Founder-led Shopify services
Shopify stores built for South African ecommerce
Build, redesign, migrate or improve your Shopify store with direct support from an ecommerce founder who has used the platform since 2014. Cape Wired serves product-focused businesses in Cape Town, the Western Cape and across South Africa.
More than theme installation
A Shopify store should support the way the business actually operates
Shopify makes it easier to run an ecommerce business, but the platform still needs to be structured around the catalogue, customers, delivery model and internal workload. An attractive theme cannot compensate for confusing navigation, weak product information, unnecessary apps or a difficult mobile experience.
Cape Wired plans and implements Shopify work with commercial and operational realities in mind. That includes how products are organised, how collections support discovery, what staff need to edit, how customers pay and how orders are delivered across South Africa.
Every project considers
- Mobile shopping and checkout behaviour
- Product, variant and collection structure
- Search visibility and redirect requirements
- South African payment and delivery arrangements
- Catalogue size, filtering and merchandising
- Theme maintainability and ongoing ownership
Shopify capabilities
Focused Shopify services for different stages of growth
Commission a complete build or begin with a defined technical, structural or storefront project. The scope is based on what the business needs rather than a fixed collection of unnecessary features.
Shopify store builds
New ecommerce stores planned around the product range, customer journey and South African operating requirements.
- Theme selection and configuration
- Navigation and collection structure
- Product and content templates
- Payment, shipping and essential integrations
- Mobile and pre-launch testing
Shopify redesigns
Improve an existing Shopify storefront without treating the project as a purely visual refresh.
- Mobile user experience
- Navigation and product discovery
- Product and collection layouts
- Theme and app rationalisation
- Performance and conversion support
WooCommerce to Shopify migration
Move from WordPress and WooCommerce with careful handling of products, customers, content and existing organic visibility.
- Data and catalogue review
- Product and customer migration
- URL mapping and redirects
- Blog and content migration
- Launch and post-launch checks
Custom Shopify Liquid development
Add reusable storefront functionality without hard-coding content that the merchant should be able to manage.
- Custom sections and blocks
- Product and collection templates
- Theme editor settings
- App replacement where appropriate
- Troubleshooting and code improvements
Product and collection optimisation
Improve commercial pages so customers and search engines can better understand the products, choices and reasons to buy.
- Product-page structure
- Collection content and merchandising
- FAQs and supporting information
- Internal linking
- Structured data review
Shopify support and troubleshooting
Resolve defined theme, layout, performance and app-related problems without committing to a full rebuild.
- Broken templates and sections
- App and theme conflicts
- Navigation problems
- Responsive layout fixes
- Ongoing development support
South African ecommerce
Local market requirements should influence the build
A South African Shopify store may need to support local payment gateways, delivery zones, national courier rates, collection points and mobile customers working with different connection speeds.
These decisions affect the theme, checkout experience, apps, product information and ongoing cost of operating the store. They should be considered during planning rather than added as an afterthought.
Practical considerations
Built around South African customers and operations
Project process
A clear route from initial review to launch
The exact process depends on whether the project is a new build, redesign or migration, but each engagement follows the same practical sequence.
Review
Understand the business, catalogue, current platform, customer journey and technical requirements.
Scope
Confirm the deliverables, exclusions, responsibilities, timetable and pricing before work begins.
Build
Configure and develop the agreed storefront, templates, integrations and catalogue structure.
Test and launch
Check mobile and desktop layouts, products, links, apps, redirects, tracking and key customer journeys.
Shopify pricing
Starting points for properly scoped Shopify work
Final pricing depends on catalogue size, data quality, integrations, custom development and migration risk. A written scope is agreed before implementation begins.
Diagnostic
Shopify Opportunity Audit
R12,500 Fixed project fee
A focused review for an existing store where the main opportunities and priorities are not yet clear.
- Storefront and mobile review
- Navigation and catalogue structure
- Product and collection observations
- SEO and implementation priorities
- Written report and walkthrough
New store or focused rebuild
Shopify Store Build
From R35,000 Theme-led implementation
For a product-focused SME needing a well-structured Shopify store based on a suitable theme and clearly defined requirements.
- Planning and theme configuration
- Core page and template setup
- Navigation and collection structure
- Essential payment and delivery setup
- Responsive testing and launch support
Complex scope
Migration or Custom Build
Price on request Scoped after technical review
Used where catalogue size, legacy data, redirects, integrations or custom functionality materially affect the workload and risk.
- WooCommerce and legacy migrations
- Large or complex catalogues
- Custom Liquid requirements
- Multiple integrations
- Advanced filtering or operational workflows
Prices exclude Shopify subscriptions, paid themes, premium apps and third-party service fees. VAT treatment will be confirmed in the proposal where applicable.
Direct operating experience
Shopify recommendations informed by running ecommerce businesses
Cape Wired’s experience includes building and operating TENGA UK, rebuilding LowCostBeer from WooCommerce to Shopify and developing RUNESILK’s storefront, product pages and organic content.
Shopify services FAQ
Common questions before starting a Shopify project
How much does a Shopify website cost in South Africa?
Cape Wired theme-led Shopify builds start from R35,000. The final cost depends on the catalogue, content, integrations, custom development and whether data must be migrated from another platform. Larger and technically complex projects are scoped individually.
Can Cape Wired migrate a WooCommerce store to Shopify?
Yes. Migration work can include products, variants, customers, blog content, images, collections and URL redirects. The existing store is reviewed first because data quality, catalogue size and integrations materially affect the scope.
Do you work with businesses outside Cape Town?
Yes. Cape Wired has a strong Cape Town and Western Cape focus but provides remote Shopify support to businesses throughout South Africa. Projects can be planned, reviewed and delivered remotely.
Will I be able to edit the store after launch?
Merchant-editable content is kept within Shopify’s theme editor wherever practical. Custom sections and blocks are built with readable settings rather than hard-coding routine content changes into the theme.
Do you guarantee that a redesign will increase sales?
No. A stronger store can remove friction, improve presentation and support conversion, but sales also depend on products, pricing, demand, traffic, trust and operations. Results are measured and qualified rather than guaranteed.
Discuss your Shopify project
Build a Shopify store that is practical to operate and ready to grow
Share your current platform, approximate catalogue size, location and main commercial challenge. Cape Wired will recommend an appropriate starting point and confirm whether the work requires a focused project, audit or fully scoped build.