Google Workspace Setup, Migration & Support for East London Businesses

From new Google Workspace deployments and Gmail migration to Google Drive, Shared Drives, Meet and Calendar configuration — New Perspective Design handles the full Google Workspace environment for small and medium businesses in East London and across South Africa. Correctly configured from day one so your team can collaborate, communicate and work from anywhere without technical barriers.

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Google Workspace deployment domain verification Gmail setup East London

Google Workspace services that help you operate more efficiently

How a Correctly Configured Google Workspace Account Connects Your Website, Marketing, AI Tools and Business Systems Into One Operation

Most businesses set up Google Workspace for email and stop there. What they have actually provisioned, once the account is correctly configured, is the authentication and access layer that controls their website performance data, their advertising platforms, their AI productivity tools, their CRM, their accounting software, and every automated workflow that connects those systems together. Gmail is the entry point. The rest of the platform is what makes a properly set up Google Workspace environment genuinely valuable to a growing South African business.

The most immediate connection is between your Google Workspace account and Google’s core business intelligence platforms. Google Search Console, which tells you how your website is performing in organic search, which pages Google has indexed, and where technical errors exist, authenticates through your Google Workspace account. Google Analytics, which tracks visitor behaviour on your website, traffic sources, and conversion performance, does the same. Google Ads, which manages your paid search and display campaigns, is tied to the same Google identity. When these platforms are accessed through correctly provisioned Google Workspace business accounts rather than personal Gmail addresses, your marketing data sits inside your organisation. Access is assigned centrally and revoked centrally. When a staff member leaves, you do not lose admin access to your own advertising account because it was registered to their personal email.

NotebookLM and Gemini for Workspace sit on top of this same foundation. NotebookLM is available to anyone with a Google Workspace account, with qualifying Workspace plans providing access to higher limits and additional features. Google Workspace For businesses NPD configures on Google Workspace, this means your team gets access to an AI research and document analysis tool that is grounded in your own uploaded sources — policy documents, product catalogues, client proposals, technical specifications — without that data being used to train external models. Workspace users can now add notebooks from NotebookLM as a source directly in the Gemini app, allowing them to build on a specific knowledge base with Gemini’s conversational and content creation capabilities. Google Workspace Gemini for Workspace integrates directly into Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Meet — meaning the AI layer sits inside the tools your team already uses daily, not as a separate application requiring a separate login.

For this to work correctly across your organisation, it needs to be enabled and configured at the Admin Console level. NotebookLM is managed through the Google Admin Console under Generative AI settings, where it can be turned on or off per organisational unit or access group. Google Support A Google Workspace deployment that was not set up with the Admin Console properly configured will either have these tools disabled without the business knowing, or have them enabled without the appropriate data protection and access policies in place.

Domain verification is where the Workspace and website relationship becomes technically critical. To connect Google Search Console to your website, verify your domain for Google Ads conversion tracking, or authenticate your business domain inside any Google platform, you need to add verification records to your DNS. That same DNS zone controls your MX records routing email into Gmail, your SPF and DKIM records authenticating outbound mail, and your DMARC policy governing how receiving servers handle failed authentication. A Workspace deployment without clean DNS configuration makes every subsequent platform connection a troubleshooting task. It also means outbound email from QuickBooks, Sage, or Zoho CRM sent using your Google Workspace domain may fail authentication checks at the receiving end, landing in spam or failing delivery entirely, not because of a problem with your accounting software or CRM, but because the email infrastructure beneath it was never properly set up.

Google Calendar integrations connect your Workspace account directly to your website. Booking systems, appointment scheduling widgets, and consultation request tools embedded in WordPress authenticate through Google OAuth using your Workspace credentials. If your Admin Console security policies block third-party OAuth access, or if the consent configuration was not set up correctly during deployment, those booking integrations stop working. Clients attempting to book through your website get errors. Calendar events that should appear in your team’s Google Calendar do not arrive. The business loses bookings with no visible failure on the website itself.

Google Drive and Shared Drives connect into your website and CRM in the same way. Client portals, document download pages, and contract repositories linked from WordPress that pull content from Google Drive depend on correctly provisioned sharing permissions and stable API access. Zoho CRM’s Google Workspace integration, which syncs Gmail correspondence, Google Calendar events, and contact records into your CRM pipeline, requires OAuth consent granted at the organisational level through the Admin Console — not just for a single user account. Without that, the CRM integration authenticates for one person and fails for everyone else.

At New Perspective Design, every Google Workspace deployment is configured with all of these connections in mind from day one. DNS is structured to support email delivery, domain verification across Search Console, Google Ads and Meta Business Suite, and third-party platform authentication simultaneously. Admin Console policies are set to enable NotebookLM, Gemini for Workspace, and legitimate third-party OAuth connections, while applying the access controls and data protection settings that keep your business information secure. User accounts are provisioned with the correct organisational unit assignments so that AI tool access, sharing policies, and application permissions apply consistently across your team.

For businesses in East London and across South Africa, this means your Google Workspace environment is not just an email platform. It is the foundation your website, your marketing, your AI tools, and your business systems are built on — and it is configured to work as exactly that from the start.

Welcome to New Perspective Design – South Africa’s Foremost Web Design Expert

When creating this web design page dedicated to our website design services in South Africa, we thought: what can we, as a website design company, write on this page that will be most helpful to our clients and users in general?
And so, we came to our first point to address: education.

Educating clients on website design is integrally important. After all, they need to know what they are buying—whether it is a website design package, a standard brochure website, or an e-commerce online store website. Educating clients on the different websites available to them, their pros and cons, and how to manage their website has always been a part of our process when working with clients.

What is a website?

A website is a collection of web pages hosted on a server and accessible through the internet, typically via a domain name. It can serve many purposes—sharing information, selling products, offering services, or providing entertainment. Websites can be static (showing fixed information) or dynamic (interactive and regularly updated). In today’s world, a website is often the main point of contact between a business and its audience.

Is a website important for business in South Africa?

The numbers would say yes:

Approximately 237,400 websites in South Africa are currently powered by WordPress

As of 2025, there are approximately 18,626 live Shopify stores in South Africa

Having a website isn’t just a nice extra anymore—it’s essential. When someone hears about your business, the first thing they’ll do is look you up online. And what they find really counts. If your site feels outdated, takes forever to load, or isn’t mobile-friendly, you might be losing potential customers without even realizing it.

A well-designed site builds trust with visitors. On the flip side, a poorly designed one can send leads running away. It really is that straightforward.

If your website frustrates users, they’ll just click away. If they can’t quickly find what they’re after, they’ll go elsewhere. And if it looks shady or cheap, they won’t reach out to you. That can hit your bottom line, whether you rely on ads or word of mouth.

A solid website does three things well:

Establishes credibility: Clean, organized, professional-looking sites tell visitors you’re serious.
Boosts search visibility: Fast, mobile-friendly sites with good layout help you rank higher on Google.
Guides visitors effectively: Every page should serve a purpose—whether it’s getting a quote, booking, or contact info.

If your site isn’t doing these, you’re not just missing out on sales—you could be actively losing them.

The role of web hosting in website design

Think about the website that we design as a flashy sports car—your hosting is the tires of that car. It’s where the website will live on the internet, how fast your website serves to visitors, how secure it is—and it’s all greatly determined by your hosting.

It doesn’t help getting a flashy car and putting on trashy old tires; it won’t perform. The same can be said for a website. If you have a CPU-intensive or memory-intensive e-commerce website, we can implement better coding and some caching, but ultimately your server needs a good amount of RAM, a great TTFB, CPU, and a solid base to work from.

What is a CMS and which is the best to pick in South Africa?

A CMS (Content Management System) is software that allows you to create, manage, and modify content on a website without needing extensive coding knowledge. There are hundreds—if not thousands—of CMS platforms in the world.

In South Africa, a few CMS systems are particularly popular.

WordPress websites

WordPress usage in South Africa (WooCommerce/WordPress) → 46%

WordPress is incredibly flexible when it comes to website design and development. Originally a blog platform, WordPress as a CMS can now be altered to create simple business websites, RFQ websites, and, with WooCommerce, is incredibly popular for e-commerce.

The advantage of WordPress is its flexibility and cost. You can do pretty much anything you want on WordPress with a massive developer community behind it and thousands of plugins for just about anything you need your website to do. It is by far the most flexible option.

The massive amount of documentation available online on WordPress development and its API make it developer-friendly and allow all this flexibility. However, WordPress has a bit of a steeper learning curve, requires more website maintenance than other CMSs, and, if not looked after, can become unsecure.

Wix websites

Wix runs about 11% of South Africa’s websites.

Wix is another CMS platform. It’s great if you want to get a basic website up quickly, need a drag-and-drop builder, and want a company to handle hosting for you. However, if you intend on scaling your website as your business grows, you will soon hit the limitations of the platform.

Vendor locking with Wix is also a problem—your site is on their platform, and if you want to move it, you’ll need to rebuild it completely. Being another highly controlled environment, Wix websites are generally safe and pretty fast, but this comes at a cost—you can’t tweak everything to perfection like you can on WordPress.

Shopify websites

Shopify is a CMS on a platform. Shopify runs about 30% of the e-commerce web in South Africa.

Shopify is an e-commerce platform only. It has a strict environment that doesn’t allow for too much flexibility, but this ensures that their sites remain secure and fast. Secure and fast means user-friendly, and generally, Shopify sites are clean and come with hosting integrated.

Shopify can be customized with developers and also has an app store similar to the WordPress plugin repository. The cost of Shopify, especially for South Africans, can be a bit of an issue as you will pay in dollars. Almost every plugin and every function will be another add-on subscription, which can amount to thousands of dollars very quickly—an incredible amount in South African rands.

The last thing about Shopify is that the website you create on their platform is not yours—it’s theirs. They have the right to terminate it whenever they feel like it, and you cannot move it away, so beware of vendor lock-in here.

In South Africa’s e-commerce sector, WordPress (via WooCommerce) powers nearly half of all online stores, with Shopify holding about a third, and Wix just over a tenth.

What is the cost of a website in South Africa?

The cost of a website can depend on various factors. These include the number of pages, the functionality of the site, the language it’s written in, and the platform it’s designed on.

In South Africa, most websites are HTML, WordPress, Wix, or Shopify, and most website designers or web design companies generally sell websites at between R5,000 – R50,000 once-off. The average website designer in South Africa charges R275 per hour for work.

Of course, some of these platforms and agencies have monthly fees instead of once-off websites. Other considerations also include third-party tools often needed with websites, hosting and maintenance, and lastly, digital marketing.

What are considered affordable website design packages in South Africa?

Now that you know what website design is and the different types of websites that there are, you will find these are often bundled in packages with features commonly required by businesses.

You might get a 5-page basic package with basic SEO and hosting, or an online store website design package. There are also custom packages when businesses require more complex functionality such as listing websites.

In South Africa, you can look at the following averages for website design packages:

A typical small-business 5-page site runs between R6,000 and R16,000.
A business website (typically 8–16 pages) averages R14,000, ranging from R7,500 to R20,000.
An e-commerce site costs between R13,000 and R25,000, averaging R19,000.

Patent web design process

Step 1: Consultations

Our web design process always starts with a consultation. We take the time to understand your business and, more importantly, what you require your website to do and how it fits into the bigger picture of your business.

Step 2: Scoping

After the consult, we create a scope of the project. This makes sure our team and yours are aligned in terms of what is required and when it should be delivered.

Step 3: Drafting your website

We issue a content requirements folder in which you place all your website content. If you have made use of our website copywriting services, we will write the content for you. Images and media provided will be prepped by our graphic design team, and we will design the draft of your website.

Once complete, this draft website will be deployed on one of our test servers where it will wait for your review.

Step 4: Review website

This is where you get to see the full working prototype of your website from your own devices. We will meet and discuss any revisions that are required. While we do in-house testing, we often find that when clients run through their website on their own devices, a broader set of testing helps us iron out all the wrinkles.

Step 5: Go live

This is where we deploy your site on its live web hosting server. We also perform all the other tasks that can only be done once a website is on its live server, such as:

Setting up web application firewalls
Submitting your site to Google
Setting up mail SMTP and forms
Implementing caching
Connecting any APIs that your website requires

You are then also provided with a basic training video on how to use, edit, and work with your website. Lastly, we hand over your web server credentials and any other logins that you will require.

Step 6: Post web launch support

New Perspective Design is unique in that, even if you don’t have a website maintenance or SEO package with us, we provide support for 30 days post-launch. We create websites that we want to see around for a long time, and so we are just as invested in their success as you are.

And if a year down the line you find yourself in need of some new features or SEO work, feel free to get hold of us. We love working with clients we have worked with before and establishing long-lasting relationships.

Our web design recognition & awards

We have industry recognition for our work in the web design space in South Africa and abroad:

TechBehemoths Top South African Web Designers – Winner 2024

TechBehemoths Top South African Web Developers – 2024

TechBehemoths Top South African WordPress Developers – Winner 2024

98 five-star reviews on Google My Business

How we prepare websites for the future

At New Perspective Design, we take a proactive approach in our design and development work.

As enthusiasts of everything happening on the internet, we keep a keen eye on developments in the web space, SEO world, and even Google. We do this by reading and regularly contributing in community forums and discussions on social media. While no one can predict the future, we have a pretty good idea of where things are heading, and we often share these thoughts in our blog.

How long does it take to build a website?

This would depend on what type of website it is, and there are factors that also weigh into how long it takes—such as whether you have your content ready or if we need to produce it.

Most website drafts are completed 7–21 days after content has been finalised. We then also allow for 7 days of testing and revision, so most websites are completed in 28 days.

What types of websites do you design and develop?

New Perspective Design develops most types of websites for most industries. Some of the industries we’ve worked for—whether by doing SEO, creating new websites, or rebranding old ones—are:

Home Services Website Design
Agriculture & Farming Website Design
Nonprofits, Foundations & Church Website Design
Fitness & Gyms Website Design
Event Planning & Entertainment Website Design
Restaurants & Food Service Website Design
Professional Services Website Design
Manufacturing & Industrial Website Design
Tech & Software Website Design
Beauty & Wellness Website Design
Education & E-Learning Website Design
Automotive & Car Dealership Website Design
Real Estate & Property Website Design
Construction & Contractor Website Design
Financial Services Website Design
Hospitality & Travel Website Design
Medical & Healthcare Website Design

When we talk about types of websites, we develop basic brochure business sites, e-commerce websites, booking sites, CRM websites, landing page websites, directory or listing websites, personal blog websites, and of course custom-developed websites tailored to client needs, which may involve marketplace websites and API integrations.

Who are the top website design companies in South Africa?

South Africa has become a pretty competitive hub for web design firms—and that’s actually a good thing for clients. It pushes the quality of websites up, making sure you get better results. As they say, a little competition never hurts.

Here’s a look at some of the best website design companies you’ll find in South Africa:

Websites 360

From the company:

“At Websites 360, we craft custom & template-based web designs tailored to your brand and audience. Our designs are visually stunning, user-friendly, and SEO-optimized to boost your online visibility and engagement.”

Address: 1000 Timbavati Street, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa

Pros:

Additional services besides website design, such as video production

Cons:

Lack of reviews

Verdict:
Websites 360 is a young, mid-range web design company in Johannesburg/Pretoria. With limited experience, they’re suited for starter sites with a bit of customization.

SA Website Designer

Address: 11 23rd St, Menlo Park, Pretoria, 0102

Pros:

SA Website Designer has a lot of great Google reviews
Their websites are on the more affordable side compared to other companies in Johannesburg

Cons:

Small team, run by a single website designer named Stephan
Limited capacity and slower turnaround times
Portfolio shows many templated designs that don’t stand out

Verdict:
Great if you’re looking for extremely affordable, quick websites that don’t require custom development or graphic design.

StarBright

Address: 80 Sovereign Dr, Route 21 Business Park, Pretoria, 0157

From the company:

“Our team of website designers, fueled by caffeine and motivated by praise from our long list of satisfied clients, are top-notch experts in their field. With over 70 years of combined experience, we’re highly skilled in multiple programming languages and web technologies, ensuring proficiency and excellence in every project we undertake.”

Pros:

Very good average rating from 97 clients on Google
Quick turnaround times
Additional services like hosting and SEO

Cons:

Portfolio leans heavily on templated designs
Pricing is higher compared to other web design companies in Pretoria

Verdict:
If you’re looking for something that’s been vetted and offers more than just website design, StarBright is a safe go-to in Pretoria.

Web Devine

From the company:

“Sick of automated and AI-powered responses received from large companies? At Web Devine, you collaborate with real people—passionate professionals who genuinely care about you and your business.
In an era where digital expertise is essential, we are the trusted online advertising partner you’ve been searching for.”

Address: 354 Braam Pretorius Street, Magalieskruin, Pretoria (H/O)

Pros:

82 reviews on Google with a 4.9 average
Offers graphic design, website design, SEO, and hosting

Cons:

Expensive: R11,500 for a 5-page website; e-commerce starts at R14,850 for 3 pages
Hosting costs R240 for a 5GB server with 8 email accounts—on the higher side

Verdict:
Great design work, and if you want to be sure you get quality, this Pretoria website design company delivers. But you will be overcharged.

Full Workspace Deployment

Domain verification, DNS configuration, Gmail setup, user accounts and licence assignment — deployed correctly from the start.

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Gmail & Email Migration

POP3, IMAP, Microsoft 365 and Exchange migrations to Google Workspace — email history, contacts and calendars preserved throughout.

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Drive, Meet & Calendar

Google Drive, Shared Drives, Meet and Calendar configured for your team — not just Gmail out of the box.

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Shared Drives & Docs

Shared Drive structure, folder permissions and access controls set up to replace your shared drive or file server properly.

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Workspace Security & MFA

Two-factor authentication, admin security policies, login controls and Google Workspace Vault configured for your business.

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Admin & Licence Management

Ongoing user provisioning, licence management and Google Workspace Admin Console management on your behalf.

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Full Google Workspace Deployment — Domain Verification, Gmail & DNS Configuration

A Google Workspace deployment that is configured incorrectly creates problems that compound over time — emails failing authentication and landing in spam, sharing permissions that expose sensitive files to the wrong people, licences assigned to accounts that are not set up properly, and a team that reverts to personal Gmail addresses because the business account was never configured to work correctly on their devices.

New Perspective Design manages the complete Google Workspace deployment process for businesses in East London and across South Africa. This covers website domain verification and ownership confirmation, DNS record configuration including MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, user account creation, Gmail setup, and licence assignment across your team. We configure shared mailboxes where required, set up Google Groups for team distribution lists, and verify that email flow, calendar sync, and Drive access are all functioning correctly before handover.

For businesses moving from Microsoft 365 or Exchange, we manage the parallel running period — keeping both environments operational during the transition so your team experiences no gap in email delivery. Every deployment is documented and handed over with clear guidance so your team understands how to use what has been set up.

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Gmail & Email Migration — POP3, IMAP, Microsoft 365 and Exchange to Google Workspace

Email migration is the part of a Google Workspace deployment where most things go wrong when it is done without proper planning. Businesses that attempt to migrate themselves often end up with incomplete mailboxes, emails delivered to the old server after DNS has been switched, or calendar data that did not transfer correctly. The result is a team that has lost trust in the new platform before they have even started using it properly.

We manage the full email migration process for businesses moving from POP3 or IMAP hosting accounts, Microsoft 365 or Exchange environments, or other hosted email providers. Migration is planned before any work begins — mailbox sizes are audited, DNS TTL records are reduced ahead of cutover to speed up propagation, and the migration is batched to ensure the process does not affect your team’s ability to send and receive email during the transition.

Email history, contacts, and calendar data are migrated and verified in full before the old platform is decommissioned. For businesses with large mailboxes or complex shared calendar structures, we run a pre-migration check to surface and resolve issues before they become problems mid-migration rather than after.

When it comes to responsive web designers east london we are simply the best service.

responsive web design East London

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When it comes to logo design east london we are simply the best service.

Google Drive, Shared Drives, Meet & Calendar — The Full Google Workspace Suite Configured for Your Team

Most businesses that move to Google Workspace use Gmail and nothing else. Google Drive, Shared Drives, Meet, and Calendar — which are all included in every Google Workspace Business plan — are either used inconsistently, never set up correctly, or simply ignored because nobody walked the team through how they work together. This is a significant waste of a platform that is genuinely well designed for small business collaboration when it is configured properly.

We configure the full Google Workspace environment to match how your team actually works. Shared Drives are structured to replace your existing shared drive or file server — with a folder hierarchy that mirrors what your team is used to and access permissions that ensure the right people can access the right files without exposing sensitive documents to the entire organisation. Google Meet is configured with the correct meeting policies and integrated with Google Calendar so scheduling and joining calls is seamless. Google Calendar is set up with shared team calendars, resource booking for meeting rooms where applicable, and calendar sharing policies that balance transparency with appropriate privacy.

For businesses that use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides collaboratively, we configure the sharing and default permission settings that prevent documents from being accidentally shared publicly or with people outside the organisation.

Lets see what we can do for you.

Google Workspace Security — Two-Factor Authentication, Admin Controls & Data Protection

Google Workspace accounts are high-value targets for phishing and credential-based attacks — because access to a Google account typically means access to Gmail, Google Drive, Google Meet, and any other services the user has connected to their Google identity. A compromised Google Workspace account in a small business can expose client data, financial records, and internal communications simultaneously. The majority of successful compromises target accounts with no two-factor authentication and default security settings that Google ships with every new account.

We configure Google Workspace security across the Admin Console — enforcing two-factor authentication across all user accounts, setting login challenge policies for suspicious sign-in attempts, configuring session control settings, and reviewing your organisation’s sharing and external access policies to ensure sensitive data is not exposed unnecessarily. For businesses on Google Workspace Business Plus or above, we configure Google Vault for email and Drive data retention, and Context-Aware Access policies for businesses that need to restrict access based on device or location.

For businesses that handle sensitive client data or personal information, we provide a written review of your Google Workspace security configuration alongside the technical setup — so you have a documented record of what is in place and what was considered.

Business Technology Solutions

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Google Workspace Admin Console, Licence Management & Ongoing Support

Google Workspace environments require active management. Staff join and leave. Licences need to be assigned or removed. Shared Drives need to be restructured as teams and projects change. Admin policies need to be reviewed as Google releases platform updates. Without someone actively managing your Google Workspace Admin Console, you accumulate unused licences, orphaned accounts with access to company data, and permission drift as individual users change their own sharing settings outside the intended configuration.

New Perspective Design provides ongoing Google Workspace management and support for businesses in East London and across South Africa. This covers user provisioning and deprovisioning, licence management and optimisation, Shared Drive restructuring, Gmail and email troubleshooting, Google Meet and Calendar administration, and proactive security reviews. For clients on a monthly IT support retainer, Google Workspace management is integrated into the support agreement — giving you a single point of contact for your entire Google environment rather than raising support tickets with Google directly and navigating their support queue as a small business.

We also manage Google Workspace licence renewals and plan changes where a shift in your team size or requirements means your current subscription tier is no longer the right fit.

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Our Client Stories

Helping our clients suceed

New Perspective Design | Websites | Marketing | Graphics | Branding

1 Salisbury Rd, Berea, KuGompo City

4.9 107 reviews

Luvo Tembani ★★★★★ a month ago
Excellent service from Juan and the team. They handled the development and deployment … More of our website professionally. The site was delivered smoothly, security measures were implemented and everything was tested before going live.I would gladly recommend their services to anyone looking for reliable website development and hosting support.Thank you again for the great work.
Shital Naik ★★★★★ a month ago
Needed an urgent logo to be designed. Aimee and team were able to understand the … More requirements only via email and had the logo finalized within 1 business day. Super efficient and reasonably priced.
Coastal refrigeration ★★★★★ 2 months ago
A big thank you to Juan at New Perspective Studio for the great, friendly service. … More He made the whole process super easy for us, and we really appreciated his positive attitude and professionalism. Highly recommended.
Liza-Marie Loubser ★★★★★ 2 months ago
New Perspective Design is a highly recommended company if you need any assistance … More with websites/marketing. They are professional and offer quick and fast services. Juan and his team designed our school's website "Wysneusie kleuterskool" which we are very proud of. They are very thorough and helpfull with step by step instructions of what is needed from the client.
claudine hauke ★★★★★ 3 months ago
I work since 8 years with New Perspective Design. Their Design and service is always … More excellent. Thank you.
Moloko Semenya ★★★★★ 4 months ago
I reached out to NPD looking for a clean, professional and grounding website. I was … More extremely overwhelmed due to the Vision I had, and the amount of work we needed to put into the Website.Juan is exceptional and gifted at what he does! He listens, advises, recommends, and he has a great attention to detail!He went over and above to deliver an absolute beautiful Website !!! And his sense of humor is EVERYTHING! We are looking forward to a long working relationship with NPD and I would definitely recommend him for Website designs.Everything works. Paystack, Bookings, and and the Website flows seamlessly.Working with you has been a breath of fresh air, Juan and thank you for your patience.I will never thank you enough.The Aura & Growth Learning Hub Website is Officially Live!
Nusreen Vawda ★★★★★ 5 months ago
Outstanding professionalism and exceptional technical skill. He delivered exactly … More what I envisioned with precision and clarity. Highly recommended
andrew maraidza ★★★★★ 7 months ago
I had the pleasure of working with Aimee at New Perspective Design, and I am extremely … More impressed with the service I received. She designed my flyers and business cards with a professional and modern look that perfectly matched my business needs. Aimee was attentive, creative, and efficient throughout the process, and she ensured that I was completely satisfied with the final designs. I highly recommend New Perspective to anyone looking for quality design services and excellent customer support.
Laila Kramer - Hamman ★★★★★ 9 months ago
If you ever need a developer who won’t fire you for creating scope creep… speak to … More Juan from New Perspective Studio.Juan’s been helping me build my coaching website, integrate Paystack payments, connect calendars, and set up Google Ads — all while I keep changing my mind, asking for “just one more thing”, and missing my own deadlines.He keeps on showing up with patience, professionalism and a very dry sense of humour that I’ve come to appreciate almost as much as his technical skill.If you’re looking for someone who can handle the full stack and your executive functioning chaos — Juan’s your guy. Grateful for the partnership and very happy to recommend him.Cannot sing his praises enough!
Emile Vermaas ★★★★★ 10 months ago
100% impressed with their work! The team delivered a sleek, professional website … More and went above and beyond to help with every detail. Their eagerness to make everything perfect was top-notch.
Tristan Cockerill ★★★★★ a year ago
I would most definitely recommend them. They are such an amazing company. If I had … More to put it in any way I would say it way less for way more. They are so fairly priced and you get so much!!! Definitely do business with them. Did our vertical graphics website.
Jonanda Opperman ★★★★★ a year ago
Aimee Behrens was extremely helpful throughout the entire design process. She understood … More my requirements and the product that was delivered was beyond my expectation. I am extremely thankful and very happy with the designs. Thank you to Aimee and the NPD team for your professional service.
Jonathan Lovegrove ★★★★★ a year ago
Aimee from New Perspective Design helped us with our Company Logo design and company … More stationary on more than one occasion.The designs were always exactly what we wanted! Great Service.
Daniel Solomon Kyambadde ★★★★★ a year ago
If I could, I would give 6 stars.Great final product service, and great customer … More care. Going the extra mile to meet and exceed our desires and request with the website design. Highly and gladly recommend New Perspective Design, and a special gratitude to Juan and Aimee.
Jacques ★★★★★ a year ago
Juan built the daisa.co.za website for me. From the start he was very professional … More and open. he kept to the time line he gave me and I never had to doubt his ability to do what I expected. After the website was built, I required minor changes and I got more than what I expected. I will recommend New Perspective Design any time to any Company that needs a website. My site is now running for four years now and I never had an issue that caused my site to broke down.Thank you Juan for grate service and especially after sales service.
Gareth ★★★★★ a year ago
New Perspective Design has hosted my website for a few years now, and I have received … More excellent service and outstanding results, from their suggestions and advice. They tailor make to your requirements as you grow.
Nathi Mpisana ★★★★★ a year ago
We recently had the pleasure of working with New Perspective Design for several design … More projects, and we cannot speak highly enough of their professionalism and work ethic. From start to finish, their team demonstrated an impressive commitment to excellence, consistently delivering beyond our expectations. The end product was not only professional but also surpassed what we had envisioned. Their attention to detail and creativity truly set them apart.If you are in need of design work or a website, we wholeheartedly recommend New Perspective Design. Their dedication to quality and customer satisfaction ensures that you will receive exceptional service and a final product that stands out.
Maxine Romer ★★★★★ a year ago
I recently had a website created by New Perspective, and I’m really impressed with … More their one-on-one consultation process. They took the time to sit down with me, really listen to what I wanted, and ensured the final design reflected my vision perfectly. Throughout the project, they maintained excellent communication, keeping me informed and engaged in each step of the process. I highly recommend New Perspective for anyone looking for a personalized, attentive approach to web design!
Reno Ioannou ★★★★★ a year ago
I must admit, reading through all their reviews being 5 stars, I thought something … More was fishy. But Boy was I wrong, contacted New Perspective Design and spoke to a gentleman by the name of Juan. I organized a meeting with him, told him what I was wanting. With in no time everything I asked for was done and it was done properly as well which is very rare in East London. I can now see why companies all over S.A use them.They are definitely best in what they do, and highly recommend them for anyone needing the type of work they offer. As the saying goes you have tried the rest now use the best, and honestly New Perspective is definitely the best at what they do. I highly recommend them, a true gem for East London.
Zireena Khan ★★★★★ a year ago
AMAZING! creative, efficient, helpful and excellent client service - my website for … More ZZK ATTORNEYS INC exceeds my expectations. 10/10 recommend

Google Workspace faq

Setup & Deployment

What does a Google Workspace setup actually involve?

A proper Google Workspace deployment covers domain verification, DNS record configuration including MX, SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, user account creation, Gmail setup, licence assignment, and device configuration across your team. We also configure Google Groups for distribution lists and shared inboxes where required.

Beyond email, we configure Google Drive, Shared Drives, Calendar, and Meet to match how your team works — not just the default out-of-the-box settings. Every deployment is tested and handed over with documentation so your team knows how to use what has been set up.

The scope varies depending on team size, whether migration is required, and how many other systems need to connect to the Google Workspace environment. We scope before quoting.

Which Google Workspace plan does my business need?

The most common plans for South African SMEs are:

Google Workspace Business Starter — Gmail, Drive, Meet, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides and 30GB pooled storage per user. Suitable for small teams with basic collaboration needs.
Google Workspace Business Standard — everything in Starter plus 2TB pooled storage per user, larger Meet capacity, meeting recordings saved to Drive, and appointment booking features. The most common choice for growing SMEs.
Google Workspace Business Plus — adds Google Vault for email and Drive data retention and eDiscovery, and enhanced Meet features including attendance tracking and noise cancellation.

We advise on the right plan during scoping based on your team's storage needs, collaboration requirements, and whether data retention or compliance features are relevant to your business.

We already have Google Workspace but it was never set up properly — can you fix it?

Yes. This is one of the most common requests we receive. Businesses that self-configured Google Workspace or had it set up without proper DNS authentication, security policies, or Drive structure often experience ongoing issues — emails landing in spam, files shared publicly by accident, team members using personal Gmail accounts because the Workspace account was never properly configured on their devices, or licences paying for accounts nobody uses.

We audit your existing Google Workspace environment, identify what is misconfigured or missing, and remediate it. This is usually faster and less disruptive than starting from scratch.

Do you configure Gmail on our phones and computers as part of the setup?

Yes. Gmail and Google Workspace account configuration across your team's desktops, laptops, and mobile devices is included as part of our setup service. We configure Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Calendar access on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android — and verify that sync is working correctly across all devices before handover.

We do not hand over a Google Workspace environment and leave your team to figure out how to connect their devices — the setup is not complete until everyone can send and receive email, access their Drive, and use their calendar correctly from any device they work on.

Gmail & Email Migration

Can you migrate our existing email history to Google Workspace?

Yes. We manage the complete email migration process including historical emails, contacts, and calendar data. Migration is planned before any work begins — mailbox sizes are audited, DNS TTL values are reduced ahead of cutover to speed up propagation, and the migration is structured to ensure email continues to flow throughout the transition.

We verify the migration is complete before decommissioning the old platform. For large mailboxes or complex setups, we run a pre-migration check to identify and resolve potential issues before they arise during the cutover.

Migration time depends on mailbox size, number of users, and the source platform. We provide a realistic time estimate during scoping.

What types of email can you migrate to Google Workspace?

We handle migrations from a range of source platforms, including:

POP3 or IMAP hosting-based email accounts
Microsoft 365 or Exchange Server environments
Other Google Workspace tenants
Hosted Exchange or legacy mail servers
Personal Gmail accounts being converted to professional use

Each source platform requires a different migration approach. We select the correct method based on your specific setup, mailbox volume, and business continuity requirements.

Our Gmail emails keep landing in spam — what is causing it?

In most cases, outbound email landing in spam is a DNS authentication problem. Missing or incorrectly configured SPF, DKIM, or DMARC records on your domain tell receiving mail servers that your email may not be legitimate — which causes it to be filtered. Google Workspace requires all three records to be correctly configured for reliable email delivery.

We audit your DNS records, identify what is missing or misconfigured, and implement the correct authentication records for your Google Workspace environment. This resolves the majority of spam delivery issues.

In 2024 Google also introduced stricter requirements for bulk senders and domains without DMARC policies. If your domain does not have a DMARC record in place, even individually sent emails can be affected by recipient filtering.

We are moving from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace — how does that work?

Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace migrations require careful planning because the platforms handle some things differently — particularly around calendaring, contact management, and file formats. We use Google's migration tools alongside third-party migration services where required to move email history, contacts, and calendar data across accurately.

We run both platforms in parallel during the transition period so your team can continue working without interruption. Once the migration is verified and the team is set up on Google Workspace, we manage the DNS cutover and wind down the Microsoft 365 environment in a controlled way.

Microsoft Office files — Word, Excel, PowerPoint — open in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides without conversion, though some complex formatting may require adjustment. We flag any known compatibility issues during scoping.

Google Drive, Shared Drives & Collaboration

What is the difference between Google Drive and Shared Drives?

My Drive is personal storage that belongs to the individual user account — files stored there are owned by that user and can be lost or become inaccessible if the account is deleted or the person leaves the business.

Shared Drives are team storage that belongs to the organisation, not an individual. Files in a Shared Drive remain accessible regardless of staff changes — if someone leaves, the files stay. Shared Drives also have proper permission management at the folder and Drive level, making them the right choice for any business files that need to be accessible to more than one person.

We recommend structuring all business files in Shared Drives rather than My Drive from day one. It prevents the common problem of a departing staff member taking business files with them or files becoming inaccessible when an account is closed.

Can Google Drive replace our shared drive or file server?

Yes — and for most SMEs it is a better solution than a physical server or NAS device. Shared Drives in Google Workspace provide cloud-based file storage accessible from any device, with version history, real-time collaboration on documents, and access from anywhere without a VPN.

We structure Shared Drives to mirror the folder logic your team is already familiar with, which significantly reduces adoption friction. Permissions are configured at the drive and folder level so departments or individuals only see what they need to without exposing sensitive files to the entire organisation.

Migrating from an existing file server to Google Drive requires planning to preserve folder structure and reassign permissions correctly. We handle this as part of the Shared Drive configuration scope.

Can you connect Google Workspace to our other business systems?

Yes. Google Workspace integrates with a wide range of business tools, and we build custom connections where native integrations do not exist or do not provide sufficient control. Common integrations include connecting Google Workspace to Zoho CRM so that emails and calendar events are logged against client records automatically, connecting Google Sheets to accounting software for live reporting, and using Google Forms as a data capture layer that feeds into a CRM or spreadsheet.

For more complex integrations we use Make, Zapier, or the Google Workspace APIs — depending on the complexity of the workflow and the systems involved.

One of our staff accidentally shared a sensitive file publicly — how do we prevent this?

This is one of the most common Google Workspace problems and it is entirely preventable through Admin Console configuration. By default, Google Workspace allows users to share files with anyone who has the link — including people outside your organisation. This default can be changed at the organisation level so that external sharing requires explicit admin approval, or is restricted to specific trusted domains only.

We configure your sharing policies in the Admin Console to match your security requirements — restricting public sharing, limiting external sharing to approved domains, and setting default link permissions to internal-only for all new files created in Shared Drives.

Security & Admin Console

What Google Workspace security do we need as a small business?

At minimum, two-factor authentication should be enforced across every user account in your Google Workspace organisation — not just administrators. This alone blocks the vast majority of account compromise attempts. Beyond 2FA, the next priorities are correct DNS authentication records, restricted external sharing policies in Drive, and session control settings that limit how long an active session remains valid without re-authentication.

For businesses on Business Plus or above, Google Vault provides email and Drive retention policies that ensure data is preserved even if a user deletes it — which matters both for compliance and for internal disputes.

We review your current Admin Console security configuration and provide practical recommendations based on your business's actual risk profile rather than a generic checklist.

A staff member has left — how do we remove their access and keep their files?

The correct process for a departing staff member is to immediately reset their password and revoke active sessions to prevent further access, transfer ownership of any files in their My Drive to another user or an admin account, set up auto-reply and email forwarding from their account if required for business continuity, and then suspend the account — which preserves all data while removing active access — before eventually deleting it and releasing the licence.

Deleting an account immediately without following this process risks losing files stored in the departing user's My Drive. We handle staff offboarding from Google Workspace as part of our ongoing support service so this process is managed correctly every time.

Can you manage our Google Workspace Admin Console on our behalf?

Yes. For clients on a monthly support plan, we manage the Google Workspace Admin Console on your behalf — adding new user accounts when staff join, suspending and offboarding accounts when staff leave, adjusting licences, managing Shared Drive permissions, and handling any configuration changes your environment requires.

You do not need to log into the Admin Console yourself or understand how Google Workspace administration works — you contact us, we make the change, and you receive confirmation when it is done.

Our Google Workspace account was compromised — what do we do?

Contact us immediately. A compromised Google Workspace account needs to be contained quickly — the longer an attacker has access, the more damage they can do, including setting up Gmail filters to forward future emails without the account owner knowing.

Remediation involves resetting credentials, revoking all active sessions across all devices, reviewing and removing any mail forwarding rules or filters the attacker may have added, auditing what files in Drive may have been accessed or shared, and implementing the security measures that should have been in place to prevent the compromise.

Call us directly for urgent issues — do not rely on the compromised email account to communicate if that is the account affected.

Costs & Ongoing Support

Are Google Workspace licences included in your fees?

No. Google Workspace licence costs are paid directly to Google and are separate from our setup, migration, and support fees. We advise on which plan and how many licences you need during scoping so you have a clear picture of the total monthly cost before making a decision.

Google Workspace Business plans are priced per user per month in US dollars, which means the rand cost fluctuates with the exchange rate. We factor this into our planning conversations so there are no unexpected billing surprises when your first invoice arrives.

Do you provide ongoing Google Workspace support after the initial setup?

Yes. Once-off setup is available for businesses that just need to get up and running. For businesses that want ongoing management — user changes, licence management, Shared Drive administration, troubleshooting, security reviews, and Admin Console management — we offer monthly support plans that cover Google Workspace as part of a broader IT support retainer.

A combined plan covering Google Workspace management, general IT support, and website maintenance under a single monthly fee is available for businesses that want one point of contact for their entire technical setup.

Can you support our Google Workspace if you did not set it up originally?

Yes. We take on management of existing Google Workspace environments regularly. We start with an audit of your current Admin Console configuration, DNS records, sharing policies, and user account structure to understand what is in place and identify any gaps or risks before taking on ongoing support.

This audit stage is important — it means we understand your environment properly before making any changes and we can identify existing issues before they become support problems.

Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 — which should we choose?

Both are excellent platforms and the right choice depends on your specific situation. Google Workspace tends to suit businesses that prefer browser-based tools, real-time document collaboration, and a simpler admin environment. Microsoft 365 tends to suit businesses that rely heavily on desktop-installed Office applications, have existing Windows infrastructure, or need the more advanced enterprise security features available in Microsoft 365 Business Premium.

For South African SMEs choosing for the first time, the key questions are: does your team need desktop Word and Excel installed locally, or are web-based Docs and Sheets sufficient? Are you already invested in Microsoft tools like Teams or SharePoint? Do you work with clients or partners who primarily use one platform or the other?

We are platform-agnostic and work with both. We advise on the right choice based on your actual requirements during a consultation rather than defaulting to one platform for all clients.