PayFast + Loom Integration Guide for South African Agriculture & AgriTech
South African Tool
PayFast
South Africa's most widely used payment gateway, supporting EFT, credit cards, SnapScan, and more.
Referral incentives for developers and platforms — contact PayFast directly
Global Tool
Loom
Async video messaging tool for recording and sharing screen recordings, walkthroughs, and team updates.
Why this matters in South Africa
South African commercial farms manage seasonal labour, commodity price volatility, logistics coordination, and food safety compliance across systems that were never designed to talk to each other. The average commercial farmer loses 3 weeks per year to admin that integrated software could handle in hours.
Compliance note: Agricultural employers must comply with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act and the Sectoral Determination for farm workers. Export agriculture must comply with DALRRD phytosanitary requirements. Organic certification requires compliance with international standards (Ecocert, SABS).
South African commercial farms often struggle with the disconnect between financial transactions and operational accountability. When a seasonal worker or a local supplier receives a ZAR payment via PayFast, the administrative burden of verifying that payment against physical delivery notes or compliance checklists often falls on the farm manager. By using Loom to document the verification process, you create a permanent, visual audit trail that satisfies both internal oversight and external food safety auditors. Instead of manually reconciling spreadsheets, managers record a brief screen walkthrough of the PayFast dashboard alongside the corresponding DALRRD phytosanitary documentation or SABS compliance certificates. This workflow ensures that every payment is contextually linked to a physical task, providing a clear, POPIA-compliant record that simplifies SARS audits and reduces the time spent chasing paper trails by replacing repetitive manual reporting with asynchronous video verification.
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How to add PayFast to Loom
- 1
1. Create a dedicated folder within your farm’s Loom workspace specifically for financial and compliance audits to ensure all recordings remain organized and secure. Ensure this workspace is restricted to authorized personnel only to maintain POPIA compliance regarding sensitive payment data.
- 2
Log into your PayFast merchant dashboard and navigate to the 'Transaction History' tab to identify the specific ZAR payments that require verification against your seasonal labour or logistics records. Filter these transactions by date or reference number to match them with your current operational logs.
- 3
Open your farm’s digital ledger or ERP system on your screen, ensuring that the relevant delivery note, phytosanitary certificate, or labour timesheet is clearly visible. This document serves as the primary evidence for the payment you are about to verify.
- 4
Launch the Loom desktop recorder and select the 'Screen + Camera' mode to capture both your digital ledger and your verbal confirmation of the transaction details. This dual-capture method provides the necessary context for auditors to understand exactly what the payment was for.
- 5
Record a brief walkthrough where you highlight the PayFast transaction ID on one side of your screen and the corresponding compliance document on the other. Clearly state the purpose of the payment, such as "Seasonal Labour Payment - Week 12," to ensure the record is easily searchable for future SARS or SABS inspections.
- 6
Once the recording is complete, copy the unique Loom share link and paste it directly into the 'Notes' or 'Internal Reference' field of the corresponding transaction within your accounting software. This creates a permanent, clickable link between your financial data and the visual proof of compliance.
- 7
Review the Loom video settings to ensure that access is restricted to specific email addresses or protected by a password if the content contains sensitive worker information. This step is critical for maintaining data privacy standards required by South African regulations.
- 8
Periodically export a summary report from your accounting software that includes these Loom links, providing your accountant or external auditor with a ready-made evidence pack for the financial year. This proactive approach eliminates the need for last-minute document gathering during tax season.
Free calculator
Are you still doing admin manually?
Calculate what it's costing your business in rands
Frequently asked questions
Is PayFast compatible with Loom?
Yes. PayFast and Loom can be connected via their APIs or through automation tools like Zapier. This guide covers the exact process for South African agriculture & agritech businesses.
How long does the setup take?
Most businesses complete the initial setup in 1–3 hours. If you already have active accounts on both platforms, you can have a basic automation running in under an hour.
Do I need a developer?
Not for basic Zapier-based integrations. Custom API integrations will need development support. Melamu Tech Ventures builds these — get in touch if you need a tailored solution.