PayFast + Loom Integration Guide for South African Non-profit & NGO
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 non-profits manage grant reporting, donor communication, programme delivery, and compliance reporting to the DSD simultaneously — often with a small team and limited systems budget. The average NPO spends 30% of admin time on manual grant reporting that could be automated.
Compliance note: NPOs must be registered with the Department of Social Development. PBO status for tax exemption requires SARS registration under Section 18A. Organisations receiving foreign funding must comply with the NPO Act and applicable SARB exchange control regulations.
South African NPOs often struggle to balance the high-touch requirements of donor stewardship with the rigid administrative demands of the Department of Social Development and SARS. While PayFast handles your ZAR payment processing, it cannot inherently articulate the impact of those funds to your stakeholders. By connecting PayFast’s transaction webhooks to an automation platform like Zapier or Make, you can trigger personalized, asynchronous Loom video updates whenever a donation or grant installment is received. This workflow replaces manual, time-consuming email drafting with high-impact video walkthroughs that demonstrate programme delivery in real-time. By automating the delivery of these visual reports, your team can reclaim the 30% of administrative time currently lost to manual donor communication, ensuring your NPO remains compliant with POPIA data handling standards while maintaining the transparency required for Section 18A tax-deductible status.
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How to add PayFast to Loom
- 1
1. Create a dedicated Loom folder for donor impact updates and record a series of modular video templates that explain your NPO’s current programme delivery and compliance milestones. Ensure these videos are stored securely to maintain POPIA compliance regarding donor data privacy.
- 2
Log into your PayFast merchant dashboard and navigate to the 'Integrations' or 'Developer' tab to locate your unique Merchant ID and Merchant Key. These credentials will be required to authenticate the connection between your payment gateway and your chosen automation platform.
- 3
Set up a free account on an automation tool like Zapier or Make, which will act as the bridge between PayFast and your communication channels. This platform will listen for specific PayFast payment notifications (ITNs) to trigger your automated workflows.
- 4
Configure a 'Webhook' trigger in your automation tool and copy the provided URL into the 'Instant Transaction Notification (ITN) URL' field within your PayFast settings. This ensures that every time a ZAR payment is processed, PayFast sends a data packet to your automation engine.
- 5
Create a filter in your automation tool to ensure that only successful transactions—specifically those marked as 'Complete'—trigger the next step in the workflow. This prevents automated emails from being sent for failed or pending payments, keeping your donor communication accurate.
- 6
Add an action step in your automation tool to retrieve the specific Loom video link corresponding to the donor’s contribution tier or programme area. You can use a lookup table to match the donation amount or reference code to the appropriate impact video.
- 7
Use the automation tool to draft an email via your preferred provider (such as Gmail or Outlook) that includes the donor’s name and the specific Loom video link. Ensure the email body clearly references the donation for your internal audit trail, supporting your SARS Section 18A reporting requirements.
- 8
Perform a test transaction using the PayFast sandbox environment to verify that the webhook triggers the email containing the correct Loom link. Once confirmed, monitor your first few live donations to ensure the automated communication flow functions correctly without manual intervention.
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 non-profit & ngo 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.