A Bulawayo studio built on three simple ideas
Forge builds websites, brands and social media for Zimbabwean businesses of every size, from a mall cubicle to a company with several branches.
Say hello on WhatsAppThree ideas
What the studio is built on
Cash is tight, many owners have been let down by developers before, and few have seen a website bring them customers yet. So we built Forge around three ideas.
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Idea one
Keep the first step cheap
Your first step online should be small enough to try without a second thought. A Starter catalogue site is $49, and we build it first, so you see it before you pay. One master template, a written scope and a set delivery time for every plan are how we keep it that low.
- Starter setup, then $8 a month
- $49
- Cubicle Pack, with Starter, WhatsApp Business setup and 20 photo clean-ups
- $69
- To go live once your content arrives
- 2 to 3 days
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Idea two
Make every step up easy
When you're ready for more, moving up costs only the difference in setup fees, and your content, products and design come with you. One team handles the website, the brand and the social media, so you never start again with someone new.
- Starter to Go
- $50
- Go to Plus
- $150
- Plus to Pro
- $350
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Idea three
Earn your trust every month
Most of what we do is monthly service, from maintenance and small changes to reports and social media. That only works if you can see what you're paying for, so every month you get a report in plain language, and after the first three months you're free to leave.
- Report of visits, WhatsApp clicks and enquiries
- Monthly
- First commitment, then month-to-month (12 months on Forge Flex)
- 3 months
- Your domain is registered in your name
- Yours
Who we serve
From a mall cubicle to a company with branches
Every kind of business gets a clear first step and a clear next one, so a conversation with us always leads somewhere.
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Micro traders
Mall cubicles, flea-market and arcade traders, home businesses, and sellers who only use Instagram or WhatsApp.
What they want
To be found, and to have a catalogue link to share instead of sending 40 photos.
Starter and Go websitesFirst stepStarter or the Cubicle Pack$49 or $69 setup
Next stepGo$50 to step up from Starter
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Small formal businesses
Salons, restaurants, clinics, schools and tutors, hardware stores, estate agents and consultants, with 2 to 20 staff.
What they want
To look credible online, and to turn that into enquiries and bookings.
Plans and bundlesFirst stepGo, Plus or the Launch PackFrom $99 setup
Next stepSocial Lite or GrowthFrom $99 a month
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Established companies
Multi-branch retailers, distributors, hospitality, NGOs and businesses selling to the diaspora.
What they want
Online sales, customer accounts, reporting, and systems that connect.
All pricesFirst stepPro, Brand Kit or the Growth PackFrom $499
Next stepEnterprise or Social ProFrom $1,500, or $349 a month
A niche we care about
Businesses selling to Zimbabweans abroad
Families abroad buy groceries, hampers, school fees and building materials for relatives at home. The businesses that serve them need card payments and trust signals more than anyone, and Paynow already takes payments from Zimbabweans abroad.
- Visa, Mastercard and ZimSwitch from Pro
- Payments from abroad through Paynow
How we work
From hello to launch day, and after
Every project follows the same seven steps, so you always know what happens next.
Send your first message-
Within 30 minutes
We reply within 30 minutes
Message us on WhatsApp in business hours and a person replies within 30 minutes. Outside hours, you get a holding message with the time of our next reply.
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Three questions
We ask three questions
What do you sell? How do customers order today? What have you tried online before? Your answers tell us where to start.
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One clear pick
One recommendation, and the step above
We recommend one plan and show you the one above it, so you can compare two clear options instead of wading through every choice.
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Before you pay
You see a preview first
Starter sites are built first and shown on a preview link. Go and above get a homepage preview before the deposit.
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The same day
Deposit and content checklist, the same day
Happy with the preview? You pay the 50% deposit and your content checklist arrives the same day, covering your logo, photos, product list and text. Starter has no deposit; you pay in full before it goes live.
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The date we agreed
Delivered on time, launched together
The delivery clock starts when your content arrives, and the launch date is agreed in writing. We launch the site with you. If your content was on time and we miss the date, your first month of maintenance is free.
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30 days and 3 months
We check in at 30 days and 3 months
We go through your report together and talk about what's working, what to fix, and whether a step up makes sense yet.
House rules
The rules that keep our prices low
They keep every project moving, and they come with your written scope, so nothing surprises you later.
- The clock starts with your content
- Delivery times run from the day we have your logo, photos, product list and text. A content checklist goes out with every deposit receipt.
- 14 and 30 days
- If your content isn't in within 14 days, the project pauses. After 30 days it closes, the deposit covers the work done, and restarting costs $20.
- Revisions
- Starter includes one round of revisions. Every other build and design item includes two.
- Copywriting is an add-on
- You supply the words for your site. If you'd rather not write them yourself, we can, as an add-on.
- Quotes before extra work
- Changes after launch come from your monthly allowance. Anything larger is quoted before it starts.
Our promises
Promises that take the risk out
You shouldn't have to trust a new studio on its word, so these are part of every job we take on.
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See it before you pay
Starter is built first and shown on a preview link. Go and above get a homepage preview before the deposit.
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No lock-in
Maintenance is month-to-month after the first three months (Forge Flex runs for 12), and your domain is registered in your name.
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A launch-date promise
Supply your content on time, and if we miss the agreed launch date, your first month of maintenance is free.
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A report every month
Visits, WhatsApp clicks and enquiries in plain language, so you can see what your monthly fee is doing.
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Spread the cost
Pay 50% now and 50% on approval, spread a bigger setup over 12 months with Forge Flex, or pay a Brand Kit in three instalments.
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A reply within 30 minutes
A real local team in Bulawayo, on WhatsApp. Outside business hours you get a holding message with the time of our next reply.
How we deliver
Power cuts don't stop delivery
We work in the cloud, with UPS and solar backup, so a power cut at the studio doesn't move your launch date.
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Cloud tools
Files, designs and project notes live in the cloud, not on one laptop, so work carries on from anywhere.
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UPS and solar backup
Backup power keeps us connected through a power cut, so your launch date doesn't move.
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Downtime alerts
Every site has uptime monitoring and daily backups. Automatic alerts mean we usually know about a problem before you do.
Projects on schedule
- Mains powerOff
- UPS and solarRunning
- Cloud workspaceOnline
- Client sitesMonitored
Support hours
- Mon
- Tue
- Wed
- Thu
- Fri
- Sat
- Sun
08:00 to 17:00, Saturday to 13:00
We're new
Forge is a new studio. Here's what you can check today.
You won't find a wall of client logos here yet. You will find these, and you can check every one before you spend a dollar.
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Published prices
Every standard price is on this site, in US dollars and before VAT.
See every price -
Scope and dates in writing
What you get and when you get it is written down before work starts, with the house rules that go with it.
How we work -
Starter built before you pay
We build your Starter site first and show it on a preview link. You pay in full before it goes live.
Starter websites -
Your domain, in your name
The domain we register for you is in your name, not ours, so it stays yours whatever happens.
Ask us about it
Partners
Who we work with
We work alongside the people Zimbabwean businesses already turn to for advice. If that's you, we'd like to hear from you.
Talk to us about partnering-
Print shops
They print, we design. Printing is quoted through our partner print shops and billed separately.
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Accountants and tax consultants
They keep the books straight. We help the same businesses get found online and look the part.
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Fiscalisation providers
Enterprise projects can include fiscal invoicing through a ZIMRA-approved virtual fiscal device provider.
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Business associations
Practical help for members going online, including our free monthly workshop, "Get your business found online".
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Bank SME desks
A business opening or growing an account often needs a site, a brand and a way to take payments.
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Tech hubs
Where new businesses start out, and where young designers and developers learn the trade.
Careers
Work with us
Forge is founder-led and growing. If you like making things that work for real businesses, we'd like to see what you've made.
How to apply
- Send your portfolio or CV by email, or on WhatsApp.
- Tell us which role you're interested in and where you're based.
- DesignersLogos, brand kits, social posts and print that looks right from a shop sign to a WhatsApp profile.
- Web developersFast, lightweight sites for slow mobile networks, from one-page catalogues to full online stores.
- Social media managers and content creatorsPosts, short video and content sessions, plus the monthly reports that show clients what's working.
- Sales agents Commission-basedIntroduce local businesses to Forge, in malls, markets and your own network.
Start small
Take the first step. We'll be here for the next one.
Tell us what you sell on WhatsApp. We reply within 30 minutes in business hours and recommend one plan, with the one above it so you can compare.