The best domain extension for an African business is rarely one extension. Ghana, Kenya and South Africa each run their own country code with its own registry, pricing, paperwork and public habits, and in all three the global .com is still what customers type first. South Africa's .co.za is one of the largest country-code zones in the world. Kenya's .co.ke is affordable, open and widely used. Ghana's .com.gh is credible but historically manual to register. Knowing which is which saves a week of waiting and several wrong registrations.
This guide compares the extensions in each market, explains the registry behind each, sets out who can register what, and gives a process for a business that trades in one of these countries or across all three.
MailShrine Domains offers .co.za, .co.ke, .ke, .com.gh and the global extensions among its 150+, with first-year and renewal prices shown together and payment in US dollars by card or in naira via Paystack. Every registration writes the email DNS automatically and includes two business mailboxes, so a new local domain is receiving mail within minutes of going live.
Real-life example: Thabo's consultancy
Thabo Molefe runs a procurement-advisory firm from Johannesburg with clients in South Africa, and has just signed engagements in Nairobi and Accra. The firm is "Molefe Advisory". He holds molefeadvisory.co.za and uses it for email. His new Kenyan client's procurement team asked whether the firm has "a local presence", and his Ghanaian contact typed .com and got a parked page. He wants a clear structure before he hires in either city.
Thabo's goals:
- Understand the extension landscape in Kenya and Ghana as well as he knows .co.za.
- Decide whether to register local extensions in each country or move to a single .com.
- Keep one set of mailboxes rather than three.
The extensions compared, by country
| Country | Primary ccTLD option | Registry | Open to foreigners? | Typical price | Also common |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | .co.za | ZA Central Registry (ZACR) under ZADNA | Yes, no residency requirement | Low; among the cheapest ccTLDs globally | .org.za, .net.za, .africa (also run by ZACR) |
| Kenya | .co.ke | KeNIC (Kenya Network Information Centre) | Yes | Low to moderate | .ke (direct, since 2017), .or.ke, .me.ke |
| Ghana | .com.gh | NIC Ghana (Network Computer Systems) | Yes, with documentation at many registrars | Moderate to high; registration can take days | .gh direct (limited), .org.gh, .edu.gh |
| All three | .com | Verisign | Yes | $12.99/yr | .africa, .co, .io |
South Africa: .co.za
With well over a million registrations, .co.za is the default for South African businesses and is often registered instead of, not alongside, the .com. ZACR runs it with real-time EPP registration, so a .co.za goes live in seconds. There is no residency requirement and no document check for .co.za. Google geo-targets it to South Africa. The direct .za second level is not open to the public; everything sits under .co.za, .org.za, .net.za and a few others.
ZACR also operates .africa, the continental generic launched in 2017. It is open to anyone, priced above .co.za, and useful as a pan-African brand domain when you trade in several countries, which is exactly Thabo's situation.
Kenya: .co.ke and .ke
KeNIC administers .ke. The commercial second level .co.ke is the common choice, affordable and open to anyone. Direct .ke registrations opened in 2017 after a sunrise period for existing holders and are priced higher, in the same way .ng sits above .com.ng in Nigeria. Registration is automated through accredited registrars and generally immediate. Kenyan customers and procurement teams recognise .co.ke as a sign of local presence, which is what Thabo's client was asking about.
Ghana: .com.gh
NIC Ghana administers .gh, and the commercial second level .com.gh is the one businesses use. It is well regarded locally but has historically been the least automated of the three: many registrars still require a copy of a business registration or identification and process registrations manually, so a .com.gh can take one to several business days. Pricing is higher than .co.za or .co.ke. Direct .gh registrations exist but are limited. If you need a Ghanaian address quickly, start the .com.gh process early and use a .com or .africa in the meantime.
Choosing a structure
- One country, local customers: the local ccTLD as primary (.co.za, .co.ke or .com.gh), plus the .com if it is free, redirected.
- One country, international customers or investors: .com as primary, local ccTLD redirecting to it.
- Several African countries: .com or .africa as the primary brand and mailbox domain, with the local ccTLD in each country registered and redirected. This gives each market a "local presence" answer without splitting email.
Thabo falls into the third category. molefeadvisory.com was parked with a Buy Now price; he bought it. He registered molefeadvisory.co.ke immediately and started the .com.gh application, kept his .co.za, and moved all mailboxes to the .com.
What you need before you start
| You need | Why |
|---|---|
| Availability across .co.za, .co.ke, .com.gh, .com and .africa | Decide with the full picture |
| Business registration documents | .com.gh registrars often ask; .co.za and .co.ke do not |
| Time for Ghana | Days, not minutes |
| A decision on the mailbox domain | One set of mailboxes on one domain; the rest redirect |
| Renewal prices for each | ccTLD renewals vary widely |
Step 1: Search all the candidates
Run the name through the MailShrine checker and note which ccTLDs, .com and .africa are free, with renewals.
Step 2: Settle the .com
If free, register it. If parked with a Buy Now price within reason, buy it. If a live business, lengthen the name for a clean .com and keep the short name on the ccTLDs.
Step 3: Register the automated ccTLDs now
.co.za and .co.ke register in seconds. Take them for two years with privacy and lock on.
Step 4: Start the Ghana application
Submit the .com.gh with the documents requested and expect a few days. Point the Ghanaian client at the .com in the meantime.
Step 5: Consolidate email
Move or create mailboxes on the primary domain, and redirect every other domain to it. Thabo's thabo@molefeadvisory.com now receives mail whichever address a client types, because the ccTLDs forward to the .com.
Thabo's checklist
- Bought the parked
molefeadvisory.comthrough the Buy Now listingCompleted - Registered
molefeadvisory.co.kefor 2 years; kept.co.zaCompleted - Submitted the
molefeadvisory.com.ghapplication with company documentsCompleted - Registered
molefeadvisory.africafor 2 years as the pan-African brandCompleted - Mailboxes consolidated on the .com in Business EmailCompleted
- Redirect each ccTLD to the .com once DNS is liveNot completed
- Add the .co.ke address to the Kenyan client's vendor recordNot completed
Common mistakes
Expecting a .com.gh to register instantly. Many registrars process it manually and ask for documents. Plan days.
Splitting email across three domains. Three sets of mailboxes means three places to miss a message. One mailbox domain; the rest redirect.
Ignoring .africa. For a multi-country business it is the one extension that says "regional" without naming a country, and ZACR runs it reliably.
Assuming .co.za or .co.ke needs local registration. Neither does. Register them from anywhere.
Letting a client's .com guess land on a parked page. If the .com is held, buy it or make the name unmistakable. A parked page reads as "out of business".
Check your work
Type each address into a browser and confirm it lands on your site. In the MailShrine dashboard confirm every domain shows Active, the expected expiry, privacy and lock on, and that the primary shows email setup complete. For the .com.gh, confirm with the registrar that the application has been approved and the domain is in the zone before you print it anywhere.
FAQ
Which domain extension is best for a business in South Africa?
.co.za. It is cheap, instantly registered, universally recognised and geo-targeted to South Africa by Google. Register the .com too if it is free.
Can a foreigner register a .co.ke or .co.za domain?
Yes. Neither KeNIC nor ZACR imposes a residency requirement on the commercial second level. Some restricted second levels (government, education) are different.
Why does a .com.gh take so long?
NIC Ghana's process is less automated than its neighbours', and many registrars collect business documents and submit registrations manually. Expect one to several business days.
Is .africa worth registering?
For a business that trades in more than one African country, yes: it is the only extension that signals the region rather than a single state, and it is run by ZACR on the same infrastructure as .co.za.
Should an African business still buy the .com?
Yes, if it is free or affordable, because customers across the continent type .com by habit and foreign partners expect it. Our guide on .ng vs .com.ng vs .com makes the same case for Nigeria.
Next steps
- Country Domains for Nigeria: .ng vs .com.ng vs .com — the same decision in Africa's largest market.
- Best Domain Extensions for Canada and the UK — for firms with clients outside the continent.
- What to Do When Your Domain Name Is Taken — if the .com is parked, like Thabo's was.
Citations & References
- Reference: ZA Central Registry (ZACR)
- Reference: KeNIC: Kenya Network Information Centre
- Reference: IANA: .gh delegation record
- Reference: IANA: .africa delegation record
Written by Elena V., migrations editor. Elena helps businesses that are moving, expanding or consolidating keep one set of mailboxes working through the change.