Two separate numbers get confused constantly: what Shopify itself costs, and what it costs to have a store built and set up properly on it. They're not the same bill.
Shopify's own fees
Shopify's plans run from roughly $39–$399/month depending on tier, before you add a single app. That's the platform rent, and it never stops, regardless of who builds your store.
What a proper setup actually costs
Basic professional setup runs R5,000–R15,000. A custom theme, R15,000–R35,000. A fully custom build with real UX work, product architecture and integrations, R35,000–R80,000+. If you're being quoted R2,000 for a "complete Shopify store," ask exactly what that includes, because it isn't a custom build.
The South African payment gateway problem nobody warns you about
Shopify Payments isn't available in South Africa. Every SA store juggles a third-party gateway instead, usually Yoco, PayFast or Peach, each with its own transaction fees stacked on top of Shopify's own cut. This is the single most common surprise cost in every South African Shopify build, and it belongs in your budget from day one, not discovered on your first payout.
The ongoing cost people forget to budget
Apps. A store with 10–15 apps for reviews, upsells, subscriptions and inventory can quietly rack up R2,000–R5,000/month in app fees alone, on top of the Shopify plan. Most stores are paying for at least two or three apps they installed once and never used properly. An app audit, cutting what you don't use, is one of the cheapest wins available to an existing store.
Setup vs rescue
If you're starting fresh, budget for the setup band that matches your ambition. If you're inheriting a store that was set up badly (a common situation), a rescue is usually cheaper than a rebuild, since most of the underlying data and structure can be repaired rather than replaced.
See what a proper Shopify setup or rescue actually includes →