GUIDE · WEBSITE COSTS IN SOUTH AFRICA
What a website costs in South Africa.
In 2026, most South African small businesses pay between R5,000 and R40,000 for a professionally built website. A single landing page can cost under R2,000. Online stores usually cost R7,500 to R80,000, and custom platforms pass R100,000. Once the site is live, hosting and maintenance add roughly R300 to R2,500 a month.
01 / WEBSITE PRICES
Website prices at a glance.
Once-off build costs for 2026. Most published prices exclude VAT.
| Website type | Typical cost | Suits | Usually includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | R2,000 – R5,000 | Launches, single offers, events | One page, a contact form, mobile layout |
| Small business website | R5,000 – R15,000 | New and small businesses | 5 to 10 pages, template or light custom design, basic SEO |
| Professional or corporate website | R15,000 – R40,000 | Growing companies | Custom design, more pages, content structure, SEO foundations |
| Online store | R7,500 – R80,000+ | Businesses selling online | Product pages, cart, payment gateway, delivery settings |
| Custom platform | R40,000 – R150,000+ | Portals, booking systems, web apps | Bespoke features, integrations, user accounts |
02 / RUNNING COSTS
What you pay after launch.
Every website has ongoing costs. Budget for these before you compare build quotes.
| Cost | Typical price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| .co.za domain | R90 – R250 a year | Renewals usually R100 – R300 a year |
| Shared hosting | R25 – R200 a month | Fine for small, low-traffic sites |
| WordPress hosting | R100 – R500 a month | Tuned for WordPress, with one-click installs |
| Cloud hosting | R500 – R2,500 a month | For high-traffic sites |
| Hosting and basic maintenance | R299 – R499 a month | A common small business bundle |
| Online store upkeep | R1,500+ a month | Updates, security and store management |
03 / DESIGN, UX AND BRANDING
Logo, UX and design system costs.
Branding and UX work is often quoted separately from the website build.
| Service | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Logo design (professional) | R950 – R4,500 | Custom concepts and full vector files |
| Brand identity (studio or agency) | R5,000 – R25,000+ | Logo, colours, typography and brand guidelines |
| Wireframes and user flows | From R6,500 | Published starting prices, 2026 |
| Interactive prototype | From R13,000 | For usability testing and sign-off |
| Design system | From R19,400 | Tokens, components and documentation |
| Custom UI design | From R38,900 | Full visual design of a website or app |
04 / WHY QUOTES VARY
The same brief, very different quotes.
A website can be quoted at R5,000 or R50,000. The difference usually comes down to who builds it and how.
- DIY website builders cost R0 to R500 a month. You do the design and the work yourself.
- Freelancers charge from about R1,000 to R20,000 or more, depending on scope and experience.
- Studios and agencies usually start around R20,000, and enterprise projects can pass R500,000.
- Template-based sites cost less and launch faster. Custom design costs more but fits your content, your brand and your customers.
05 / WHAT DRIVES THE PRICE
Seven things that change the cost.
- Pages and templates. More page types mean more design and build time.
- Custom design or a template. Custom design takes longer but fits your business.
- Content. Copywriting and photography add cost if they are not ready.
- Online store features. Products, variants, payments and delivery rules.
- Integrations. Booking, CRM, email marketing or accounting systems.
- SEO. Page structure, titles, descriptions and structured data.
- After launch. Hosting, updates, training and support.
06 / HOW TO BUDGET
Five steps before you ask for quotes.
- Start with the goal. Enquiries, sales or bookings. The goal decides what the site needs.
- List must-haves and nice-to-haves. Build the must-haves first.
- Check your content. Know who will write the copy and supply photos.
- Ask what each quote includes. Design, development, content, SEO, hosting, training and support.
- Compare like with like. Same pages, same features, same ownership and support.
07 / BEFORE YOU SIGN
Questions to ask any web designer.
- Will I own the domain and the website?
- Is the scope written down, with what is and is not included?
- How many rounds of changes are included?
- What will I pay each month after launch?
- Who can update the website, and will you show us how?
08 / HOW WE PRICE
How Prism Studio prices websites.
We quote each project after a first conversation. You get a written proposal with a clear scope and cost before work starts, covering design, development, SEO foundations and handover. We design and build websites and online stores for organisations in Johannesburg and across South Africa.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Website cost questions.
Is a cheap website worth it?
It can be, for a simple online presence. Very low prices usually mean a template, a few pages and little help after launch. If your website needs to bring in enquiries or sales, budget for a clear structure, SEO foundations and support.
Why do online stores cost more?
An online store needs product pages, a cart, a payment gateway, delivery rules and more testing than a standard website. Running costs are higher too: budget R1,500 or more a month for proper upkeep.
Do I have to pay every month for a website?
Every website has ongoing hosting and domain costs. Maintenance, updates and support are usually optional, but worth budgeting for, especially for an online store.
Who should own the website and the domain?
You should. Make sure the domain is registered in your name and that you receive login access to the website and the hosting at handover.
How much does a logo cost in South Africa?
A professional logo from a designer usually costs R950 to R4,500. A full brand identity from a studio or agency, with guidelines, typically costs R5,000 to R25,000 or more.
Do website prices in South Africa include VAT?
Most published South African website prices exclude VAT. Check each quote before you compare them.
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