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PCI DSS CERTIFICATION
IN SOUTH AFRICA

For Faster, Transparent and Cost Effective
Certification Process

Contact Us

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

PCI DSS CERTIFICATION
IN SOUTH AFRICA 

For Faster, Transparent and Cost Effective
Certification Process

PCI DSS CERTIFICATION

WHAT IS IT?

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a global information security standard that sets out how organisations store, process and transmit cardholder data. It is maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), the body created in 2006 by American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard and Visa. The current active release is PCI DSS v4.0.1, published in June 2024. Any business in South Africa that touches payment card data falls within its scope.

PCI DSS is a contractual industry standard rather than a national law. It is enforced through the card brands and acquiring banks, which can apply fines for non-compliance. In South Africa it sits alongside the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), overseen by the Information Regulator, because cardholder data is personal information. Achieving PCI DSS helps a business protect its customers, avoid costly breaches and demonstrate a serious commitment to data security.

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Achieve PCI DSS Certification in South Africa: Protect Cardholder Data

Working towards PCI DSS certification in South Africa matters for any organisation that handles credit or debit card information. The standard is built to keep cardholder data restricted to authorised people and protected across every transaction. By aligning with the twelve PCI DSS requirements, a South African business creates a controlled and auditable environment for card payments.

Critical Benefits of PCI DSS Certification for Business in South Africa

  • Stronger data security: Structured controls for encryption, access management and monitoring that reduce the risk of cardholder data exposure.
  • Increased customer trust: Evidence to banks, partners and customers that payment data is handled responsibly.
  • Support for POPIA compliance: The safeguards align with the reasonable security measures expected under South Africa’s data protection law.
  • Fewer fines and penalties: Lower exposure to card brand penalties and the costs that follow a breach.
  • Improved reputation: A recognised signal of mature security practice in the financial and retail markets.
  • Global recognition: A single standard accepted worldwide, which helps South African firms trade and partner internationally.

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PCI DSS Compliance

PCI DSS Compliance Levels

Level 1: For merchants processing more than six million card transactions a year. This level requires an annual on-site assessment by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), resulting in a Report on Compliance (ROC).

Level 2: For merchants processing between one and six million transactions a year. Validation is usually through an annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ), supported by network scans.

Level 3: For merchants processing between 20,000 and one million e-commerce transactions a year, validated through the appropriate Self-Assessment Questionnaire.

Level 4: For merchants processing fewer than 20,000 e-commerce transactions, or up to one million transactions overall, generally validated through a Self-Assessment Questionnaire.

Importance of PCI DSS Certification Services for South Africa Businesses

For businesses in South Africa, PCI DSS gives a clear, tested framework for protecting payment data at a time when card fraud and data breaches carry real financial and reputational cost. Because cardholder data is personal information under POPIA, sound PCI DSS controls also help an organisation meet the security expectations set by the Information Regulator. This makes compliance a practical investment rather than a box-ticking exercise.

Expert guidance helps a business scope its cardholder data environment correctly, reduce that scope through segmentation, and put the right technical and organisational controls in place. Sectors that rely on card payments the most, including financial services, telecoms, retail and the business process outsourcing industry, benefit from a structured path from gap assessment through to validation and yearly renewal.

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Experience best in class services by Univate’s PCI DSS consultants from GAP Analysis to final assessment and till getting certified

Requirements for PCI DSS Compliance in South Africa

  • Build and maintain a secure network: Install and manage firewalls, and avoid vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and settings.
  • Protect cardholder data: Encrypt stored account data and encrypt cardholder data whenever it is transmitted across open, public networks.
  • Maintain a vulnerability management programme: Keep anti-malware protection current and develop and maintain secure systems and software.
  • Implement strong access control: Restrict access to cardholder data on a need-to-know basis, assign unique IDs and control physical access.
  • Regularly monitor and test networks: Log and track access to systems and cardholder data, and test security controls and processes on a regular basis.
  • Maintain an information security policy: Keep a documented policy that addresses information security for all personnel and supports the other requirements.
PCI DSS Certification in South Africa
PCI DSS Certification cost in South Africa

PCI DSS Certification Cost in South Africa

The cost of PCI DSS in South Africa depends on the size and complexity of the business, the number of systems in the cardholder data environment and your merchant or service provider level. Smaller merchants validating through a Self-Assessment Questionnaire generally spend less, while a Level 1 organisation that needs a QSA-led assessment and a Report on Compliance should budget more. Typical cost drivers include gap assessment, remediation, quarterly ASV scans, staff training and ongoing maintenance.

Weighed against the potential fines, forensic investigation costs and reputational damage that follow a card data breach, PCI DSS certification in South Africa is a sound investment. A clear scope and well-planned remediation keep costs predictable, and compliance is then re-validated every year to keep protection current.

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Datasoft, BangladeshTCS eSERVEBan Vien, VietnamCME, LebanonWakeb Data, Saudi ArabiaSolutions by stc, Saudi ArabiaMEWAStradegiInfrrdDatasoft, BangladeshTCS eSERVEBan Vien, VietnamCME, LebanonWakeb Data, Saudi ArabiaSolutions by stc, Saudi ArabiaMEWAStradegiInfrrd
Datasoft, BangladeshTCS eSERVEBan Vien, VietnamCME, LebanonWakeb Data, Saudi ArabiaSolutions by stc, Saudi ArabiaMEWAStradegiInfrrdDatasoft, BangladeshTCS eSERVEBan Vien, VietnamCME, LebanonWakeb Data, Saudi ArabiaSolutions by stc, Saudi ArabiaMEWAStradegiInfrrd

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Google
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Sultan
30/07/2023
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It was really a great partnership with their team.
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Amulya P
25/07/2023
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I had the pleasure and opportunity of working with Univate Solutions on couple of High Maturity (ML5) CMMi appraisals & found them to be one of the best Authorised CMMi (ISACA’s) Partner in terms of Understanding, Approach, Collaboration & Execution throughout the whole journey. As the SEPG head, got extensive exposure to interact/work with them during the appraisals and got to know a lot more on the models, the value proposition & Process approach. It was an incredible journey! Their professional approach, understanding of the model and execution process was invaluable for the successful appraisal. Their approach right from GAP Analysis to Final Assessment through implementation was a journey of amazing learning experience for everyone. Univate Solutions provided very practical guidance and advice on our processes tailored to our type of business. They were excellent in communicating with our team on our progress and always made our people feel comfortable during the process. Univate Solutions excels at mapping an organization’s process to the model as much as possible, identifying where shortfalls lie, and helps organizations develop an effective process improvement plan. With their thorough understanding and experience, they guide organizations to appraisals that will withstand any level of post-appraisal scrutiny.
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Ashish Sherlekar
24/07/2023
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Team Univate holds many professional approach.
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Doaa Sharaf
23/07/2023
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Proud to work with the company during the gap analysis in RTA and the work that have been done during 2 months, Thanks for the cooperation and the detailed and clear reports and looking forward for more achievements.
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Naveen Kumar M.L.
21/07/2023
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I had the pleasure of working with a phenomenal CMMI partner firm for CMMI ML 5 V2.0. From start to finish, their exceptional services and commitment to excellence surpassed all my expectations. First and foremost, the team at Univate Solutions demonstrated an unparalleled level of professionalism throughout our collaboration. They showcased an in-depth understanding of CMMI best practices and utilized their expertise to guide us seamlessly through the entire process. Their vast knowledge of the CMMI model was truly impressive and played a vital role in our successful journey towards maturity Level 5. Communication with Univate Solutions was outstanding, with prompt responses to our inquiries and an unwavering dedication to keeping us informed at every stage. They listened attentively to our specific requirements and tailored their approach to fit our unique organizational needs. The level of support provided by Univate Solutions was exceptional.The guidance they provided was not only insightful but also practical, enabling us to implement meaningful improvements and achieve tangible results. It was evident that they possess a deep passion for their work and a genuine desire to help organizations achieve excellence. In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Univate Solutions as a CMMI partner firm. I am confident that any organization seeking to enhance their processes and achieve CMMI maturity will greatly benefit from their exceptional services. Thank you, Univate Solutions, for the outstanding work you do!
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Satyakam Sahu
21/07/2023
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Univate solution has been LEA Associates South Asia Pvt. Ltd.,’s consultant for CMMI certification since 4 years. They have exemplary expertise and have handholded our team very well for the certification. I wish them well for their future endeavours.
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Gurneet Kaur
12/07/2023
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The quality and philosophy of support at Univate are unparalleled. The Univate team significantly reduced the time to collect and manage the systems, policies, and procedures to be ready for the report audit. Through the Univate audit center, Zluri was able to significantly speed up their audits by collaborating with auditors, from sharing artifacts to tracking progress. With the support of the Univate team, compliance with SOC2 Type 2 was no longer the arduous task it used to be.
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Tariq Abubaker
11/07/2023
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Very excellent experience,Univate team are very much focused and they always give the their customers attention
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Siddhartha Dehury
11/07/2023
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Univate helped Gemini Consulting Services in the complete evaluation, assessment and final awarding of CMMi Lev 3 certification. The entire process was very smooth and systematic. The services rendered by Univate are highly recommended.
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Amit Bhargava
10/07/2023
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Univate Solutions team works in very professional manner . All engagements finishes in with time scoped. Would recommend to engage them for quality and process management consulting .

Univate Solutions – Trusted Partner for PCI DSS Certification in South Africa

In South Africa, Univate Solutions is a dependable partner for PCI DSS certification. The team has supported organisations across financial services, telecoms, retail and BPO through the full journey, from scoping and gap assessment to remediation and final validation. Working with PCI SSC-approved assessors, Univate helps businesses meet every applicable requirement and sustain compliance year after year.

Common FAQs on PCI DSS Certification in South Africa

What is PCI DSS and who governs it?
PCI DSS stands for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, a global security standard that governs how organisations store, process and transmit cardholder data. It is maintained by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), a body formed in 2006 by American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard and Visa. The current active version is PCI DSS v4.0.1, published in June 2024. It applies to any business in South Africa that handles payment card data, regardless of size.
Is PCI DSS a legal requirement in South Africa?
PCI DSS is a contractual industry standard rather than a law. It is enforced through agreements between merchants, acquiring banks and the card brands, which can levy fines for non-compliance. In South Africa it also works alongside the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), enforced by the Information Regulator, since cardholder data is personal information. Meeting PCI DSS helps demonstrate the reasonable security safeguards POPIA expects.
Who needs PCI DSS compliance in South Africa?
Any organisation that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data needs to comply. This covers retailers and e-commerce merchants, banks and financial services providers, telecoms operators, and the business process outsourcing (BPO) and call centre sector that handles card payments on behalf of others. The exact obligations depend on your merchant or service provider level, which is set by your annual card transaction volume.
How is PCI DSS compliance validated?
Validation depends on your merchant level. Level 1 merchants, generally those processing over six million card transactions a year, undergo an annual on-site assessment by a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) that produces a Report on Compliance (ROC). Smaller merchants usually complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ). Most organisations also run quarterly network scans through an Approved Scanning Vendor (ASV) and submit an Attestation of Compliance (AOC).
What are the 12 requirements of PCI DSS?
PCI DSS is built around 12 core requirements grouped under six control objectives: build and maintain a secure network and systems, protect account and cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management programme, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test networks, and maintain an information security policy. The requirements cover firewalls, encryption, anti-malware, access restrictions, logging and staff security awareness.
How long does it take to become PCI DSS compliant?
For most South African organisations the journey takes around three to six months, though this varies with the size of the cardholder data environment, the number of systems in scope and the current state of controls. Typical drivers are a gap assessment, scope reduction such as network segmentation, remediation of findings, and the final assessment or self-assessment. Compliance must then be re-validated every year.

If you have more questions regarding the PCI DSS Certification in South Africa then get in touch with our experts today, or email us at info@univateglobal.com for more information.