Best software development companies in South Africa
South Africa has a selection of highly-skilled and experienced software development companies that can help businesses build and maintain their digital systems.
For many small and medium businesses in South Africa, an in-house software development team can be costly.
That is one of the many reasons companies prefer to outsource their software design and programming to external specialist providers.
But cost savings are not the only big benefit.
According to Soft Kraft, there are several other advantages to outsourcing development, including:
- Bringing in greater domain knowledge that is likely to exceed that of a smaller in-house operation
- Saving time on hiring and training specialists as in-house employees
- Increasing flexibility for scaling projects over time
- Companies don’t bear responsibility for managing teams
- Allowing businesses to focus on their key offering
Outsourcing also comes with the benefit of gaining access to talent from companies around the globe.
Some markets with large software development outsourcing teams, like India, can also be cheaper than local options.
But there are several advantages to using a South African software development team.
Some of the challenges experienced by businesses that take the international route include language barriers, quality assurance, and piracy.
Having a locally-based team with whom you can engage in person can increase accountability and avoid misunderstandings creeping into product developments.
South African firms also have a better grasp of local businesses’ unique challenges and opportunities.
We’ve compiled a list of five highly-respected local companies that have provided software development services for many years.
BBD Software Development
Founded 38 years ago by Sandra Barone, Tom Budge, and Ralf Dominick, BBD is one of South Africa’s oldest and largest software development firms.
It positions itself as a company with a relaxed environment but high professional standards.
BBD has over 1,000 employees and offers its services in five countries, with a focus on Europe in recent years.
The company has expertise in front-end frameworks like React, React Native and AngularJS, and back-end frameworks such as Node and Spring Boot in Kubernetes containers.
Many of its solutions leverage open-source databases like MongoDB and PostgreSQL, and proprietary tools such as SQL Server and Oracle.
Customers can choose to have these hosted on-premise, in the AWS or Azure cloud, or in a hybrid cloud configuration.
It also prides itself on in-depth experience in building, advising and deploying mini-apps.
These have been used in immediate payment platforms and portals, security gateways, self-service functionality, and sophisticated front-end animations.
Codehesion
Codehesion should be high on your list if you want a high-quality web or mobile app.
The company started as a software innovation house focused on providing automated solutions for multiple industries.
It quickly learnt that there was a gap in the market for a trusted mobile app development company that builds a long-term relationship with its customers.
“We were haunted by stories of project mismanagement of outsourced projects on the one end, and overly-resourced local projects from corporate consultancies on the other end,” the company explains on its website.
Codehesion offers customers the full software product delivery experience, starting with a wireframe and going through the entire development process up to long-term maintenance and support.
Alternatively, businesses with some software development capabilities can use Codehesion’s augmentation service, which allows for “plugging” in and out when needed.
Derivco
Derivco’s speciality is building and maintaining software for local and international ecommerce and online gaming customers.
The Durban-headquartered company also has offices in Pretoria and Cape Town, and several remote employees. Its 2,000-strong workforce spans several countries.
Derivco says it is currently focused on the gaming industry, and its developer teams are constantly refining and improving its sportsbook-, games-, and player account management platforms.
Entelect
Entelect is another large South African software development company, employing roughly 1,200 employees across nine global offices.
Dr Charles Pritchard founded the company in 2001 out of the Wits Electrical Engineering School.
In its two decades of existence, it has grown to offer an extensive list of services, including custom software development for the following:
- Web and mobile apps
- Cloud systems
- DevOps
- Enterprise systems
- Business analysis
- Quality assurance
It has built over 1,000 custom software products to date and, at any point in time, has over 150 active software engineering engagements.
Among its standout products are the Discovery Vitality Health and Rewards programmes, the EasyEquities trading platform, and payment solutions for Vodacom Financial Services.
In addition to custom software development, Entelect also offers data & analytics, experience design, digital transformation, and strategy & advisory services.
New Entelect employees at the company’s Johannesburg office in Melrose Arch.
JustSolve
JustSolve is a capable and reputable company for your software development needs.
Founded by Botha van der Vyver in 2016, JustSolve aims to build world-class software that bridges the gap between pro-code development and low-code technologies.
Its headquarters are in Pretoria, Gauteng, but it also operates two international offices — in London and Sydney.
JustSolve uses a low-code solution from OutSystems for its software development.
This approach is more visually-focused than traditional systems by using drag-and-drop components in a graphical user interface.
The company says this enabled developers with different experience levels to create mobile and web applications with the help of code generation and automation.
Furthermore, it facilitates the fast distribution of software solutions by automating each step of the application life cycle.
JustSolve’s major customers include Anglo American, Avis Fleet, Mediclinic and Life Healthcare.
In addition to software development, JustSolve also offers a range of design and strategy services, including:
- Design Sprint
- Product Discovery
- Support
- Consulting and Advisory
- UI/UX Design
JustSolve employees
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