Website design cost in South Africa: our actual prices
Website design cost in South Africa, published upfront: Owl Media builds WordPress websites from R9,100, online stores from R15,750 and logos from R6,000, all excl. VAT. A 50% deposit starts the build, the balance can be split monthly, and you get a fixed quote within 2 working days.
Since 2014 · 4.5★ on Google · Direct access to the team · Ons praat ook Afrikaans
Website design cost in South Africa: our 2026 prices (excl. VAT)
| What you need | Price | Typical build time |
|---|---|---|
| Website Package 1 (1–4 pages) | R9,100 | 4–6 weeks |
| Website Package 2 (5–7 pages) | R10,850 | 4–6 weeks |
| Website Package 3 (8–10 pages) | R12,950 | 4–6 weeks |
| Website Package 4 (11–13 pages) | R15,050 | 4–6 weeks |
| E-commerce store (WooCommerce) | from R15,750 | 8–12 weeks |
| Custom projects (bookings, directories, custom forms) | R750 per hour, fixed quote | quoted per project |
| Logo design | R6,000 (logo + stationery R8,625) | — |
| Annual Website Support | R2,250 per year | — |
| Hourly work (updates, fixes, extras) | R750 per hour | — |
What’s included at each level
Website packages (R9,100 – R15,050). Every package includes custom design (not a cloned template), a self-editable WordPress build, on-site SEO, mobile-responsive layout, secure web forms and a blog/news section. The only difference between packages is size: from 1–4 pages up to 11–13. Packages are calculated on our hourly rate of R750 — if your project doesn’t fit a package, you get a custom quote.
E-commerce (from R15,750). A WordPress + WooCommerce store with up to 30 basic products loaded, up to 6 standard content pages, fixed shipping cost set up, and payment gateway integration (PayFast, PayPal or invoice + EFT). Bigger catalogues, B2B pricing and integrations are quoted at R750 per hour — more on the e-commerce page.
Custom projects (R750 per hour). Online booking facilities, directory listings, custom forms and other specific functionality, scoped and quoted as a fixed price per project.
Branding (from R6,000). Logo design is R6,000 — three concepts, up to 8 hours of design, revisions within those hours, and final files in every usable format. Logo + stationery (business card, letterhead, email signature) is R8,625. Details on the branding page.
What actually drives the price
Four things, honestly:
- Number of pages and templates. Ten pages on three layouts costs less than forty pages on twelve.
- Copy and content. If we write and source everything, it costs more than if your text and photos arrive ready.
- Functionality. Forms are cheap; bookings, members’ areas, product filters and integrations are not.
- E-commerce scale. Product count, variations, shipping rules and payment flows multiply the work.
Ads and ongoing costs
- Google Ads / Meta Ads management: campaign setup is R8,500 once-off per platform, then a monthly management fee of 15% of your ad budget with a minimum of R5,500 per month. Your ad spend (we recommend at least R5,000 per month) goes directly to Google or Meta — we never mark it up.
- Annual Website Support: R2,250 per year for monthly backups, WordPress updates and security scans — details on the website support page. Content changes are billed at R750 per hour.
- Hosting and domain: your domain is registered in your own name, and we recommend hosting that fits your site rather than reselling it.
Payment terms and timelines
50% deposit starts the project. The balance can be split into monthly payments during the build, so cash flow doesn’t have to block a proper website. A 5–10 page site takes 4–6 weeks; complex and e-commerce builds take 8–12 weeks. The biggest schedule variable is content and feedback from your side — we’ll tell you exactly what we need and when.
Why we publish our prices
Most agencies make you book a call to hear a number. We think that wastes your time and ours. Published ranges mean you can rule us in or out in thirty seconds, the quote process starts honest, and there’s no awkward reveal in week three. If your budget doesn’t fit, we’ll say so — and tell you what we would do at your budget instead.
“I have worked with OwlMedia, Marlo, and Martin for almost an entire year and continue to use their services into 2023. They are extremely good at what they do, and offer very competitive prices. They were able to take what we envisioned and produced something far beyond our expectations. We used them for our first website, and then contracted them for another where they also designed an incredible logo for our business. Our business will continue to work with them and we have never had a problem” — David Bradfield, Google review
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost in South Africa? With Owl Media: R9,100 for a 1–4 page website up to R15,050 for 11–13 pages, and e-commerce from R15,750, excl. VAT. Custom functionality is quoted at R750 per hour. Quotes far below that usually mean templates, hidden costs or a builder who disappears — see the next question.
Why can someone on Facebook build my site for R2,000? Because they’re installing a template, not building an asset. You typically get stock layouts, no SEO foundation, no tracking, no backups and no one answering in six months. Sometimes that’s genuinely all you need — but if the website is meant to bring in business, cheap twice is more expensive than right once.
Can I pay my website off monthly? Partly, yes. We take a 50% deposit to start, and the balance can be split into monthly payments over the build. For larger projects, we’ll agree a schedule in the quote so there are no surprises.
Is VAT included in these prices? No — we’re VAT-registered and all prices shown exclude VAT, which is added at the standard rate. Your quote will always show the final figure in black and white before you commit.
How long does a website take to build? A 5–10 page site takes 4–6 weeks; complex sites and e-commerce take 8–12 weeks. The fastest projects are the ones where content, photos and feedback come quickly from your side — we’ll give you a simple checklist on day one.
What do ads cost on top of the website? Three parts: a once-off campaign setup of R8,500 per platform, your ad budget paid directly to Google or Meta (we recommend at least R5,000 per month), and our management fee of 15% of the budget with a minimum of R5,500 per month. Too little spend produces data, not customers — so we’re upfront about the minimum.
What happens after I accept a quote? Five steps: you message us → a 15-minute call → fixed quote within 2 working days → we build, you approve at each stage → launch and support. After launch, Annual Website Support keeps everything updated and backed up.
Get a fixed quote in 2 working days
WhatsApp us or get a quote — Name, Email, Phone, Service, Message. We reply within one working day. No spam, ever.
Owl Media is a web design and digital marketing studio serving Centurion, Pretoria, Midrand and Johannesburg since 2014. Based in Centurion; we’ll meet at your office or over Teams. Questions first? Contact us.