Fieldbar is a handcrafted cooler box and fine outdoor goods brand based in Cape Town that was founded in 2020. Inspired by the African safari, their products combine functional technicality, craftsmanship and bold creativity. Their design approach is rooted in a desire to revive the belief system that our grandparents and the generations before them had, which is to buy something of quality and longevity and then repair and care for that item. This return-to-quality is, they believe, the foundation of sustainable design made locally and designed to last.
Since launch, Fieldbar has grown quickly from a small, craft-led business into a global ecommerce brand. Today, it serves customers in South Africa and internationally, while remaining deeply rooted in local manufacturing and people-first values.
Supporting ecommerce growth without adding friction
As online demand increased, Fieldbar needed an ecommerce payment solution that could scale with the business while keeping the customer experience simple and secure.
Key considerations included:
- Making online payments easy for mobile-first customers
- Reducing friction at checkout for first-time buyers
- Maintaining trust as brand awareness grew, including protecting customers from fraudulent copycat websites
For a premium ecommerce brand, checkout plays a critical role in conversion and customer confidence.
How Fieldbar thinks about growth, ecommerce and trust
In the video below, the Fieldbar team shares how the business approached rapid ecommerce growth, why trust at checkout matters, and what they look for in partners as they scale locally and internationally.
Why Payfast is a trusted South African payment gateway
In early 2022, Fieldbar partnered with Payfast by Network, a South African payment gateway built to support growing businesses, to power its online payments.
With Payfast, Fieldbar is able to:
- Accept secure online card payments through a single integration
- Add new payment methods, including digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, as customer needs evolve
- Offer a smooth, reliable checkout experience across desktop and mobile
With close to 80 percent of ecommerce sessions happening on mobile, fast and familiar payment options play an important role in helping customers complete their purchase.
Since using Payfast, Fieldbar has simplified its online payment experience while continuing to scale its ecommerce operation.
This has resulted in:
- Higher conversion rates, particularly after introducing wallet-based payments
- Fewer payment-related queries reaching the customer support team
- Increased trust at checkout for both local and international customers
As Fieldbar’s reach expanded, the presence of Payfast at checkout also became a visible trust signal, helping customers feel confident they were transacting with the legitimate Fieldbar business rather than a fraudulent site.
Scaling ecommerce globally from South Africa
Today, Fieldbar ships worldwide, supplying customers across Europe, the United Kingdom, North America and Australia, while continuing to ideate and manufacture in Cape Town. The brand also works with more than 200 premium retail partners globally.
Having a scalable and reliable payment gateway allows Fieldbar to manage growing ecommerce volumes without adding unnecessary operational complexity.
As Fieldbar continues to expand its product range and global footprint, its focus remains on building a sustainable business grounded in quality and long-term thinking.
With Payfast supporting its ecommerce payments, Fieldbar can focus on growth, customer experience and craftsmanship, knowing that payments are handled securely and reliably.
Ready to power your online payments?
If you’re launching an ecommerce store or scaling a growing business, Payfast makes it easy to accept secure online payments from customers in South Africa and beyond.
Join tens of thousands of local businesses using Payfast to simplify checkout, improve conversion and grow with confidence. Get in touch to find out how Payfast can support your online payments.