Considering registering your first domain name or wondering what .co.za means?
.co.za is the country-specific domain extension for South Africa. ‘.co’ stands for ‘commercial’ and ‘.za’ stands for ‘South Africa’.
This domain extension is popular among South African-based businesses, especially those whose primary target audience is based in South Africa.
The .co.za domain can also be used to mark your business presence in South Africa, even if you are based somewhere else.
Take our brand, TheFrontline, for example. Were a South African digital publisher based in South Africa, and our audience is primarily South Africans. using a .co.za over other domain extensions shows who we are and who we’re for. We can be found at thefrontline.co.za.
TheFrontline is operated by IXA Media, and has more than one brand. Take our marketing brand, Lost Marketer, which aims to help marketers find the information they’re looking for by providing informational content through blogs, videos and a marketing dictionary.
Our marketing brand serves a global audience. For this reason, we’ve opted to use the .com extension, lostmarketer.com.
If you’re planning on reaching a global audience you might be better suited with a .com domain name. Check out our article on the difference between .co.za and .com.
Otherwise, here is everything you need to know about .co.za domain names, when to use them, and how to get them.
About .co.za domains
The .co.za zone file was first created on 4 June 1993. The .ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) is the regulator and manager of the .ZA namespace with its mandate including the regulation of all the operators of .za second level domains (SLDs), which includes ‘.org.za’, ‘.co.za’, ‘.gov.za’, and ‘.net.za’.
Many webmasters in South Africa choose the .co.za domain extension, due to its lower annual cost compared to international Top-level domains (TLDs), which can cost north of R300.00 annually and even more for premium names.
There are also more .co.za domain names available compared to .com domains where it is difficult to find a short and unique brandable domain name which hasn’t already been snapped up by someone else.
When to use .co.za
Consider using a .co.za domain extension when you are certain of your future website prospects and audience.
Although a domain name can always be changed later down the line, it can complicate a lot of things and it can become an extremally costly endeavor.
Not to mention the loss in brand reputation or domain authority which could potentially occur and take several months to bounce back from.
It is also important to keep in mind that .co.za is not the only country-specific domain extension in South Africa.
You can also register other domain extensions like .org.za, .net.za, .web.za, .africa, or even city-level domain names such as .joburg, .durban and .capetown.
Register your desired domain with domains.co.za today.
Where to buy .co.za domains
If you have a brand or business idea in mind, and a top-level domain (TLD) like .com is not available but .co.za is, then .co.za can be a great alternative.
Don’t sit to long on the fence, as domains are snapped up quickly, and brandable domains can cost a lot more on the after market.
Domains can be purchased online through a domain registrar. If your desired domain is already taken, you can approach the domain owner directly or through a domain broker to try and buy it from them or look at premium brandable domain names on after market sites.
How much does it cost to register a .co.za domain?
.co.za domains usually cost between R65.00 and R90.00 to annually, while premium brandable domains can fetch thousands or Rands on the aftermarket.
Check out or step-by-step guide on buying a domain name in South Africa.
When you see a .co.za website online, you immediately know that it is a South African-related website.
This can be a great positive if your target audience is South Africans, as it can lead to more people choosing your website in the search engines when browsing for South African businesses or South African-related content.