If you own a .co.za domain, there's a price change coming in October 2026.
The good news? Your domain isn't suddenly about to become expensive.
The .za Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) announced a 6.2% increase in the registry fee for .co.za domains from 1 October 2026. The same increase will apply to .org.za, .net.za and .web.za domains.
For .co.za domains, that takes the annual registry fee from R65 to R69.
That's a relatively small increase for an individual domain owner. But with millions of .za domains registered and businesses sometimes managing dozens or even hundreds of domains, it's worth understanding what's changing and, importantly, what isn't.
What's Actually Changing With .co.za Domain Prices?
The first thing to understand is that the R69 figure isn't necessarily what you'll pay to register a .co.za domain.
It's the registry fee.
Think of it as the wholesale cost behind your domain name. Registrars like HostAfrica pay registry-level fees when domains are registered and renewed. They then set their own retail prices based on their services, operating costs and pricing model.
So when ZADNA increases the registry fee from R65 to R69, it doesn't automatically mean every .co.za domain in South Africa will cost exactly R69.
The price you ultimately pay will still depend on your domain registrar.
Our current price for a .co.za domain is R49. That means the time to acquire your .co.za domain name is now, as the price is subject to change.
What is changing from 1 October 2026 is the underlying cost of registering and renewing these four South African domain extensions:
| Domain | Registry fee change |
| .co.za | +6.2% |
| .org.za | +6.2% |
| .net.za | +6.2% |
| .web.za | +6.2% |
If you've only got one or two domains, this probably isn't a change that will have a major impact on your annual website costs.
For agencies, resellers and businesses managing large domain portfolios, however, even small increases become more noticeable at scale.
Why Are .co.za Domain Prices Increasing?
According to ZADNA, the increase forms part of its CPI-linked annual pricing methodology.
In other words, rather than domain registry fees remaining unchanged for years and then receiving a large adjustment, ZADNA moved towards reviewing pricing annually using a methodology linked to inflation.
This isn't the first adjustment under that approach either.
The .co.za registry fee increased from R61 to R65 on 1 October 2025, and it will now move from R65 to R69 on 1 October 2026.
ZADNA says the additional revenue supports the infrastructure behind South Africa's domain ecosystem, including:
- DNS resilience
- cybersecurity
- registry infrastructure
- domain name abuse management
- regulatory and policy compliance
- continued development of the .za namespace
Those things aren't particularly visible when you type a domain into your browser, and that's largely the point. Domain infrastructure is something most of us only notice when it doesn't work.
Keeping the .za namespace secure, stable and resilient requires ongoing investment.
Our Take: A Small Increase, but Transparency Matters
A R4 increase in the wholesale price of a .co.za domain isn't going to fundamentally change the economics of owning a South African domain.
But we do think domain owners should understand why prices change.
When someone sees that ".co.za prices are increasing by 6.2%", it's easy to assume their registrar has simply decided to put prices up by 6.2%.
That's not necessarily what's happening.
There's an entire registry ecosystem sitting behind every .co.za domain, and the wholesale fee charged within that ecosystem is changing.
For consumers, the more useful question isn't simply "How much did the registry fee increase?"
It's:
"What will my .co.za domain cost me when I next register or renew it?"
And that's where your choice of registrar still matters.
What Should .co.za Domain Owners Do?
For most domain owners, there's no urgent action required.
Your .co.za domain will continue working exactly as it does today. The change simply means that from 1 October 2026, the new registry fee will apply when applicable domain transactions are processed.
That being said, there are a few sensible things you can do:
- Check when your domains are due for renewal. If you manage several domains, knowing your renewal dates makes budgeting easier.
- Look at renewal fees or pricing, not only registration specials. A cheap introductory price doesn't always tell you what a domain will cost to keep year after year.
- Review unused domains. Businesses and agencies with large portfolios can use this as a good excuse to check whether every domain is still needed.
- Keep an eye on communication from your registrar. They'll tell you if and how the registry adjustment affects the price you pay.
Most importantly, don't panic. We're talking about a R4 increase at registry level, not a dramatic change to the cost of owning a website.
Is a .co.za Domain Still Worth It?
For a South African business? Absolutely.
A .co.za domain immediately tells visitors that your website has a South African connection. It's familiar to local customers, widely recognised, and remains one of the most natural choices for businesses primarily serving the South African market.
The latest price adjustment doesn't change that.
If anything, the important conversation is bigger than a few rand on the wholesale cost of a domain. South African businesses depend on the .za namespace every day, and maintaining reliable, secure domain infrastructure requires continued investment.
That's why we think it's important for domain owners to understand where these increases come from, rather than simply seeing a higher price at renewal time.
What Happens Next?
The new ZADNA registry fees take effect on 1 October 2026.
As we get closer to the change, keep an eye on communication from HostAfrica regarding any impact on our .co.za registration and renewal pricing.
And if you're looking for a new South African domain in the meantime, you can search for and register your .co.za domain with HostAfrica. Naturally, our web hosting packages aren't too far removed from the pairing.
The price behind .co.za may be changing slightly. Its value as South Africa's online home isn't.
