The short answer
A small business website in South Africa costs from about R1,000 for one page to R15,000 or more for a bigger site. That is the number everyone quotes. The number that matters is what it costs over three years, because hosting, email and changes keep running long after the build is paid.
Our prices, over three years
Here is what a website from us costs once you add the monthly plan. Pick a site and a plan. The prices are the same ones on our pricing page.
Total over 3 years
R12,464
- Build, once-off
- R3,500
- Managed Hosting, 36 months × R249
- R8,964
The monthly plan is 72% of what you pay over 3 years.
What makes a website cost more
- How many pages
- One scrolling page costs far less than ten pages with their own content.
- What the site has to do
- Showing your services is simple. Taking bookings or selling online adds payments, stock and delivery.
- Custom design or a template
- A template is quicker. A design made for your business costs more and looks like nobody else.
- Who brings the words and photos
- If you have them ready, the build is faster. If someone has to write and source them, that is extra work.
- How soon you need it
- A rush job means moving other work. Expect to pay for that.
The costs nobody mentions upfront
- Hosting
- Your site has to live on a server, every month, for as long as it is online.
- Your domain
- Your .co.za renews every year, usually around R100. Miss the renewal and the site and email go down.
- Business email
- An address on your own domain (you@yourbusiness.co.za) is a separate service unless it is bundled.
- Backups and updates
- Skip them and one hacked or broken site costs more than a year of upkeep.
- Changes
- New prices, new photos, new opening hours. Find out what a change costs before you need one.
Five questions to ask any web designer before you pay
- Is the price fixed, in writing?
- What does it cost per month after launch, and what is included?
- Who owns the domain and the website?
- What does a small change cost, and how quickly is it done?
- What happens if I want to leave?
Our answers to the first two, and what changes cost, are on the pricing page.
My take
Cheap builds aren't the trap. Unclear monthly costs are. A R2,000 site with a vague “maintenance fee” can cost more over three years than a clearly priced R7,500 one. Ask anyone you talk to for the three-year number, in writing. That includes me.
Kris, founder of TechOnEdge
Quick questions
Is a cheap website a bad idea?
Not if it does the job. A one-page site is enough for many businesses to start. The risk is unclear running costs, not a low build price.
Do I have to pay a monthly fee for a website?
In some form, yes. Every website needs hosting and a domain, even when someone bundles them into one price. The real question is what the monthly fee includes.
How much does an online store cost in South Africa?
With us, an Online Store starts at R12,500 plus a monthly plan from R249/month. The final price depends on your products, payments and delivery, and you get it fixed in writing before work starts.