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LAT: -28.4793° // LON: 24.6727° ● LIVE // SYS.v2026

BUILT IN DAYS. CUSTOM-CODED. BUILT TO YOUR SPEC.

South African web studio for founders, creators, and brands who refuse to ship boring. Modern stack, hand-coded, and put through 200+ pre-launch checks before it goes live. Built in days, not weeks.

7–14
Business_Days
200+
QA_Checks
100%
Hand_Coded
DC DC-Dev Studio
sample_qa_run.log
❯ dc build --modern --check
→ scaffolding project… ✓
→ running lighthouse-ci … 95/100
→ running code-review … 47/47 passed
→ running axe-core … WCAG AA ✓
→ deploy target: sa-business
✓ build complete in 4m 12s
❯
◆ ◆ ◆    BUILT_FOR    ◆ ◆ ◆
FOUNDERS CREATORS TECH E-COM AGENCIES INDIE BRANDS STUDIOS BUILDERS FOUNDERS CREATORS TECH E-COM AGENCIES INDIE BRANDS STUDIOS BUILDERS

WHAT WE DO

// service.01
Custom Web Builds
Modern stack, mobile-first, conversion-focused. We craft the strategy, brand, and conversion architecture that actually sells — using modern tools to ship faster.
// service.02
Full QA on Every Build
200+ automated checks: Lighthouse, visual regression, cross-browser, WCAG AA, security. Human UX pass before ship.
// service.03
Website Revamps
Audit-first. Keep what works, fix what doesn't. Mobile, speed, SEO upgrades that lift conversion without nuking your traffic.
// service.04
Monthly Care Plans
Hosting management, updates, backups, monthly health checks, uptime bots, 1hr tweaks. Your site, always on, always fresh.
// service.05
WhatsApp Integration
Connect your site directly to WhatsApp — floating chat buttons, click-to-chat links, and automated message pre-fills. Meet your customers where they already are.
// service.06
Google Maps Integration
Embed interactive maps, custom-styled to your brand. Store locators, directions, business pins, and Places API hooks — so customers find you in seconds, not minutes.
// service.07
Domain Registration
We handle the full domain lifecycle — search, register, DNS config, SSL, and renewals. A clean .co.za or .com, locked down and pointed correctly from day one.

OUR WORK, REFRESHED

Two of our own builds, and the 2026 refresh we'd give them today. Drag the slider to compare the live build with the refresh concept.

Samba Kingz 2026 refresh concept: split hero with crest, stats cards and next-matchday panel
Samba Kingz live build: centred hero over a Rio favela backdrop
LIVE_BUILD2026_REFRESH
// esports club · live Supabase admin
“Join trials” in the header, one tap from anywhere
Next-matchday card with reminders
Stats as cards, photo carries the mood
Read the case study →
Left: the live builds as shipped. Right: refresh concepts designed by DC-Dev Studio to show where we'd take them next.

WHAT ELSE WE CAN BUILD

Beyond the standard site. Every build can be extended with custom smart modules — real, owned, engineered to fit your workflow. Not SaaS subscriptions. Not templates. Actual features that live on your domain and work for your business.

MOD_01 / CHAT
Smart Chatbot
Site-trained assistant that answers visitors 24/7, qualifies leads, books appointments. Lives on your domain — your data stays yours.
MOD_02 / FORM
Smart Forms
Forms that adapt to answers, validate in real time, and route leads automatically. Goodbye spam, hello qualified inquiries.
MOD_03 / DATA
Live Dashboards
Custom admin panels with live metrics, role-based access, and CMS controls. Your team manages the site, not your developer.
MOD_04 / CALC
Quote Calculators
Interactive pricing tools, ROI calculators, project estimators. Convert visitors into qualified leads who've already self-scoped.
MOD_05 / SEO
Content Engine
Auto-drafted blog posts, product descriptions, and meta tags — in your brand voice, at scale. SEO that doesn't sleep.
MOD_06 / BOOK
Booking Systems
Stripe, Yoco, PayFast, Calendly — integrated scheduling and checkout flows. Real bookings, real payments, no third-party fees.
MOD_07 / VIZ
3D & WebGL Hero
Interactive 3D product views, animated hero scenes, WebGL backgrounds. Turn your landing page into an experience people screenshot.
MOD_08 / CRM
CRM + Automations
Sync with HubSpot, Pipedrive, Notion, Zapier. New leads land in your pipeline automatically — no manual data entry, ever.
MOD_09 / PWA
Installable App (PWA)
Your site becomes a real app — home-screen icon, offline mode, push notifications. No app store, no R25k iOS build. Template sites can't touch this.
MOD_10 / VAULT
Client Portal
Gated login area where your customers see their own bookings, invoices, order history, documents. Real auth, real permissions. Not a plugin.
MOD_11 / DOCS
Auto-Generated PDFs
Form submission → branded PDF quote, invoice, contract, or certificate emailed instantly. ZAR + VAT ready. Zero manual admin work.
MOD_12 / SYNC
Load-Shedding Resilient
Bookings, orders and forms that keep working through outages and dodgy wifi. Queues locally, syncs when back online. Built for SA reality.
MOD_13 / VOICE
WhatsApp Business API
Beyond click-to-chat. Automated order confirmations, appointment reminders, delivery updates — sent from your backend, straight to their WhatsApp.
MOD_14 / GUARD
POPIA Consent Layer
Real consent management, cookie controls, data-processing register, subject access request handling. Compliance sorted, not just a copy-pasted policy.
MOD_15 / TRACE
Audit & Activity Logs
Who changed what, when, from where. Full history on every edit, login, and admin action. Enterprise-grade accountability for SME budgets.
MOD_16 / GRID
Multi-Location Dashboard
Multiple branches, franchises, or storefronts — one login, combined stats per location. Nobody else builds this at SME price points.

PICK YOUR BUILD

Every project is scoped individually — because a 3-page brochure and a 50-product e-com store aren't the same job. Pick the closest fit and we'll quote exactly what your build needs. No R80k quote shock. No padded estimates.

PKG_01 // REVAMP
Site Revamp
Audit + redesign of existing site. Keep what works, fix what doesn't.
SCOPE
TIMELINE5-10 DAYS
PRICINGCUSTOM QUOTE
  • Speed, mobile & SEO upgrade
  • Keep what works, replace what doesn't
  • Human UX pass
REQUEST_QUOTE →
PKG_02 // STARTER
Starter Site
New 1-3 page site from scratch. Custom wireframe, hand-coded.
SCOPE
TIMELINE3-5 DAYS
PRICINGCUSTOM QUOTE
  • Up to 3 pages, custom wireframe
  • Hand-coded, no page builders
  • Requires own domain/hosting
REQUEST_QUOTE →
PKG_04 // E-COM
E-com Launch
Hand-coded Next.js store or custom Shopify theme. Up to 50 products, CRO-ready.
SCOPE
TIMELINE2-4 WEEKS
PRICINGCUSTOM QUOTE
  • Next.js or custom Shopify theme
  • Up to 50 products + payments
  • CRO-optimised layout
REQUEST_QUOTE →
PKG_05 // CARE_PLAN
Care Plan
Ongoing hosting mgmt, updates, backups, and 1hr monthly tweaks.
SCOPE
TIMELINEMONTHLY · ONGOING
PRICINGCUSTOM RETAINER
  • Hosting management
  • Updates + nightly backups
  • 1 hour of tweaks / month
REQUEST_QUOTE →
PKG_06 // WEB_APP
Custom Web App
Not a website — an actual app. Portals, dashboards, internal tools, member areas.
SCOPE
TIMELINE3-6 WEEKS
PRICINGCUSTOM QUOTE
  • Custom backend + database
  • User auth + role permissions
  • Admin panel + reporting
REQUEST_QUOTE →
FREE // HEALTH_CHECK
Site Health Check
We scan your current site and send a 1-page written audit report.
FREE // no pitch
◉ DELIVERED IN 24H
  • Full Lighthouse audit
  • Mobile & SEO health check
  • 1-page written report
  • Top 3 fixes prioritised
  • No hard sell — promise
  • Reply with "AUDIT" to claim
CLAIM_FREE →
✓ Every package ships through the same 200+ check QA pass: Lighthouse, cross-browser, WCAG AA, broken links, security and a human UX review.
FIXED_FEEQuoted in writing before we start
YOU_OWN_ITFull source code at handover
50 / 50Half to start, half at launch
14D_SUPPORTFree fixes after go-live

HOW WE WORK

From paid kickoff to live site — typically in days, not weeks. Four steps. Zero guesswork.

01
// STEP_01 · BRIEF
Brief & Audit
30-min discovery call. For revamps we audit first. For new builds we confirm domain & hosting plan. We draft your sitemap and copy in hours, not days.
02
// STEP_02 · BUILD
Design, Build, Refine
We design the layout, build the components, and structure your content. Modern tools mean we ship in days what others ship in weeks — with the strategy, voice, and conversion craft baked in by hand.
03
// STEP_03 · QA
200+ Quality Checks
Lighthouse CI, cross-browser checks, axe-core accessibility, visual regression, broken-link scan. Human UX pass squashes anything the bots miss.
04
// STEP_04 · LAUNCH
Launch & Hand-Off
Most builds go live in 7-14 business days from the date the 50% deposit clears, scope depending. Written step-by-step training guide + 14 days of post-launch support. Source code delivered at handover.

WHY DC-DEV OVER A TRADITIONAL AGENCY?

If you've got an agency quote on your desk and you're wondering why a website has to cost that much — here's how we line up against the firms that wrote it.

// FACTOR
// DC-DEV STUDIO
// Traditional Agency
Timeline
7–14 business days
6–12 weeks
Communication
Direct to the developer
Account → PM → Designer → Dev
Process
Written daily updates, preview link before launch
Meetings, RFPs, scope docs
Tech stack
Hand-coded · HTML/JS, Next.js, Astro
Often legacy PHP / custom CMS
Quality checks
200+ automated checks, every build
Usually manual, often skipped
Code ownership
Open frameworks · source delivered
Often proprietary CMS
Post-launch support
14 days free · Care Plan optional
Hourly billing · 30-day minimums
Pricing
SA-priced, quote on enquiry
Quote on enquiry · agency markup

// skip the multi-stakeholder dance. Get a free site scan →

THE RECEIPTS

Most R5k–R15k freelancers skip the quality checks. DC-Dev Studio doesn't. Every site ships with Lighthouse 90+, WCAG AA compliance, and a QA report showing 0 open critical issues at launch.

// If you can't measure it, you didn't build it.

Run Google Lighthouse on dcdevstudio.co.za right now. Don't take our word for it.
90+
Lighthouse_Score
AA
WCAG_Compliance
0
Launch_Criticals
14d
Post-Launch_Support

WHAT CLIENTS ARE SAYING

Some of what clients have said after shipping with us. We don't ghost-write these — every quote is from a real conversation after a real build.

$ review.read --id=001
build.status: complete · verified · 5/5

"Briefing on Friday, signed-off staging by Tuesday, live the next weekend. We'd been quoted six weeks by an agency for the same thing. The booking modal alone has cut my back-and-forth WhatsApp inquiries by half."

// client: hospitality owner
// industry: hospitality · Bo-Kaap
// project: full rebuild + booking system
// timeline: 9 days
$ review.read --id=002
build.status: complete · verified · 5/5

"We needed our wholesale site rebuilt without losing 12 years of SEO. Craig audited first, kept what was ranking, only touched what needed touching. Page speed went from painful to 94/100. Zero traffic dip after launch — that was the bit I was nervous about."

// client: wholesale business owner
// industry: FMCG · retail
// project: site overhaul + e-commerce
// timeline: 11 days
$ review.read --id=003
build.status: complete · verified · 5/5

"Direct line to the actual developer was the selling point. Previous agency had me speaking to three different people in a chain. Briefing once, getting written updates daily, and being able to ask 'why?' and get a real answer — that's worth more than the price difference."

// client: professional services firm
// industry: professional services · Cape Town
// project: marketing site + lead capture
// timeline: 7 days

Booking next round of builds · 2026.Q4 availability open

THE STUDIO BEHIND THE BUILDS

// Designer Code Development Studio

DC-Dev Studio — Designer Code Development Studio — is a South African web development studio building sites for businesses across SA. Fast, modern, and built to ship without surprises.

Cape Town–based. Direct contact with the developer building your site — no account managers, no offshore handoffs, no proposal-by-PDF.

$ A modern way of thinking. We don't follow trends — we set them.

// FOUNDER.PROFILE
Craig Falken — Founder & Lead Developer
Craig Falken
Founder & Lead Developer

After 16 years in IT — spanning quality assurance, platform integration, and web development — I founded DC-Dev Studio. I started it out of frustration with the same patterns I kept seeing across South African business: overpriced agency quotes, freelance projects abandoned mid-build, platforms designed to lock clients in. DC-Dev Studio is my answer to that.

Every site you see here, I build personally. Direct line. No middlemen.

// based in: Cape Town, ZA // 16 years in IT · 13 years in dev // linkedin: craig-falken-0a35

QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

No vague answers. No fine print. The stuff every prospect asks before they hit "send".

What do I get at handover?
At project close we provide the source code for your site as a zipped delivery, plus a written walkthrough of where everything lives. We build on standard open frameworks (Next.js, Astro, plain HTML) rather than proprietary platforms, so anyone with web development experience can pick up where we left off if needed.
What if I don't like the design?
We sketch and align before we build. You see a wireframe and a vibe direction in the first 48 hours. Two free design revisions are baked into every package — most projects need one. After that, additional revisions are billed at our standard hourly rate so things don't drift forever. The goal: ship something you actually love, not something we love.
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes. Standard split is 50% upfront, 50% on launch. Build work and timelines start from the date the 50% deposit clears in our account — not from the date the project was discussed or quoted. Timelines are quoted in business days (Monday-Friday, SA public holidays excluded); weekend or after-hours work is available on request at an additional rate. For larger projects, we'll do three or four equal payments tied to milestones. We don't take credit card surcharges — direct EFT only. Invoices are professional, VAT-compliant where required.
What happens after launch — do I have support?
14 days of free post-launch support ships with every project. Bugs, copy tweaks, layout adjustments, training questions — all free in that window. After that, the Care Plan covers ongoing tweaks, hosting management, security updates, and content changes on a monthly retainer. Or you can stay flexible and pay hourly when something comes up.
Can I update the site myself?
For most builds, yes. We connect a simple CMS (usually Sanity, Decap, or Notion-as-CMS depending on scope) so you can edit text, swap images, and add blog posts without touching code. We send a step-by-step written guide on launch day showing exactly how. If you'd rather we handle updates, the Care Plan exists for that.
Do you use page builders or templates?
No — every site is hand-coded by a human developer. No drag-and-drop builders, no recycled templates. Every build also runs through 200+ quality checks (Lighthouse, cross-browser, accessibility, visual regression) before it ships. The design, strategy, code, and final QA pass are all done by us. You're paying for human craft and modern tooling, built from scratch for your business.
How do you handle revisions during the build?
We work in tight feedback loops. Daily written updates with annotated screenshots, a shared preview link you can review at any time, and async comments via the tool of your choice (Slack, email, WhatsApp, doesn't matter). Most clients see something new every 24-48 hours. No surprise reveals on launch day — you'll have watched it grow.
Do you work with international clients?
Currently focused on South African businesses — that's where we know the market, the payment rails, and the pain points. International inquiries get triaged case-by-case based on timezone overlap and project fit. If you're a SA founder running a global business, perfect. If you're elsewhere with a tight timezone gap, let's chat.

SCOPE YOUR BUILD

Tap the options that match your project. We'll estimate timeline and complexity in real time — then ship it all to your inbox so we can send back a proper quote.

// 01 · PROJECT_TYPE pick one
// 02 · DESIGN_DIRECTION pick one
// 03 · ADD-ON_MODULES pick any
// 04 · SUPPORT_PLAN pick one
estimate.exe
STATUS CALCULATING...
PROJECT —
DESIGN —
MODULES none selected
SUPPORT —
COMPLEXITY —
EST. TIMELINE —
EST. QUOTE sent by email
// NEXT_STEP.SH

READY TO SHIP SOMETHING REAL?

Scan your site right now, then get the free 1-page written audit within 24 hours. No pitch unless you ask for one.

Mobile check with Google Lighthouse, plus a human review.
  1. 01 Scan your site above
  2. 02 Get a 1-page written audit within 24h
  3. 03 Want the fixes? Fixed-fee quote. No pitch if not.
Prefer to talk? Book a 15-min call →
Starting from scratch? Email a new-build brief 074 495 9919
// ALSO_AVAILABLE.SYS
We Also Build Sound Engineering Software
Custom DJ decks, beat makers, studio plugins, and live performance apps — hand-coded and fully yours, same as everything else we build.
EXPLORE_SOUND_ENG →