How to create a website for your business in South Africa
A business website is a short list of decisions made in the right order. This guide walks through them, from choosing a .co.za name to getting the site in front of Google, and links the law and official pages behind each step so you can check them yourself.
The seven steps, in order
Each step depends on the one before it, so doing them in this order avoids paying for the same work twice.
Decide what the site must do
Write down the one action you want a visitor to take: phone you, send an enquiry, book, or buy. That decides the pages, the forms and whether you need a shop at all.
Register your .co.za name
Names ending in .co.za are sold by accredited registrars. ZARC runs the registry for CO.ZA, ORG.ZA, NET.ZA and WEB.ZA, and ZADNA is the statutory regulator of the .za namespace. Register the name in your own or your business's name.
Choose hosting and switch on HTTPS
Hosting is the server your site runs on. Make sure it serves every page over HTTPS: Google lists being secure (HTTPS) among the page experience aspects its ranking systems consider.
Write the pages people need
Most small businesses need a home page, one page per main service, an about page and a contact page with your phone number and area. Google's SEO starter guide is built around content that is useful to the people reading it.
Add the legal notices
If a form collects a name, e-mail address or phone number, POPIA section 18 says people must be told who is collecting it and why. If you sell online, ECTA section 43 lists what the site must show.
Test on a phone
Open every page on a phone, send yourself a test enquiry from each form and check that the reply arrives.
Tell Google the site exists
Add the site to Google Search Console and create or claim your Google Business Profile. Google says changes can take from a few hours to several months to show.
Who runs .co.za names
Three different parties are involved when you register a South African domain name. Knowing who does what helps when something needs fixing.
The .ZA Domain Name Authority is the statutory regulator and manager of the .za namespace.
The ZA Registry Consortium is the contracted registry operator for CO.ZA, ORG.ZA, NET.ZA and WEB.ZA.
An accredited registrar registers and renews the name for you. ZARC publishes the list of accredited registrars.
The person or business the name is registered to. Keep the contact e-mail addresses on the name current: ZARC sends transfer approval e-mails to the registered contacts.
Build it yourself or hire a web designer?
Both work. The difference is who does the setup, the writing and the checks that come after the design.
Website builder, done yourself
- You choose a template and write every page yourself
- You set up the domain, e-mail and forms
- You write the privacy notice and any shop terms
- You add the site to Search Console and your Business Profile
- Monthly builder fees for as long as the site is live
Web designer, done for you
- Pages planned around the action you want visitors to take
- Domain, hosting, HTTPS and forms set up and tested
- Contact details and notices placed where the law expects them
- Search Console and Business Profile set up at launch
- At Allsorts: a fixed, once-off price that starts at R5,500
Our packages and what each includes are on the website design prices page. If you mostly need one page for a campaign, see landing page design.
Before you launch: a ten-point check
Run through this list on the day the site goes live. Each line points to the rule or guidance it comes from.
- Every page loads over HTTPS, with no browser warningGoogle page experience
- Your business name, phone number and e-mail address are on the siteECTA s43(1)
- Each form says who collects the information and whyPOPIA s18
- Marketing e-mails go only to people who agreed or are customersPOPIA s69
- If you sell online: full price including delivery and taxesECTA s43(1)(i)
- If you sell online: returns, refund and privacy policiesECTA s43(1)(n),(p)
- Each page has its own title and a clear main headingGoogle SEO starter guide
- The site is added to Google Search ConsoleGoogle Search Console
- Your Business Profile is created or claimedGoogle Business Profile Help
- Domain registered to you, with a working registrant e-mailZARC registry
Do you need to register a company first?
You can have a website as a sole trader. What changes when you trade through a company is what the site has to show.
Trading as a company
Companies are registered with the CIPC, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission. If a company sells online, ECTA section 43(1)(f) requires its registration number, the names of its office bearers and its place of registration on the website.
Selling online in any form
ECTA section 43(1) applies to any supplier selling goods or services by electronic transaction: full name and legal status, physical address and telephone number, and the address for legal service of documents. Our online store law guide covers the full list.
Collecting enquiries
A contact form collects personal information, which POPIA defines to include an e-mail address, telephone number and online identifier. The POPIA website guide sets out what to tell people.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to create a business website?
The build itself can take days or weeks depending on the number of pages and how quickly the content is ready. Showing on Google takes longer: Google says some changes take effect in a few hours and others can take several months.
Can I make a business website for free?
Some builders have free plans. A .co.za name of your own has to be registered through an accredited registrar, so check whether a free plan lets you use one. A free plan is fine for testing an idea; a business you want customers to trust needs its own domain.
Do I need a privacy policy on my website?
If your site collects personal information, for example through a contact form, POPIA section 18 requires you to tell people who is collecting it, why, and their rights, before you collect it. A privacy notice on the site is the usual way to do that.
What is the difference between a domain and hosting?
The domain is your address, such as yourbusiness.co.za, registered through an accredited registrar. Hosting is the server that stores the site and sends it to visitors. You need both, and they can be with the same provider or different ones.
Sources
Every statement above comes from these pages, read on 15 November 2026. This guide explains the rules in plain language; it is not legal or tax advice for your particular business.
- ZARC (ZA Registry Consortium)Registry operator for CO.ZA, ORG.ZA, NET.ZA, WEB.ZA; list of accredited registrars
- ZADNA.ZA Domain Name Authority, statutory regulator of the .za namespace
- Google Search CentralUnderstanding page experience in Google Search results
- Google Search CentralSEO Starter Guide
- POPIASection 18: notification to data subject when collecting personal information
- ECTASection 43: information to be provided
- CIPCCompanies and Intellectual Property Commission
Related on this site
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