The Registry Operator will be using an automated system, Extensible Provisioning Protocol (EPP), and only accredited registrar will be able to use the system.
So, in essence you would need to obtain your .africa domain name through an accredited registrar or a reseller. No individual registrations will be allowed.
The .africa TLD application is still with ICANN and undergoing assessments. The delegation of the new gTLDs is planned to happen during the 3rd quarter of this year, and subsequently the .africa TLD will also be available for launch, and registration.
The .africa TLD will be launched in two phases, namely: Sunrise and Landrush. At Sunrise phase, trademark & brand names will be the priority for sales, and thereafter open delegation or landrush.
If you are a trademark holder ICANN prescribes a process, which we as the Registry Operator need to follow to ensure that genuine trademarks are protected and sold to the valid entity. The trademark holder will need to register their trademarks with the Trademark Clearing House.
It is envisaged that the .africa domain name will cost about $18 per annum.
This annual fee excludes the fees that registrars will charge the end users.
There are various protection mechanisms and policies, which the Registry Operator needs to adhere to and we are also bound by ICANN to make these policies part of our operations.
The various policies include:
These policies can be accessed via the link below:
Africainonespace.org/Policies/
dotAfrica is the new Top Level Domain (TLD) for the African continent: It is an African initiative created by Africans for Africans and the worldwide audience of companies, organisations and individuals interested in, associated with and connected with the African community and markets.
The dotAfrica initiative is fully endorsed by the African Union (AU) and has widespread support across the continent - from African governments, the business sector, civil society and the technical community. dotAfrica is led by a multi-stakeholder Steering Committee from across the continent.
