Chris Langeveldt
Founder, Christoffel
Most web designers in South Africa make you ask for a quote. Here is the price list instead: what each type of website costs in 2026, what the price includes, and what you will pay in year one and year two.
The price list
These are the ranges South African businesses send us when they compare quotes, plus our own prices. Everything is excluding VAT.
Type of website | Up-front price | Ongoing cost | What you get |
DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy) | R0 | R200 to R600 a month | A template, your own time, no SEO work |
Freelancer, template-based | R3,000 to R10,000 | R100 to R300 a month hosting | A themed site, changes billed per hour |
Freelancer, custom design | R10,000 to R25,000 | R100 to R500 a month hosting | Custom pages, no ongoing SEO |
Small studio, once-off | R15,000 to R50,000 | R300 to R1,500 a month care plan | Custom site, support if you pay for a plan |
Christoffel Starter | R5,000 | R1,200 a month | Up to 5 pages, hosting, changes, SEO Essentials |
Christoffel Growth | R10,000 | R2,000 a month | Up to 8 pages, local SEO, 1 new page a month |
Christoffel Premium | R20,000 | R3,500 a month | Up to 15 pages, advanced SEO, 2 new pages a month |
Agency | R30,000 to R150,000+ | R11,500 to R25,000 a month SEO retainer | Account managers, big team, big invoices |
What the first year costs, option by option
A price list only makes sense when you add the monthly costs to the up-front fee. Here is a realistic first year for a five-page business site:
DIY builder: about R5,000 in subscriptions, plus roughly 40 hours of your own time.
Freelancer template site: R6,000 to R12,000, then R2,000 to R5,000 in change requests you did not plan for.
Custom studio, once-off: R20,000 to R55,000 including a care plan, SEO extra.
Christoffel Starter: R19,400 all-in, with hosting, changes and monthly SEO included. Growth is R34,000.
Agency with SEO: R170,000 to R450,000.
The full breakdown of how those numbers come together is in our guide to how much a website costs in South Africa.
What should be included at each price
Below about R5,000 you are buying a template with your logo on it. Between R5,000 and R20,000 you should expect custom design, a mobile-first build, fast load times, basic SEO setup (titles, descriptions, Search Console, Google Business Profile) and a clear answer on who does changes afterwards. Above R20,000 you should be getting a CMS you can grow, advanced SEO, integrations and someone actively working on your rankings every month.
If a quote does not say what happens after launch, ask. Our article on what a monthly website fee should include lists the red flags.
Questions to ask before you accept a price
Is VAT included? Many quotes leave it out.
Who owns the domain and the website files?
What does a small change cost after launch, and how fast is it done?
Is SEO included, or is it a separate retainer?
What is the total for year one, and for year two?
We cover all twelve questions in how to choose a web design company in South Africa.
Price list FAQ
What is the cheapest professional website in South Africa?
Around R3,000 to R5,000 from a freelancer using a template, or R5,000 once-off plus R1,200 a month with us for a custom five-page site that includes hosting, changes and SEO. The template route is cheaper on day one and usually more expensive by month twelve.
Why do some designers charge monthly?
Because a website needs hosting, updates, backups and changes for as long as it exists. A monthly plan pays for that work and keeps the up-front price low. The catch is a plan that charges monthly and does nothing for it, which is why you should ask exactly what the fee covers.
Do you charge extra for SEO?
No. Every plan includes SEO work every month, from a monthly health check on Starter to two new pages a month and AI-search optimisation on Premium. The prices above are the whole price.
