"How much is a website?" is the first question almost every business owner asks me, and the honest answer is: it depends what you're buying. A website isn't one thing. It's a design, a build, somewhere to host it, a domain name, someone to keep it updated and secure, and, ideally, someone to make sure people actually find it.
Here's how the main options compare for a South African small business in 2026, and what to watch out for in each.
Option 1: Do it yourself with a website builder
Platforms like Wix, Squarespace and Shopify let you build a site yourself from a template. You'll pay a monthly subscription, usually billed in US dollars, so the rand price moves with the exchange rate.
- Good for: people who enjoy tinkering and have the time to write copy, choose photos and learn the basics of SEO.
- The hidden cost: your time, and the exchange rate. Most business owners underestimate how long a decent site takes to build, and how easy it is to end up with something that looks home-made on a phone.
Option 2: A once-off build from a freelancer or agency
The traditional route: you pay a lump sum for a designer to build your site, then it's handed over. Prices vary enormously, from a few thousand rand for a simple freelance site to tens of thousands for an agency build with custom features.
- Good for: businesses that want something tailored and have the budget up front.
- The hidden cost: what happens afterwards. Hosting, domain renewals, security updates and every small change are usually extra. A site nobody looks after goes out of date surprisingly quickly.
Option 3: A monthly website plan
Instead of a big upfront bill, you pay a fixed monthly price in rand that covers the design, build, hosting, domain, updates and support.
- Good for: small businesses that want a professional site without a big upfront cost, and want someone to keep it current.
- What to check: the minimum term, what happens if you cancel, who owns the domain, and how much update time is included each month.
For reference, my Basic Website is R499/month for up to five pages, and the Professional Website is R999/month for up to twelve custom-designed pages with analytics and a monthly report. There's no setup fee, and plans run month to month.
The running costs most quotes leave out
| Cost | What it is |
|---|---|
| Domain name | Your .co.za address, renewed every year. Make sure it's registered in your name. |
| Hosting | The server your site lives on. Cheap hosting is often slow hosting, and slow sites hurt on mobile data. |
| SSL certificate | The padlock in the browser. Without it, browsers warn visitors away. |
| Updates & security | Software updates, backups and fixes when something breaks. |
| Changes | New prices, photos, services or trading hours. Who does them, and how much? |
| Forwarding is often free; full mailboxes from Google or Microsoft are billed per user, often in dollars. |
What actually makes a website worth the money?
A cheap website that doesn't bring in enquiries is expensive. A website that brings in one extra job a month has probably paid for itself. When you're comparing quotes, ask:
- Will it work properly on a phone? Most of your customers will see your site on a mobile first, often on limited data.
- Is it fast? Slow sites lose visitors before they've read a word.
- Does it make contacting you easy? Tap-to-call, a short form and WhatsApp should be obvious on every page.
- Will Google understand it? Proper page titles, local keywords and a connected Google Business Profile matter.
- Who updates it? If the answer is "you, on your own", be honest about whether you'll actually do it.
The bottom line
There's no single right price for a website, but there is a right question: what's included, and what will I be paying for later? Get every cost in writing, make sure the domain is yours, and choose the option you'll still be happy with in a year, not just on launch day.
Want a straight answer for your business? Tell me what you need on the start form and I'll recommend the right plan, even if that's the cheapest one. Or compare everything on the pricing page.
