Payments Blog

The Top E-commerce Plugins in East Africa for 2025

With more digital-first consumers entering the market, businesses must go beyond building a beautiful website. Success now hinges on having a reliable, localized, and seamless payment system, one that understands how East Africans prefer to pay. 

What Are E-commerce Plugins? 

E-commerce plugins are essential add-ons that transform a basic website into a fully functioning online store. They help businesses to: 

• Accept payments from mobile wallets and bank cards 

• Manage orders and inventory 

• Automate receipts and transaction tracking 

• Offer a smoother checkout experience without sending customers to third-party pages 

Platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento rely on these plugins to deliver localized solutions. But global payment plugins often fail to cater to the unique needs of East African shoppers. 

Pesapal Plugins 

We’re the leading payment services company with local know-how in building payments and business tools for Africa. 

Whether you’re a wholesale retailer in Nairobi, a fashion brand in Kampala, or a tech retailer in Dar es Salaam, we offer the most relevant payment options in the region: 

• Mobile money: M-PESA, Airtel Money, MTN Mobile Money, Vodacom M-Pesa, Halopesa, Tigo Pesa 

• Local & international cards: Visa, Mastercard 

• Multi-currency support: KES, UGX, TZS, RWF 

What Sets Us Apart? 

• Works seamlessly with WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and more 

• Real-time transaction notifications for instant order fulfillment 

• PCI-DSS certified for maximum security 

• Proven uptime and reliability 

• Built for East African payment preferences, not just global standards 

We don't just process payments; we remove the friction at checkout, which means fewer abandoned carts and more completed sales. 

Connecting You to the World’s Leading E-commerce Platforms 

1. WooCommerce – Perfect for SMEs Across the Region

WooCommerce is the go-to e-commerce platform for East African entrepreneurs, thanks to its affordability and flexibility. Our WooCommerce plugin allows you to: 

• Accept mobile money (M-PESA, Airtel Money, MTN, Halopesa, Vodacom, Tigo Pesa) 

• Supports Visa, Mastercard, and other local/international cards 

• Confirms transactions instantly for faster fulfillment 

• Handle multiple currencies with ease 

• Offer simple installation and merchant dashboard access 

→ Learn how to integrate Pesapal with WooCommerce 

2. Shopify – Sleek Stores with Custom Integration

Shopify is gaining traction among East African startups and boutique brands. While Shopify doesn’t natively list Pesapal, merchants can integrate it via custom payment gateways or API solutions. 

With Pesapal + Shopify, you can: 

• Accept all major mobile money options 

• Accept local and international debit/credit cards 

• Provide custom checkout instructions for smooth transactions 

• Securely integrate through Pesapal’s API 

→ Access Pesapal Shopify integration docs 

3. Magento – Enterprise-Ready for High-Volume Merchants

For large-scale retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers, Magento offers deep customization, and Pesapal keeps pace with enterprise needs. 

Our Magento integration includes: 

• Full mobile wallet and card payment support 

• Real-time payment updates 

• PCI-DSS security compliance 

• Frame or redirect-based checkout options 

• High-volume transaction capability 

→ Explore Pesapal for Magento 

Why Local Payment Options Matter 

Global gateways are great for international transactions but often miss the mark for East African shoppers. Here’s why: 

• Mobile money; most customers expect M-PESA, Airtel Money, MTN, or Vodacom M-Pesa at checkout 

• Lack of local options can cause up to 40% higher cart abandonment. 

• Many consumers are more likely to trust a payment method they already use offline 

We bridge that gap with local relevance, high trust, and fast settlement, all while meeting global security standards. 

Local Payment, Global Growth 

In 2025, e-commerce success in East Africa will be defined by trust, convenience, and localization. Our plugins for WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento give businesses the payment flexibility customers demand, including mobile money, cards, and local currency, all without sending them off your website. 

From startups to enterprise operations, our plugins deliver: 

• Seamless integration 

• Instant transaction updates 

• Secure, PCI-DSS compliant processing 

Get started today 

 
Visit our Developer Hub for-integration guides and API documentation