Developer Rental Plans From R15,000/Month
Month-to-month. Cancel with 30 days' written notice. Here's what you get.
Pricing by category
Monthly fees
Recurring, billed monthly.
CRM monthly SLA (Lite or Full, 12 hours of support and development)
R2,999 per month
Local SEO + Blog Content
R3,999 per month
GEO Growth, bundled with Local SEO
R1,499 per month
GEO Growth, standalone
R2,499 per month
Setup costs (once-off)
Paid once to build. Not recurring.
CRM Lite build
R15,000 once-off setup
CRM Full build
R45,000 once-off setup
AI chatbots
From R15,000 once-off setup
Developer rental
A dedicated developer for set hours each week.
Foundation Partner, 20 hours/week
R15,000 per month
Growth Partner, 40 hours/week
R35,000 per month
Enterprise Partner, scoped per engagement
Custom
All prices exclude 15% VAT.
Simple, transparent pricing. No hidden fees.
Developer rental plans
Foundation Partner
Begin your AI partnership with focused, investigative support
Developer rental · monthly fee
- An AI specialist embedded in your team, 20 hours every week
- We investigate and implement your first 3 high-impact workflows
- Get answers fast via dedicated email support
- Monthly 1-on-1 strategy call to map next AI opportunities
- No lock-in - cancel with 30 days' notice, prepaid time refunded pro-rata
Growth Partner
Most popular for growing businesses ready to embed AI deeply
Developer rental · monthly fee
- A full-time AI developer embedded as part of your team
- We investigate and connect up to 5 systems so your data flows seamlessly
- Priority phone support, Mon-Fri 8-6
- Weekly strategy calls to map progress and next priorities
- Your own project manager handling all coordination
- Advanced AI capabilities that scale alongside your growth
Enterprise Partner
For organisations committed to full AI-readiness across their operations
Developer rental
- An embedded AI team of 2-3 developers working inside your business
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance built in
- Priority support from our team Mon-Fri 8-6, while your AI agents run 24/7
- We investigate and integrate every system in your stack - no limits
- Strategic AI roadmap built around your actual business operations
- Change management so your team thrives with AI, not despite it
Full Feature Comparison
| Feature | Foundation Partner R15,000/mo | Growth Partner R35,000/mo Most Popular | Enterprise Partner Custom pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Developer Hours | 20 hrs/week | 40 hrs/week (full-time) | Team of 2-3 |
| System Integrations | 1 system | Up to 5 systems | Unlimited |
| Support Response | Email only | Priority phone, Mon-Fri 8-6 | Priority phone and email, Mon-Fri 8-6 |
| Strategy Calls | Monthly | Weekly | Daily if needed |
| Project Manager | |||
| Custom Reporting | |||
| No long-term contract | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
Month-to-month. Cancel with 30 days' written notice. Upgrades and downgrades take effect on your next billing cycle.
How does this compare to hiring?
Traditional AI Developer Hire
Salary + overhead
benefits, recruitment and training on top
Smart AI Solutions
R35,000
/month for a full-time Growth Partner developer, all-inclusive
No recruitment risk and no training costs. Our headline result: NAPTOSA, 40 hours a week saved. Read the case study
Common Questions About Pricing
How much does AI automation cost in South Africa?
Our plans start at R15,000 a month. Single services start at R8,000 a month. AI chatbots start from R15,000 once-off setup and process automation from R30,000 per workflow. Month-to-month. Cancel with 30 days' written notice.
What if I'm not happy with my AI developer?
Month-to-month. Cancel with 30 days' written notice. You can also upgrade or downgrade, and prepaid services are refunded pro-rata for the unused portion. We'll replace your developer within 48 hours if the fit isn't right.
Can I switch plans later?
Yes. Upgrade or downgrade at any time. Changes take effect on your next billing cycle, with no penalties for switching.
What's included beyond the developer hours?
Every plan includes strategy calls, project management and access to our AI tools library. Growth Partner and Enterprise Partner plans add a dedicated project manager and priority support.
How does annual billing work?
Pay annually and get 2 months free. You pay for 10 months, billed once upfront for the full year. Upgrades are prorated.
How much does AI automation cost in South Africa?
Our developer rental plans start at R15,000 a month. Single services start at R8,000 a month. The Foundation Partner plan gives you a dedicated AI specialist for 20 hours a week, month-to-month.
What's the cheapest way to start with AI in my business?
WhatsApp Business Automation is the lowest-cost entry point, from R8,000 per month. It handles lead capture, automated replies and appointment booking. For broader AI capability, the Foundation Partner plan at R15,000 a month gives you a dedicated AI developer to automate your first 3 workflows, with no long-term contract.
How does Smart AI Solutions pricing compare to competitors?
We offer 11 core services from R15,000 a month, versus GotBot (chatbots only, quote-based) or DVT (enterprise consulting from R500,000+). Unlike most South African AI vendors, we cover AI Developer Rental, Predictive Analytics, CRM automation and WhatsApp under one roof, so there is no need to engage multiple suppliers.
What ROI can I expect from AI automation?
It depends on the use case, so we map the expected savings with you before any work starts. Our headline result is NAPTOSA: 40 hours a week saved, and the full NAPTOSA case study shows how.
Are there hidden fees or setup costs?
No hidden fees. Developer rental plans are all-inclusive: strategy calls and project management are bundled in. For single services, such as AI chatbots (from R15,000 once-off setup) or process automation (from R30,000 per workflow), the scope and total cost are agreed in writing before work starts.
Can I start small and scale up?
Yes. Many clients start on the Foundation Partner plan (R15,000 a month, 20 hrs/week) and move to Growth Partner or Enterprise Partner as their AI programme grows. You can also begin with a single service, such as one automation workflow or a chatbot, then move to a retainer once you see results.
Do you offer monthly or annual contracts?
Both. Monthly billing is month-to-month: cancel with 30 days' written notice. Annual billing gives you 2 months free, billed upfront, on the same terms.
What's included in the AI Developer Rental price?
The rental price covers your developer's dedicated hours (20 or 40 per week), all strategy calls, project management and access to our AI tools library. You own all code and models produced. Third-party platform costs (e.g. OpenAI API usage) are passed through at cost with no markup.
Specific Rand Pricing by Service
Our AI Partnership retainers cover all services below. You can also engage individual services as standalone once-off or monthly projects.
AI Developer Rental
From R15,000 per month
Foundation Partner, 20 hrs/week, or Growth Partner, 40 hrs/week.
AI Chatbots & Assistants
From R15,000 once-off setup
Once-off setup fee, scoped and priced in writing before work begins.
Process Automation
From R30,000 per workflow
Per automated workflow, scoped and priced before work begins.
Predictive Analytics
From R35,000 project
Scoped and priced in writing before work begins.
WhatsApp Business Automation
From R8,000 per month
Includes lead capture, automated replies, and appointment booking.
CRM & Sales Automation
From R15,000 once-off setup
Once-off setup: R15,000 for CRM Lite, R45,000 for CRM Full. Plus the R2,999 per month SLA.
How Our Pricing Compares
We're not the cheapest - we're the most complete. See how Smart AI Solutions stacks up against other South African AI providers. Not sure where to start? Run a free AI Visibility audit for an instant GEO score.
| Feature | Smart AI Solutions Best Value | AI Automated Solutions | GotBot | DVT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Starting Price | R15,000 | R8,000 | Quote-based | R500,000+ |
| Services Included | 11 core services | WhatsApp + CRM only | Chatbots only | Enterprise consulting |
| AI Developer Rental | ||||
| Predictive Analytics | Enterprise only | |||
| No long-term contract | 30 days | 30 days | None | None |
| SME Friendly | Partial |
Competitor pricing reviewed against public websites (May 2026). Prices are indicative and subject to change.
Fixed-Scope Monthly Add-ons
CRM, SEO, GEO and blog packages with a fixed scope. Know exactly what you get and exactly what it costs. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices.
Individual Services
Take any one on its own, or combine them into a bundle below and pay less.
CRM Lite
Essential customer relationship management for businesses that need a solid foundation.
Monthly fee
Setup (once-off): R15,000
Month-to-month SLA
- Customer database and contact management
- Basic pipeline tracking
- Email integration with basic notifications
- Standard dashboards and reports
- 12 hours of development and support time each month
- Lifetime system upgrades while your SLA is active
Best for: Businesses starting their CRM journey or with straightforward needs.
CRM Full
The same monthly SLA as CRM Lite. The difference is the R45,000 build, which adds advanced automation and customer self-service portals.
Monthly fee
Setup (once-off): R45,000
Month-to-month SLA
- Everything in CRM Lite
- Automated email AND WhatsApp follow-ups triggered by customer actions
- Branded self-service portal for your clients
- Customers view and download their own invoices
- Automated statement generation
- Full support ticketing with priority routing and status tracking
- Advanced dashboards, custom reports and KPI tracking
- Multi-step automated workflows across departments
Best for: Businesses needing full operational automation and client self-service.
Local SEO + Blog Content
Dominate local search and establish your business as the authority in your market.
Monthly fee
Setup: no setup fee
6-month minimum
- 8 fully SEO-optimised articles every month
- Full Google Business Profile management and monitoring
- Google Search Console management, indexing and tracking
- Citation building, local keyword targeting and NAP consistency
- On-page SEO: meta titles, descriptions, schema markup, internal linking
- Monthly reporting on rankings, traffic and content performance
Best for: Businesses competing for local search visibility in their service area.
GEO Growth
Get cited by AI search engines - ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Claude and Copilot.
Monthly fee
Setup: no setup fee
Month-to-month
- AI citation tracking across 5+ platforms
- AI-extractable content formatting
- Structured data and entity work
- Monthly AI visibility dashboard
- R2,499 per month as a standalone service
Best for: Businesses that want to be found in AI answers before their competitors are.
Blog Management
14 services. One flat rate. Zero lock-in. A complete content engine for your website.
Monthly fee
Setup: no setup fee
No lock-in, cancel with 30 days' notice
- 4 new articles per month, 1,500 to 3,500 words each
- 2 existing articles refreshed and rewritten
- 8+ custom data visualisation charts
- 4 content briefs and outlines for your approval
- 4 SEO validation reports and 4 schema implementations
- 12 to 20 repurposed social content pieces
- Monthly performance report and editorial calendar
- Every article scored against a 100-point system before publishing
Best for: Businesses that want consistent, authoritative content without hiring a writer.
Bundles That Cost Less
Combining services drops the GEO rate from R2,499 to R1,499 a month.
CRM Lite + SEO
CRM Lite + Local SEO & 8 blogs per month
Setup (once-off): R15,000
Monthly fee
Full CRM Lite, 8 blogs a month, Google Business Profile and Search Console management, 12 hours support and lifetime upgrades.
CRM Lite + SEO + GEO
Everything in CRM Lite + SEO, plus GEO Growth
Setup (once-off): R15,000
Monthly fee
Everything in the CRM Lite + SEO bundle, plus AI citation optimisation across 5+ platforms at the bundled GEO rate.
CRM Full + SEO + GEO
Full CRM + Local SEO & blogs + GEO Growth
Setup (once-off): R45,000
Monthly fee
The complete stack: CRM Full with auto follow-ups, customer portal, invoicing and support tickets, plus SEO, GEO, 12 hours support and lifetime upgrades. Same monthly fee as the CRM Lite + SEO + GEO bundle; the difference is the R45,000 CRM Full build.
What Every CRM Monthly SLA Includes
The same support agreement backs both CRM packages.
Dedicated hours
12 hours per month of support and development time, allocated however you choose.
Lifetime upgrades
System updates, security patches and feature improvements for as long as you are a client, at no extra cost.
Priority bug fixes
Bug resolution within SLA response times.
Custom development
Use your hours for new features or expanded functionality.
Technical support
Direct access to our development team.
System monitoring
Proactive monitoring and performance optimisation.
The Fine Print, Up Front
- All prices exclude 15% VAT.
- Development fees require a 50% deposit to begin, with the balance due on delivery.
- Monthly SLA fees are billed in advance on the 1st of each month.
- SEO requires a minimum 6-month commitment; GEO and CRM are month-to-month with 30 days' notice.
- The 12-hour monthly SLA allocation does not roll over. Additional hours are billed at R350/hour.
Find out where AI will pay off in your business
A free 45-minute call, no commitment. WhatsApp replies same day; email within 1 business day.
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