Head-to-Head Specification Audit
Yoco vs PayFast
South African SMB POS & Payments · South Africa
Specification Matrix
| Metric | Yoco | PayFast |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $0/moTie | $0/moTie |
| API Rate Limit | 80 req/minBetter | 60 req/min |
| Target Country | South Africa | South Africa |
| Category | Payments Platform | Payment Processing API |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | POPIA, PCI-DSS | POPIA, PCI-DSS |
| Hosting Regions | AF-South | ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg |
| Native Integrations | 4 listed | 6 listedBetter |
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
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, Yoco or PayFast?+
Both tools start at Free plan available on their entry plans.
Which compliance frameworks do Yoco and PayFast list?+
Both list POPIA, PCI-DSS in their vendor documentation. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does Yoco or PayFast list POPIA as a supported compliance framework?+
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. 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.
Which has a higher documented API rate limit — Yoco or PayFast?+
Yoco has a higher documented API rate limit at 80 req/min versus PayFast at 60 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do Yoco and PayFast support?+
Yoco lists hosting regions: AF-South. PayFast lists hosting regions: ZA-Cape-Town, ZA-Johannesburg. 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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