The Breakdown of Shopify Pricing South Africa Merchants Need
There are more than 17,000 active Shopify stores in South Africa (Source: Store Lead). If you’re an online merchant based in South Africa, joining the forces is a great idea to make money. The tiers of Shopify pricing South Africa are diverse, which makes it easy to start selling regardless of your business’ size or type.
However, the pricing listed on Shopify’s official website is in USD rather than ZAR, which can make it more difficult to make an informed choice. Gladly, we can assist you with our comprehensive guide to Shopify South Africa pricing plans, their features, and how to choose the one that works best for you.
Contents
1. The Review of Shopify Pricing South Africa Plans
Note: The Shopify pricing plans are not available in ZAR (South African currency). However, for your convenience, we have converted US dollars to South African rand. Please note that the exchange rate may fluctuate depending on the South African economy.
| Subscription fees | Transaction fees (for all third-party payment providers) | ||
| Monthly | Annually (save 25%) | ||
| Starter | 91 ZAR/month | 5% | |
| Retail | 1,620 ZAR/month | 2% | |
| Basic | 457 ZAR/month | 347 ZAR/month | 2% |
| Shopify | 1,188 ZAR/month | 896 ZAR/month | 1% |
| Advanced | 7,294 ZAR/month | 5,466 ZAR/month | 0.5% |
| Plus | From 42,044 ZAR/month | Negotiable | |
Next, explore our in-depth Shopify pricing plan review below to fully comprehend the features offered by its subscription plans and choose the one that best suits your business.
1.1. Starter Plan
The Shopify Starter plan is set at a minimum of 91 ZAR/month. It is intended as a starting point for people or business owners who wish to start selling products online using messaging applications and social networks.
Features:
- A link-in-bio tool called Linkpop that creates a shoppable landing page for your business that can be accessed through social media apps
- Shopify order tracking and a network of integrated fulfillment.
- Using your smartphone as a mobile point of sale for in-person transactions.
- A basic online store with Shopify’s secure checkout, product pages, and a contact page.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Reasonably priced for newbies. – For solo entrepreneurs, it is simple to set up and run. – Supports sales through social media platforms. | – Not suitable for businesses requiring a full-fledged online store. – Limited customization for store design. – Lack of advanced features for scaling or multi-channel selling. |
This plan is suitable for:
- Entrepreneurs who just started to sell online are looking for a place to test the waters.
- Individuals who sell most often through social media and messaging.
1.2. Retail Plan
The Retail plan (~ 1,626 ZAR/month) is for offline stores interested in using Shopify’s POS system to build a basic online presence to increase sales from the eCommerce channel.
Features:
- Using the theme editor for basic adjustments like adding a logo, a cover image, a brand introduction, a slogan, and social media links.
- Basic reporting for your sales trends and customer preferences.
- 5 staff accounts for better delegation and team collaboration.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Basic reporting and retail features along with POS tools to help with in-person sales. | – The Spotlight theme is the only choice, which means restricted freedom for website design. – Since it focuses on improving retail businesses, it lacks many strong eCommerce features |
This plan is suitable for:
- Owners of pop-up shops who want to give their physical businesses an online presence quickly to capture sales opportunities from eCommerce.
- Physical retailers with minimum webshop requirements who need an online store as a side channel.
1.3. Basic Plan
The Shopify Basic plan costs 457 ZAR/month or 347 ZAR/month if paid annually. It provides the features and resources you need to successfully create and run your online business.
Features:
- No cap on the quantity of goods you can sell
- Different tools to monitor traffic, sales, and orders so you can evaluate performance and make data-driven decisions
- 10 inventory locations releasing you from the pressure of huge inventory management
- Securing your shopping cart with a seamless checkout process
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Unlimited products with no additional fees. – Inventory management across multiple locations. – 24/7 customer support | – Only basic eCommerce functionalities when compared to the other higher-tier plans. – No advanced customization. – No international selling or scaling. |
This plan is suitable for:
- Small companies or individuals planning to open an online store are searching for a cost-effective option that includes all necessary eCommerce capabilities.
- Stores with small inventory that don’t need sophisticated reporting or complex administration tools.
1.4. Shopify Plan
This is essentially Shopify’s “standard” plan, designed for small to medium-sized companies with a small workforce. In many aspects, it’s not all that different from the Basic plan. With the exception of the ability to share the workload with more team members, the majority of the functions remain the same.
Features:
- Personalized analytics and reports for profound understanding that aid in data-driven decision-making.
- Automated messages directed at abandoned carts can be used to potentially recover lost purchases.
- Performance dashboard for tracking customer behavior and store metrics in real time.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Better team management thanks to more staff accounts. – Access to cutting-edge features without having to pay a hefty upfront fee. – Improved inventory control that works for expanding companies. | – Lack of some of the advanced international selling tools of higher-tier plans. |
This plan is suitable for:
- South African small and medium-sized enterprises looking to increase their web presence.
- Entrepreneurs who require more sophisticated capabilities, such as inventory control and sales recovery, to support expansion.
1.5. Advanced Plan
The Shopify Advanced plan is priced at 7,294 ZAR/month or 5,466 ZAR/month for an annual subscription. It offers all the capabilities of the Shopify Plan to guarantee that merchants upgrading to this level maintain access to earlier functionalities, plus advanced reporting and analytics tools to manage a Shopify store.
Features:
- Custom report builder to enable more in-depth explorations of performance metrics and business insights.
- Real-time shipping price calculations based on third-party shipping services to allow for efficient shipping provider integration.
- Duties and import tax calculations allow buyers to see the entire cost and reduce the likelihood of a package being returned or rejected because of a delivery issue.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Analytics tools and personalized reports for data-driven decision-making. – Higher staff account limit facilitates business scalability. – The consumer experience is enhanced when duties and taxes may be estimated at checkout. | – Small or startup firms may find the hefty monthly fees to be prohibitively expensive. |
This plan is suitable for:
- Companies with larger teams require more staff accounts and advanced reporting tools to drive growth and optimize performance.
- Growing businesses ready to expand their operations globally.
1.6. Plus Plan
Pricing for Shopify Plus starts from 42,044 ZAR/month. It’s your all-access pass to all Shopify has to offer, allowing you the flexibility to develop into a significant e-commerce leader for South African merchants with large volumes or distinctive business models.
Notably, the total cost will vary depending on the precise features you require, so be sure to contact Shopify for a personalized quote.
Features:
- Massive infrastructure that can handle high transaction processing, big catalogs, and traffic volumes without experiencing any sales hiccups during busy times.
- Specific APIs for sophisticated customizations and integrations.
- Personalized checkouts to improve customer happiness and brand identity.
- Tools for international sales that include local marketing, translation, and currency conversion.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| – Large-scale online operations are supported by comprehensive features. – Processes are streamlined by advanced automation capabilities. – Improved performance efficiency during periods of high traffic. | – Many businesses may not be able to afford high monthly fees. – To make the most of it, operational maturity is necessary. – Configuration and setup might be challenging. |
This plan is suitable for:
- Large companies or organizations with high sales volumes are eager to improve the client experience by offering tailored solutions.
- Companies who have highly complex operational requirements want to personalize and grow their eCommerce sales to foreign platforms.
1.7. Is There A Free Trial For Shopify South Africa?
The answer is YES. Shopify is available to you for free during a 3-day trial period. You might not think that offers you much time to try out Shopify’s services. However, for the first 3 months, you can spend Shopify for $1 to extend your trial (with some plans).
2. Shopify Pricing South Africa Vs Shopify International Pricing
The Shopify South Africa pricing may differ from other regions due to factors like currency exchange rates, local taxes, and payment processing fees:
- The currency conversion rates between the South African Rand (ZAR) and the United States Dollar (USD): The USD has a stronger value than the ZAR. This implies that the comparable price for a Shopify package in South Africa may seem greater when pricing is converted from USD to ZAR.
- Local taxation and law: The ultimate cost of Shopify plans and services might be impacted by the substantial differences in tax laws between nations and regions.
- Payment processing fees: Shopify Payments is not supported in South Africa. That leaves you no choice but to opt for third-party payment gateways, which have different transaction charges compared to Shopify Payments.
- Promotions and offers: Shopify might be running different deals and promotions in other nations, which could lead to short-term or long-term price changes.
3. Ongoing Costs & Hidden Fees
3.1. Domain
When it comes to having a personal brand and an online presence, a customized domain name is crucial. In addition to improving brand consistency, a matching domain name helps your customers trust you. The annual cost of domain names varies from 180 ZAR to 360 ZAR or more, depending on the extension (.com,.co.za,.net, etc.).
3.2. Transaction fees
Transaction fees are the next expense that many people overlook and are not covered by your Shopify South Africa pricing plan. You’ll see that Shopify levies transaction fees for payment providers other than Shopify Payments ranging from 0.5% to 5%.
This implies that Shopify charges a percentage of the transaction for integrating a different payment processor, depending on the pricing category you are in.
3.3. Apps & Themes
Your Shopify store can benefit from additional features like stock control, email marketing, and SEO improvement thanks to apps. Depending on the function and creator, apps can range from being free to being extremely costly. Some charge a one-time fee while others prefer a monthly one.
Beside apps, Shopify theme pricing can play an important factor in your budget strategy. If you want to elevate the appearance and feel of your online store to impress your visitors better, you may need to pay for premium themes can cost anywhere from 2,750 ZAR to 6,620 ZAR or more.
With many options for apps and themes, you can get lost in a maze of advertisements when you don’t know exactly what you need.
If you can’t figure that out or know where to start, buying prebuilt Shopify stores will be a great idea, which could save you much time and effort. These stores are well-built and optimized for operations that won’t require any extra plugins. Moreover, you will have a professionally good-looking store with diverse designs tailored for different business sectors.
3.5. Shopify POS (optional)
Shopify POS is available to all members of Shopify Plans South Africa for in-person sales. The free version of Shopify POS Lite, which synchronizes your online inventory and enables card transactions, is included with all plans.
Meanwhile, to enable more advanced capabilities like local pickup, exchange processing, local delivery, and purchase order administration, you may upgrade to Shopify POS Pro for 1,620 ZAR per location each month.
With Shopify POS Pro included in the Shopify Plus package, businesses can easily sell omnichannel.
Other than that, Shopify provides two tiers that provide businesses access to features that are simple to use for creating an online presence and capabilities made especially for in-person sales.
- Starter (Designed for casual sellers), including:
- 1 POS lite location
- 1 admin account
- 1 POS login for point-of-sale operations
- A simple online store
- Retail (Designed for retail businesses), including:
- 1 POS Pro location
- 2 admin accounts, facilitating collaborative management.
- Unlimited POS logins for seamless in-store operations
- A simple online store
Overall, building up a Shopify store requires a lot of effort and fees to cover. Sometimes, it seems to be exhausting, especially for newbies. That’s why paying someone to set up a Shopify store for you is a great idea.
For example, our Shopify store setup services can be one of your options. We will start with a consultation to learn about your needs and propose the best solutions from building and optimizing the store to integrating apps for better functionalities.
4. Best Payment Gateways For Shopify South Africa
💡Does Shopify payments work in South Africa?
For a variety of reasons, including banking relationships, legal restrictions, and the difficulty of connecting with regional payment systems, Shopify Payments—Shopify’s own payment gateway—is not available in South Africa.
This implies that in order to accept payments on your Shopify store, you will need to add a different payment processor if you are a South African who builds an online business on Shopify.
Having said that, Shopify South African merchants need to utilize other well-known third-party payment gateways to process payments. Below are our top 3 methods: Yoco, Peach Payments, and Paystack.
4.1. Paystack
Businesses in South Africa may easily take safe payments from a variety of domestic and international payment channels thanks to Paystack. Installing the Paystack app on your Shopify store will enable you to promptly receive payments with Paystack.
The following features are available to you right away when you register for a free Paystack account:
- Libraries, SDKs, and APIs with thorough documentation to assist you in creating unique payment experiences
- A wide selection of eCommerce platform plugins, including those for WordPress, Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce, Wix, and many others.
- Automated recurring billing
- A data dashboard to track the performance of your company
- Comprehensive accounting, reconciliation, and audit reporting
Transaction charges are deducted per transaction, and they settle the difference via your payouts.
| Local transactions | International transactions | USD transactions | Dedicated Virtual Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| – 2.9% + R1.00 (VAT exclusive) – 2% (via EFT) | 3.1% + R1.00 (VAT exclusive) | N/A | N/A |
4.2. Peach Payments
With features like free daily settlements and an emphasis on security, Peach Payments is a well-known payment gateway from South Africa that works well with Shopify to enable businesses to take online payments in a variety of currencies and methods.
Here is a more thorough explanation of the main features of Peach Payments:
- A variety of payment options, including Pay by Bank, Mobicred, Masterpass, 1Voucher, and maybe Apple Pay (although Shopify does not support PayPal, Google Pay, or Apple Pay plugins).
- Your money will be deposited into your South African bank account the following working day thanks to free, automated daily settlements.
- Reaching a wider audience outside of South Africa by selling in different currencies and receiving payment in Rands.
- Peach Payments offers industry-leading security with 3DS two-factor authentication and fraud detection capabilities, and it is PCI DSS Level 1 certified.
- Native SDKs and responsive widgets for iOS and Android guarantee a mobile-friendly checkout process.
Transaction costs for local Mastercard, Visa, and American Express cards using Peach Payments on Shopify in South Africa are 2.95% + R1.50 for 3DSecure and 3.50% + R1.50 for non-3DSecure cards.
4.3. PayFast
Payfast has unparalleled credibility in South Africa. Many merchants use it because of its dedication to safe, quick, and dependable transactions.
Here is a more thorough explanation of the key features of Payfast :
- Instant EFT, credit cards, Masterpass, Mobicred, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay are supported by Payfast.
- Payfast accepts scan-to-pay or QR code payments that are linked to digital or e-wallets, such as SnapScan and Zapper.
- Direct integration with Shopify enables retailers to take payments straight through their Shopify store.
- Payfast connects with popular plugins, shopping carts, and reservation systems for a secure and speedy setup.
Payfast only charges for successful transactions; there are no startup, monthly, or hidden fees. While Instant EFT charges 2% with a minimum of R2.00, the fee for credit and check cards is 3.5% + R2.00.
5. Successful South African Shopify Stores
5.1. Bathu Sneakers
In 2015, Bathu Sneakers was founded in the nearby township of Alexandra. With 32 locations across the country and more than 300 employees, the majority of whom are young, it has now experienced exponential growth over the years.
The staff at Bathu Sneakers enters product counts, sizing charts, and thorough product descriptions to give customers an informed purchasing experience. Bathu Sneakers consistently maintains a significant online presence with seamless performance by utilizing a simplified checkout process, numerous payment options, and excellent customer care.
5.2. Fabulous Flowers
Located in Cape Town, Fabulous Flowers and Gifts is your go-to resource for fostering deep relationships in South Africa. They create unique gift boxes and gorgeous floral arrangements that are sure to turn heads. Their dedication to quality and community is shown in their sustainable business practices and locally grown flowers, which guarantee that your messages arrive beautiful and fresh.
The Fabulous Flowers website embraces the freshness, tranquility, and the environment. To help customers find the perfect gifts, they create a gift section, providing rich product information and images.
Besides, feedback and educational materials for giving recommendations based on traits, preferences, and lifestyles are available to help customers make the right choice when buying their products.
5.3. Keedo
Established in 1993, Keedo is a reputable children’s clothing business in South Africa with three main pillars: Sustainability, Care, and Education. They vow to support children being kids while also keeping parents in mind.
The Keedo website is praised for its easy navigation and simplicity. With well-organized categories, thorough product descriptions, and beautiful images, visitors can shop with ease.
Families in South Africa choose the brand because of its dedication to providing excellent value to consumers without sacrificing quality, as well as its constant emphasis on accessibility and affordability.
6. Conclusion
In conclusion, starting your Shopify business requires careful evaluation of Shopify pricing South Africa since the platform provides a variety of solutions, regardless of whether you sell in-person, online, or both.
You can select the best Shopify price South Africa plan for your company based on your needs and budget. Keep in mind that Shopify allows you to easily modify your plan as your business expands. This implies that you can easily adjust to your changing needs.
You are welcome to read further eCommerce blogs at eComStart if this one is useful to you.
7. FAQs
