The best ecommerce platform for South African businesses
Shopify, WooCommerce and Shop Simply can all power an online shop. Here's how they compare on what matters most locally: ZAR pricing, Payfast support and setup time.
What to look for as a South African business
Generic feature lists don't tell the whole story — these four factors matter most locally.
Pricing currency & billing
Is the price fixed in Rand, or does it move with the exchange rate because it's billed in a foreign currency?
Local payment gateway support
Can shoppers pay with Payfast, EFT and local cards out of the box, or does that need extra setup?
Setup time
How long before your shop is actually live and taking orders?
Target business size
Is the platform built for a solo trader, or for a large multi-channel retailer?
Side by side
Shop Simply, Shopify and WooCommerce compared on the factors above.
| Feature | Shop Simply | Shopify | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing currency & billing | Flat R99/month, billed in ZAR — one all-inclusive plan. | Plans billed in USD (or other major currencies); your ZAR cost moves with the exchange rate. | Plugin is free; hosting, themes and premium extensions are billed separately, often in USD. |
| Local payment gateway (Payfast) | Built in from day one. | Available via a third-party app. | Available via a plugin you install and configure. |
| Setup time | Minutes to same-day for a small catalogue. | Days, depending on theme and app setup. | Days to weeks, depending on technical experience. |
| Target business size | Solo traders and small businesses getting online for the first time. | Small stores through to large enterprise retailers. | Businesses with developer or WordPress support available. |
Which one should you choose?
Solo trader or small business, new to selling online
Shop Simply is built for this — ZAR pricing, Payfast built in, and a shop that's live in minutes without any technical setup.
Large or multi-channel retailer
Shopify's scale and app ecosystem may be worth the added complexity and foreign-currency billing once you've outgrown a simple shop.
Have developer or WordPress support
WooCommerce offers full control over your stack if you or your team can manage hosting, updates and security.
Shop Simply is built and operated by Tech Mage (Pty) Ltd, based in South Africa.
Ready to launch your shop?
Get a payment-ready online shop live in minutes — priced in Rand, from R99/month.