• The ZA Domain Name Authority has announced that fees for registration and renewal of domain names will increase by 5.23 percent.
• This means domain name owners will need to pay R61 instead of R55 per domain.
• Further price increases are being considered for 2025 to 2027.

The overseer of the local domain space, the .ZA Domain Name Authority (.zadna) has announced that registration and renewal fees for domains in the co.za, org.za, net.za and web.za are going to be increasing.

The fee increases come into effect later this year and are intended to improve the sustainability of the .za domain namespace.

“In response to a comprehensive financial analysis and the impacts of inflation and foreign exchange rates on operational expenditures, .zadna has recognized the necessity for a registry fee adjustment. This decision follows thorough consultations with industry stakeholders and aligns with current economic developments and operational needs,” says Molehe Wesi, chief executive officer of .zadna.

The increases to registration and renewal will come into effect on 1st October and will remain in place until 30th September 2025. According to .zadna, fees will increase 5.23 percent, in-line with the consumer pricing index. Essentially, registration and renewal fees will increase from R55 to R61 per domain name.

Looking ahead, .zadna projects the following adjustments for the coming years:

• 2025/26 – 6.56 percent
• 2026/27 – 6.15 percent.

“These figures will be confirmed annually in July, based on the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI), allowing for industry implementation in October of every year. We encourage all stakeholders to align their communications and timelines with these changes to facilitate a smooth transition,” adds Wesi.

The authority has also said that it is with working closely with the ZA Registry Authority on two project. The first is the Non-Commercial Development Fund. This fund will collect funds it accumulates from the adjusted fees and use them to support non-commercial initiatives and capacity developments.

In addition, the pair are working to give domain owners the ability to take up multi-year registrations and renewals of up to five years.

“We are targeting the implementation of this policy by 01 October 2024. Over the next three months, .zadna will collaborate closely with ZARC and the Registrar community to ensure a seamless transition. We are confident that these measures will significantly benefit the .za domain namespace and its users,” Wesi said.

While a R6 increase isn’t all that much in the greater scheme of things, it’s worth taking note of especially as in the coming years this increase could get larger.