Partner 16 May 2023
Registering a new domain name is an exciting step in expanding your business’s online presence and creating your own personal virtual space.
Africa is often overlooked and underestimated as an online authority – whereas in reality, registering a .africa domain comes with big benefits.
This domain extension is a rising star and offers a range of perks from which just about every African business can benefit.
What’s in a name?
With the digital nature of today’s world, it is essential to have an online presence that is focused and meaningful.
When you acquire an online space for your business to thrive, you must also pick a domain name that gives your new and prospective customers access to your wide range of offerings.
This domain name should set you apart from your competitors – and while global domain extensions from Europe, Asia and North America may seem attractive, registering a domain name in Africa is a far better choice for your African business.
Here’s why:
Domain name availability
Imagine you’ve come up with an exciting new project or business, and an excellent name for it.
You decide to set up a website that uses this name, before learning that the .com and .co.za versions of your website have already been taken.
This is where opting for an extension such as .africa gives you an exciting new alternative – and even an advantage if you are looking to tap into the African market specifically.
Instead of forfeiting your excellent business name, simply register it with a .africa extension, and begin your journey to success.
Increasing your brand visibility
While many African websites use Country Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLD), such as .za, .ng, or .ke, to name a few, the .africa domain extension opens up many new opportunities.
This is thanks to the extension applying to the whole continent of Africa and all it encompasses.
Therefore, if you want to expand into African markets and be noticed by African audiences, having a .africa extension can help increase your credibility and visibility.
While .africa calls for broader reach and appeal, it also aims to complement all the African ccTLDs and can be used in conjunction with these country-based domains – putting local businesses on the African map.
Improving your business’ credibility
Building trust is crucial given the tendency of local audiences to prefer businesses with an established local presence.
By having a more localised, relatable domain, your audience is more likely to opt for your services and products as they are offered by a business on their continent.
From a more technical standpoint, search engines such as Google prioritise websites with local domains for local search queries.
This gives you a further advantage by having a localised domain name that not only appeals to the African continent but represents local search potential too.
When search engines rank your website higher, this builds online credibility and positions your website and business as an authority.
Creates room for business expansion
The African market offers incredible potential, and local businesses should always consider expansion into new African countries when building their online presence.
Registering a domain name in Africa is a key part of expanding your business, as it will help you tap into new markets.
Without a .africa domain name, customers from these markets will need to somehow come across your ccTLD domain name – even though it does not apply to their country.
Choosing a .africa domain name is more appropriate than a popular global domain like .com, too, as it helps you let customers know that your business focus is squarely on the African market.
Ensuring the protection of intellectual property
If the only perk of an African domain name registration were protecting your intellectual property in the African region, that would already be a terrific reason to do it.
A .africa domain name allows you to conduct your business with the peace of mind of knowing your intellectual property is not at risk – as it makes this domain name unavailable for others to register.
This prevents other actors from infringing on your company’s trademark – avoiding the need to enter into expensive and time-consuming legal battles.
Additionally, with the nature of cyber-squatters who fraudulently mislead Internet users, you protect your brand from being registered as a business to fool others.
To avoid these complications, many individuals and businesses purchase a domain exclusively to protect their brand – and your business should, too.
A more cost-effective option
Registering your .africa domain name is more cost-effective than its many equivalents in other regions.
Registrars of African domains typically offer competitive pricing for a service that achieves the same (if not better) results for businesses when done correctly.
This makes .africa domains extremely advantageous for smaller businesses, such as start-ups, that have limited budgets and finances to spare.
Registering your domain name in African countries may also incur lower charges as they usually have lower domain registration fees in comparison to other regions.
This makes the process and outcome more appealing for entrepreneurs and start-ups to establish their online presence at a more affordable rate.
More local SEO opportunity
With the focus on Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and higher rankings in local search results, having a .africa domain name will make all the difference.
For example, if you have a business in South Africa, and your domain name has a .za extension, you’re more likely to appear in South African search results.
The same concept applies to .africa domain names: when looking to expand and be seen in other African countries’ search results, the .africa domain name registration offers you a competitive edge.
In the long run, more targeted traffic will be driven to your website, and more leads will learn about your brand and its local online presence.
This will then lead to higher conversions and sales as more customers are acquired and retained.
Registry Africa: A little about us
Registry Africa is an African company that provides a truly African-grown domain name management platform that enables ICANN-accredited registrars to make the .africa domain name registration process in Africa more accessible.
With one convenient platform, we give global access to the African digital landmark that is .africa and all the benefits it brings with it.
Registry Africa is a subsidiary of ZA Central Registry (ZACR), which is a non-profit organisation that manages a few other TLDs, including .joburg, .capetown, and .durban, which are collectively known as the ZACities
.africa is an African initiative created by Africans for Africans to provide a unique identity for businesses across the continent.
This unique domain extension is for individuals, businesses, and organisations looking to unlock local, regional, and global potential to enter the African market.
Putting Africa on the map
Registering a .africa domain name can offer a range of benefits, including the perks of local SEO, improving your brand’s visibility & credibility, and offering a more cost-effective option for domain name registrations.
For businesses looking to expand into Africa, or even for smaller players and entrepreneurs in a given industry, registering a domain in Africa helps ensure the protection of intellectual property.
If you are a business or individual looking to establish an online presence in Africa, consider registering a domain name with the local .africa extension.
Registry Africa continues to be a service provider of choice in helping businesses achieve seamless brand expansion and domain registration throughout the African continent.
Whether an international or African brand, we can help you make your African mark today.
