As an online seller in South Africa, it’s often very frustrating to find ways to accept money for your business. Regulations are in place to prevent international business from taking place and all local payment providers can only accept payment in Rands and not in USD, GBP or EUR. Stripe, the most popular payment provider in the world is unavailable in South Africa. Stripe’s website cites that South Africa is part of its extended network, as they purchased Paystack, but this has zero benefit for customers in South Africa looking to receive funds in a foreign currency.
This article will look through the best options for your South African business.
The Payment Landscape for SA Online Sellers
South African online sellers face big problems with receiving international payments:
- Stripe is not available in South Africa. This is the biggest issue. Stripe is the default for international online business but explicitly excludes SA from its supported countries.
- Woopayments in not available in South Africa. The integrated solution for accepting payments directly in WooCommerce is also unavailable in South Africa, regardless of how many requests have been made to have it added.
- PayPal has limited withdrawal options. PayPal is available in South Africa but withdrawal to local bank accounts has historically been complex and expensive. You’ll need to use FNB bank for conversions and can only convert USD to ZAR – no other currency.
- Currency conversion costs money. Every time international currency is converted to ZAR, there’s multiple fees charged through banks. These compound to quite a large chunk.
- SARB exchange control regulations apply. The South African Reserve Bank requires that all foreign earnings be declared and converted to ZAR within a specified period, regardless of how bad the exchange rate is. Consult a local tax professional for current requirements.
PayPal in South Africa
PayPal is available in South Africa, but with some limitations compared to other countries. South African PayPal accounts can:
- Receive payments from international buyers and platforms
- Link to South African bank accounts for withdrawal
- Be linked to FNB (First National Bank) for currency conversion
Linking PayPal to FNB
In order to convert your funds from USD to ZAR, you’ll need to connect your PayPal account to FNB. Make sure that you’ve changed your PayPal account from a personal account to a business account before getting started. For a step-by-step walkthrough:
- How to Link PayPal to Your FNB Account
- How to Unlink PayPal from FNB (useful for when it accidentally connects to the wrong account)
Accepting ZAR in South Africa
If you’re running a store that caters to local South African, you’ve got lots of options to choose from:
PayFast
PayFast is the most widely used South African payment gateway and I found it the easiest and fastest to setup. It accepts EFT (electronic funds transfer), credit/debit cards, Instant EFT (real-time bank payments), and Mobicred. It integrates natively with WooCommerce via an official plugin. Fees start at 3.5% + R2 per transaction.
Peach Payments
This is a more enterprise-focused payment gateway with advanced fraud protection. Supports card payments, recurring billing, and PayPal. More technical to set up than PayFast but more feature-rich. Best for: growing businesses needing recurring billing or advanced features.
Paystack
Originally focused on Nigeria, Paystack (now technically part of Stripe Inc.) has expanded to South Africa. Clean dashboard, good developer documentation, competitive rates.
For more info on international payment alternatives, see: 3 Stripe Alternatives in South Africa.
For Accepting International Payments on Your WooCommerce Store
If you want to accept payments from international buyers (USD, GBP, EUR), the best setup is:
- PayPal for international buyers (most familiar globally)
- PayFast for South African buyers
- Both enabled simultaneously on WooCommerce
- Use a multi-currency plugin to show the different currencies for different countries to keep fees low.
For our full WooCommerce setup guide: Complete WooCommerce Guide for Digital Product Sellers.
Linking PayPal to Your FNB Account
First National Bank (FNB) is directly integrated to PayPal. If you get it setup right the first time, the process is pretty painless.
For detailed step-by-step screenshots: How to Link PayPal to Your FNB Account.
If you need to remove the link (switching banks, security reasons, or account issues): How to Unlink PayPal from FNB South Africa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use PayPal to receive Amazon KDP royalties?
No – Amazon KDP pays via direct bank deposit. You can input your bank details directly into KDP to receive your royalties. If you’re earning more than $2000 a year from your online activities, I recommend using Payoneer to receive your funds and then transferring them to your bank every month. They have a $29.95 yearly fee that is waived when you make over $2000 a year. This avoids all the extra conversion fees that you bank usually slips in and avoids getting duplicate SARB Reporting Mandates every year.
Which South African bank is best for online business?
There are no good banks in South Africa, but FNB does allow you to do a lot more in your online banking, so you can spend less time in their branches. Having PayPal integrated more easily makes it the default for anyone receiving money from international sources.
Once your payment setup is sorted, the next step is building the income streams to fill it. Start with our guides on best passive income ideas and making money on Amazon KDP – both work well from South Africa.
Last Updated on May 23, 2026
With more than fifteen years of blogging experience, I have contributed to numerous respected websites and publications. I am also the author of multiple books that have sold thousands of copies and currently lead a successful digital sales business. Writing remains my core passion, and I am dedicated to creating meaningful stories and insights that resonate deeply with readers.
