Hey there, I'm Marais
.

I've messed up more than a few things along the way, from engineering to finance, but I'm still here, making websites and telling stories the way I want them told.

Quick Facts About Me

I started in engineering but realized creativity was calling louder than formulas.

I'm currently studying BSc Informatics at UNISA because I still love logic and tech puzzles.

I like clean, functional design — nothing too fancy, just stuff that works and looks good.

I spent nearly a year as a financial advisor — it wasn't quite my thing, but I made great friends and learned a lot about sticking around for the long term.

I've lost count of how many times I've rewatched The Office & Family Guy — it's basically comfort food.

I'm pretty shy for an extrovert — maybe just a bit short on confidence. If you have any tips... please reach out! 😅

My journey to
knows where.

My web design journey started back in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone was either posting their latest banana bread recipe or bragging about home-brewed pineapple beer.

What started as a hobby — part curiosity, part boredom — quickly became a full-blown obsession. I've always liked tech that shows up in places it's not supposed to. That's why I originally went into electronic engineering, and later switched to Information and Knowledge Systems, with a focus on IT and genetics. The mix of logic and creativity stuck — and web design hits that same sweet spot.

Somewhere in between all of that, I spent a year as a financial advisor. I didn't hate it, but I also didn't want to grow old chasing commission off the back of someone else's retirement plan. So I leaned into the thing I actually liked doing.

Now I run a one-man web design studio. It's just me — no fake team, no empty promises. I keep things simple: clean websites, straight talk, and long-term support if you need it. That's the whole pitch.

A timeline showing Marais Roos's journey from engineering to finance to web development.

1999 - 2005

Born on a farm near what was then Pietersburg (now Polokwane). Spent most of my early days getting sunburnt, and drawing on things that weren't paper (i.e., my father's bakkie.)

My father introduced me and my brother to computers early in life, playing games on a PC running Windows 95.

Perhaps that's where my fascination with all things tech started?

2006 - 2017

Went through primary and high school in the Vaal Triangle. Took IT, EGD, physics, and maths — because apparently I liked pain. Somewhere in there, a teacher said I was going to be an artist. I ignored her… to my own fault.

2018

Started Electronic Engineering at Tuks. Thought I'd build robots or satellites. Mostly built character. Lived in Sonop and made friends for life. Passed more bar stools than modules.

2019 - 2021

Switched to Information and Knowledge Systems. Loved the mix of IT and genetics — tech showing up in places it shouldn't. Didn't finish the degree then, but the seed was planted.

2022

Did a short course in C++ at Boston City Campus, because apparently I missed debugging things that worked perfectly fine five minutes ago.

2023

Worked as a financial advisor. Learned how to shake hands, make small talk, and sell things I didn't fully believe in. Good people, solid job, not for me.

2024 - Present

Currently wrapping up a BSc in Informatics through UNISA while running Roos Web Design — my one-man studio where I make clean, fast, low-BS websites for humans. Still juggling, still learning, still having a laugh.