I get the error “Unable to find the socket transport ”ssl””.

I get the error “Unable to find the socket transport ”ssl””.

The problem is that the PHPinstallation on your server does not have OpenSSL support enabled. This is required in order for your server to communicate securely with Payfast to receive payment information.

You can check this by creating a file called “phpinfo.php” in the root of your website with the following content:

1<!--?php <br-->echo phpinfo();<br>?>


Once you have done this, browse to the file in your browser. This will output information about your server”s PHPinstallation to the screen. There should be a section entitled “OpenSSL” with a value showing “OpenSSL support = enabled” (similar to the image below). If you are experiencing this problem, this section will either not be there, or will be set to 'disabled'.

OpenSSL Enabled

To correct this problem, your hosting provider will need to enable OpenSSL support within PHP.

Note:This has nothing to do with an SSLcertificate and you don’t need an SSLCertificate! If you’re hosting provider advises you that you do, they are incorrect and we advise that you ask to speak to someone technical regarding this and potentially direct them to this helpful resource as well. Failing this, we advise that you move to a different hosting provider.

To enable OpenSSL for PHP, please ask your hosting provider to consult PHPresources on how to achieve this or direct them to the following resources: