In today’s blog post, you are going to learn more about Wix in South Africa.
You will learn how to create a website for free in South Africa and start making money online.
If this is something you are looking for, continue reading.
What is Wix in South Africa?
Wix is a website builder that makes it easy to create and update your own professional, mobile-friendly site.
You can also add eCommerce tools if you want to sell products online – all from one intuitive user interface!
See, there are two proven ways to create a website;
a). Hire a web designer
A web designer is a professional specializing in creating functional websites using code and other tools.
Whenever you want to own a website, you can talk to one and they will do it for you.
The downside?
You will have to pay.
In fact, the cost of website design in South Africa ranges from R500 to R50 000.
In the end, how much you will pay the designer comes down to two things;
One, the type of website you are creating, and two, who you’re getting it from.
However, if you feel like R50K is too much, there is another way to create a website in South Africa.
b). Do it yourself
Yes, it is very much possible to create a website by yourself.
All you need is a domain name and hosting account and you are sorted.
Then install any CMS you like like WordPress and start publishing articles.
But there is a problem.
In any of these methods, you must spend some money in the end.
If you go with the designer, you pay a ton of money to get a few fixes.
And if you decide to do it yourself, it might cost you a lot of time and money in the end.
There is a quick fix to this
And that is using a website builder like OLITT and Wix.
A website builder provides tools for creating and managing websites of all sorts, from blogs to brochure sites to online stores in South Africa.
Think of it as the swiss knife for creating websites.
Better part?
You get a free domain and free hosting?!
How can you get started?
Well, that is where Wix comes in.
All you have to do is create an account, pick a template, do quick editing, and publish your free website.
Sounds simple?
We will cover a tutorial of Wix in South Africa.
Does Wix Work in South Africa?
Yes, Wix works in South Africa because it is a global website builder that works in every country around the world.
The tool offers over 500 localized versions of their site-building platform and even provides local customer support for them all!
This means any company or individual anywhere on Earth can use the Wix website to build an online presence no matter where they are based.
How do I get started on Wix in South Africa?
To get started, head over to https://www.wix.com
Click on Get Started.
The next step is to sign up.
You have three options;
- Use email and password – remember to use a valid email because that is where every Wix’s communication will be send
- Sign up using your Facebook profile. This works only if you have associated your Facebook account with a valid email address
- Using Google account. Here, you just log in with one click using your Gmail account. This is the best way because you won’t have to use any passwords.
Once you have successfully created an account, Wix will ask you a few questions.
These will help them suggest useful tools you can you, thus streamlining the website creation process for you.
However, you have an option to skip this whole process, but it is recommended you follow through especially for beginners.
Choosing between Wix editor and Wix ADI
The next step is choosing between Wix editor and ADI.
These are two tools you can use to create a stunning website, but work differently.
BUT, with the ADI option, the website is created for you (after answering a few questions) unlike using the templates where you pick a template and do the editing by yourself.
Which one should you choose?
- Go with the Wix ADI if you are a complete beginner building your first website and have no idea how the editor works.
- Use the ADI if you are in hurry or just test-driving the capabilities of Wix in South Africa.
- Go with the templates editor if you are looking for stunning hands-on experience in building a website in South Africa
In this tutorial of Wix in South Africa, we are going to use Wix Editor.
How to use Wix editor in South Africa
The first step is picking a website template.
A template is a pre-made website with all the building blocks in place with demo data.
All you have to do is replace the demo data with your own.
Now, to pick the best template, use the categories tab to narrow down your search.
For example;
If you are building a news website, click on News & Business category.
This brings up several website templates perfect for a news website.
Sort through them and pick the one you like.
Click View to preview how it looks like, and Edit to start editing.
This is how the Wix editor looks like;
Use the menu on your left to navigate Wix in South Africa.
For example;
Click on Menus & Pages to access your website pages.
To edit, say your Blog page, click on Blog.
And to add a new page, click on + Add Page.
To edit text, double click on a block containing text, delete what’s in there and type your own.
To add or change an image; click on the image >> Change Image
You will be taken to the Wix media library.
This is where you can upload custom images and files to be used on your website in South Africa.
Add files here by uploading them from your computer.
You can also view your website on mobile devices;
TIP;
The easiest way to understand what an icon does on Wix editor in South Africa is to hover on it for a few seconds.
And a short description will pop up.
To add a section or a block, click on the (+) button;
And pick from the list the element you’d wish to add.
Once you are satisfied with your editing, click on publish.
Wix Apps Market
The Wix App Market is the one-stop-shop of all available apps built specifically for website builders like those from Wix.
This includes tools such as web hosting, online storage space (called “Cloud”), eCommerce options, marketing solutions – even accounting packages are available here!
The app market allows users to find exactly what they’re looking for without any extra steps or even needing to leave the site.
All you have to do is access the marketplace, search your preferred app and install it on your Wix website in South Africa.
For example;
You can turn your Wix blog into an online shop by installing the Wix eCommerce app.
And you can start selling products immediately.
Think of it as plugins for Wix websites.
Wix pricing in South Africa
Is Wix free?
Yes, you can create a website completely free on Wix, but there are premium plans.
The free plan comes with a 500MB free hosting space and 500MB bandwidth.
On their premium plans, you get to pay from as low as $4.50 per month and get;
- 1GB bandwidth
- Ability to connect a custom domain
- Get a free SSL certificate
- 500MB storage
The difference between this basic plan and the free plan is the increased bandwidth limit and support of a custom domain.
If you wish to access more premium features like priority customer support and access to the analytics apps, you will have to part with at least $12.50 per month.
Wix Business & eCommerce Plans
If you’d wish to create an eCommerce website in South Africa and accept payments, you will need Wix business plans.
They start from R246.71 per month.
These plans give you access to secure payment gateways, unlimited bandwidth, at least 20GB of hosting space, and the ability to upload unlimited products among others.
Wix free plan vs premium plan
| Features | Free Plan | Premium Plan |
| Domain | Comes with free Wix extension; yourwebsite.wix.com | You can connect a custom domain like yourbusiness.com |
| Wix ads | Shows ads | No ads |
| Storage | 500MB | From 1GB |
| Bandwidth | Metered at 500MB | Above 1GB |
| Online payments | Not included | Available on business plans |
| Customer support | supported | Priority support |
| Google Analytics | Not included | Included |
Why should you use Wix in South Africa?
Here are some Pros;
Support HTML/CSS
Wix support for HTML/CSS includes live previewing and extensive code editing support.
Easy and Free
Also, it is easy and free to get started with Wix!
You can build your own professional, mobile-friendly website without paying any monthly fees as many other services require you to do in order to have access to their templates.
Mobile-friendly sites
Wix is a website builder that makes it easy to create and update your own professional, mobile-friendly site.
Online stores
You can also add eCommerce tools if you want to sell products online – all from one intuitive user interface without touching code.
You don’t need design skills
Wix has a template library with thousands of ready-made layouts, designs, and stock photos!
Site Builder
If you’re not comfortable using the editor on your site then Site Builder is an option for those who want more control over where the content appears on their page.
With this feature, you can move things around and edit text sizes as well as colors but it takes some getting used to if you haven’t done anything like that before.
Cons;
- Doesn’t remove ads on the free plan
- Wix is SEO is tedious
- Limited storage and bandwidth
- Doesn’t allow custom domain on the free plan
Is Wix worth it?
Truth is, Wix is not the right choice for advanced users but it will be a good fit if you don’t want to spend more than R300 on a website per month.
It is also recommended for beginners and those looking for free web hosting and domains in South Africa.