ZARC reaches 1.5m active .ZA domains

The ZA Registry Consortium (ZARC) has achieved a significant milestone by reaching 1.5 million registrations across South Africa’s commercial .ZA second-level domains, including .co.za, .org.za, .net.za and .web.za. This marks South Africa as the first African country-code domain ecosystem to reach this number of registrations. ZARC has been involved in the .ZA namespace since 1995, overseeing its growth alongside the expansion of internet adoption in the country.

The milestone underscores the continued confidence in .ZA as a digital identity for South African entities and reflects the transformation of the country's internet ecosystem. Neil Dundas, CEO of ZARC, emphasized that the milestone is not just about reaching a number, but rather the confidence placed in .ZA as a reliable digital home.

The achievement comes as internet connectivity and online services become increasingly central to economic activity in South Africa, with an internet penetration rate of approximately 79.6%, translating to about 51.7 million internet users. Moving forward, ZARC plans to collaborate with registrars and industry partners while maintaining the infrastructure supporting the .ZA namespace, ensuring its continued role as a trusted, secure, and accessible digital identity for South Africa.

This milestone positions the .ZA namespace among Africa’s more established country-code domain ecosystems, highlighting South Africa's development in the internet space over the past three decades.