New operator process for South Africa’s .za domain names begins
The .ZA Domain Name Authority (.zadna) has started preparing to appoint the future operator for South Africa’s commercial .za domain names.
The process covers the co.za, org.za, net.za, and web.za second-level domains, which form a critical part of South Africa’s Internet infrastructure.
.zadna said the process follows the scheduled expiry of its current five-year Registry Operator Agreement with the ZA Registry Consortium (ZARC) in September 2027.
“Due to the complexity and national importance of the .za namespace, early planning ensures sufficient time for a carefully managed, low-risk process,” the agency stated.
The authority said it would publish a Request for Information (RFI) on 29 May 2026 to assess market capabilities before issuing a future tender.
The RFI is not a procurement process and will not determine which company will operate the commercial .za domains after the current agreement expires.
Instead, .zadna said it will use responses to benchmark international best practice, understand available technologies, and develop a fit-for-purpose Request for Proposal.
Acting .zadna CEO Lerato Seema said the process was being started early to protect the stability and security of the .za namespace.
“The RFI is a non-binding market engagement process,” Seema said. It will inform the development of a later RFP, according to the authority.
.zadna said all .za domain services remain fully operational, with no impact on domain holders, registrars, or related services.
No decision has been made to replace the incumbent registry operator, and ZARC may participate in the process, .zadna said.
A final appointment will only be made after the RFI has been completed and a competitive RFP process has been run.
The ZA Registry Consortium was appointed in 2022 to provide administrative and technical registry services for the commercial second-level domains.
A second-level domain is the namespace directly below .za, such as co.za, org.za, net.za, and web.za.
Stability paramount
After analysing RFI responses, .zadna said it would develop and publish an RFP, evaluate submissions, and appoint a future registry operator.
The authority said any transition would include detailed planning and testing, parallel run periods, and technical oversight to avoid service disruption.
.zadna said performance and contractual requirements will also form part of the governance controls around any future registry operator transition.
The selection priorities include service continuity and reliability, cybersecurity and DNS resilience, infrastructure capability, compliance, governance, and support for registrars.
.zadna said the process should support digital sovereignty, national resilience, local industry participation, investment, skills development, and transformation.
The authority said it would provide updates at key milestones and could invite stakeholder engagement where appropriate.
“The objective is to ensure a smooth and well-governed process that prioritises service continuity, infrastructure resilience, and the long-term sustainability of the .za namespace,” Seema said.
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