Beyond Yoco and PayFast: Ozow, iKhokha, SnapScan, PayGate and Other South African Payment Options
Beyond the big four online gateways (Yoco, PayFast, Peach Payments and Paystack), South African businesses can take payments through Ozow (pay by bank and more), iKhokha (now owned by Nedbank), SnapScan and Zapper (QR and online), DPO PayGate (part of Network International), Adumo (part of Lesaka), Netcash, and buy now pay later providers such as Payflex, Mobicred, PayJustNow and Happy Pay. Several of these publish their online rates; others quote per business. Some changed owners in the last two years, which matters when you read older comparisons.
Our main payment gateway comparison covers Yoco, PayFast, Peach and Paystack in detail. This guide covers the rest, using each provider’s own website (checked 29 October 2026). Rates are quoted as each provider published them on that date, and they change, so always confirm on the provider’s pricing page before you sign.
At a glance
| Provider | What it is | Owner, per official sources | Online pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozow | Pay by bank, plus cards and other methods | Not stated on its site | Published |
| iKhokha | Card machines, online gateway, payment links | Nedbank (agreed August 2025) | Published |
| SnapScan | QR, online gateway, payment links | Managed by FireID Payments, “Powered by” Standard Bank | Published |
| Zapper | QR and online gateway | Not clearly stated | Published |
| DPO PayGate | Card and EFT gateway | A division of Network International | Quote-based |
| Adumo Online | Gateway and payment links | Lesaka group | Quote-based |
| Netcash | Gateway, debit orders, payouts | Netcash (Pty) Ltd | Quote-based |
Ozow: pay by bank, no card needed
Ozow started as instant EFT and now calls itself a platform linking businesses “with 47 million bank account holders”. Its FAQ puts the main selling point simply: “No cards are needed”, only “a smart device and a bank account”. It lists support for Capitec, FNB, Standard Bank, Absa, Nedbank, TymeBank, Investec, Bidvest Bank and African Bank.
Ozow now offers far more than EFT. Its pricing page lists cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Capitec Pay, Absa Pay, Nedbank Direct EFT, Pay By Bank, PayShap Request, vouchers, buy now pay later and crypto. Published rates on 29 October 2026 included:
- Pay By Bank, Capitec Pay, Absa Pay, Nedbank Direct EFT and PayShap Request: 1.5% or a minimum of R1.00
- Local cards: 2.85% on the lowest volume band, dropping to 2.65% at higher volumes
- International cards: 3.5% or a minimum of R1.00
- Buy now pay later: 4.99% plus R4.00
Ozow says there are no setup fees. Its page does not state whether these rates include VAT. If you sell through Shopify, Ozow adds “a nominal platform fee of 0,30%”. Ozow lists plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, OpenCart, PrestaShop and others, and its WooCommerce plugin is live on WordPress.org.
Best for: customers who prefer paying from their bank account, and higher value orders where card fees add up.
iKhokha: now part of Nedbank
iKhokha is best known for card machines, but it also offers an online gateway (iK Pay Gateway), payment links (iK Pay Link) and an API. In August 2025 Nedbank announced a binding agreement “to acquire 100% of fintech innovator iKhokha” for about R1.65 billion, with iKhokha “continuing to operate under its own brand and leadership team”.
Online, iKhokha accepts Visa and Mastercard, Instant EFT, Apple Pay and Google Pay. It states that “American Express and Diners Club are not supported.” Its published online rates are 2.85% excluding VAT for local cards, 2% for Instant EFT and 3.25% for international cards, plus a R2.50 payout fee. It says online payments “usually” settle within 1 to 3 business days. Ready-made plugins are listed for Wix, WooCommerce, Shopstar and Savvy, with an API for custom sites; Shopify is not listed.
Best for: businesses that already use an iKhokha card machine and want one provider for in-store and online.
SnapScan and Zapper: QR codes that also work online
SnapScan is “Managed by FireID Payments (PTY) Ltd” and shows “Powered by” Standard Bank. Online, customers can “scan to pay, pay with card or pay by bank (instant EFT)”, and you can send payment links by social media, email or SMS. SnapScan says it is free to sign up with no monthly fees, and its rate starts at 2.95% excluding VAT, tied to your monthly turnover. Its WooCommerce page gives a range of 2.55% to 2.95%. It lists integrations for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, OpenCart and others.
Zapper is still operating and says 31,000 South African businesses use it. It accepts cards, QR payments through the Zapper app and pay by bank. Its pricing page shows a free Basic plan at 2.9% excluding VAT with weekly settlement, and a Business plan at R220 per store a month with 2.5% and daily settlement. It lists plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, nopCommerce and Ecwid.
Best for: businesses whose customers already use these apps, and anyone who wants the same QR code at the till and on the website.
DPO PayGate: an established gateway with a new parent
PayGate is one of the older names in South African online payments, and it is still in use, now as “DPO PayGate”. Its own documentation describes it as “a division of Network International”, the same group behind Payfast by Network. Its products include a hosted checkout (PayWeb), an API (PayHost), batch payments and subscriptions (PaySubs). Methods listed in its documentation include Visa and Mastercard cards and SiD Secure EFT, and it lists plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, Ecwid and PrestaShop. We could not find official published pricing, so treat it as quote-based. If you see PayGate described in older articles under another owner, go by the provider’s own documentation.
Adumo Online: part of Lesaka
Adumo is now part of Lesaka Technologies. In August 2026 Lesaka announced it was bringing its brands, including Adumo, “together under one name”, though Adumo’s own website still trades as Adumo. Adumo Online lists cards (including American Express and Diners Club), Instant EFT, Mobicred, QR payments, payment links, tokenisation and multi-currency. It does not publish prices, and it describes its integrations generically (a shopping cart plugin, an enterprise API and a hosted payment page) rather than naming platforms.
Best for: larger merchants who want a negotiated rate and a wide range of methods.
Netcash: payments, debit orders and payouts in one place
Netcash describes itself as “a proudly South African company” offering a multi-method gateway (Pay Now) alongside debit orders and payouts. Its homepage lists cards, bank EFT, Ozow Instant EFT, Payflex, retail payments, Scan to Pay and 1Voucher. Its product pages say rates are “tailored to your business size and transaction volume” rather than publishing a rate card. Its WooCommerce plugin is live, while its Shopify page still said “Coming soon” when we checked.
Best for: businesses that also collect debit orders, which is covered in our guide to recurring payments and subscriptions.
Buy now pay later
Buy now pay later (BNPL) lets a customer split a purchase while you are paid in full by the provider. In South Africa:
- Payflex offers “pay once-off or pay in 2, 3 or 4 instalments”, interest free for the customer. It does not publish merchant fees.
- Mobicred is a revolving online credit facility from a registered credit provider, integrated into gateways including PayFast, DPO PayGate, Peach Payments and Adumo Online.
- PayJustNow offers pay in 3 at 0% interest, and longer terms with interest.
- Happy Pay offers to split a purchase over two paycheques.
BNPL usually costs the merchant more per sale than cards (Ozow, for example, lists 4.99% plus R4.00), so it suits higher value baskets where it lifts the order size. Check which BNPL options your chosen gateway already includes before signing up separately.
A note on Altron FinTech
Altron FinTech comes up in payment searches, but its own site focuses on debit orders, DebiCheck, point of sale and transaction switching. We found no online checkout gateway or payment link product on its pages, so it is better thought of as a collections provider than a website gateway.
How to choose
Start with your customers, not the fee table. If many of them pay by bank or use Capitec, a pay-by-bank option such as Ozow or Capitec Pay matters more than a 0.1% card saving. If they already scan SnapScan or Zapper at your till, offering the same online is familiar. If you need debit orders as well, Netcash covers both. And check your website platform: Shopify charges its own extra transaction fee when you use any provider other than Shopify Payments, which is not available in South Africa, as we explain in WooCommerce vs Shopify.
Our e-commerce website package is set up with Yoco by default, or PayFast, Peach Payments or Paystack if you prefer. If you want one of the providers above instead, request a quote and tell us which, and we will confirm the integration before we start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ozow and how much does it cost?
Ozow is a South African payment platform best known for pay by bank, where customers pay from their bank account without a card. On 29 October 2026 its pricing page listed 1.5% or a minimum of R1.00 for Pay By Bank and Capitec Pay, and from 2.85% for local cards, with no setup fees.
Who owns iKhokha?
Nedbank announced in August 2025 that it had entered into a binding agreement to acquire 100% of iKhokha. Nedbank said iKhokha would continue to operate under its own brand and leadership team.
Is PayGate still available in South Africa?
Yes. It operates as DPO PayGate, which its own documentation describes as a division of Network International. It does not publish standard pricing, so you request a quote.
Can I accept SnapScan payments on my website?
Yes. SnapScan offers online payments where customers can scan to pay, pay with card or pay by bank, plus payment links, and it lists integrations for WooCommerce, Shopify and other platforms.
Which payment option has the lowest fees in South Africa?
It depends on the payment method and your volume. Bank payments are often cheaper than cards: Ozow lists 1.5% for Pay By Bank against 2.85% for local cards. Several providers lower their card rate as your monthly turnover grows, so compare at your real volume.
