Grow your business
Attract more customers, improve engagement and increase repeat business.
- Website design
- WhatsApp chatbots
- Customer portals
- Loyalty & rewards systems
Business technology partner · South Africa
We help grow, run and automate your business. We are software.
We design and build practical software that improves customer engagement, streamlines operations and automates business processes — from websites and WhatsApp chatbots to production systems, self-service terminals, integrations and cloud solutions.
Get in TouchSee what we build25+ yearscombined software engineering experience
Mission-criticalproduction systems supporting one of South Africa's largest betting operators
Enterprise-gradeself-service terminal development and hardware integration
Cross-platform.NET 9, Azure and Ubuntu/Linux — the right tool for the job
Level 1 B-BBEE100% Black Female Owned — see our credentials
What we do
Three ways we make your business better
We are not selling programming languages. We solve business problems — and every solution we build does one of three jobs.
Run your business
Get visibility, better reporting and less manual admin across your operations.
- Custom app development
- Production systems
- Operational dashboards
- Reporting solutions
Automate your business
Reduce manual work by connecting software, hardware and cloud services.
- Self-service terminals
- Hardware integration
- Cloud computing
Industries
Industries we serve
Industry-aware software built on real delivery experience across South African businesses.
- Retail
- Manufacturing
- Gaming & Betting
- Hospitality
- Professional Services
- Government
- Financial Services
Why Designative
Practical, reliable, long-term
Business-first thinking
Every project starts with the outcome you need — more enquiries, better visibility, lower costs — not the technology.
Reliable engineering
Production-ready software proven in mission-critical systems running today — on Azure and on Ubuntu.
Rapid MVP to production
Working software early, delivered in stages, then supported for the long term — we build partnerships, not handovers.
Credentials
B-BBEE Status: Level 1
Designative is a Level 1 B-BBEE Empowering Supplier (ICT Sector Codes, Gazette No 40407, 07 November 2016) and a Qualified Small Enterprise. Our company is 100% Black Owned and 100% Black Female Owned.
Partnering with Designative directly improves your own B-BBEE procurement scorecard. Our certificate is available on request.
- Level 1 Contributor
- Empowering Supplier
- Qualified Small Enterprise (QSE)
- 100% Black Female Owned
How we work
From first call to long-term support
Discover
We understand your business, the problem and the outcome that matters.
Design
We map the solution, the scope and a realistic plan.
Build
We build in stages, so you see working software early.
Deploy
We launch on Azure or Ubuntu — or in your environment — tested and secure.
Support
We stay on — monitoring, maintaining and improving.
Technology
A modern, proven stack
Cross-platform by design — the right tool for the job, not a single-vendor stack. Our .NET 9 and PostgreSQL solutions run on Ubuntu servers with zero Windows or SQL Server licensing costs, or on Microsoft Azure — chosen per client.
- .NET 9
- Ubuntu / Linux
- Azure
- PostgreSQL
- Redis
- SQL Server
- React
- REST APIs
- Node.js
- Docker
- Git
- Azure DevOps
- Power BI
FAQ
Questions businesses ask us
How long does a typical software project take?
It depends on scope. A business website or WhatsApp chatbot typically takes 3–6 weeks. Custom applications, portals and production systems usually run 2–6 months, delivered in stages so you see working software early. We agree a realistic timeline during the discovery call before any work starts.
Do you provide support after the project goes live?
Yes. We build long-term partnerships, not one-off deliveries. Every project includes a support arrangement covering fixes, monitoring and improvements, and many of our client relationships span years of ongoing development.
Can you host our website or application?
Yes. We deploy and manage solutions on Microsoft Azure or on Ubuntu servers — your choice — including hosting, backups, monitoring and security updates. We can also deploy into your own environment.
How do you keep software costs down?
We are cross-platform by design. Our .NET 9 applications run on Ubuntu servers with PostgreSQL and Redis, which means zero Windows or SQL Server licensing costs — enterprise reliability without enterprise licensing fees. Where Azure or SQL Server is the better fit, we use those instead. The right tool for the job.
What is your B-BBEE status?
Designative is a Level 1 B-BBEE Empowering Supplier under the ICT Sector Codes and a Qualified Small Enterprise. We are 100% Black Owned and 100% Black Female Owned. Our certificate is available on request — partnering with us directly improves your own procurement scorecard.
Can you integrate with the systems we already use?
Yes — integration is one of our core strengths. We build REST APIs, payment integrations and data integrations that connect your existing accounting, POS, ERP and third-party systems so information flows automatically instead of being recaptured.
How do you handle security?
Security is designed in from the start: encrypted data in transit and at rest, role-based access control, secure API authentication and cloud security best practices. For payment work we follow the requirements of the payment providers we integrate with.
What happens after launch — who maintains the software?
We do, under a maintenance agreement — or we hand over cleanly to your team with documentation and source code. You own what we build for you.