060 279 5587 info@sitect.co.za 139 Davies Street, Doornfontein, Johannesburg, 2001 Gauteng, SA
Mobile · App Store & Play Store Launch

Your app, live and discoverable — first time.

Submission, ASO, screenshots, metadata, review responses, store-policy compliance — done by people who've shipped to both stores 30+ times. No three-week rejection cycles, no missed launch dates, no scrambling for an icon at 11pm.

From R3k · per store 5–10 working days typical First-try approval rate · 93%
ASO score 88/100Strong keyword fit
4.8★ · 1.2k reviewsAverage from first 30 days
App Store Approved
M
Mzansi Pay
Mzansi Financial Services
★★★★★ 4.8 · 1.2k ratings
GET
Category
Finance
Age
4+
Size
28 MB
Track
Send
Save
Pay
Live in both stores5 working days
Google Play Published
M
Mzansi Pay
Mzansi Financial Services
★★★★★ 4.7 · 980 ratings
Install
Downloads
10k+
Age
3+
Size
24 MB
Wallet
Send
Scan
Track
Where launches go wrong

The 4 ways DIY app launches cost you weeks

App-store launch is the easiest part of mobile to underestimate. It's where most teams spend an unexpected month — usually right at the end, when momentum should be peaking.

Cost 01

Rejected by Apple. Twice. Three times.

Apple's review team is strict and specific. Missing privacy nutrition labels, third-party login without "Sign in with Apple", vague metadata, payment links outside IAP, demo account credentials missing — any one of these gets a rejection. Each rejection burns ~3 days. Three rejections and your launch date is fiction.

What it costs: 2–3 weeks of slipping launch + the marketing campaign that was timed to it.
Cost 02

Listed. Discoverable by no one.

The app is up. App Store search returns nothing. Play Store puts you on page 8. Why? Title doesn't contain searchable keywords. Subtitle is wasted. Description doesn't include the terms your customers actually use. No localised SA listing. App Store Optimisation (ASO) was never done.

What it costs: 70–80% of the organic-discovery traffic you should be getting from day one.
Cost 03

Screenshots screenshot the app — not why anyone should download it.

Most screenshots are literal screenshots of the app. The pros pair them with captions, frame them with brand-graphic backgrounds, and use the first 3 (the only ones shown without scrolling) to sell the value, not show the UI. The difference: 2–3× higher install-conversion from the listing.

What it costs: halving your store conversion rate, and you'll never know it.
Cost 04

A 1-star review on day three. Nobody responds.

Early reviews disproportionately weight your store rating. A bad review with no response signals to the next 100 readers that you don't care. A 6-hour public response that addresses the issue, acknowledges the concern, and offers a path forward turns it into a 4-star future review more often than you'd think.

What it costs: a permanently lower store rating that suppresses downloads for years.
Pre-submission ready-list

The 52-point checklist we run before submission

We run two store-specific checklists before submitting — one for Apple, one for Google. Each is 25+ items. If any item fails, we fix before submission. First-try approval rate: 93%.

Apple App Store27 checks · most rejections caught here

  • Sign in with Apple — present alongside any third-party login
  • Privacy nutrition labels — accurate, complete, line up with code
  • Demo account credentials — visible, valid, work on review
  • IAP rules — digital goods via Apple IAP, physical goods don't trigger
  • Permission strings — every NSUsageDescription explains the why
  • Icon sizes — all required resolutions, no alpha channel, square corners
  • Screenshots — all required device classes, captions, brand frames
  • Metadata — title ≤ 30 chars, subtitle ≤ 30, keywords ≤ 100, accurate description
  • Crash-free baseline — TestFlight session for 50+ testers, no critical crashes
  • +17 more — including age rating, export compliance, copyright, support URL…

Google Play Store25 checks · less strict, but pre-checks save you

  • Data Safety form — accurate, matches privacy policy & code
  • Target API level — within Google's required range (currently 34+)
  • Signing config — Play App Signing enabled, keystore secured
  • Permissions — minimal set, each justified, no unused
  • Content rating — IARC questionnaire complete + accurate
  • Feature graphic — 1024×500 hero, brand-consistent
  • Screenshots — phone + tablet + 7" + 10" sizes covered
  • Short + full descriptions — keyword-rich, accurate, under-limits
  • Internal testing track — at least 20 testers, 14-day pre-prod soak
  • +15 more — including TWA setup if PWA, ANR threshold, Play Integrity API…
ASO · App Store Optimisation

The other half of the launch — getting found

Submission gets your app live. ASO gets it downloaded. We tune the visible store fields the way an SEO would tune a landing page — every word does work.

What we tune — to score 80+ on ASO

App-Store and Play-Store ranking algorithms reward apps that match user search intent, look credible at first glance, and convert listing views into installs. We optimise every field you can edit — title, subtitle, keyword field, description, screenshots, video preview, ratings response strategy.

We start with keyword research (what SA users actually type), then write copy around it, then build screenshots that close the deal. Every element measured, every choice intentional.

Keyword research Title + subtitle copy Screenshot design SA localisation Reviews response Conversion A/B testing

ASO Score 88/100

Title keyword fit
95
Subtitle quality
92
Screenshot conversion
86
Keyword field usage
90
Description copy
82
Ratings & reviews
88
SA localisation
80
Most rejections we pre-empt

The 9 reasons apps get rejected — and how we avoid each

Apple publishes ~30% rejection rate on first submission. The same 9 issues account for the bulk of them. We pre-check every one before submission.

1

Missing Sign in with Apple

Any app that uses third-party login (Google, Facebook) must also offer Sign in with Apple — and it must be visually equal-or-better.

Our fix: we audit every login screen + add SIWA before submission.
2

Vague metadata

"The best app for X" / "Powered by AI" / "Revolutionary new way to…" — Apple rejects marketing puffery in descriptions.

Our fix: rewrite descriptions to focus on concrete features & functionality.
3

External payment links

Linking to a website to subscribe (to bypass IAP) is a known Apple no — even with a "Reader app" designation, it's narrow.

Our fix: we audit every "Subscribe" button + restructure if needed.
4

Demo account missing/broken

Apple's review team needs to log in. Missing credentials, expired demo accounts, or login that doesn't work = automatic rejection.

Our fix: we set up a fresh demo account hours before submission & verify it works.
5

Privacy labels don't match code

Apple's static analyser checks your code for data-collection patterns. If your privacy labels say "no data collected" and Sentry phones home — rejection.

Our fix: we audit every SDK + match labels to actual behaviour.
6

Permission rationale missing

iOS shows a system prompt for permissions (camera, location, contacts) with a string you wrote. Vague strings get rejected.

Our fix: we rewrite every permission string to be specific & useful.
7

Crashes in TestFlight session

Apple's review team uses the app. A crash on first launch or first action = rejection.

Our fix: we run a 50-tester TestFlight 7+ days before submission.
8

Unused permissions / SDKs

If you ship with location permission requested but never use location — rejection.

Our fix: we trace every permission & SDK to actual usage, remove the rest.
9

Trademark / copyright issues

Screenshots showing third-party logos (FNB, Capitec, even Stripe) need permission. Apple checks.

Our fix: we audit every screenshot for third-party marks & redact / generic-ify.
What you walk away with

Everything in the launch package

Listings live, store accounts under your ownership, source files for every asset, response playbook for the first 30 days of reviews.

Live store listings

App live on App Store and/or Play Store under your developer accounts. Fully populated metadata, screenshots, videos, support URLs.

Screenshot assets

5–8 screenshots per device class, designed in Figma with brand frames + captions. Editable source files included for future updates.

ASO report + tracker

Keyword-research report, competitor matrix, ASO scorecard, ranked-fix list, and a tracker for monthly ranking + conversion check-ins.

Review response playbook

Tone-of-voice guide, ready templates for common complaints, escalation rules, and the first 30 days of reviews handled by us at no extra cost.

Release pipeline

EAS / Codemagic / Fastlane CI/CD set up for future versions — one-button release flow so your team ships updates without us.

Loom training + handbook

Loom videos walking your team through Store Connect / Play Console — new versions, A/B test setup, ASO tuning, review responses.

From handoff to live

A predictable 5-step launch

From "the app build is done" to "live in stores" in 5–10 working days. We can compress to 3–5 days for time-critical launches at +30%.

1

Audit + accounts

Audit the build, set up store accounts (or take over yours), DUNS, tax forms.

Day 1
2

ASO + assets

Keyword research, copy, screenshot design, app preview videos.

Day 2–4
3

Pre-submit checks

Run 52-point checklist, fix any issues with the dev team.

Day 4–5
4

Submit + review

Submit to both stores, monitor review queues, respond instantly to clarifications.

Day 5–8
5

Live + tune

Phased rollout, ratings monitoring, first 30 days of review responses included.

Day 8–10
What "launched right" earns

The compounding effect of a clean launch

Indicative metrics across SA launch engagements, measured 30 days post-launch. Numbers depend on category, budget, and product — but these are the bands we routinely land in.

93%
First-try approval
Across 30+ launches · 24-month window
+2.3×
Listing conversion
Designed screenshots vs raw captures
~6h
Avg. review response time
First 30 days · all stars
4.6★
Avg. launch rating
After first 30 days · across category
Indicative pricing — ZAR, ex VAT

Three engagement shapes

Pricing assumes you already have a built app. Prices include first-30-days review response. 50% on signature, 50% on live.

Single Store Launch

One store · launch only · light ASO
From R3 000 · ex VAT
5 working days · 30-day support
  • One store (App Store or Play Store)
  • 27-point pre-submission checklist
  • 5 designed screenshots
  • Title + subtitle + description
  • Submission + rejection responses
  • 30-day review responses
Single Store quote

Launch + ASO Optimisation

Launch + 3-month ASO tracking + iteration
R11 000 · ex VAT
3 months · ranking + conversion tuning
  • All of Both Stores Launch, plus:
  • 3 months of ASO tracking
  • Monthly keyword + ranking report
  • A/B test screenshots + copy
  • Continued review responses
  • 1 release update included
Launch + ASO quote
FAQ

The questions we get asked most

Honest answers about review timing, store-account ownership, ASO ROI, and what happens if you get rejected anyway.

How long does Apple App Store review take?
Typical: 24–48 hours. Most submissions are reviewed within a day. Edge cases: 3–7 days for apps with complex compliance (financial services, healthcare, gambling). Expedited review is available for emergencies (e.g. a critical crash fix) — Apple usually approves within 24h on request. Google Play review is mostly automated and typically clears within 1–3 hours.
Who owns the store accounts?
You do, always. We either help you create your own Apple Developer ($99/year) + Google Play ($25 once) accounts under your business name, or we work in your existing accounts as authorised admins. We never publish under our own account on your behalf — your business name needs to be the publisher on the listing.
What if Apple rejects despite all the pre-checks?
It happens — ~7% of our launches get a first-round rejection despite the checklist (usually Apple-side policy interpretation issues). When it does, we handle the response, fix the issue (rework copy / screenshot / config), and resubmit at no extra cost. Each engagement includes up to 3 resubmission cycles before any additional fees apply.
Do you also handle the Play Store automated checks?
Yes. Play Store rejections are rarer but happen for: targetSdkVersion too low, missing Data Safety form, content rating mismatch, privacy policy URL invalid, app-bundle issues, ANR threshold exceeded. Our 25-point Play checklist catches all common cases. If a release fails the automated review, we fix and resubmit same-day.
What does ASO actually achieve?
Two things: (1) ranking on relevant search terms — appearing on page 1 instead of page 8 when users search your category, and (2) conversion-from-listing — turning the 100 people who saw your listing into 25 installs instead of 8. Combined effect on a typical SA mid-size launch: 2–3× more installs from store-search in month 1 vs an un-optimised launch.
How do you do screenshots for an app you didn't build?
We work from your TestFlight build / APK / staging environment. Take base screenshots, then design brand-framed versions in Figma with captions explaining the value of each screen. The first 3 are critical (only ones visible without scrolling). We deliver editable Figma source files plus PNGs at every required resolution.
What if our app uses third-party trademarks (FNB, Capitec, etc.)?
Two paths: (1) get written permission from the trademark holder for use in marketing screenshots, which is the cleanest, or (2) redact / replace with generic equivalents in screenshots (Bank A, Bank B, etc.) which is what most non-permissioned apps do. We'll advise based on your specific case and brand sensitivity.
Can you help with paid acquisition after launch?
Paid acquisition (Apple Search Ads, Google App Campaigns, Meta) is a separate service — we partner with SA performance-marketing agencies and don't take on paid spend ourselves. We give you the launch foundation (well-optimised listings, working analytics, screenshots designed for ads) that those campaigns build on. Happy to make introductions.

You've built the app. Let's get it live — properly.

Send us your build (or just describe it) and target launch date. We'll come back with a 20-minute launch-readiness call, a recommended tier, and an indicative timeline.