Head-to-Head Specification Audit
PayFast vs Yoco
E-Commerce & SaaS Businesses · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | PayFast | Yoco |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/moTie | $0/moTie |
| API Rate Limit | 60 req/min | 80 req/minBetter |
| Target Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Category | Payment Processing API | Payments Platform |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | POPIA, PCI-DSS | POPIA, PCI-DSS |
| Hosting Regions | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg | AF-South |
| 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
Yoco — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Dominant SMB card payment solution in SA — 150,000+ businesses
- ✓No monthly fee — pay per transaction only
- ✓Mobile POS device available nationwide
- ✓Business capital lending based on transaction history
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, PayFast or Yoco?+
Both tools start at Free plan available on their entry plans.
Which compliance frameworks do PayFast and Yoco list?+
Both list POPIA, PCI-DSS in their vendor documentation. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does PayFast or Yoco 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. Yoco 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 Yoco?+
Yoco has a higher documented API rate limit at 80 req/min versus PayFast at 60 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do PayFast and Yoco support?+
PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. Yoco lists hosting regions: AF-South. 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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