Head-to-Head Specification Audit
PayFast vs Zoho CRM
E-Commerce & SaaS Businesses · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | PayFast | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/moBetter | $14/mo |
| API Rate Limit | 60 req/min | 100 req/minBetter |
| Target Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Category | Payment Processing API | CRM |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | POPIA, PCI-DSS | GDPR, POPIA, SOC2 |
| Hosting Regions | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg | US-East, EU-West, IN-Central |
| Native Integrations | 6 listedTie | 6 listedTie |
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
Zoho CRM — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Best value CRM for South African companies — ZAR pricing available
- ✓Zia AI: sales predictions, anomaly detection, next best time to contact
- ✓POPIA-compliant: data residency and DPA options for ZA companies
- ✓Free tier: 3 users, core CRM features
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, PayFast or Zoho CRM?+
PayFast starts at Free plan available, which is lower than Zoho CRM at $14/mo. Verify current pricing on each vendor's website.
Which compliance frameworks do PayFast and Zoho CRM list?+
Both list POPIA in their vendor documentation. PayFast additionally lists PCI-DSS. Zoho CRM additionally lists GDPR, SOC2. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does PayFast or Zoho CRM 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. Zoho CRM 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 Zoho CRM?+
Zoho CRM has a higher documented API rate limit at 100 req/min versus PayFast at 60 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do PayFast and Zoho CRM support?+
PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. Zoho CRM lists hosting regions: US-East, EU-West, IN-Central. 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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