"How much do I actually need to start?" is one of the most common questions we hear from business owners before they've opened their doors. The honest answer is that it depends heavily on what you're starting, but here's a realistic breakdown of where the money actually goes.
1. Legal and registration
The unavoidable part. CIPC's own fees for a Pty Ltd are around R175 (R50 name reservation, R125 incorporation), confirm the current figure on BizPortal before paying. On top of that, budget for a B-BBEE affidavit or certificate if your clients will ask for one, and for an accountant's time if you're not doing the registration yourself.
2. A website and basic systems
This is the category that varies the most, and where a lot of new businesses either overspend on something oversized or underspend on something that doesn't actually work. As a rough guide:
- A simple, professional website: a few thousand rand to around R15,000, depending on how custom it needs to be
- Adding online booking, a CRM, or a learning platform on top of that: another few thousand to tens of thousands, depending on complexity
The ranges above are general market estimates, not a quote, costs vary a lot by provider and scope. What we'd actually encourage: get the website and the one or two tools you'll use daily (bookings, a simple CRM) set up properly from day one, rather than trying to bolt them onto a free template later. It's usually cheaper in total than redoing it in year two.
3. Marketing, from lean to committed
Monthly marketing spend for a small South African business can realistically range from a couple thousand rand (mostly your own time, social media, and word of mouth) up to tens of thousands once you're running paid ads and regular content. There's no single right number, it should scale with what the business can actually afford once the basics are covered.
A realistic starting budget
For a lean service-based business (consulting, a trade, a small training provider), a workable starting budget is typically in the R15,000 to R50,000 range once registration, a proper website, and basic tools are covered. Product-based or e-commerce businesses generally need more, since stock and fulfilment add a whole extra category.
The mistake that actually sinks businesses
It's rarely the big, dramatic expense that causes trouble. It's under-budgeting for the ongoing monthly costs, hosting, bookkeeping, a bit of marketing, and running out of runway before the business has had a fair chance to find its feet. Plan for at least a few months of operating costs beyond your launch budget, not just the launch itself.
This is general guidance, not financial advice for your specific business. For anything involving tax, funding, or your particular numbers, it's worth getting an accountant's input.
Where we come in
The systems category above, your website, booking and CRM, is exactly what our Tools service sets up, done properly the first time with training included so you're not stuck calling someone every time something needs changing. If you want a straight answer on what your specific setup would actually cost, send us a short note below or on WhatsApp.