P-E-T Active Products
Wholesale PET plastic bottle supplier with an online shop
Web designOnline shop
Ecommerce websites
Ecommerce Website Design in South Africa
We build WooCommerce online shops for South African businesses, with local card and EFT payments through PayFast, Yoco or Peach, courier shipping rates at checkout, and hosting that can handle a store. Our shop package starts at R8,950 once-off for up to 20 products, including a year of hosting and a free .co.za domain. Bigger catalogues are quoted on what you need.
- Since 2009
- 24/7 support
- Servers in South Africa and Germany
- No VAT added
What your online shop includes
WooCommerce store
The most widely used shop platform for WordPress, with product pages, a cart, checkout, stock levels and order emails.
South African payments
Card, instant EFT and other local payment methods through PayFast, Yoco or Peach Payments, set up and tested.
Courier shipping
Flat rates, free-shipping thresholds or live courier rates from services such as The Courier Guy or Pargo pick-up points.
Mobile-first checkout
Most South African shoppers buy on their phones, so product pages and checkout are designed for small screens first.
Hosting for shops
Your first year of hosting is included. Busy stores can move to NVMe business hosting with more CPU and memory.
Run it yourself
Add products, change prices, manage orders and print invoices from the WooCommerce dashboard. We show you how.
How we build your shop
- 1
Plan the store
We agree your product range, categories, payment gateway, shipping method and the pages you need, such as returns and delivery policies.
- 2
Send products and content
A spreadsheet of products with names, prices, descriptions and photos, plus your logo and policy details.
- 3
Build and connect
We build the store, load your products, connect payments and shipping, and set up order emails.
- 4
Test and launch
We place test orders end to end, check the site on phones, then go live and show you how to run it.
Websites we have built
A few real projects from our portfolio.
C2Kit
Refurbished laptops and computers store with Johannesburg delivery
Web design2026
Creative Mass 3D
3D printer seller in South Africa
Web design2026
Africa PC
Refurbished IT equipment seller with free delivery in Durban
Web design2026
Device Sales
Refurbished IT equipment seller
Web design2018
Canvas Print Co
South African supplier of stretched canvas prints
Web design2017
How much does an ecommerce website cost in South Africa?
A small WooCommerce shop in South Africa typically costs from about R4,000 to R15,000 to build, and large or custom stores cost more. Our shop package is R8,950 once-off for a site of up to 30 pages with up to 20 products, including your first year of hosting and a .co.za domain. For more products, product variations, wholesale pricing or integrations, we quote once we know what you need.
Running costs matter as much as the build. Plan for:
- Hosting: after the first year. A growing store does best on NVMe business hosting from R199 a month or WordPress hosting from R79 a month.
- Payment fees: a percentage per transaction to your payment gateway. Compare them in PayFast vs Yoco vs Peach.
- Shipping: courier costs per parcel, which you can pass on at checkout.
- Updates: WordPress, WooCommerce and plugin updates, which our maintenance plan covers for R750 a month.
WooCommerce or Shopify?
Both work in South Africa. Shopify is quick to start, but you pay a monthly subscription in US dollars and extra for many apps. WooCommerce runs on your own WordPress hosting, has no platform subscription and keeps your store and customer data on hosting you control, which suits most South African small businesses. We build on WooCommerce. Our guide on how to start an online store in South Africa covers the choice in more detail.
| WooCommerce | Shopify | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee | None (you pay hosting) | Monthly subscription in USD |
| Local payment gateways | PayFast, Yoco, Peach and others | Supported through apps |
| Hosting | Your own, in South Africa | Shopify’s servers |
| Flexibility | Thousands of plugins, full control | App store, less control |
| Best for | Most SA small and medium shops | Owners who want fully managed |
What you need to start selling online
- A product list with prices, descriptions and good photos.
- A business bank account for payouts and a payment gateway account (we help you choose).
- A delivery plan: courier, pick-up points or collection, and what you charge.
- Returns, refunds, delivery, terms and privacy pages. South African law expects clear terms, and POPIA applies to customer data. See POPIA for websites.
- If you are VAT registered, prices and invoices set up correctly. See WooCommerce VAT in South Africa.
Who it is for
- Retailers adding an online shop
- Start-ups selling products online
- Businesses moving off a marketplace or social media selling
- Shops on Shopify or Wix that want to own their store
Shipping and payments, set up for South Africa
Most abandoned carts come from surprise costs and checkout friction. We show shipping costs early, keep checkout to as few steps as possible and test every payment method on a phone. Read how to add The Courier Guy and Pargo to WooCommerce to see what is involved.
Fast, secure hosting for your store
A slow shop loses sales. Your store runs on LiteSpeed servers with free SSL and Imunify360 malware protection, on servers in South Africa and Germany. When your store grows, NVMe business hosting gives it 2x to 4x the CPU and memory of standard hosting. Our guide to WooCommerce hosting explains when to upgrade.
★★★★★
Kevin from web design hosting has been excellent to work with for the last 10 years. He handled the design and hosting of our website for Zeek Gold and made the whole process easy from start to finish. He’s responsive, explains things clearly, and always follows through on what he promises. He built / redesigned our site at zeekgold.co.za, and whenever we’ve needed changes or help, he’s sorted it…
★★★★★
This team have never let me down. I have been a loyal customer of Web Design Hosting SA since 2019. Over the years they have proved to be a company who are consistent with their service, approach and professionalism. I am truly grateful to be able to rely on them for all my web needs.
★★★★★
I used this company for the past ten years .His service is put of this World,and he has a passion to build professional websites that actually work.He also knows to do search engine optimisation so people come to the site ...Let down with so many developers but not with Kevin at webdesignhostingsa.co.za
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an ecommerce website cost in South Africa?
Small WooCommerce shops usually cost from about R4,000 to R15,000 to build. Our shop package is R8,950 once-off for up to 20 products, including a year of hosting and a free .co.za domain. Larger stores are quoted.
Which platform is best for ecommerce in South Africa?
For most small and medium South African shops we recommend WooCommerce: no platform subscription, strong support for local payment gateways and your store stays on hosting you control. Shopify suits owners who want a fully managed platform and are happy to pay a monthly fee in US dollars.
Which payment gateways can I use?
PayFast, Yoco and Peach Payments all work with WooCommerce and support South African cards and EFT. We help you choose based on fees, payout times and the payment methods your customers use.
Can you add courier shipping?
Yes. We can set up flat rates, free shipping over a set amount, or live rates from couriers such as The Courier Guy, and Pargo pick-up points.
How many products can I have?
Our shop package includes up to 20 products loaded by us. You can add more yourself at any time, or we can quote to load a larger catalogue.
How long does it take to build an online shop?
A WooCommerce shop usually takes one to three weeks, depending on the number of products and how quickly we receive your product information and photos.
Can I manage the shop myself?
Yes. You add products, change prices and process orders from the WooCommerce dashboard, and we show you how before launch.
What does it cost to run an online shop each month?
Budget for hosting after the first year, payment gateway fees per sale, courier costs and updates. Hosting suited to a shop starts at R79 a month, and maintenance is R750 a month if you want us to handle updates.
Talk to us
Get a quote or ask a question
Tell us what you need and we will reply with a clear recommendation and price. Prefer to chat? WhatsApp or call us.
- Email info@webdesignhostingsa.co.za
- Call or WhatsApp 083 678 9831
- Sales: Mon to Fri 07:00 to 17:00, Sat 08:00 to 16:00, Sun 08:00 to 13:00
Not sure which option is right for you?
Tell us what you need and we will recommend a package, with a clear quote. No pressure and no jargon.