What is HostAfrica (Plus Cheapest Alternative)

If you’ve been exploring hosting providers in South Africa and across Africa, HostAfrica is a name you’ve likely come across.

It’s a company that has expanded steadily over the years, building its presence in multiple African countries.

HostAfrica offers a mix of shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS, managed colocation, and domain-related services.

Like most web hosting companies in the region, HostAfrica highlight key features such as:

• Tier III data centres
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• Daily backups, and a
• 30-day money-back policy for certain plans.

What sets them apart though is their acquisition-driven growth strategy, which has helped them enter new markets and localize their services.

That means if you’re in Kenya or Nigeria, you can access hosting in your country with payment options and latency tailored to your region, where possible.

At the the time of writing this article, unlike Truehost, HostAfrica did not have physical servers in Kenya.

Company Background

HostAfrica (Pty) Ltd is headquartered in South Africa. The company was founded by Michael Osterloh, a former Managing Director at Deutsche Börse Cloud Exchange.

From the start, their goal has been to deliver reliable hosting services to individuals, businesses, and organizations, while maintaining service quality and support availability.

Over time, they’ve expanded into other African markets through strategic acquisitions.

Growth Through Acquisitions

HostAfrica has strengthened its position by acquiring several established hosting businesses:

• Dec 2016 – VPS Networks (including Cloud.co.za & VPS.co.za)
• Sep 2019 – AmpleHosting (Greycell CC)
• Mar 2020 – Gweb Hosting & Hob Host
• Apr 2020 – Divine Online Solutions (web-hosting division)
• Dec 2022 – EAC Directory (Kenya)
• Dec 2023 – Sasahost (Kenya)
• Oct 2024 – Webmanager.ng (Nigeria)
• Jan 2025 – GO54, formerly WhoGoHost (Nigeria)

These acquisitions have enabled HostAfrica to expand its data hosting capacity, offer local currency billing, and improve service delivery speeds in different countries.

Product Offerings

a) Shared / cPanel / DirectAdmin Hosting

You can get shared hosting plans with:

• A free domain for the first year (often .co.za or .africa)
• SSL certificates for site security
• Daily backups to safeguard your files
• DDoS protection and continuous security monitoring

b) WordPress Hosting

If you run a WordPress site, their hosting includes:

• Optimized environments, sometimes with LiteSpeed
• The same uptime guarantee as other hosting plans
• Features like free SSL, backups, and malware protection

VPS / Cloud / Dedicated Servers

For users who need more control, HostAfrica offers:

• KVM virtualization with dedicated resources
• Managed options with cPanel or DirectAdmin
• SSD storage for speed and reliability
• 99.9% uptime backed by their SLA

Now, if you are looking for affordable VPS Plans, then Truehost is a better alternative. Visit our VPS Hosting plans to learn why.

Managed Colocation

If you have your own servers, you can colocate them in their Tier III South African facilities, with options like full rack hosting.

Other Services

They also provide:

• Domain registration and management
• Professional email hosting
• SSL certificates for encryption
• Online backup solutions for data protection

HostAfrica Pricing

HostAfrica’s pricing depends on the service type, the site you’re buying from (.co.za, .com, or country-specific), and ongoing promotions.

For example:

• WordPress hosting on the South African site starts around R90/month
• On the global site, entry-level WordPress plans are listed in USD, starting at about $8.91/month (after discounts)

Always check the correct site for your region before making a purchase.

Infrastructure and Performance

HostAfrica hosts its services in Tier III data centres in South Africa and claims compliance with ISO 27001 standards for information security management.

They also state that they provide in-country hosting in other countries such as Nigeria, which can improve performance by reducing latency for local users.

Security Features

To keep your sites safe, HostAfrica offers:

• Daily backups of your data
• Always-on DDoS protection to prevent downtime from attacks
• Imunify360 malware protection to detect and remove malicious files

Refund Policy

A 30-day money-back guarantee applies to shared and WordPress hosting plans.

This allows you to test their services risk-free. Keep in mind that certain services, such as domain registrations or setup fees, may not be refundable.

Summary Table

Considering Truehost as an Alternative

Truehost.co.za is another provider worth looking at alongside HostAfrica.

While both companies offer shared hosting, VPS, and domain services, Truehost’s positioning focuses on affordable, transparent pricing and globally connected infrastructure that supports customers across multiple countries.

What We Offer at Truehost

You can get:

• Shared hosting with free SSL certificates and daily backups
• Cloud VPS options with SSD storage, full root access, and flexible scaling
• Domain registration at competitive rates, with support for both local (.co.za) and international extensions
• Very reasonable renewal rates for domains and hosting products
• Email hosting for professional communications
• SSL certificates from multiple providers for varied security needs

How Truehost Compares

Why You Might Choose Truehost

• Budget-friendly plans without hidden costs
• Multiple data centre locations for faster site delivery across regions
• Flexible packages suitable for individuals, startups, and enterprises
• Hands-on support to assist with setup, migration, and scaling

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a hosting provider with regional reach in Africa, local currency options, and a wide product range, HostAfrica offers a credible choice.

Their mix of infrastructure, acquisitions, and standard hosting features means you can find a plan that suits both small websites and larger projects.

Before committing, confirm the SLA details, check pricing for your specific region, and ensure the plan you select meets your technical and budget needs.