Frequently asked questions

We're a Cape Town Shopify studio. We build and redesign Shopify stores, customise themes, connect Shopify to other tools, build custom apps, and handle the technical side of selling online. We also build our own Shopify apps, like SmartShip ZA.

No. We're based in Cape Town but work with merchants across South Africa. Everything can be done remotely over email, WhatsApp and video calls.

It depends on what you need: the number of products, custom features and integrations. After a free call we give you a fixed quote in writing, so there are no surprises. Separately, you pay Shopify directly for your plan and any paid apps you choose.

It depends on the size of the store and how quickly content like product photos and descriptions is ready. You'll get a clear timeline with your quote, and you'll see the store taking shape as we build it.

Ideally your logo, product photos and descriptions, and a rough idea of how you want to ship and get paid. If you don't have everything yet, that's fine. We'll tell you exactly what's needed and help you get it together.

Yes. Every build ends with a walkthrough so you can run the store yourself, and we're available for fixes, changes and new features whenever you need them.

Shopify handles hosting, security and checkout for you, has a huge range of apps, and is easy to manage without technical skills. It suits businesses from their first sale to thousands of orders. We compare the options in Shopify vs WooCommerce vs Takealot.

Yes. We redesign existing stores, add custom sections and features, fix checkout and speed problems, and clean up apps, all on the account you already have, without downtime.

Yes. We move your products, customers and order history over to Shopify and set up redirects so links to your old pages still work.

Yes. We build everything so you can edit products, pages and most sections yourself in Shopify's editor, and we show you how during the handover.

You do. The store is set up on your own Shopify account, in your name. You keep full control of it, your products and your customer data.

No, Shopify Payments isn't available to South African stores. Instead we connect a local payment gateway such as Paystack, PayFast, Yoco or Ozow, and help you choose the right one. See how to choose a payment gateway.

A single flat rate is simple but often overcharges city customers and undercharges remote deliveries. Zone-based or live courier rates are fairer. We set this up for you, often using our own app, SmartShip ZA. Read how to set up shipping rates.

We set up the practical basics on your store, like a privacy policy page, opt-in marketing and sensible data collection. For legal advice specific to your business, we recommend speaking to a legal professional. Our POPIA checklist covers the essentials.

SmartShip ZA is our Shopify app for South African stores. It shows accurate courier rates at checkout based on the customer's postal code, and gives you a dashboard to book couriers, track parcels and print waybills. View it on the Shopify App Store.

Yes. If existing apps can't do what you need, or you're stacking several apps to make one process work, we can build a private app around how your business runs.

Yes. We build apps for problems we keep seeing on South African stores. New apps will be listed on our website and the Shopify App Store as they launch.