Business
How to start and run an online business in South Africa
Whether you are starting a first store or formalising work that already feeds your family, these guides cover registration, websites, payments and growth in the order you actually need them.
Educational content, not legal, tax or financial advice. The paid build-it-for-you route is disclosed below because that is how we do things.
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Does your idea make money?
Start here
Start with the roadmap
The rest of the playbook
Website, payments and growth
- Domain and hostingWhat to buy for an SA site, and what to ignore.
- WooCommerce vs ShopifyThe honest comparison for South Africans.
- SEO basics for SA businessesWhat actually moves local search.
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Email marketing starterA list, a letter, a rhythm that holds.Goes live 26 Oct
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Your first Google Ads campaignA no-waste starter so you do not burn the budget.Goes live 30 Oct
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Accept payments onlinePayFast, Yoco, Ozow and Peach compared.Goes live 1 Nov
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Business bank accountsFees and features for small businesses.Goes live 3 Nov
Want it built for you? These guides come from the team behind eCommerce Development SA — 400+ South African stores since 2014. The done-for-you route is ecommercedevelopment.co.za. Yes, that is us, said plainly. Read the editorial policy.