IT Support Built for Pretoria Businesses
Workstation & Laptop Support
Windows errors, blue screens, slow machines, failed updates, driver conflicts, Office and email setup, user profiles and printer problems, the everyday things that stop people working.
Network & Wi-Fi
Routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs, VLANs and secure Wi-Fi. Dropped connections, dead spots, slow fibre and unstable line issues traced to the actual cause rather than guessed at.
Security & Malware Removal
Ransomware and virus cleanup, endpoint protection, password and access hygiene, phishing hardening on email, and locking down the openings that get South African SMEs breached.
Email & Microsoft 365
Mailbox setup and migration, domain email on your own .co.za, SPF/DKIM/DMARC records so your mail stops landing in spam, shared mailboxes and calendar permissions.
Backups & Data Recovery
Automated backups that are actually tested, not just switched on. Recovery from failed drives, deleted files, corrupted profiles and dead laptops, before it becomes a crisis.
Hosting & Domains
Your website, DNS and domain kept in one place with someone who answers. SA-based hosting and .co.za registration included in the same relationship.
One Specialist, Not a Ticket Queue
Sofire-IT Support started in 2020, when COVID pushed a lot of Pretoria businesses online overnight and their IT couldn't keep up. Since then I've built over 100 websites, and I currently host and maintain more than 40 live sites for South African businesses, alongside the day-to-day IT support that keeps their offices running.
That combination is unusual and it's the point. Most IT support companies can reset a password but can't touch your website. Most web agencies build you a site and disappear. I do both, which means when your email stops working because of a DNS change, or your site goes down the same week a server dies, one person owns the whole picture.
You get a documented setup, honest quotes before work starts, and a direct line to the person doing the work. If something isn't worth fixing, I'll tell you that too.
Areas I Cover Around Pretoria
On-site IT support is available across Pretoria and the wider Tshwane metro, with remote support available anywhere in South Africa. If you're in one of these areas, an on-site visit is straightforward:
Based in Centurion specifically? There's a dedicated page for that. See IT support in Centurion. If you're outside Gauteng, remote support covers most of what you'll need.
From First Call to Fixed
1. You call, WhatsApp or email
Describe the problem in plain language. You don't need to diagnose it. "the internet is slow in the back office" is a perfectly good starting point. I'll ask a few questions to work out whether it's a remote fix or needs a visit.
2. Remote first, on-site when it matters
Most problems get solved over a secure remote session the same day, which keeps your costs down. Hardware failures, cabling, new installations and network builds need me on-site, and I'll book the earliest realistic slot rather than promising something I can't hit.
3. You get told what actually happened
After the fix you get a short, jargon-free explanation of the cause and what to watch for. If the same fault keeps coming back, that's a design problem, not a support problem, and I'd rather fix the design.
4. Ongoing cover, if you want it
Businesses that call more than once a month usually move onto a small monthly retainer. It covers proactive updates, backup verification, monitoring and a bundle of support hours, and it means problems get caught before they interrupt anyone's day.
Everything Else I Handle
PC & Laptop Repairs
Hardware diagnostics, virus removal, upgrades and data recovery in Pretoria.
View PC repairs →Network Setup
Routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs and business Wi-Fi installed properly.
View network setup →Website Development
Fast, converting business websites built and hosted in South Africa.
View web development →Common questions
How quickly can you get to my business in Pretoria?
For remote support I usually start working on the problem within 2 to 4 hours of your message during business hours (Mon to Fri, 08:00 to 18:00), and often much sooner. For on-site visits in Pretoria East, Centurion, Hatfield, Menlyn, Lynnwood and the surrounding areas I can normally be there the same day or the next morning, depending on the time of day you call.
Do you charge a monthly retainer or per hour?
Both options are available. Ad-hoc support is billed hourly with the rate agreed before I start, so there are no surprises. If you have more than about five machines, a small monthly retainer usually works out cheaper. It covers monitoring, updates, backup checks and a set number of support hours. I'll tell you honestly which one suits your size.
Can you support us remotely if we're not in Pretoria?
Yes. Roughly 80% of the issues I deal with, email problems, software errors, network configuration, hosting, printer and Wi-Fi issues, malware removal, backups, are resolved remotely with secure screen-sharing. I support clients across South Africa this way. On-site work is limited to Gauteng, mainly Pretoria, Centurion, Midrand and northern Johannesburg.
Do I speak to you directly or to a call centre?
You deal directly with me, Juan Du Plessis. Sofire-IT is a specialist practice, not a call centre. The person who answers your call is the person who fixes the problem and who already knows how your system is set up. No queue, no first-line script, no explaining your setup from scratch every time.
What if a problem needs a part or a replacement machine?
I diagnose first and quote before ordering anything. If a drive, power supply, RAM module or laptop screen has failed, I source the part, quote you the cost including labour, and only proceed once you approve it. For dead machines I can often recover your data even when the hardware isn't worth repairing.
Do you handle IT for businesses with no in-house IT person?
That's most of my clients. Typically a business with 2 to 30 staff, no dedicated IT department, and someone in the office who has quietly become 'the computer person'. I take that off their plate: I document your setup, keep it patched and backed up, and become the number people call when something breaks.
Let’s sort out your IT
Tell me what you need and I’ll come back to you within 2 to 4 hours during business hours. Usually with a fixed quote rather than a sales call. You deal directly with me.