3D Secure is not optional in South Africa since this is mandated by PASA (payments regulator). As a merchant – you will be liable for fines from the banks and card associations for non-compliance, should transactions not be processed via 3D Secure.
The 3D Secure process is a direct communication between the issuing bank and their customer. Our systems only receive feedback from the customer's bank and the Merchant Plugin (MPI), on the result of the 3D Secure authentication process.
Recurring / stored card transactions may be exempt from 3D Secure depending on business model and risk profile - No liability shift applies for transactions processed without 3D Secure. More on 3D Secure here
As a PSP – we cannot in fact switch it off as that makes us non-compliant and we risk our license and contracts with the banks.