SANDZ Insights

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thinking about.

Case studies, technical deep-dives and honest writing about building software and running IT for real businesses.

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Case Study · July 2026

Making Old Cameras Smart: AI Alerts on the CCTV You Already Own

A business had cameras recording everything and alerting no one. We added an AI layer that knows a person from a passing car — and sends a WhatsApp with a snapshot the moment it matters.

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Case Study · July 2026

Menu Boards That Update Themselves: Digital Signage Across Every Branch

A franchise was reprinting boards and driving them between branches. We built a system where a price changes once and every screen everywhere follows — and recovers itself after a power cut.

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Case Study · July 2026

From Spreadsheet to Sales Engine: A CRM and Smart Dialer for an Outbound Team

An outbound team dialled by hand and lost follow-ups in a spreadsheet. We built a CRM with click-to-call, automatic logging, and follow-ups that chase the agent instead of the other way around.

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Guide · July 2026

What Custom Software Really Costs in South Africa (2026)

Honest price ranges for custom software — small automations to full platforms — what moves the number, and when you should NOT build custom at all.

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Guide · July 2026

VoIP for Small Business in South Africa: Real Costs, Real Setup

What switching to VoIP really involves — costs, number porting, call quality, hosted vs your own PBX — from a team that runs fleets of them.

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Guide · July 2026

Running Your Business on WhatsApp: Doing It Properly

Personal WhatsApp vs the Business app vs the API — what each tier costs, and where automation genuinely helps SA small businesses.

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Guide · May 2026

Life After VMware: The Open-Source Infrastructure We Now Deploy

When Broadcom ended VMware's free ESXi licence, smaller businesses felt it hardest. The open-source alternative we now deploy and support — and what it means for cost and control.

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Case Study · May 2026

From Whiteboard to Web App: Building an Operations Manager for a Cape Town Bakery

Production runs on a whiteboard, deliveries over WhatsApp group chats. We built a connected operations system that changed how the whole business runs.

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Guide · May 2026

Server Monitoring Without the Enterprise Price Tag

One clear screen showing the health of every server you run — without an enterprise monitoring subscription.

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Engineering · May 2026

The R800 Agent Station: How a Raspberry Pi Kept Thousands Employed During Lockdown

We built a custom Raspberry Pi softphone terminal for a large contact centre. When COVID hit, every agent unplugged their station, put it in a bag, and went home. Thousands kept working.

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