E-Commerce
Online stores built to convert
Custom online stores for South African businesses. Local payment methods, local couriers, built to grow with you.
In short
WeMakeSites builds custom online stores for South African businesses. We set up the local payment providers South Africans expect, and connect the major local couriers that actually deliver here. Stores are built on proven technology, tuned to load fast even on a phone, and set up to be found on Google. That speed work is not cosmetic: the Baymard Institute's research puts average cart abandonment near 70% of all started checkouts, and slow, clunky mobile checkout flows are among the leading causes, so every store we ship is built to reach payment quickly on a phone. Customer accounts, wishlists, abandoned-cart reminders, stock management, sales reports and order handling all come as standard. Most stores go live in 4-6 weeks. A care plan covers ongoing security, updates, payment issues and help managing your products, so you can focus on selling.
Why it matters
South African online shopping has its own quirks that international platforms get wrong. Off-the-shelf international stores don't come ready for local payment providers. They don't plug into local courier systems. And they don't handle the situations local delivery throws up, like a parcel not collected from a pickup locker, or the way local VAT rules work. Stores built without local know-how lose money to failed payments, returned parcels and tax surprises.
We build with all of that in mind. Every store we ship takes the payment methods your customers actually use, connects to the couriers that actually deliver to them, and fits the way South African retail really works, whether that is cash on delivery, EFT for business buyers, or partial refunds for damaged goods.
We also work hard on making the store convert on mobile. Most local shoppers buy on their phones, often on patchy signal, and Google's research found 53% of mobile visitors abandon a page that takes longer than three seconds to load. A heavy, sluggish store loses sales before anyone sees a product. Ours are built light and fast, so pages open quickly and customers reach checkout.
We are not tied to one platform. We recommend the right fit for your catalogue and the way you work, based on your needs rather than what we prefer to build. Whether you have a handful of products or thousands, we will point you to the option that serves your business best.
What's included
Everything in the box.
- Custom storefront design
- Your products loaded and organised (up to 50 included)
- Local payment methods set up (the providers South Africans expect)
- Local couriers connected (the major local couriers)
- Customer accounts, wishlists and reviews
- Automatic reminders for shoppers who leave items in their cart
- Stock and order management
- A dashboard showing your sales
- Products set up to stand out in Google results
- 30 days of support after launch
How we work
Discovery
We map out your products, how customers will shop, and your payment and delivery needs, then recommend the best platform for you.
Design
A custom storefront design for you to review, built to sell well on phones. Two rounds of changes included.
Build
We build the store, load your products, and connect payments and shipping. Then we run test orders from start to finish.
QA
We test everything the way a real customer would, placing orders, paying, generating shipping labels, refunds and the emails that go out.
Launch
We go live, point your domain, and keep an eye on your first orders. We stay close for the first 30 days to catch anything unusual.
Best for
FAQs
E-Commerce, questions we get.
How much does an e-commerce website cost in South Africa?
Every store is quoted in writing after we understand what you need. A standard store with up to 50 products, plus local payment and delivery, is our starting point. Larger or more complex stores, with thousands of products, custom checkout or business-to-business features, are priced per project.
Which e-commerce platform do you recommend?
It depends on your business. We match the platform to the size of your catalogue and the way you work, from simpler setups for smaller ranges to more powerful options for stores expecting serious growth or unusual needs. We are not tied to one platform, the recommendation comes from your needs.
Will my store work with local payment providers?
Yes. We set up every major South African payment method: local card and EFT providers, international card payments, instant EFT, and bank transfer. We can also add cash on delivery for markets where that still drives sales.
Can you integrate the major local couriers?
Yes. We connect all the major local courier and delivery services, including locker and pickup-point networks. For business customers, we have also connected custom freight and stock systems.
How long does an e-commerce build take?
A standard store goes live in 4-6 weeks from kick-off, faster if your product photos, descriptions and categories are ready before we start. Larger or business-to-business stores with unusual needs can take 8-12 weeks.
What about VAT and SARS compliance?
We set up VAT correctly on your store, VAT-inclusive prices, VAT shown on invoices, and proper handling of zero-rated and exempt items. For your SARS returns, your accountant takes over, and the store gives them clean data to work from each month.
Related
Website Design
Quick-loading websites built around your brand and your customers, designed to turn visitors into enquiries. Live in 3-4 weeks.
→Web Applications
When off-the-shelf software doesn't fit your business, we build software that does. Customer portals, internal tools, online platforms and marketplaces.
→Care Plans
Three care plans, Essential, Growth and Pro. Hosting, security, backups and ongoing support, all taken care of.
→SEO
We help South African businesses show up on Google, with the technical fixes, better pages, helpful content and quality links that move rankings.
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