Matt Botha/Frontend developer/Pretoria
I build thingspeoplewant to use
Hello, I'm Matt, a frontend developer in Pretoria. I build websites for businesses that are fast, accessible, and thoughtfully designed around the people using them.
PRETORIA
- SAST
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- REPLIES IN
- ~1 DAY
I build websites that feel good to use. Fast pages, thoughtful details, and interfaces that don't make people think harder than they need to. By day, I design and build features for a banking platform used across multiple countries and currencies. Outside work, I enjoy helping businesses look professional online without making the process complicated or expensive.
If you own a café, studio, shop or small practice, you probably don't need a complicated website. You need one that loads quickly, works on every phone, shows up when someone Googles you, and is easy to update six months from now. That's the kind of site I like building. Accessible, reliable, and genuinely useful—not just nice to look at.
The short version: you will always know what is happening, and you will never have to decode an email from me.
I ask before I build
I don't jump straight into making things. I'll ask questions, look at what you're trying to achieve, and make sure we're solving the right problem before worrying about the implementation.
I care about the details
Once the bigger picture is right, I get quite particular about the little things. Spacing, typography, interactions — the stuff that makes a website feel considered rather than merely finished.
I like working together
You know your business better than I do. I bring the web/design/technical side, you bring the context, and the best work usually comes from somewhere in the middle.
I keep things moving
You shouldn't have to wonder whether anything is happening. I'll keep you updated, flag questions when they come up, and make sure you know what's happening next.
If you run a small business and need a website, this part is for you. I build sites that look good, load quickly, and don't need much fuss once they're up and running.
You send a message
Send me a little about the business and what you're hoping the website will do. No need for a polished brief, we'll figure out the details together.
We agree what it is
A short call or an email thread. We settle how many pages, what goes on them, and what you will need from me afterwards. You get a clear price before anything starts.
I build it
You'll be able to click around the real thing as I build it, rather than trying to picture it from screenshots. One round of changes is expected and included.
It goes live
The site goes live and I hand everything over to you. I'll show you how to make simple changes yourself, and if you'd rather I handle those for you, we can arrange that separately.
What I build
- Landing pages and small multi-page sites.
- Fast on any device, not just on my machine.
- Accessible sites — real keyboard support, real contrast, screen readers work.
- Yours at the end. The code and the domain are in your name.
What I keep simple
- The technology — no unnecessary layers or tools.
- The experience — clear navigation and nothing to figure out.
- The maintenance — things you can manage without me.
- The code — simple where it can be, careful where it needs to be
Freelance work, a role, or a question about something above. All three land in the same inbox.
Or email directly
A reasonable amount of my personality is just enthusiasm about things nobody asked me to explain.
Aquascaping
Building tiny underwater landscapes in glass, then spending months negotiating with algae about who is in charge. It is gardening, plumbing and chemistry at the same time, and the reward is a very calm box of nature in the lounge.
House plants
More of them than is strictly sensible. I know which windows get what light through the day, and I have opinions about drainage that I try not to share unprompted.
Building PCs
I enjoy putting computers together almost as much as I enjoy using them. Cable routing gets more attention than it probably deserves, and I have strong opinions about things most people never see.
Gaming
The reason the PC exists, officially. In practice I spend a suspicious amount of that time adjusting settings rather than playing.
Cars and coffee
An excuse to get out early on a Saturday, drink good coffee, and look at old cars I have no business wanting.
For the technically inclined, there is another side to this site. You'll find my experience, some of the projects I've worked on, the tools I tend to use, and significantly fewer cool illustrations.