Head-to-Head Specification Audit
PayFast vs Sage HR
E-Commerce & SaaS Businesses · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | PayFast | Sage HR |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/moBetter | $5.5/mo |
| API Rate Limit | 60 req/minBetter | 50 req/min |
| Target Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Category | Payment Processing API | HR & Payroll |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | POPIA, PCI-DSS | POPIA, SARS-compliant |
| Hosting Regions | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg | ZA |
| Native Integrations | 6 listedBetter | 4 listed |
PayFast — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Only major payment gateway with POPIA-compliant ZA data residency by default
- ✓Supports EFT, credit card, Instant EFT, Mobicred, and SnapScan natively
- ✓No monthly fee — pay 2.0–3.5% per transaction only
- ✓Recurring billing API supports subscription SaaS models out of the box
Sage HR — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Built for South African payroll law
- ✓PAYE, UIF, SDL auto-calculation
- ✓SARS eFiling integration
- ✓Leave management with SA public holidays
- ✓Rand pricing
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, PayFast or Sage HR?+
PayFast starts at Free plan available, which is lower than Sage HR at $5.5/mo. Verify current pricing on each vendor's website.
Which compliance frameworks do PayFast and Sage HR list?+
Both list POPIA in their vendor documentation. PayFast additionally lists PCI-DSS. Sage HR additionally lists SARS-compliant. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does PayFast or Sage HR list POPIA as a supported compliance framework?+
PayFast lists POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) as a supported compliance framework per its vendor documentation. VektorIndex has not independently verified this claim. South African organisations should request the vendor's current Data Processing Agreement and confirm data residency settings before processing personal information. Sage HR lists POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) as a supported compliance framework per its vendor documentation. VektorIndex has not independently verified this claim. South African organisations should request the vendor's current Data Processing Agreement and confirm data residency settings before processing personal information.
Which has a higher documented API rate limit — PayFast or Sage HR?+
PayFast has a higher documented API rate limit at 60 req/min versus Sage HR at 50 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do PayFast and Sage HR support?+
PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. Sage HR lists hosting regions: ZA. For data residency requirements in South Africa, confirm exact region configuration directly with each vendor.
Data last updated: 29 August 2026 — Sourced from official vendor documentation. Not independently audited. Report incorrect information
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