO, Shola Akinlade, to learn more about Paystack's plans in South Africa, and get answers to any questions you have about how Paystack can help power growth for your business.

Date: Tuesday, May 11
Time: 1 pm (SAST)

Live Q&A session for developers

Paystack's API suite helps developers and technical teams build amazing payments experiences.

Join our live technical Q&A session for developers to:

• Chat with Paystack Engineers, and ask all your technical questions
• Get a deep dive into the Paystack API, and learn everything you can build with it
• Share feature requests, and lots more!

Date: Wednesday, May 12
Time: 1 pm (SAST)

Common Questions

How do I sign up for Paystack?

Visit paystack.com/signup to create your free Paystack account, and follow the step-by-step instructions on your screen. It only takes a few minutes.

Can I use Paystack if I don't have a website?

Yes, you don't need to have a website to use Paystack. Thousands of businesses use our free seller tools to create an online presence for their brands and accept payments. Learn more about these free seller tools here.

How much does it cost to collect payments with Paystack in South Africa?

We charge a small fee of 2.9% + R1.00 (including VAT) per transaction — for both local and international transactions.

We'll maintain this pricing for life for everyone who created their account during our pilot, and up until July 1, 2021. New merchants who join after July 1 will be charged a slightly increased fee of 2.7% + R1.00 (excluding VAT).

Can I use Paystack even if I don't have a registered business?

Yes, you can use the majority of Paystack features as an individual business owner without a registered business. This is a breakdown of features available to non-registered businesses, which we call Starter Businesses.

What documents do I need to create my free Paystack account?

If you're an individual business owner without a registered business, you'll need to upload scanned copies of the following documents:

• Personal ID (such as your passport or national ID card)
• A bank account in your name
• Proof of your address (from your utility bills or bank statement)
• A bank confirmation letter, confirming your personal account details

To create your free Paystack account for a registered business, you'll need to upload scanned copies of the following documents:

• Personal ID (such as your passport or national ID card)
• Business registration documents
• Proof of your address (from your utility bills or bank statement)
• A business account (corporate bank account) registered to your business
• A bank confirmation letter, confirming your corporate account details

How long will it take to go live after I create my Paystack account?

Your business should go live within 24 hours of sending in an activation request.

After you create your Paystack account you'll immediately have access to a test environment where you can kick the tires on the platform, but you'll only be able to accept real payments after a review.

How long does it take to receive my money after customers pay?

You'll receive your money three working days after a customer pays (much faster than the usual industry standard of seven working days).

Does Paystack partner with agencies?

Yes, we partner with development agencies. If you're building interesting solutions for your clients, we'd love to explore a partnership with you. Drop us a note here, and we'll get in touch :)

Can a non-South Africa based business sign up to use Paystack in South Africa?

As long as your business has all the required documents issued by the South African government, including a South African-issued bank account, you can sign up for Paystack in South Africa.

What currencies are supported for collection and payouts?

You can collect payments and get settled in Rand. Please note that customers from anywhere in the world will be able to pay you, but your price will be displayed to them in Rand. You will also receive your payouts in Rand.

Which payment channels does Paystack support in South Africa?

You can currently accept payments from cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), EFT, and Masterpass.

I'm not in South Africa. When is Paystack coming to my country?

We're expanding all over Africa — share your email with us here to find out as soon as we're live in your country!

We're excited to power growth for a new generation of ambitious businesses in South Africa, we'll continue to introduce more payment methods, and new business tools to support you. We can't wait to see what you build!

Need any help?

Do you have more questions about Paystack's launch in South Africa? Send us an email at [email protected] — we’re happy to hear from you! ♥️✨