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About Plaincraft

Plaincraft is an independent AI consultancy for South African SMEs, run by Daine Mawer from Cape Town.

Who runs Plaincraft

I'm Daine Mawer, founder of Plaincraft. I've spent 17 years building websites and digital products, most recently as a Staff Engineer leading web engineering on large client projects. AI is part of how I work every day, so I know where it earns its keep and where it quietly makes a mess.

  • Background: 17 years in web & product engineering
  • Focus: Practical AI adoption for SMEs
  • Based in: Cape Town, South Africa

Why Plaincraft exists

Small businesses are being sold AI the same way enterprises are: big decks, long contracts, vague outcomes. SMEs need something different. Someone senior who learns how the business really works, builds what pays back, and then gets out of the way.

How I work

  • One person, start to finish. You deal with me, not an account manager or a junior team.
  • Fixed fees, in writing. Every engagement is scoped and priced before any work starts. There's no hourly billing.
  • Independent advice. I take no referral fees, so tool recommendations are based only on what fits your business.
  • No lock-in. Everything I build is documented and yours, so your team or another provider can run it without me.
  • POPIA-aware by default. Your data stays in your own accounts wherever possible.

Who I work with

South African businesses with roughly 10 to 250 staff, working remotely nationwide and on site where it helps. If AI won't pay back for you, I'll say so on the first call.

Get in touch

The easiest first step is a free 30-minute call. You can also email hello@plaincraft.co.za or connect on LinkedIn.