.africa FAQs

General .africa Frequently Asked Questions

How do I register a .africa domain name?
Register your .africa domain by simply selecting a provider from our list of Accredited Registrars, create an account within their portal and use their search tool to confirm that your desired domain name is available. Then complete their internal transaction processes, including paying for the domain name via the registrar’s portal. Once the transaction is processed, your new digital identity wil be active and you may then use it for emails, creating your website to sell your products and services etc.

The price of a .africa domain is determined by the registrar you choose. Generally, you can expect the domain name to attract one or more of the following charges:

  • Standard pricing: Most domain names are available at an annual rate, similar to other popular extensions.
  • Premium names: Short or highly sought-after keyword domains may carry a higher price tag due to their market value.
  • Bundled deals: Many registrars offer discounts when you package your domain with web hosting or email services.
  • Ultimately, your domain name costs are linked to the products and services that you require from your selected registrar.

The Registry supports a number of rights protection mechanisms so of which are mentioned herein, in no order of preference:

  • Uniform Rapid Suspension System (URS):
    A post-registration, fast, low-cost dispute resolution mechanism for clear-cut cases of trademark abuse or infringement, for example blatant cybersquatting.
    Learn more
  • Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP):
    Another post-registration remedy that allows trademark owners to seek cancellation or transfer of domain names registered in bad faith.
    Learn more
  • Inaccurate or incomplete Whois:
    The registry addresses inaccurate or incomplete Whois complaints by enabling correction through registrar notices, validating data where required, investigating complaints, and applying contractual enforcement measures where inaccuracies persist.
  • Third-party request for registry data:
    The registry provides domain registrar data only in compliance with applicable data protection laws and where the requester has a justifiable reason. Requests are processed through a formal Request for Registry Data form to ensure consistency and accountability.

Registrar Onboarding Questions and Answers

How will the onboarding process be conducted?
You will have to follow the process published on our website using the link provided: Website Onboarding Process Link. There are series of steps that you will progress through to ensure that you have the technical, legal, financial and administrative resources and competencies before you will be allowed to provision .africa domain names. Note that only ICANN-accredited registrar/s, with an IANA number must pursue the onboarding process.

The same agreement will apply for .Joburg, .Durban, and .CapeTown. A separate, yet highly similar agreement will be provided for .africa.

You may reach out to the Registry’s legal team to determine this matter as it depends on whether the model you are proposing includes multiple separate registrar or reseller accounts. Email legal@registry.africa for further information.

The Registry maintains a sandbox or OT&E environment that will be allocated to your registrar account so that testing may occur as and when onboarding and new and improved services are launched. You will receive your credentials once you start the onboarding process.
Yes, grace period refunds are processed during the Add Grace Period (AGP), which means that you may request a refund five calendar days after the initial domain name registration. The Registry will refund your selected registrar’s account if the domain is deleted within this period.
The Registry manages credit and fraud through defined credit limits, real time monitoring, transaction controls, anomaly detection and swift suspension or investigation of suspicious registrar activities.
Yes, their monthly billing will contain detailed itemized transactions, fees, credits, refunds and adjustments per domain name, enabling reconciliation, audit verification, dispute resolution and transparent financial accountability.. Historical financial documentation may be downloaded at any time by accessing the registrar’s online account.

Billing in a domain name registry is performed through automated transaction-based accounting linked to the registry system, typically as follows:

  • Each domain lifecycle action (create, renew, transfer, restore, delete) generates a billable event.
  • Fees are applied per the approved price schedule and registrar agreement.
  • Transactions are recorded in real time within the registry platform.
  • Monthly (or periodic) billing statements consolidate all chargeable activity.
  • Credits and refunds (e.g., Add Grace Period deletes) are applied automatically.
  • Invoices are issued to registrars with detailed transaction reports for reconciliation.
  • Payments are settled via prepaid balances or post-paid credit arrangements.

This ensures accurate, auditable, and transparent financial management between the registry and accredited registrars.

Each registrar lwill be associated with a dedicated account to facilitate this type of billing process.

The Registry does not charge any accreditation fee.
Our Registrar Panel provides a powerful suite of reporting tools designed to give you full visibility into your domain portfolio. Through a secure, real-time interface, accredited registrars can access and download detailed data to streamline business operations and financial planning. Available reports include:
  • Domain Portfolio Overviews: Complete listings of all your active .africa domains, including current statuses and upcoming expiry dates.
  • Financial & Billing Data: Access to historical financial statements, monthly invoices, and real-time prepaid balance tracking.
  • Ownership & Contact Logs: Detailed records of contact objects and registrant information to ensure data accuracy and compliance.
  • Lifecycle Tracking: Insights into domain history, including previously deleted names and those currently in redemption or pending phases.

All reporting functionality is available 24/7 through the Accredited Registrar’s Panel, allowing you to export data in multiple formats for your internal review.

We are committed to helping our partners grow. The Registry provides a comprehensive toolkit of marketing materials designed to help you effectively promote and sell .africa domains to your customers.

What you can access:

  • Ready-to-Use Brand Assets: Download our official .africa logos and brand guidelines to ensure professional and consistent messaging across your website and social media.
  • Educational Resources: Access ready-made content that explains the unique benefits of the .africa extension to entrepreneurs and businesses.
  • The Registrar Portal: All assets are conveniently hosted within the Accredited Registrar’s Panel, allowing you to grab what you need, when you need it.

Technical Questions (Support)

What is a typical domain lifecycle?
The .africa domain progresses from availability, to registration, suspension, deletion, closed redemption grace periods in terms of the Registry’s published terms and condition/policies.
We use two in-house extensions: Cancel Pending Action (to rescue a domain in suspension/deletion) and Autorenew. Neither is mandatory.
Yes. The ZACR processes commands as they are received. The WHOIS system performs a real-time lookup.

Yes. Registry.Africa will make public its Whois policy regarding privacy to keep personal information protected.

ICANN Accredited Registrars and those using a Proxy Registrar solution (for registrars not yet ICANN accredited).

No

c
Domains registered during Launch specify their lifespan. General Availability domains have a 1-year lifespan. Renewal is performed for 1 year at a time.
Every 15 minutes.
Yes. Governments and NGOs may reserve names as defined in the Reserved Names Policy. Premium names may be reserved by the Registry.
Pricing is available on the ZACR and TLD websites.
A minimum of 2 authoritative nameservers is required. The domain will not be published until the nameservers are responsive.

Version 1.1 of the DNSSEC standard is used. Currently, KeyData is implemented; DSData is in development.

The registrar must keep records of the request and approval for the change for auditing. It only requires a domain update and does not charge or renew the domain.
Domains must not be used unlawfully or in a harmful manner.
Handled via the ICANN Inter-Registrar Transfer Procedure. Success increases the expiration date by 1 year (up to 10 years max).
Technical implementation differs greatly from co.za EPP requirements. Different information and processing are required.

Our Partners

African-Union
AFRINIC
ITU
UNECA

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