PREVIEW: Software Development | NETCONFIG

Custom software that fits the way your business actually works

When ready-made software makes your team work around it, we build simple tools that work around you: apps, automations and dashboards on Microsoft’s cloud. And they’re looked after by the same NETCONFIG team that keeps your IT running, secure and backed up.

Leave requests Approved Waiting Approved Approved New Site check Fire exits First-aid kit Signage Submit Sent to finance This week
  • Built around how you workYour process first, software second.
  • Secure from day oneSign-in and permissions done properly.
  • Backed up and looked afterUpdates and support after launch.
  • Your team, trainedIn plain English, at your pace.

Sound familiar?

A few signs it might be time for a tool that fits you, not the other way round.

None of this needs a massive IT project. Often one well-built tool sorts it out.

  • The spreadsheet that runs everything

    Fourteen tabs, three people editing at once and a file called FINAL_v7_REALLY_FINAL. One wrong paste and Monday is ruined.

  • Copy, paste, repeat

    Your team types the same details into your emails, your accounting system and your customer list. It’s slow, it’s boring and it’s where mistakes sneak in.

  • Approvals lost in chat threads

    Leave, quotes and purchase requests get a thumbs-up in a chat, and nobody can find the “yes” later.

  • Reports that take days

    By the time the numbers are pulled together, they’re already out of date.

What we can build for you

Everyday tools that make work lighter. Here’s the kind of thing we build.

Apps that replace the paperwork

Requests, approvals, checklists and inspections on a phone, tablet or laptop. No more printouts, no more lost forms.

Often built with Microsoft Power Apps and Power Automate. Some Microsoft 365 plans already include basic rights to these, so we check your licences first.

Systems that talk to each other

We connect the tools you already use so information flows on its own, instead of being typed in twice.

A front door for customers and staff

A secure place where people log in to submit, track or update things themselves. Fewer “just checking in” emails.

More from the Microsoft 365 you already have

Smarter shared files, team sites and customer records. See SharePoint & CRM solutions.

Bigger ideas, safely in the cloud

For bigger needs, we build web apps on Microsoft Azure, using Microsoft’s data centres in South Africa where the service allows.

Curious about AI helpers too? Chat to our Microsoft Copilot specialists.

Why build software with your managed IT provider?

Software isn’t finished when it goes live. It needs updates, security, backups and someone to call. NETCONFIG has looked after South African businesses’ IT since 1999, so we plan for all of that from day one.

  • Security built in

    Sign-in and permissions are set up properly by people who do cyber security every day.

  • Backed up, not crossed fingers

    Your app’s data sits inside your data protection and backups plan.

  • POPIA in mind

    We think about what personal information you collect, who can see it and where it lives. Pair this with our managed POPIA services.

  • Your people actually use it

    We show your team how it works through user training, in plain English.

  • One number to call

    Support sits with your managed IT services, not with a freelancer who has moved on.

How it works, step by step

Five simple steps, and you’re involved in every one.

  1. 1

    A friendly chat

    Tell us what’s driving everyone mad. No jargon, no obligation.

  2. 2

    Map the process

    We sit with the people who do the work and draw how it really happens.

  3. 3

    Click through a prototype

    You test a sample before we build the real thing.

  4. 4

    Build and test in stages

    You see working parts early and tell us what to tweak.

  5. 5

    Launch, train and look after it

    We go live, train your team and keep it healthy.

How do you pay for it?

Three friendly options, and no surprises.

A clear project price

You get a written quote after we’ve mapped the process.

A monthly subscription

Some solutions can be offered as software as a service, so there’s no big upfront cost.

Ongoing support

Updates and support can sit alongside your managed IT services.

We’ll also tell you honestly if something you already own can do the job. Sometimes the best software project is the one you don’t need.

Support throughout South Africa

Our head office is at 28 Essex Terrace, Westville, Durban, and we provide support throughout South Africa via dedicated technicians.

Workshops, testing and training can happen online, so wherever your team is, we can build with you.

Software development FAQs

The questions people ask us most, answered plainly.

What is custom software development?

Custom software development means building software around your business’s own way of working, instead of changing how you work to fit a ready-made product. It can be as simple as a phone app for site inspections or as involved as a customer portal. NETCONFIG builds and supports these tools on Microsoft’s cloud.

Do I need custom software, or will ready-made software do?

Choose ready-made software when a product already handles your process well, because it’s usually quicker and cheaper. Custom software makes sense when your team keeps working around the tool, re-typing data or chasing approvals. NETCONFIG always checks first whether something you already own, like Microsoft 365, can do the job.

What kind of software does NETCONFIG build?

NETCONFIG builds apps that replace paperwork and approvals, connections between the systems you already use, secure portals for customers and staff, dashboards, SharePoint and customer-record solutions, and cloud apps hosted on Microsoft Azure.

How much does custom software cost in South Africa?

The cost depends on how many screens, users, connections and approvals the solution needs, so there’s no honest one-size price. NETCONFIG gives you a written quote after mapping your process, and some solutions can be paid monthly instead of upfront.

How long does a custom software project take?

Simple automations can take a few weeks, while larger apps and portals take a bit longer. NETCONFIG builds in stages, so you see and test working parts early instead of waiting for one big reveal at the end.

Where is my data stored, and is it POPIA-friendly?

Where the service allows, NETCONFIG can host your solution in Microsoft’s data centres in South Africa, which helps keep personal information in the country. POPIA also covers who can access data and how it’s secured, so we design permissions, backups and security in from the start.

Who looks after the software once it’s live?

NETCONFIG does. As a managed IT services provider, we can support, update, secure and back up your software with the same team that already looks after your IT, so you have one number to call when something needs changing.

Do you only help businesses in Durban?

No. Our head office is at 28 Essex Terrace, Westville, Durban, and we support businesses throughout South Africa through dedicated technicians. Workshops, testing and training can happen online, so wherever your team is, we can build with you.

Bexie, the NETCONFIG purple cow, peeking over the line and saying: Psst, we love questions. Ask away!

Got a process that drives everyone mad?

Tell us about it. We’ll listen, ask a few questions and tell you honestly whether custom software is the right fix, even if the answer is “the app you already own can do this”.