Offline-first field apps
Order capture, inspections, deliveries and stock counts that work with no signal and sync when it returns, for rural routes, mines and depots where coverage drops.
Mobile app development for iOS and Android
Mobile app development is the design, build, testing and release of apps for iOS and Android phones and tablets. Arke Technologies, a Johannesburg app development company, builds native, Flutter and offline-first apps for organisations, public bodies and schools across South Africa, then supports them after launch under an SLA.
What mobile application development involves
Mobile application development covers far more than the app on the phone. A working app has three parts: the app itself, the back end it talks to (APIs, a database, sign-in and push notifications), and a web interface where staff manage content, users and data. Much of the cost and most of the risk sit in the second and third parts, so we scope all three together.
For an organisation, corporate app development usually serves one of three jobs. It puts a process in the hands of field staff (orders, inspections, deliveries, stock counts), it gives customers or citizens a service they can use on the move, or it gives employees one place for approvals, communication and self-service. In mobile phone app development, apps for the public and apps for a workforce are judged differently: consumer apps compete for attention in the app stores, while staff apps are distributed privately and judged on reliability.
Mobile apps we build
Customer and citizen apps
Account self-service, bookings, notifications and payments through PayFast, Yoco, Paystack, Peach Payments or Stripe.
Staff apps
Approvals, leave, incident reporting and internal communication, distributed privately through Intune or Apple Business Manager rather than the public stores.
Mobile app and website development together
Most apps need a web back office, so we build the web and mobile sides on shared APIs, keeping data and business rules in one place.
Apps connected to your systems
ERP, CRM, accounting and identity integration, so the app is not another island.
A VoIP mobile app is usually not a build: the softphone your phone system already provides can ring on staff handsets, set up under Microsoft Teams, VoIP and business telephony.
Security, POPIA and governance for mobile apps
Data on the device. Personal information stored on a phone is encrypted, kept to the minimum, and can be wiped remotely when a managed device is lost.- POPIA. Consent, purpose limits and retention designed in, so your Information Officer can explain what the app collects and why. POPIA compliance
- Access. Staff apps sign in through Entra ID or Google Workspace, so disabling a leaver's account also closes their access to the app.
- Governance and reporting. A named lead, a risk and issue log, written change control and status reports at an agreed cadence; for public bodies, audit-ready documentation that fits PFMA and MFMA disciplines.
- Procurement and continuity. Arke Technologies (Pty) Ltd is a Level 1 B-BBEE contributor (sworn affidavit available on request); company documents, our CSD supplier number and SARS tax compliance status are available on request. You can buy through a proposal and purchase order or a formal tender response, with support under its own SLA. You own your data, credentials and documentation, we recommend registering the app-store accounts in your organisation's name, and the code is handed over with the documentation at exit.
What mobile app development costs, and why
Last reviewed: September 2026.
How much app development costs depends on six things:
- Platforms. One Flutter codebase for iOS and Android costs less than two native apps.
- Back end and web back office. APIs, the database and the admin screens are often the larger share of the work.
- Offline sync. Working without signal adds design and testing effort, and repays it wherever coverage drops.
- Integrations. ERP, CRM, payments and identity each add scope.
- Security and compliance. POPIA controls and a penetration test.
- Support. Yearly operating-system and store-policy changes mean an app needs a maintenance budget.
We do not publish rates; we quote each app in writing after discovery, in phases you approve one at a time. Read app and software development cost in South Africa.