Get ZA city domain now

Businesses and individuals interested in a dotJoburg, dotCapeTown or dotDurban domain name should apply now for these names as we have just entered the last phase that will allow applications before the free-for-all rush starts on 4 November.

Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban are all names recognised the world over as premier South African business, travel and leisure destinations. Locally, the three are equally well known for their culture, nightlife and fabulous beaches, respectively.

The ZAdotCities domains offer businesses in these three cities the ability to identify more closely with them and will become commercially available on 4 November 2014 when the ZA Central Registry (ZACR) kicks off its General Availability phase.

To stand the best chance of being awarded a coveted dotJoburg (.joburg), dotCapetown (.capetown) or dotDurban (.durban) domain name when they become available in November, it’s imperative to apply for preferred domains with the country’s only operational ICANN accredited registrar.

That’s according to Wayne Diamond, MD of Domains.co.za who says the imminent availability of these three domain names presents businesses across the spectrum with a golden opportunity to capitalise on the local and international renown of these cities.

Any organisation or individual with a particular affinity for one of South Africa’s three best-known cities can apply now to claim their own piece of one of these valuable brands. It is about more than pride, however – associating oneself with a particular city through one of these domains allows customers to know more about you and positions your business far more clearly,” says Diamond.

It is not only businesses that can take advantage of this opportunity to maximise product and online visibility, the cities themselves can also benefit, using ZAdotCities as an opportunity to increase tourism by creating greater awareness of their brand names.

He explains that using the www.domains.co.za application service is easy. It is as simple as choosing a name that will help your business stand out from the crowd. Currently, the application fee for regular domain names (eg: YourOwnName.joburg) is R1 500 while the application fee for premium domain names (eg: Insurance.joburg) is R6 500.

However, if there are two or more applications for the same domain name before the end of the land rush phase, the domain name will be auctioned to the highest bidder.

Applications fees during the current land rush and sunrise phases are relatively high because there is a greater chance of actually securing domain names should applications take place prior to General Availability when the expected cost will be around R275 during this ‘first come, first served’ phase.

“My advice would be to apply for your chosen ZAdotCities domains as soon as possible. This will ensure you have the best chance of securing your deserved domain name ahead of General Availability in November,” says Diamond.

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