The PMI South Africa store —
how it runs, and how it connects
Oríki Studio operates the chapter store end-to-end. This outlines how it works, and the two ways to connect it to pmi.org.za — with our recommendation.
Oríki builds, hosts, secures and runs the store — PMI’s site links to it
Members reach the store from the Merch button on pmi.org.za. From that click on, the entire experience — browsing, custom branding, cart, checkout, payment, confirmation and fulfilment — is operated by Oríki, on PMI’s own web address, fully PMI-branded.
Click “Merch” → land in the PMI store → we take it from there
The “Merch” button is simply a link. Whatever web address the store lives at, PMI points the button to it — and the member lands in the store. PMI’s site owns the doorway; Oríki owns everything behind it.
A modern, edge-hosted store — nothing for PMI to maintain
The store runs on Cloudflare’s global network, so it’s fast everywhere and scales automatically. There is no server for PMI to manage and no infrastructure to maintain.
Cloudflare edge
The store runs at the network edge — fast, resilient, auto-scaling.
Managed database
Products, orders and customers in a managed, backed-up store.
Media & assets
Branded product imagery served from cloud object storage.
PayFast payments
PCI-compliant SA checkout — card, Instant EFT, scan-to-pay.
At cutover, Oríki’s PayFast integration swaps in for payments, and all order fulfilment runs through Oríki.
Two ways to give the store its address
Both options deliver the exact same result for the member — click Merch, land in the store. They differ only in how the address is wired on PMI’s side.
A. Subdomain — store.pmi.org.za
PMI adds one DNS record (a CNAME) pointing the subdomain to Oríki. That’s the entire setup.
- Simplest & fastest — a five-minute, one-record change.
- Cleanly separated from the WordPress site — nothing on that side (a plugin, cache or security rule) can ever interfere with the store or the handoff.
- SSL is automatic, managed by Oríki.
- Still 100% PMI — it’s their domain, fully PMI-branded. Subdomains like store. / shop. are standard and trusted.
B. Path — pmi.org.za/store
PMI’s web infrastructure reverse-proxies all /store traffic to Oríki, while the rest of the site stays on WordPress.
- Works, and reads as part of the main site.
- Requires the partner’s team to configure the proxy, and to exclude /store from WordPress caching, WAF and rewrite rules — and keep it excluded.
- Ties the store’s reliability to that shared configuration staying correct over time.
| Subdomain (recommended) | Path | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup on PMI’s side | One DNS record | Reverse proxy + rule exclusions |
| Separation from WordPress | Fully isolated | Shares the domain’s plumbing |
| Risk to the handoff | Minimal | Depends on proxy/cache config |
| SSL | Automatic (Oríki) | On PMI’s certificate |
| Member experience | Identical | Identical |
Use the subdomain, store.pmi.org.za. It’s the fastest to set up, keeps PMI’s website and the store cleanly separated, and gives the most reliable protection of the one thing that matters most — a seamless, uninterruptible handoff from the Merch button into the store.