The Local Edit
Website development & Fractional tech team
- Industry
- E-commerce
- Location
- South Africa
- Year
- Ongoing
- Client Type
- SME
- Website
- thelocaledit.com
Services
- Website development
- Fractional tech team
Technologies
- Next.js
- Shopify
- Contentful
- Algolia
Project Summary
The Local Edit curates 400+ South African fashion, jewellery, homeware and lifestyle brands into one shoppable space. By mid-2025 they needed more than a theme refresh: a modern website and PWA that could carry editorial storytelling, brand discovery and commerce across that catalogue, while working alongside existing systems without reinventing their API. Content structures in Contentful had to be rebuilt almost end to end as the new UI changed how the site actually works.
“They have played a fundamental role in the development and evolution of The Local Edit, from building our current website and supporting the technical infrastructure behind it, to providing ongoing development, maintenance and day-to-day technical support. Their expertise, responsiveness and continued involvement have been invaluable in helping us grow, improve and ensure our digital platform continues to deliver a seamless experience for both our brands and customers.”
Project Challenges
MDS Solutions
A content-led team
The Local Edit’s day-to-day team focuses on editorial and commercial work, not engineering. They needed technical decisions explained clearly so the board and editors could act on them with confidence.
A tech partner, not just a supplier
We took the initiative, flagged what mattered before it became a problem, and explained every technical decision in plain language. Their team could focus on the brands and the content, knowing the tech side was in good hands.
More than a theme refresh
Bringing editorial storytelling, brand discovery and commerce together across 400+ brands was beyond what any off-the-shelf Shopify theme could deliver.
Headless commerce expertise
We built a custom headless platform on Next.js and Vercel, connected to Shopify, Contentful and Algolia. It includes a PWA with offline caching, Google login, an account dashboard, a sizing guide and brand-led discovery, built for how The Local Edit actually works.
Thoughts from our team
The Local Edit is exactly the kind of client MDS is built for. They have a mature, established platform that needs ongoing care and improvement, but not a full-time developer. And even if they hired one, the work calls for a wider range of skills than one person can cover. Having a fractional tech team they can reach directly gives them that expertise without the overhead.
Outcome
Shoppers can now discover and buy from 400+ local brands on a fast, modern website and PWA, with editorial content, brand-led discovery and commerce in one place. It runs on Shopify, Contentful and Algolia alongside their existing systems. The Local Edit also gained a fractional tech team that keeps the platform running and improving, without the cost of an in-house developer.
Your platform is built. Who’s looking after it?
Modern Day Strategy
We're proudly a 5-star rated digital consultancy. With offices in South Africa and the Netherlands, we service clients globally.
Services
South Africa
107 Bree Street, Cape Town
+27 (0) 76 299 4102
Netherlands
Stichts End 36, Ankeveen
© 2026 Modern Day Strategy
Privacy Policy