Shopify pricing in South Africa: what you actually pay

What are the Shopify plan prices in rands for South African stores?

Shopify's three main plans in rands at current exchange rates, billed annually, are roughly as follows. Basic runs approximately R350 to R550 per month. The mid-tier Shopify plan runs approximately R900 to R1,240 per month. Advanced runs approximately R4,900 to R5,500 per month. Monthly billing without an annual commitment adds around 25 to 30% to each figure.

These numbers shift every time the rand moves against the dollar. Budget with a 10 to 15% buffer above whatever the current rate shows. There is no cap on how much the bill can increase if the rand weakens.

Why does Shopify cost more for SA merchants than the plan price suggests?

Is Shopify Payments available in South Africa?

No. Shopify Payments, Shopify's built-in payment processor, is not available in South Africa. This matters because every Shopify plan is priced assuming you use Shopify Payments. When you use a third-party gateway instead, Shopify charges an additional transaction fee on top of whatever your gateway charges. On the Basic plan, that is 2% on every sale. On the mid-tier Shopify plan, it is 1%. On Advanced, it is 0.6%.

What does a R1,000 sale actually cost you on Shopify Basic?

Using PayFast on the Basic plan, a R1,000 sale costs approximately R57 in combined fees. PayFast charges 3.5% plus R2.00 per transaction, which is R37 on a R1,000 sale. Shopify's additional 2% transaction fee adds another R20. That is R57 per R1,000 before your platform subscription. On R100,000 per month in sales, you are paying approximately R5,700 in transaction fees alone, not counting your monthly plan.

When does upgrading plans actually save you money?

The maths are straightforward. Upgrading from Basic to the mid-tier Shopify plan reduces the Shopify transaction fee from 2% to 1%. That saves R1,000 per R100,000 in monthly sales. The plan upgrade costs roughly R700 to R1,240 more per month depending on billing cycle. If your store processes more than R124,000 per month, the upgrade pays for itself through lower transaction fees. Below that volume, stay on Basic.

What other Shopify costs do SA merchants miss?

Do SA stores need premium themes?

The free Dawn theme is clean, fast, and conversion-optimised. It works well for most stores. Premium themes cost $150 to $400, which is roughly R2,800 to R7,500 at current rates. That is a once-off cost but it is billed in dollars. If you rebuild or relaunch, you pay again.

How much do Shopify apps cost per month?

App creep is the biggest hidden cost in SA Shopify stores. Many features that come free with WooCommerce require paid apps on Shopify. A review app costs R200 to R400 per month. A subscription app costs R300 to R600 per month. A loyalty programme costs R300 to R800 per month. Three apps and you have added R900 to R1,800 to your monthly running costs without noticing. Audit your installed apps every 60 days and cancel anything you are not actively using.

What does Shopify cost compared to Webflow for a non-e-commerce site?

If you are building a service website with no e-commerce, Webflow is usually the better platform and the cheaper ongoing cost. Webflow hosting runs $14 to $23 per month on their site plans, which is roughly R260 to R430 at current rates. There are no transaction fees because there is no checkout. For the hospitality, B2B, and service businesses LaunchLlama works with, Webflow is almost always the right answer over Shopify unless you need a proper online store.

What is the real monthly cost of running a Shopify store in South Africa?

For a small SA store on the Basic plan doing R50,000 per month in sales: Plan fee approximately R550 per month (annual billing). PayFast fees approximately R1,850 per month (3.5% plus R2 per transaction). Shopify transaction fee approximately R1,000 per month (2%). Two to three apps approximately R600 per month. Total approximately R4,000 per month. The advertised plan price is R550. The real running cost is closer to R4,000. This is not a criticism of Shopify. It is a number every SA founder should know before they commit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Shopify worth it for South African stores in 2026?

Shopify is a strong platform for SA e-commerce, particularly for stores with growing product catalogues, physical retail integration via Yoco, or complex fulfilment needs. The platform fee is just one part of the cost. Factor in transaction fees, app subscriptions, and exchange rate movement when evaluating whether it is right for your business model and margin structure.

What payment gateway should I use with Shopify in South Africa?

PayFast is the recommended starting point for most SA Shopify stores. It supports the widest range of local payment methods including credit cards, instant EFT, SnapScan, Zapper, and Mobicred, and has a native Shopify integration. Peach Payments is a strong alternative for higher-volume stores and charges 3.25% plus R1.50 per transaction on card payments. Yoco works well for merchants selling both online and in-person through a single platform.

Does Shopify support South African rand pricing?

Yes. Shopify fully supports ZAR pricing on your storefront and handles South African VAT configuration. Your customers see rand prices and pay in rands. The platform fee itself is billed in USD against your bank account, which is where the exchange rate exposure sits.

Running a Shopify store or thinking about launching one? A free audit checks your platform setup, payment gateway configuration, and whether your current plan structure makes financial sense for your sales volume. Get a free audit