Frequently Asked Questions

We work across three divisions: Elestack Cloud (managed IT, hosting, and cybersecurity), Elestack Digital Solutions (custom software, automation, and platform building), and Elestack Security (CCTV, access control, turnstiles, and alarm systems for commercial premises). Whatever the entry point, we aim to be a single accountable partner rather than another vendor to manage.

Pricing varies based on the scope and complexity of your project. Our hosting services have tiered plans starting from R349/month for VPS Hosting. Custom development and consulting services are quoted based on scope, timeline, and team requirements. We provide detailed quotes after an initial discovery consultation.

Our security audits include code review, dependency scanning, infrastructure evaluation, access control assessment, data handling review, secrets management verification, deployment pipeline review, incident response planning, compliance evaluation, and a detailed remediation roadmap. The typical audit takes 2-4 weeks and results in a 50-70% risk reduction in the first three months.

Platform development timelines vary based on complexity and scope. A typical engagement follows four phases: Discovery & Design (weeks 1-4), Foundation Build (weeks 5-12), Frontend & Integration (weeks 13-18), and Launch & Stabilize (weeks 19-24). We provide a detailed timeline during the discovery phase.

Our VPS hosting includes full root access, DDoS protection at layer 3 and 4, instant provisioning, daily automated backups with one-click restore, optional cPanel/WHM integration, and South African-based support. We focus on reliability, security, and performance rather than lowest-cost commodity hosting.

Choose based on your current traffic and projected growth. The Starter plan (R349/mo) handles most small applications. The Professional plan (R4,999/mo) is suitable for high-traffic sites, SaaS platforms, and gaming servers. We recommend leaving 30-40% headroom and upgrading as you grow rather than over-provisioning upfront.

Yes, daily automated backups are included with all VPS plans. You can restore via one-click in the control panel. We recommend testing restore procedures monthly to ensure backups are working correctly. Long-term archival backups are available as an add-on.

We guarantee 99.9% uptime with SLA credits if we fail to meet this. This is based on our infrastructure monitoring and does not include planned maintenance windows (typically scheduled quarterly with advance notice).

Our Website Security service protects against malware, SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), DDoS attacks, credential stuffing, bot traffic, malicious file uploads, and ransomware. Daily automated scans detect threats and alert you immediately.

We detect threats via daily automated scans and provide real-time alerts. Our Professional plan includes one-click malware cleanup. For critical threats, we recommend immediate isolation while our team assists with remediation.

Our Website Security actually improves performance. The global CDN accelerates content delivery and filters threats at the edge, resulting in 50% faster average load times. The WAF adds minimal latency (typically <10ms) for legitimate traffic.

Yes, 100%. You own all intellectual property and the codebase. We provide clear ownership and full documentation so your team can maintain and extend the system independently post-launch.

We provide post-launch support through the Launch & Stabilize phase (typically 4-8 weeks). This includes optimization, monitoring, performance tuning, and guidance as users interact with the system. Extended support packages are available if needed.

Yes, we regularly augment engineering teams. We can integrate seamlessly with your existing processes, provide knowledge transfer, and document systems for long-term maintainability. We focus on building systems your team can confidently own.

We use proven, widely-adopted technologies: Node.js, Python, or Go for backend; React for frontend; AWS, Azure, or GCP for infrastructure; and PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or DynamoDB for data. We choose based on your specific requirements, not vendor preference.

Our infrastructure and processes are designed to support GDPR and POPIA compliance. We implement data minimization, encryption, user access controls, and audit logging. We work with your legal team to ensure compliance meets your specific regulatory requirements.

Our team holds industry certifications including AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), and various security certifications. More importantly, we focus on delivering secure, compliant systems rather than collecting certifications.

We have established incident response procedures: detection via monitoring and logging, containment (isolating affected systems), investigation (forensic analysis), remediation (fixing root causes), and communication (transparent notification of affected parties). We emphasize rapid response and complete transparency.

Yes. Elestack Security designs and installs CCTV, access control, turnstiles and gates, and alarm systems for commercial premises — offices, retail, warehouses, and multi-tenant sites. For larger industrial and mining sites we also offer drone-based aerial surveillance and fibre optic perimeter detection. We start with a site assessment so the system is designed around how your premises are actually used, not fitted to a generic package.

Pricing depends on equipment, the number of cameras or access points covered, and site complexity, so we don't publish a flat rate. We scope your site first and provide a fixed quote before any work begins — see the Elestack Security section on our Pricing page.

Physical installation work is site-based, so we prioritize Gauteng and surrounding areas. Reach out with your location and we'll confirm whether we can service your site directly.

In many cases, yes. During the site assessment we review what's already installed and design around it where it makes sense, rather than defaulting to a full rip-and-replace.

Contact us to schedule a discovery consultation. We discuss your goals, constraints, and technical requirements. After discovery, we provide a detailed proposal with scope, timeline, team composition, and pricing. You can book a consultation on our Quote page.

For an accurate quote, we need: your project goals and success metrics, current technical stack (if any), timeline requirements, team composition (dedicated vs. augmentation), budget range, and any compliance or security requirements. The discovery call typically gathers all this information.

Yes, we offer several support models: project-based engagement (fixed scope and timeline), time and materials (hourly or weekly), dedicated team augmentation, and ongoing support packages. Choose the model that matches your needs and budget.

Discovery typically takes 1-2 weeks. Proposal and agreement takes 1-2 weeks. Actual project delivery ranges from 4 weeks for small features to 24+ weeks for complex platforms. We provide detailed timelines based on your specific scope during discovery.