Caylem, a SaaS boilerplate for South African builders
Many SaaS boilerplates assume you can open a standard Stripe account. Caylem is a working Next.js application, sold as editable source and priced in rand, with a payment route that lists South Africa for seller payouts. Start from sign-in, checkout and a backend that already work, then build the part only you can.
By Caylem · Reviewed
Start with the payment question
For a South African founder, the payment provider can decide more than the code does. Stripe lists South Africa through its extended network and links to Paystack, which is a separate account and a separate integration. A boilerplate built around Stripe Payments can leave the hardest integration to you.
Caylem includes Polar checkout. Polar acts as the merchant of record, lists South Africa for payouts and pays sellers through Stripe Connect Express. It suits eligible software and digital products. Account approval and product rules still apply. PayFast, Paystack, Yoco and local EFT are not included.
What is in the Caylem boilerplate
Caylem is a Bun and Turborepo monorepo in strict TypeScript. It contains two Next.js storefronts that share one Convex backend and database, Clerk sign-in, Polar checkout, Resend with React Email templates, and shadcn/ui components with reusable page layouts.
It also includes a separate prototype app with no sign-in, database or payments, so you can test one flow before you connect services. GitHub Actions workflows cover checks, releases and deployment to Cloudflare Workers. The pages, account flow, checkout and source library on this site are the product you receive.
Priced in rand, without conversion
The catalog and checkout on this site request the configured ZAR price. You see the rand amount before you pay. No USD price is substituted and nothing is converted.
That covers your source purchase only. Your Clerk, Convex, Polar, Resend and Cloudflare accounts bill on their own terms and can charge in other currencies. Include them in your budget.
Reuse it for client work
For an agency or software house, the same source can become a common starting point for suitable React and TypeScript briefs. Reuse the components, backend structure and release workflows. Put your team’s time into discovery, integrations and the client’s product.
The MIT licence permits commercial reuse and handover with the notices preserved. Give each client its own repository and service accounts. The included Polar route is for software and digital products, not for invoicing your agency’s services.
What you still build
A boilerplate cannot supply your product. Your data model, workflows, permissions and customer-facing features are still your work. If your product needs plans, seats, teams or usage billing, you build those rules on the existing foundation.
Caylem does not include enterprise single sign-on, tenant isolation, audit trails or compliance certification. Use it for a focused product, a client project or an internal experiment, and plan the remaining work.
Common questions
Can I accept payments from South Africa with Caylem?
Caylem includes Polar, which lists South Africa for seller payouts. Your business and product must still pass Polar’s review. Buying the source does not approve your account.
Does Caylem include PayFast, Paystack or Yoco?
No. Each needs its own integration. Plan that work if your customers need local EFT or a South African card gateway.
Is Caylem a SaaS boilerplate or a template?
Both words describe it. Caylem is a complete, running Next.js application that you receive as source and adapt. It is closer to a working starter than to a visual template.
Who makes Caylem?
Caylem is built and maintained by Lyemac, a South African company. The about page explains why it was built for South African founders and teams.
Inspect the application you would build on
Check the selected release and its current ZAR price before purchase. You receive the source under MIT. Hosting, service approval, custom development and maintenance are separate. Your source purchase does not approve your future business to accept payments.
See release & rand price