Here’s the truth: website design costs in South Africa can be more complicated than they seem upfront. So you saw an ad that said “Website from R800” or “Free Website Included,” and now you’re wondering, what’s the catch?
I’m not saying anyone’s out to scam you, but I’ve been doing this long enough to see where people get blindsided. And it’s usually the extras that sneak up on you.
Let’s break down the hidden costs of building a website, especially on platforms like Wix, Shopify, or WordPress.
Hidden Costs That Catch People Off Guard
1. Premium Plugins and Tools
Whether you’re on WordPress, Wix, or Shopify, the moment you want a feature that actually helps your business, you’ll often have to pay for it.
- Contact forms: The basic versions are limited. Want conditional logic or some fancy pagination for your form? That’s premium.
- Sliders and galleries: Many clients ask for beautiful looking galleries or sliders, but that alone costs around R800+.
- SEO tools: Yoast Premium, schema plugins, or caching tools often come at R1,000+ per year.
- Support and updates: Many web design agencies charge annually just to keep them working and well-maintained.
I’ve written before about 10 free WordPress themes worth trying, and those are great starting points, but premium add-ons can pile up fast.
As a designer, I avoid bloated setups unless they actually solve a problem. I stick to clean, fast, free tools unless a premium option is 100% necessary.
2. Wix and Shopify Surprise Charges
These platforms are marketed as simple, but they stack fees quickly.
- Wix: You can get a free domain for the first year, but it renews at around R300 annually. Need email? Add another R100/month. Most business-grade apps are R150–R900 each per month.
- Shopify: You’ll pay 2.9% per transaction unless you use their gateway. Many must-have apps (like email marketing or cart recovery) cost extra. Premium themes? Around R2,500+ one-time.
You can read more about the pros and cons of these platforms in my article: Wix vs WordPress – Which One Should You Use for Your Business in 2025?
I recently came across this post, I can definitely relate to this guy. He started with a budget website and later realized just how much more he was paying in hidden costs and limitations.
3. Domain and Email Hosting
Most people forget this entirely. Domains renew every year. And business email (like [email protected]) isn’t included in most site packages. Unless you’re using a platform like Zoho or Google Workspace, and even then, it’s a paid add-on.
Can You Avoid These Costs?
Not entirely. But you can plan smarter, and that’s the whole point.
Here’s what I do for my clients:
- Start lean: I use fast, SEO-friendly themes and plugins that cost nothing
- Map out real-world costs upfront (hosting, domain, occasional premium tools)
- Recommend premium tools only when they add genuine value
- Keep websites lightweight, stable, and futureproof
I explain more about the price breakdown in this post: How Much Does Website Design Cost in South Africa in 2025?
Best Advice I Can Give You
Get a proper website plan, one that actually matches your goals and budget.
Don’t just go with “R1500 per month” offers unless you know exactly what’s included. Many of those deals exist just to cover ongoing platform and plugin fees, and they can lock you in without giving you much control.
With WebCraft Studio, you get:
- Once-off pricing (R3500–R18000 depending on the site).
- No surprise billing.
- A clean, smart website that doesn’t break the bank.
- We ensure your site is submitted to Google, Bing and more recently to Large Language Models (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity).
- We ensure analytics are setup on your site so that future performances can be monitored.
- Help with upgrades only when needed, not just to pad the bill.
Ready to Build a Website With No Nonsense?
If you’re tired of vague pricing, surprise bills, or bloated “free” websites that aren’t really free, let’s talk.
