Guide
Free .co.za domain: what you get and what happens if you leave
Every plan includes a .co.za registered in your name, with the registration and every yearly renewal paid by us while you are a client; if you leave, the domain stays yours and we move it to the registrar you choose.
What "free" covers
A domain is registered for a year at a time and has to be renewed every year. For a .co.za included in your plan, we pay the registration and every renewal for as long as your subscription is active. That applies to a new .co.za we register for you and to a .co.za you transfer to us from another provider.
Other endings, such as .com, .africa or .org.za, are not included: we renew them yearly at a price we confirm with you before we register or move them.
Whose name it is in
Yours. We register the domain in your business's name after your first payment. That matters more than it sounds: a domain registered in a designer's or agency's own name can be hard to get back if you part ways. Whoever you work with, check whose name is on yours.
If you already have a domain
You do not need a new one. You can keep your domain where it is registered and renew it there, or transfer it to us so a .co.za renews free while you are a client. Either way, before your domain points at the new website we copy its existing settings across, including the records your email depends on, so your email keeps working through the switch. Read more on our domains page.
What happens if you leave
- The domain stays registered in your name and stays yours.
- A .co.za included in your plan is renewed at no cost only while your subscription is active. We remind you before its next renewal date, move it to the registrar you choose, and from then on you pay that registrar.
- A domain you kept with your own provider stays with them, and we hand over its settings so you can point it wherever you like.
- Your website stays live until the end of your last paid month, then goes offline. Ask within 30 days and we send you your text and photos.
- Email accounts included in your plan stay active until the end of your last paid month, and we help you move them to another provider before they close.
Questions to ask about any free domain offer
- Is the domain registered in my name, or in the provider's?
- Are the renewals free too, or only the first year?
- What happens to the domain if I cancel, and will you move it for me?
- Will my email keep working when the domain is connected to the new website?
Where to go from here
More guides: How much does a small business website cost in South Africa? · How to get your business on Google Maps · Does my website need a POPIA privacy policy?
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