Founder questions
What does it cost to build an MVP in South Africa?
With FiftyKnots, a venture goes from idea to build-ready for R55,000 at today's prices, paid one phase at a time and starting with a free Idea Score. The build itself is a fixed quote given before any building starts, and builds typically come in under R650,000.
What you pay before anything is built
Most of the risk in a new product is building the wrong thing, so the first phases test and define the venture before any code is written. Each phase has a fixed fee agreed before it starts, and you decide after each one whether to go on.
If your free Idea Score says build, the first paid step is R5,000. The paid phases from idea to build-ready total R55,000. You keep what each phase produces, whether or not you go on.
What the build costs
The build is quoted at a fixed price once the design is approved, so the number you sign is the number you pay. Builds typically come in under R650,000. Changes you ask for after that are quoted and agreed before they are made.
What moves the build price
- How many kinds of user the product serves, for example buyers, sellers and an admin.
- Payments, escrow or anything that moves money.
- Integrations with other systems.
- Whether it must run as a phone app as well as on the web.
- How much has to be live on day one, rather than added later.
A real example
Khaya Crew, a marketplace started by two non-technical founders, went from NDA to a live product in 56 days on this model.
Questions founders ask
- What does it cost to build an MVP in South Africa?
- With FiftyKnots, a venture goes from idea to build-ready for R55,000 at today's prices, paid one phase at a time. The build is a fixed quote given before building starts, and builds typically come in under R650,000.
- Do I have to pay for everything up front?
- No. You pay for one phase, it is delivered, and only then do you decide about the next. The Idea Score is free, and the first paid step is R5,000.
- Is VAT added?
- No. FiftyKnots is not registered for VAT, so the price is what you pay.
- Do you take equity instead of cash?
- Almost never, and never as a condition of working with FiftyKnots. A few ventures may be offered a build-for-equity partnership, always by choice.