A technical partner, not just a vendor
SouthStack is a web development studio based in Rolleston, Canterbury. We build fast, accessible, NZ-compliant websites and web applications for small to medium businesses across New Zealand.
Founded in 2026 with a clear mission: to build genuinely effective websites for NZ businesses — with clear contracts, honest pricing, and no lock-in.
We're a small studio, which means you work directly with the founder — not an account manager. Every project gets our full attention from first call to final handover.
"SouthStack builds high-performance websites that load fast, rank well, meet NZ accessibility law, and are built to convert — with transparent pricing, clear IP ownership, and no ongoing lock-in."
Built on principles
Performance first by default
We choose Astro for content sites because it delivers near-instant load times. Not because it's trendy — because slow websites cost businesses money.
NZ compliance built in
WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility, NZ Privacy Act 2020, GST handling — all included as standard. Not an add-on, not an afterthought.
You own everything
Full IP transfer on final payment. The code, the designs, the content — all yours. No licence fees, no platform lock-in, no ongoing dependency on us.
Direct founder involvement
No account managers, no handoffs to junior developers. You talk directly to the person building your site, from first call to final handover.
Clear contracts upfront
Every project starts with a signed Statement of Work defining exactly what's in scope. No surprises, no scope creep, no unpaid invoices.
Growing data capability
As AWS and data science skills develop, SouthStack can serve clients needing more than a website — pipelines, dashboards, and ML features.
We use AI. Here's exactly what that means.
We use AI tools — Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, and others — to work more efficiently. This is no different to a builder using power tools. The tools don't replace judgement, experience, or accountability.
What AI cannot do: understand your business goals, apply NZ accessibility law correctly, manage a project, take legal responsibility if something goes wrong, or fix it under warranty when it breaks. That requires a person.
✓ What AI helps with
Scaffolding code faster, suggesting refactors, catching errors, writing first drafts of copy.
✗ What AI can't replace
Strategy, NZ legal compliance, client management, accessibility judgement, and accountability.