Your questions, answered plainly.

It depends on scope. At GDS, packages start at R4,500 for a five-page Foundation site, R9,500 for a full business site with a blog and bookings, and R22,000 for an online store, and every price is published. Elsewhere the range is much wider, which our guide to website costs in South Africa explains.

Foundation (from R4,500) covers up to five pages, mobile responsive design, a contact form, Google Maps, WhatsApp, basic SEO, Google Analytics and 30 days of support. Structure (from R9,500) adds up to 15 pages, a blog, a booking system, basic CRM setup, advanced SEO, speed optimisation and a handover walkthrough. Skyline (from R22,000) adds custom design, e-commerce, membership areas, automations, CRM automation and API integrations. The pricing page has the full lists.

The build is a once-off price. Hosting runs through a Wix plan that is billed separately, and a Care plan from R350 a month is optional if you would like backups, security monitoring and small edits handled for you.

Extras such as logo design, branding, copywriting, Google Business Profile setup and monthly SEO are priced separately and listed on the pricing page, so you only pay for what you choose.

Yes. Many clients start with Foundation and add a blog, booking system or online store as the business grows, rather than paying for features they do not need yet.

A lean five-page site typically takes two to four weeks once your content is supplied. A fuller business site with a blog and booking system usually takes four to seven weeks, and an online store six to twelve weeks. Our guide to how long a website takes goes through what affects it.

Waiting on content is the biggest delay: text, photos and logos that are not finalised. Slow feedback on design rounds and scope changes late in the build, such as adding an online store halfway through, are the next most common causes.

Your logo and brand colours if you have them, the text and photos for each page, and a clear idea of what you want visitors to do. If you would rather not write the words, copywriting starts at R500 a page, logo design from R1,500 and a branding kit from R2,500.

Yes. You see the design direction before anything is built, and we refine it together until it feels like your business.

No. Each site is designed around your brand and business rather than dropped into a template.

We do. You do not need to learn an editor or touch any code. Tell us what to change and we make the change, and an optional Care plan from R350 a month covers small edits, backups and security checks.

The tools give everyone the same building blocks. A designer adds judgement: layout and hierarchy that guide visitors, copy placed to answer buyer questions, page structure and search set-up, speed on a phone, and custom code where a project needs it. That experience is what turns a site that merely exists into one that brings enquiries.

Wix is the platform we build on, with custom code on top where a project needs it. Hosting and security run through your Wix plan, and we handle the design, structure, search set-up and integrations. For very large catalogues with complex variants, Shopify or WooCommerce may fit better, and we say so before you spend anything. Our Wix vs WordPress guide compares the platforms in detail.

Your Wix plan covers hosting and security and is a separate running cost. We tell you which plan you need before you commit.

Yes, though it is a rebuild of the pages rather than a one-click transfer. We plan the move page by page to protect your search rankings, with website migration from R2,000 and domain transfer at R500.

POPIA applies if your site collects or tracks personal information, which includes contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, checkouts, analytics and cookies. Our POPIA website checklist covers the privacy notice, cookie consent and forms in plain English.

SEO is part of every package, basic in Foundation and advanced in Structure, with Google Analytics set up so you can see what is working. Google decides the rankings and meaningful movement usually takes a few months.

No, and be wary of anyone who does. We fix the technical and content issues holding you back, report on progress every month where SEO is part of your plan, and keep improving what works.

GDS audits start at R1,500, Google Business Profile setup at R800, Google Analytics setup at R500 and monthly SEO at R2,000 a month, with scope agreed before you pay. Published agency guides put monthly SEO at roughly R3,000 to R15,000 or more, so compare what is included. See our guide to what SEO costs in South Africa.

A complete, accurate Google Business Profile is what puts a local business on the map. Creating one is free, and our step-by-step guide walks through it. GDS can set it up for you from R800.

Yes, in most cases. SEO services can be booked on their own, and an audit tells us what is possible on your current site before you spend more.

A GDS online store starts from R22,000 once-off, with product uploads at R15 a product and an optional Skyline Care plan from R2,000 a month. Payment gateway fees are charged per sale by the gateway.

South African gateways such as PayFast, Yoco, Peach Payments and Netcash are widely used, and which are available depends on the platform. We confirm the current options when we plan your store and include payment gateway integration in Skyline.

Yes. Many businesses start with a Structure site that shows products and takes orders through WhatsApp or a form, then add a full store once demand is proven. Our e-commerce page explains the stages.

Yes. Product uploads are R15 a product, so you hand over the details and photos and we set up the catalogue.

Support is included after launch, and Foundation includes 30 days of it. After that, a Care plan covers backups, security checks and small edits, and it is optional.

Foundation Care is R350 a month, Structure Care is R750 and Skyline Care is R2,000. Higher plans add things like a monthly strategy call, SEO improvements and priority support. See what website maintenance costs for what to expect.

Yes. Monthly plans start at R3,000 for one platform, R5,500 for two platforms with ad management and R9,500 for three or more. Ad spend is paid separately to the platform, and we do not guarantee followers or leads. See social media management.

Growth Den Socials, known as GDS and written GrowthDenSocials as one word in the website address and on social profiles, is a small web design studio in South Africa. It builds custom websites, SEO and online stores for small and growing businesses, and offers monthly social media management.

Adriaan Gouws founded GDS in 2019, paused it in 2023 and relaunched it in 2026. It is a small studio, so you deal with the person doing the work. Read more on the founder page.

Yes. We work with businesses across South Africa, and the process is designed to work well online, so location is not a barrier.

Not on this site yet. GDS relaunched in 2026 and does not publish reviews it cannot verify. The Work page shows live client websites instead, and genuine reviews will be added once clients have given them.