Custom platforms since 2013.

Web platforms, dispatch installations, internal tools, integrations with systems that pre-date cloud. Laravel, Vue, or whatever the work needs. The work that was too custom for an off-the-shelf CMS.

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What's in a custom platform project

A custom platform is what you commission when off-the-shelf software stops fitting the work. This is what you actually buy: scoped requirements, working software, a deploy pipeline, and the handover that lets your team take it from there. No discovery theatre, no strategic alignment workshops — concrete deliverables you can list on an invoice.

  • Discovery + scoping (1–2 weeks)

    Working sessions, a written requirements document (10–20 pages), data-model sketch, integration list, and a fixed-scope quote. You can stop here if the scope reveals the project isn't worth doing — we'd rather lose a quote than build the wrong thing.

  • Custom platform architecture

    Built on whatever fits the problem — Vue for interactive front-ends, Laravel for content and workflow, mixed back-end with an SPA, or something else if the constraint actually needs it. We name the technical choices we made and why, before any code is written.

  • Third-party integration work

    REST and GraphQL APIs, webhooks, OAuth and SAML, payment gateways, internal-system bridges. Each integration scoped and estimated separately so you see what costs what — no lumped "integrations" line.

  • Staging + production deploy pipeline

    A full staging copy of production; deploys via merge-to-main with automated tests; rollback in minutes. Standard infrastructure, not an optional add-on.

  • Automated test suite

    Coverage targeted at the load-bearing paths — auth, payment, key workflows — not vanity coverage numbers. You're handed a test suite that survives team changes and tells you when something breaks before users do.

  • Post-launch support window (30 days)

    Thirty days of bug fixes, small adjustments, and deploy hand-holding included. After that, a Site Care plan or ad-hoc quote picks up — your call, no automatic rollover.

Pricing context

Custom platforms are quoted per project — typical engagements run 3 to 6 months and R150k to R750k depending on scope. Ongoing maintenance after launch is scoped separately — a monthly care plan or ad-hoc, whichever fits.

Common questions about custom platforms

What's a typical timeline?
3 to 6 months from kickoff to launch is the standard band. Faster (6–10 weeks) if the scope is well-defined and integrations are shallow. Longer (8–12 months and up) for multi-platform builds with deep integrations or compliance work. We tell you the band during scoping, not after.
Who owns the code?
You do. Full source code in your repository, on your servers, accessible to your team. We don't license, white-label, or retain rights. If you part ways with us, the platform keeps working — and any other competent team can pick it up.
What happens in the discovery phase?
1 to 2 weeks of working sessions plus a written requirements document. Output: data-model sketch, integration list, scope-bounded quote, and a recommendation on whether to proceed. About one in five discoveries ends with us saying "this isn't worth building; here's why" — we'd rather lose the quote than build the wrong thing.
How do you decide on the tech stack?
By the problem, not the preference. Vue is the right call for interactive front-ends; Laravel covers content, workflow, and auth; the two stitch together cleanly when the build needs both. Sometimes neither is right — Go, Python, or something else if the integration constraint actually needs it. We name the choice and the reason during scoping, before any code is committed.
What about ongoing maintenance after launch?
30 days of fixes are included. After that, a Site Care plan (R1,250–R4,500 per month depending on scope) or an ad-hoc quote covers ongoing work. We don't lock you to us — plenty of clients move maintenance in-house once the platform is mature and their team is up to speed.
Can you take over an existing custom build?
Sometimes. We start with a paid one-week audit: code review, infrastructure check, dependency audit. From there, either we take over with a fixed-fee onboarding, or we report what we found and you stay where you are. We'd rather audit and walk away than inherit something we'd struggle to maintain.

Custom platforms in production for over a decade across mining dispatch, internal tooling, and integrations with systems that pre-date cloud. The team that built it is the team that still maintains it — no handoff to a new crew after launch, no rotation of unfamiliar developers through your codebase. Stewardship is the trust signal.

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