Off-the-shelf themes look like everyone else and convert like nobody. We build bespoke Shopify storefronts with custom theme architecture, SA-payment rails (Yoco, Payfast, Peach, Ozow), and conversion-tuned product pages — for brands that want to look like the leader in their category, not a template.
Spinning up a Shopify store is easy — building one that converts SA shoppers, looks unmistakably yours, and ships on time isn't. Here's what we see go wrong, again and again.
Free and marketplace themes are designed for everyone — which means they're designed for no one in particular. They lock you into a layout, force generic colour systems, and quietly tell visitors "this brand is small and template-y".
Default Shopify Payments isn't available in ZAR. Stores end up with foreign gateways that charge FX fees, decline local cards, or send shoppers off-site for OTPs that never arrive — and the cart abandons.
Bullet-listed specs, three identical-angle photos, no size guide, no reviews, no "what's in the box", no trust signals. The product page is the closer — most stores treat it like a placeholder.
Bloated theme JavaScript, oversized images, ten tracking pixels, four review apps loading in the head. SA mobile data is expensive and slow — every second of load time loses shoppers your ads paid for.
Every Sitect Shopify build is judged against these four pillars before we ship. Drop one, and the store underperforms — even if the rest look great.
A theme architecture built from scratch around your brand voice, typography and product photography — not a re-skin of Dawn.
The right payment rails for SA shoppers — Yoco, Payfast, Peach, Ozow EFT — plus instant EFT, snapscan, and Shop Pay where it makes sense.
Sub-2-second LCP on a SA 4G connection. We audit every theme app, lazy-load every image, and inline only the CSS the page actually uses.
Every page audited against a 60-point CRO checklist before launch — trust signals, urgency, social proof, exit intent, abandoned-cart flow.
Most Shopify stores end up with 30+ apps stitched together — each one adds JS bloat, monthly fees and another point of failure. We build custom Liquid & Hydrogen features where it matters, and use proven apps where it doesn't.
Theme architecture built from the ground up — Online Store 2.0, sections everywhere, modular components your marketing team can rearrange without devs.
For brands that need Next-level performance and ultimate flexibility — we build headless Shopify front-ends on Hydrogen + Oxygen, keeping Shopify as the commerce engine.
ZAR home market, USD/GBP/EUR for the diaspora. Shopify Markets configured properly — geolocation, language routing, market-specific pricing.
Tiered pricing, net-30 invoicing, login-gated catalogues, and order-form flows for B2B buyers — built natively on Shopify Plus B2B.
Recurring subscriptions, bundles, gift-with-purchase, and pre-order flows. Built with Shopify's native Subscriptions API where possible — not patched on with a R600/mo app.
Multi-location inventory, Aramex / TCG / Pargo / Pudo SA courier integrations, branded order-tracking pages, and real-time stock sync from your warehouse.
Verified reviews with photo + video uploads, Q&A modules, Instagram UGC galleries, and review schema markup for SEO. Stamped, Judge.me or Yotpo — chosen for fit, not commission.
Shopify Functions, Custom Apps, and Flow automations for the gnarly stuff — dynamic discount logic, custom shipping rules, internal staff dashboards, ERP integrations.
Klaviyo email + SMS, Google Shopping feeds, Meta CAPI server-side tracking, abandoned-cart flows, win-back campaigns — wired up so analytics actually reconcile.
Default Shopify Payments isn't available in South Africa. We wire up the gateways that work — including instant EFT, card, and mobile wallets — so shoppers don't bounce at the final step.
No hidden "phase 2" line items. Every Sitect Shopify build hands over the same complete package — and you keep ownership of every asset.
Custom Liquid theme on Online Store 2.0, with editable sections, JSON templates, and your brand baked into every component. Theme code is yours, MIT-licensed.
Products, collections, navigation, policies, taxes (15% VAT), shipping zones, courier integrations — fully configured and tested in a staging environment before go-live.
Your chosen SA gateways integrated, 3DS tested on real cards, refund + capture flows verified, webhooks reconciled. Live transactions on day one.
GA4, Meta Pixel + CAPI, Google Shopping feed, Klaviyo flows, Hotjar/Microsoft Clarity — all server-side where it matters, deduplicated, attribution-tested.
Recorded Loom tutorials for your team — how to add products, edit theme content, run flash sales, restock, refund. Plus a 25-page admin handbook PDF.
Pre-launch checklist (DNS, SSL, redirects, sitemap, robots.txt, Google Search Console), soft-launch window, and a 14-day "tune-in" support period after go-live.
Typical turnaround is 4–8 weeks depending on scope. We don't disappear for a month and re-surface at launch — you see progress weekly in a shared staging environment.
Brand, products, audience, competitive positioning, integrations needed.
Week 1Wireframes → Figma designs for home, collection, product, cart, checkout.
Week 2Custom Liquid theme coded against the designs, sections + JSON templates.
Week 3–4Payments, couriers, Klaviyo, analytics, custom apps. Tested in staging.
Week 560-point CRO checklist, real-card payment tests, mobile audit, Lighthouse.
Week 6DNS cutover, soft-launch, 14-day tune-in period with daily monitoring.
Week 7–8Numbers from recent SA Shopify rebuilds in the 90 days after relaunch. Your mileage depends on category, brand strength and ad spend — but these are the directional gains a properly-built store unlocks.
Every Shopify build is scoped per brand — these tiers are guideposts, not menus. We confirm final scope and price after a 30-min discovery call. 50% on signature, 50% on go-live.
Honest answers about pricing, platforms, payments and timelines — the stuff most agencies dodge in proposals.
Send us your current store URL (or a description if you're starting fresh) and we'll come back with a 30-minute video audit, a recommended tier, and an indicative price — no obligation, no pitch deck.