Pricing · Business
What a website should cost in South Africa in 2026
Published 2026-08-18 · Updated 2026-09-10 · 8 min
A straight breakdown of R6,500, R13,500 and R20,000 — what you should get, what is a red flag, and how to budget without getting trapped in retainers.
Search 'website cost South Africa' and you will find R800 Facebook ads next to R250,000 agency decks. Both can be real. Only one is relevant to a business that needs clients. Here is the market as we price it at Client Found.
R6,500 — Starter / Launch Site
This is for operators who need to look legitimate quickly: five custom pages, mobile, WhatsApp, a form, SEO foundations, two revision rounds, two weeks. It is not a 30-page magazine and it is not WebGL cinema. It is the end of being the business that sends a PDF brochure.
R13,500 — Commercial / Conversion Engine
This is the package we expect most established SMEs to choose. Up to twelve pages, conversion copy, motion, a journal for search, schema, analytics, a pixel, Core Web Vitals attention, three rounds, 21 days, 30 days of support. You are paying for a system that can keep producing enquiries after we log off.
R20,000 — Flagship / Showpiece
Thirty pages, cinematic animation, brand polish, written content, local landers, e-commerce or booking, serious measurement, 60 days of concierge support. This is for brands that know the website is a sales hire, not a cost centre. It is still a fraction of a junior salary, and it works while that junior would be asleep.
Red flags in cheaper quotes
- ▸You do not own the domain or the files.
- ▸The demo is a theme with your logo dropped in.
- ▸SEO is 'we submit to 200 directories'.
- ▸Every change after week two is a surprise invoice.
- ▸Hosting is bundled in a way you cannot leave.
What is not in the three numbers
VAT if applicable. Stock or shoot photography. Paid ads. Extra city pages beyond the package. A monthly care retainer (R1,850 for four hours if you want us on call). We take 50% to start and 50% on launch. You keep the keys.
Budget for the site you need in the next 18 months, not the site that feels comfortable this week. Rebuilding twice is the expensive option.
If you are unsure, use the estimator on our pricing page or WhatsApp us a one-line description of the business. We will not upsell Flagship to a bakery that needs five pages. We also will not pretend Starter will rank a national retailer.