![PayPal is very attractive for South African merchants that sell goods or offer services internationally, says PayGate's GM of business development, Brendon Williamson.](https://www.itweb.co.za/static/pictures/2014/05/resized/Brendon-Williamson.xl.jpg)
Local e-commerce payment platform PayGate has entered into a partnership with PayPal, an international payment platform.
The companies say the partnership makes it easier for merchants to accept online payments in SA.
"PayGate customers, who number in excess of 100 000 every month, can now add PayPal to the list of payment methods they accept simply by ticking a checkbox," says PayGate's GM of business development, Brendon Williamson. "They don't need to open any kind of new bank account or do any additional Web development."
Williamson adds PayPal is very attractive for South African merchants who sell goods or offer services internationally.
He also points out SA is slowly making headway with online shopping. "We have experienced immense growth over the past two years. In 2012, we saw R3.3 billion being spent and it is estimated that we will exceed R5 billion for 2014."
Nonetheless, he notes one of the biggest drawbacks remains delivery of the items purchased - the cost of delivery as well as the reliability factor.
Merchants have a limited understanding of how e-commerce works; there aren't enough payment choices; and the delivery process is inefficient, he adds.
"PayPal is known and trusted around the world, providing a simple and more secure way to shop and pay online," says Malvina Goldfeld, head of business development for sub-Saharan Africa at PayPal.
"We are also one of the world's most trusted ways to accept payments, having spent over a decade mastering risk to reduce fraud. With 152 million active accounts in over 200 markets, we help businesses of all sizes unlock economic opportunity by reaching new global sales opportunities, and this is what we can offer South African merchants."
![For South African merchants, adding PayPal can actually go as far as helping to boost their overseas sales, says Malvina Goldfeld, head of business development for sub-Saharan Africa at PayPal.](https://www.itweb.co.za/static/pictures/2014/09/resized/Malvina-Goldfeld.xl.jpg)
Goldfeld adds according to research conducted by NorthStar in late 2013, 37% of European buyers said they would not have made cross-border purchases if PayPal had not been offered as a payment method.
"What that means to South African merchants is adding PayPal can actually go as far as helping to boost their overseas sales," he says.
PayGate's Williamson says PayPal is a standout favourite for overseas customers wanting to buy goods from South African merchants. "Rightly or wrongly, someone from the US or Europe may not feel comfortable giving their credit card details to a site based in South Africa. But with PayPal, that psychological barrier is removed."
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