Our first logo was done in Paint.
No, not the real stuff, but rather that wonderfully clunky piece of Microsoft software that fills some of us with such undeserved nostalgia. The logo was given life by our founder, Jonathan Smit, in a magnificent mauve, and we have no doubt that Jonathan would admit to this day that his skills lay, well, elsewhere.
But did that matter? No. That logo and that brand were perfect for a business taking its first steps – just as the Payfast we’ve reimagined for today in the video below is just the right brand for a business at just the right time.
The world has evolved. Now we have too.
So why change at all, you may ask? To be honest, we don’t really see it as “change”. As you grow, change is inevitable. In 2012, for instance, we were innovating our technology at a rate that had simply left our first visual identity behind. Payfast had exploded out of the garage in which it had started, and a change was not needed; it was inevitable.
Yet, that rebrand could only lead us so far. Now, our business has changed as never before. You could say that our family has suddenly grown, or perhaps that we’ve suddenly had to grow up faster than ever before. Distant cousins have become close family, and we’ve been adopted into a new, global household as we’ve joined forces with PayGate and SiD under Network International.
Our Managing Director, Brendon Williamson, views this milestone as a new era in the payments industry:
“This is more than just a cosmetic change, it’s a major step in the merging of industry giants. By creating a unified brand and legal entity that everyone we’ve brought together will associate with, both internally and externally, we will solidify single vision to take us forward as a business.”
Brendon Williamson, Managing Director Payfast.
New year. New Payfast.
We’ve had to reimagine our business for the simple reason that we are determined to help South African business to do the same. In fact, everything we do exists to help merchants like you do better business. We rise to inspire the ones who inspire us; to re-energise, rediscover and redefine what growth means. Even our new green was carefully chosen to reflect our vision of growth for our brand – and for our partners.
Change of heart? Never.
So here it is: the reimagined Payfast. You’ll find that we look, sound and feel a bit different, but that our heart is much the same. You’ll also find that we’ve shifted to a revitalised, new address at payfast.io. You can also read up more about our rebrand in this press release.
We’re still Payfast. We’ve just levelled up. And we can’t wait for all of you to come along on this new, grand adventure with us.
