CO ZA Domains

No. But at R50/year, it’s the most affordable way to secure your online name locally.

A .co.za domain generally costs between R50 and R320 per year, depending on the registrar you choose.

Here’s a breakdown of what affects the price:

• Registrar pricing model: Some offer low first-year promos, then higher renewal fees.
  
• Included features: Services like DNS management, email forwarding, or WHOIS privacy may influence the cost.
  
• Renewal rates: Always check if renewal is the same as the initial price. This is rarely the case

Search it, add to cart, pay, and it’s yours in seconds. No paperwork. No delays.

The .ZA domain space is overseen by the .ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA), which serves as the official regulator for South Africa’s country code top-level domain (ccTLD).

ZADNA is responsible for:

• Setting policies and rules for how the .za namespace is used
  
• Defining and managing second-level domains (SLDs) like .co.za, .org.za, and .gov.za
  
• Overseeing the registries and registrars that handle domain operations

While ZADNA governs the overall structure and policy, technical and operational tasks — such as processing domain registrations — are managed by the ZA Central Registry (ZACR) and other registries.

Actual domain sales and renewals are carried out by ZADNA-accredited registrars, who offer domain registration services directly to individuals, businesses, and organizations.

In short:

ZADNA sets the rules. ZACR handles domain infrastructure. Registrars help you register and manage your .ZA domain.

.co.za is by far the most recognized and widely used domain locally.

Typing .com instead of .za simply directs you to a completely different website — if that version of the domain exists.

For example, yourbrand.com and yourbrand.co.za are treated as separate domains and could be owned by different entities.

If someone already owns the .com version, your visitors may end up on the wrong site, leading to:

• Brand confusion or lost traffic
• Loss of credibility (especially if the .com site is unrelated or suspicious)
• Potential legal disputes in extreme cases of trademark conflict

For South African businesses, it’s smart to register both the .co.za and .com versions (if available) and redirect one to the other to secure your online identity locally and globally.

The best domain registrar in South Africa depends on your specific needs — price, support, uptime, tools, or added services.

That said, you’ll want a registrar that is:

• Accredited by ZADNA and ZACR
• Offers transparent pricing with no hidden renewal fees
• Provides easy-to-use dashboards for managing your domains
• Has local support channels for quick issue resolution
• Includes free DNS management, email forwarding, or WHOIS tools

Popular and trusted registrars in South Africa include:

• Truehost
• 1-Grid
• Domains.co.za
• xneelo (formerly Hetzner)
• Elitehost

Always compare renewal pricing, features, and reviews—not just the first-year promo.

No, you cannot purchase a .ZA domain permanently.

All domain names, including .co.za, are leased on an annual basis.

Here’s how it works:

• You can register a domain for 1 to 5 years at a time (depending on registrar support).
  
• You’ll need to renew it before expiry to maintain ownership.
  
• If you fail to renew, the domain enters a grace period, and afterward it may be released for public registration again.

To keep your domain long-term:

• Enable auto-renewal with your registrar
• Set up renewal reminders
• Keep your payment methods updated

Think of a domain name like a digital rental—it stays yours as long as you keep paying the rent.