How much does a website cost in South Africa?

"How much for a website?" is the first question almost every business owner asks us, and the honest answer is: it depends on what the website needs to do. A one-page site that tells people who you are and how to reach you is a very different job from an online store that takes payments at 2am.

Here's how to think about it, so you can compare quotes properly and avoid paying for things you don't need.

What actually drives the price

• Number of pages. Every page needs designing, writing and testing. A single scrolling page is quick; a ten-page site with a blog takes weeks.
• Custom design vs a template. A branded template gets you online fast. A design built around your brand takes longer, but it's what makes you look different from everyone else in your industry.
• Selling online. Product pages, payments (PayFast, Yoco, Ozow), delivery options and order emails add real work. That's why online stores cost more.
• Copywriting. If you supply the words, it's cheaper. If you want them written for you, budget for it, because good copy is half of what makes a website sell.
• Features. Online bookings, client portals, dashboards and logins move you from "website" towards "web app", and the price follows.

The costs nobody mentions upfront

Ask about these before you sign anything:

• Domain name. Your .co.za address, renewed every year. Small, but if it lapses your website and email stop working.
• Hosting. Where your website lives. Cheap hosting is often slow hosting, and slow sites lose visitors.
• Maintenance. Security updates, backups and the small changes you'll want every month. Find out who does this and what it costs.
• Ownership. Make sure the website and the domain are yours once you've paid. Some providers keep them, which makes leaving expensive.

A real example: our packages

To make this concrete, here's what our website packages include. They're once-off prices, so you can see how the jump in price matches the jump in work:

• Launch, R3,500: one scrolling page, WhatsApp button, contact form and basic Google setup. Live in 7 to 10 days.
• Business, R7,500: up to 5 custom-designed pages, Google Business Profile and Analytics. This is where most small businesses land.
• Growth, R14,500: up to 10 pages, copywriting, a blog and full SEO on every page.
• Online Store, from R18,000: up to 30 products, online payments and delivery options.
• Custom web apps, from R35,000: booking systems, portals and platforms.

How to choose

Start with what the website needs to do, not how it should look. If people mostly need to find you and message you, start small. If customers already ask "can I order online?", it's time for a store. And if you're getting enquiries but not enough, the problem is usually being found on Google, which is where pages, content and SEO earn their keep.

Whatever you choose, get the quote in writing, ask what's included after launch, and make sure the site is fast on a phone. That's where most of your customers will see it.