ZAR
KES - Kenya
NGN - Nigeria
USD - International
All domain guides
In short
A domain is registered for a set period, usually a year, and must be renewed before its expiry date. If it expires, your website and email stop working; after a grace period it can cost extra to recover, and eventually it is released for anyone to register. Turn on auto-renewal.
What happens when a domain expires
The steps differ by extension, but follow this pattern:
| Stage | What happens | Can you renew? |
|---|---|---|
| Expiry day | Website and email stop working | Yes, normal price |
| Grace period | Domain held for you | Yes, normally at the renewal price |
| Redemption period | Domain about to be deleted | Often, with a recovery fee |
| Released | Anyone can register it | Only if nobody else does first |
The exact length of each period depends on the registry (ZACR for .co.za, others for .com and the rest). Don’t count on it: renew before the expiry date. Ask our team for the timings of a specific extension.
How to renew at Hostnali
- Automatically: you get a renewal invoice by email before the expiry date. Pay it by card or bank transfer.
- Manually: client area → Domains → My Domains → Renew. You can renew for several years at once.
Renewal prices: .co.za R 225 a year, .com R 315 a year. See all prices.
Why domains get lost
- Renewal emails go to an old address or a former developer.
- A card on file has expired.
- Nobody knew the domain was due.
Protect your domain
- Turn on auto-renewal.
- Keep contacts current: an email you check, in your company’s name (why).
- Renew for several years for your main domain.
- Put the expiry date in your calendar, a month before.
- Keep domain and hosting together so one invoice covers both.
Expired already?
Contact our team straight away with the domain name. In the grace period we can usually restore it at the normal renewal price, and your website and email come back once DNS refreshes.