Same-day assessment for spilled MacBooks, iPhones and iPads at our Hyde Park workshop. Component-level board cleaning and chip-level repair from R1,500, with a written 12-month warranty. Assessment from R599.
We have been recovering liquid-damaged Apple devices from our Hyde Park workshop for over 16 years — more than 25,000 MacBook repair operations across our specialist Apple workshop. We work at component level under microscope, not by swapping the whole logic board, which keeps your original board, your data, and your Touch ID pairing intact.
By Courtney Bentley, Founder, CEO & Apple Certified Expert Consultant
Wet MacBook? Act today. Corrosion spreads within hours — and rice does not help.
Switch the device off immediately. Do not attempt to charge it. Do not turn it on to “check”. WhatsApp us a photo of the device and we will arrange same-day intake at our Hyde Park workshop.
The moment liquid penetrates the keyboard or chassis vents, it spreads across the logic board by capillary action — under the EMI shielding cans, between surface-mount chip leads, into connector contacts. Live power rails encounter conductive liquid and short-circuit. Tiny fuses (typically rated 3A, 5A or 10A) blow as designed to protect downstream chips. Power rails collapse, and your MacBook either shuts down immediately or continues running while damage cascades silently.
As the liquid dries, the dissolved sugars, salts and acids stay behind as conductive residue on the board. Galvanic corrosion begins at every junction where dissimilar metals meet. Copper traces oxidise. BGA solder balls beneath chips corrode from the edges inward. The damage is invisible from above because everything happens under the chip packages. This is why ultrasonic cleaning is critical — it physically lifts the residue out from underneath the components before corrosion eats through the connections.
The same process whether you bring in a wet MacBook Air or a flooded MacBook Pro 16-inch. Workshop-only — no parts are shipped, no devices leave Johannesburg.
WhatsApp us or walk into our Hyde Park workshop. We open the device within hours of receipt, photograph the corrosion, and identify which logic-board rails, chips and connectors have been affected. Assessment fee from R599.
The logic board is removed from the chassis under ESD-safe conditions. Display, keyboard, trackpad, battery, speakers and antennas are isolated and inspected individually for liquid migration paths.
The bare logic board is submerged in a temperature-controlled ultrasonic bath with 99.9% isopropyl alcohol. The cavitation lifts conductive residue from beneath surface-mount chips, BGA pads and shielding cans where hand-cleaning cannot reach.
Under stereo microscope, our technician identifies failed components — power-management ICs, charging controllers, USB-C ports, audio amplifiers, fuses, capacitors — and replaces them individually using hot-air rework and precision soldering. We do not swap the whole board.
The board is powered on a DC bench supply outside the chassis and monitored for current draw on every rail. We verify display, charging, audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, camera, microphone, keyboard, trackpad and every USB-C port before reassembly.
The device is rebuilt, full functional test repeated, and returned to you with a written 12-month warranty on every component we repaired. If the same fault returns within 12 months, we repair it again at no labour cost.
Most Apple repair shops quote a full logic-board replacement for any liquid damage — R12,000 to R30,000 at the Apple Store, and on Apple Silicon Macs you lose your data and Touch ID pairing in the process. We do the opposite. We fix the specific failed components under microscope and leave your original board in place.
Stereo microscope at 7×–45× magnification used for every liquid damage repair. We see corrosion in places dripping naked eye cannot.
We replace the specific failed chip or component. Your original logic board, Touch ID pairing, and Apple Silicon SSD remain in place.
The board is powered on a regulated DC supply before reassembly. Short circuits and abnormal current draws are isolated to specific rails.
Written warranty on every component we repair or replace. If the same fault returns within 12 months, we repair it again at no labour cost.
Component-level repair pricing. All prices include ultrasonic cleaning, component repair, labour, full functional testing, and a written 12-month warranty. Compare with the Apple Store, which quotes R12,000 to R30,000 for a full logic-board swap.
| Device | From |
|---|---|
| MacBook Air liquid damage | R1,500 |
| MacBook Pro 13″ liquid damageMost Common | R2,500 |
| MacBook Pro 14″ / 16″ liquid damage | R3,500 |
| iMac liquid damage | R2,800 |
| iPhone liquid damage | R1,200 |
| iPad liquid damage | R1,800 |
Assessment fee from R599 — covers full disassembly, inspection, and written fixed-price quote. If you proceed with the repair, the assessment fee is included in the total. All prices in ZAR including VAT.
Indicative pricing only. Final pricing is confirmed once ZA Support verifies your device model and serial number.
All prices shown are starting points and subject to device-specific assessment. Contact ZA Support on 064 529 5863 with your model and serial number for a confirmed quote.
We have run the same Hyde Park workshop since 2009 — 16 years of Apple-only repair, including more than 25,000 individual repair operations across our specialist Apple workshop. Liquid damage is one of our highest-volume repair categories.
Most repair shops in Johannesburg quote a full board replacement for any liquid damage. We work at component level under microscope, replacing the specific failed chips — power-management ICs, charging controllers, USB-C ports, audio amplifiers — for a fraction of board-swap cost.
Your device stays at our Hyde Park workshop for the entire repair. We do not ship boards to a third-party microsolder shop. Every step — disassembly, ultrasonic cleaning, component repair, testing — happens in front of our own technicians in Johannesburg.
Every liquid damage repair carries a written 12-month warranty on the components we repaired and our workmanship. Most Johannesburg shops offer 90 days. The Apple Store offers 90 days on out-of-warranty work. We offer 12 months.
You receive a written, fixed-price quote after the assessment — and that price is the price. No surprises, no "we found something else" upsells, no hidden charges. Assessment fee from R599, included in the repair cost if you proceed.
Founder Courtney Bentley was named to the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 list in 2019 for the work building ZA Support into one of Johannesburg's most-reviewed independent Apple specialists. We treat that recognition as a standard to maintain, not a credential to rest on.
Every Apple device has different liquid damage failure patterns. Select your model below for device-specific information including common failure components, turnaround time, and price.
Pro 13", 14", 16" — Intel and Apple Silicon
M1, M2, M3 — board cleaning and component repair
iPhone 8 through iPhone 16 Pro Max water recovery
All iPad models including M4 iPad Pro
Series 3 through Ultra 2 sealed-housing recovery
21.5", 24", 27" desktop board cleaning
Liquid damage frequently causes downstream faults. If your MacBook is not charging after a spill, the cause could be a damaged USB-C controller (covered by our logic board repair service), a damaged battery cell (battery replacement), or a failed display (screen repair). Our assessment identifies the root cause before any repair is quoted.
We collect and service all suburbs within 60 km of our Hyde Park workshop, plus Pretoria and Centurion. Click your area for local details.
4.9★ across 640 Google reviews — Johannesburg's most reviewed independent Apple specialist.
Most liquid damage on MacBook, iMac, iPhone and iPad comes through our Hyde Park workshop, with collection across the wider Gauteng area. Pick the model you have or the suburb closest to you to read what the assessment, ultrasonic cleaning and board-level repair work looks like for that device or that area.
Send us a photo of your device and a short description of what was spilled. We will reply with same-day intake details. Assessment from R599 with a written fixed-price quote before any work begins.
1 Hyde Lane, Hyde Park, Second Floor, Office E2004, Johannesburg, 2196 • Mon–Thu: 08:00 – 17:00, Fri: 08:00 – 16:30
George Varghese
1 week ago
Unparalled service! I needed a liquid damage cleanup for my MacBook and these guys handled it so well. They were faster and and more thorough than any other repair shop I've used before and their communication was 10/10. I was kept updated at every step and confident in their work. Big thank you to Mary and Courtney who were both knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Highly recommend for any Mac owner!
Lourens Horn
1 week ago
They were very helpful and professional. Admin is on point, I worked with Mary and the experience was a breeze.
Dawie Marais
3 weeks ago
I recently used this company for a battery replacement on my old 12.9-inch iPad Pro 3rd gen and had a really good experience. From the beginning, communication was excellent and the whole process was smooth. They first made sure of the exact iPad model before quoting. I couldn’t visit them personally, so they arranged courier collection and delivery as part of the service, which made things very convenient. I was kept updated throughout the entire process — from courier collection, delivery to their workshop, assessment, repair progress, and even any challenges they encountered along the way. The battery replacement itself was done very neatly, with no noticeable damage or marks from opening the screen. Overall, I’m very impressed with the service and professionalism, and I’ll definitely make use of them again in future.
Lamasabatha
1 month ago
I recently had an accident and dropped my M4 MacBook Air on its corner. Because my laptop is my entire workspace for my design and media projects, I was terrified about potential internal damage or losing my files. I took it to ZA Support for an impact assessment. They did a thorough internal inspection and gave me a very detailed report explaining that while the external chassis took a hit, the internal components and logic board were completely fine. They were incredibly professional, and I felt 100% comfortable trusting them with my sensitive data. Highly recommend their workshop!
Lorraine M
1 month ago
One day my iPad suddenly powered off without any warning. I took it to iStore, where they assessed it and told me it was beyond repair, saying the cost to fix it would be almost the same as buying a new iPad. I then took it to ZA Support, and they managed to repair it within a few days. I’m very happy with the service I received.
Chris Green
1 month ago
Excellent service from ZA Support for replacing an iPhone battery. Also, Mary patiently guided me through resolving some Microsoft issues on my iPhone. Highly recommended.