Domain extensions: which one to pick

Types of extension

• Country code (ccTLD): for a country, such as .za for South Africa. South Africa’s extensions are run by ZACR, the ZA Central Registry.
• Second-level country extensions: .co.za, .org.za and others: a category under .za.
• City extensions: .joburg, .capetown and .durban.
• Generic (gTLD): .com, .net, .org and newer ones such as .africa, .online or .shop.

The South African extensions

Extension	For	Price a year
.co.za	Businesses and companies	R 150
.org.za	NGOs, churches, associations	R 150
.net.za	Internet and technology businesses	R 150
.web.za	Personal and community sites	R 150
.joburg	Businesses in Johannesburg	R 405
.capetown	Businesses in Cape Town	R 405
.durban	Businesses in Durban	R 405
.africa	Brands across Africa	R 375

See all domain prices.

.co.za, .africa or .com?

	.co.za	.africa	.com
Tells customers	South African business	African brand	International
Availability	Good names taken	More names free	Most short names taken
Price a year	R 150	R 375	R 267

Our advice: a business selling in South Africa should use .co.za as its main address, and register the .com of the same name to protect it. Read .co.za vs .africa for more.

Does the extension affect Google?

A country extension tells Google your site is for South Africa, which helps you appear in South African searches. A .com can rank here too, but needs other local signals. Either way, good content matters far more than the ending.

Other options

.org suits non-profits with an international audience, and a city extension shows customers you are local. Search any name on domain registration to see which extensions are free.