What should a logo cost, and what should you get for it?
The price range for a logo in South Africa is wider than for almost anything else a business buys. Here is what actually separates the ends of it.
The short version
- You are paying for the thinking and the file pack, not the drawing time.
- Insist on vector files. Without them you will pay again at the sign writer.
- A cheap logo is a fine starting point if you get the source files.
- Get the ownership of the artwork confirmed in writing.
Why the range is so wide
| Price | What it usually is | Reasonable when |
|---|---|---|
| R300 – R900 | A marketplace gig or a template with your name set in it | Testing an idea, very early stage |
| R1,500 – R4,000 | An original mark, a few concepts, basic files | Most small businesses starting out |
| R4,000 – R12,000 | Discovery, concepts, revisions, full file pack, colour and type system | A business investing in looking established |
| R15,000+ | Full identity: brand guidelines, applications, stationery, signage artwork | Multi-location, franchising, or a rebrand |
The drawing itself might take a similar amount of time at every level. What scales is the research behind it, the number of directions explored, and how much usable material you walk away with.
The files you must insist on
This is the part people discover too late, usually at a sign writer or printer. Whatever you pay, get these:
- Vector source files — .ai, .eps or .svg. These scale to any size without blurring. A printer will ask for one. A JPG is not a substitute.
- A transparent PNG — for placing on coloured backgrounds and in documents.
- A one-colour version — solid black and solid white, for stamps, embroidery and vinyl.
- Your exact colour codes — HEX for screens, CMYK for print, and Pantone if you will print often.
- Font names and where to license them — so future material matches.
If a quote does not mention vector files, ask before you pay. Being handed only a JPG means paying someone to redraw your own logo the first time you order signage.
What about R500 logos?
They are not a scam and they have a place. A new business testing an idea has better uses for R8,000 than a brand identity.
Two rules make them safe. First, get the source files and written confirmation that the artwork is yours. Second, treat it as temporary, and budget to replace it once the business is established, rather than building signage and a vehicle wrap around something you will regret.
The genuine risks are template marks sold to several businesses at once, and stock icons used without a licence. Both surface eventually, usually at the worst time.
Ownership, briefly
In South African copyright law, the person who creates a work generally owns it unless it is assigned in writing or created by an employee in the course of employment. Paying an invoice does not automatically transfer copyright.
So ask for a line in the quote or invoice confirming that full rights in the final artwork transfer to you on payment. Any professional will include it without hesitation. We are not attorneys, so get advice if the brand is central to your business.
How we price it
We scope logo and branding work per project rather than listing a fixed price, because the honest answer depends on how much discovery and how many applications you need. What is consistent: original marks, the full file pack described above, and written transfer of rights when the project is paid.
Get a fixed branding quote
Answer our twenty discovery questions and we can usually quote accurately in one conversation.