Whether you're a South African Shopify merchant looking to go global or an international brand entering the South African market, understanding how Shopify payments and currencies work is crucial. Shopify doesn’t handle payments the same way everywhere - and that can directly impact your customers’ checkout experience and your store’s growth.

Shopify Payments: Available Internationally, Not in South Africa

Shopify Payments is Shopify’s built-in gateway available in countries like the US, UK, Canada, and many parts of Europe and Asia. Which allows for multi-currency checkout and lower transaction fees.

But in South Africa, Shopify Payments isn’t available. Merchants must use third-party payment gateways like PayFast, Peach Payments, Yoco and Ozow.

These gateways work well but have limitations when it comes to having a South African Shopify store selling globally.

The Real Limitation: Currency & Customer Experience

Here’s the key difference:

• South African stores can only offer checkout in ZAR (South African Rand) due to third-party gateway restrictions.

• International stores using Shopify Payments can offer multi-currency checkout - meaning customers pay in their local currency.

This matters because:

• A South African store selling to the US, UK or Europe will force those customers to pay in ZAR - leading to conversion anxiety, trust issues, and potential cart abandonment.

• An international store entering South Africa will show prices in USD or EUR by default, which doesn’t work for local customers who are more comfortable paying in rands.

The Solution: Separate Stores for Different Markets

If you want to offer a seamless checkout experience, here’s the current reality:

• South African merchants need a second, global Shopify store (using USD or EUR and Shopify Payments) to sell internationally.

• International brands need a dedicated South African Shopify store (using ZAR + a local payment gateway) to sell in SA.
  
  

Yes, it means more setup but currently it’s the only way to offer the right currency at checkout and avoid confusing customers with foreign currencies

The Shopify Payments landscape in South Africa requires smart workarounds. If you're serious about scaling internationally or entering SA properly, a dual-store strategy is the best move - and we have helped clients do exactly that.

Need help setting up your local or international store the right way? Get in touch - we can guide you through it.