What a website costs in South Africa depends far more on what the site must do and who builds it than on anything else. A simple brochure site built by the owner can run on little more than a domain and hosting fee. A custom online store with integrations can cost many times more to build and maintain. Instead of quoting one number, this guide breaks the cost into its parts, explains what pushes each part up or down, and shows how to compare quotes so you pay for what you actually need.
The two kinds of cost
Every website has:
- An upfront cost to plan, design, write and build it.
- Running costs to keep it online, secure and up to date: domain, hosting, email, maintenance and changes.
Many owners budget only for the first and are surprised by the second. Ask any quote to cover both.
Upfront cost - what drives the build price
1. Who builds it
| Builder | What you pay for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| You, with a builder or WordPress theme | Your time, plus a theme or subscription | Time you're not spending on the business |
| Freelancer | Their hours or a fixed project fee | Availability, handover, what happens if they move on |
| Agency | A team: strategy, design, development, project management | Higher rates; make sure you need the extra capability |
None is automatically better. A good freelancer can be the right choice for a five-page site; an agency makes sense when you need several skills at once.
2. Number and type of pages
Five standard pages (home, services, about, contact, privacy) is a very different job from fifty service and location pages. Template-based pages are cheaper to add than individually designed ones.
3. Design approach
- Theme or template, lightly customised: cheapest, fastest.
- Custom design on an existing framework: a middle ground.
- Fully custom design and build: most expensive, most distinctive.
4. Functionality
This is usually the biggest cost driver. Each of these adds build time, testing and future maintenance:
- Online shop and payment gateway
- Bookings or appointment scheduling
- Member logins and customer portals
- Integration with accounting, CRM, stock or courier systems
- Multiple languages
- Custom calculators, quote builders or search
A clear list of must-have versus nice-to-have features is the best way to control cost.
5. Content
Someone has to write the words and supply photos. If you provide finished copy and good photos, the build is cheaper. Copywriting, professional photography and SEO research are often priced separately, so check whether a quote includes them.
6. Legal and compliance
If you collect personal information (even a contact form), you need a privacy policy and sensible data handling under POPIA. Online stores also need clear terms, returns and delivery information under the Consumer Protection Act and the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act. Your developer may help with the technical side, but the policy content is your responsibility; get professional advice for anything complex.
Running costs - what you pay every year
Domain name
A .co.za domain renews yearly. Registration and renewal prices can differ, so check both. .co.za domain prices explained covers what's included.
Hosting
Hosting depends on what kind of site you have:
- Classic websites and WordPress run on web hosting (Plesk at NewHost), with email usually alongside.
- Custom applications built with Next.js, Node.js or similar run on app hosting.
NewHost app hosting plans, excluding VAT:
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | R99/month | 1 app, 512 MB RAM, 5 GB NVMe, 1 MySQL database, weekly backups |
| Developer | R249/month | 3 apps, 1 GB RAM each, preview deploys, daily backups |
| Business | R599/month | 10 apps, 2 GB RAM each, unmetered traffic, 3 team seats |
| Agency | R1,499/month | 30 apps, 4 GB RAM, unlimited team seats |
Paying yearly costs 10 times the monthly price, so you get two months free. See web hosting costs in South Africa for what drives hosting prices generally.
Mailboxes on your own domain come either with email hosting or with a per-user service such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Per-user pricing scales with staff numbers, so factor in growth.
SSL certificate
Free Let's Encrypt certificates are standard and included with NewHost hosting. Paid certificates (OV/EV) are only needed in specific cases.
Maintenance
Websites need ongoing care: software and plugin updates, security fixes, backups, uptime checks and small content changes. You either do it yourself, pay per request, or pay a monthly retainer. What a website maintenance plan should include lists what should be covered.
Changes and growth
Budget for new pages, seasonal campaigns and features you'll want in year two. A site that never changes loses relevance.
How to compare quotes fairly
Ask every supplier to answer the same questions in writing:
- What exactly is included: pages, features, content, SEO basics, training?
- How many rounds of design changes are included?
- Who owns the domain, hosting account, code and content at the end?
- What are the ongoing monthly and yearly costs, including VAT?
- What does maintenance cover, and what is billed extra?
- Who handles the privacy policy and POPIA basics?
- How long will it take, and what do you need to supply?
Two quotes that look far apart are often for different scopes. Line them up against the same list.
Ways to reduce cost without cutting corners
- Start with fewer pages and add more once the site proves itself.
- Write your own first draft of the content.
- Use a quality theme instead of a fully custom design.
- Phase features: launch the brochure site now, add bookings later.
- Choose hosting that matches today's needs, with room to upgrade.
Frequently asked questions
Why do website quotes vary so much in South Africa?
Quotes differ mainly in scope, design approach, functionality and who's doing the work. Two suppliers may also include different things, such as content, SEO or maintenance. Comparing quotes against the same written list of requirements usually explains most of the gap.
Do I have to pay monthly for a website?
You'll pay at least for hosting and your domain, either monthly or yearly. Maintenance can be a monthly retainer or ad hoc. A site with no ongoing costs at all is usually one nobody is keeping secure.
Is a cheap website a bad idea?
Not necessarily. A simple, well-built site can be inexpensive and effective. Be wary when a low price means you won't own your domain or content, there's no security maintenance, or you're locked into a platform you can't leave.
Are NewHost prices inclusive of VAT?
No. NewHost prices are in rand excluding VAT, and VAT (15%) is added on your invoice.
Once you know what you're building, compare hosting on the pricing page or contact us for help choosing the right setup.