Ask three agencies what a website costs and you will get three numbers that differ by an order of magnitude. That is not because one of them is dishonest. It is because "a website" describes anything from a five-page brochure to a platform with authentication, payments and an admin system behind it.
This guide explains what actually drives the number, so you can tell the difference between a quote that is expensive and a quote that is for a different thing entirely.
What you are actually buying
Website cost is dominated by three things: how many distinct page templates need designing, how much of the content is bespoke, and how many systems the site has to talk to. Everything else is comparatively minor.
| Type of build | What it includes | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Brochure site | 4–8 pages, standard templates, contact form, CMS | R15,000 – R45,000 |
| Business site | 10–25 pages, custom design system, blog, several templates | R45,000 – R150,000 |
| E-commerce | Catalogue, cart, payment gateway, order management | R80,000 – R350,000 |
| Web application | Accounts, permissions, dashboards, custom logic | R250,000 + |