Find the domain zone that says where you belong

A domain's ending tells visitors who you serve before they read a word. Compare country, generic and location zones, and see how Africa's national namespaces are organised.

8 African namespaces Generic and location zones Eligibility explained

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shop.co.tz

Your name. The part you choose.
Second-level zone. Commercial zone inside Tanzania's namespace.
Top-level domain. .tz, Tanzania's country code.

How a domain name is built

Three families of domain endings

Registry rules differ between them, so the family you pick decides who can register and how.

Country-code domains (ccTLDs)

Two-letter endings such as .tz, .ke and .rw, run by each country's registry. They signal a connection to that market, and some zones inside them ask for proof of eligibility. A name like .co.tz sits beneath .tz; it is not a separate top-level domain.

Generic domains (gTLDs)

Endings such as .com, .org and .shop that describe what you do, not where you are. Most are open to anyone, though some registries still set rules.

Location domains

Endings such as .africa, .capetown and .london that tie a brand to a place. Technically they are generic domains grouped by geography, not ccTLDs.

How Africa's national namespaces line up

Most African registries split their country code into zones by purpose. The names differ, but the pattern is the same. Commercial zones are open; institutional zones ask for proof.

Country	Commercial Open	Organisations Category rules	Academic Proof needed	Government Closed
Tanzania	.co.tz	.or.tz	.ac.tz	.go.tz
Kenya	.co.ke	.or.ke	.ac.ke	.go.ke
Nigeria	.com.ng	.org.ng	.edu.ng	.gov.ng
South Africa	.co.za	.org.za	.ac.za	.gov.za
Rwanda	.co.rw	.org.rw	.ac.rw	.gov.rw
Ghana	.com.gh	.org.gh	.edu.gh	.gov.gh
Uganda	.co.ug	.or.ug	.ac.ug	.go.ug
Malawi	.com.mw	.org.mw	.ac.mw	.gov.mw

Eligibility summarised from each registry's policy. The registry has the final word; we tell you what documents to prepare before you pay.

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Showing 18 of 18 zones

.tzccTLD

Tanzania · East Africa

TCRA-accredited: we register .tz names directly, from .co.tz for business to .ac.tz and .go.tz for institutions. Best for: Tanzanian companies, NGOs and schools.

Explore the Tanzania namespace

.keccTLD

Kenya · East Africa

KeNIC's .ke zone, with .co.ke for companies, .or.ke for organisations and .ac.ke for education. Best for: Kenyan businesses and local projects.

Explore the Kenya namespace

.rwccTLD

Rwanda · East Africa

RICTA's .rw zone, including .co.rw for commercial entities and .org.rw for organisations. Best for: Rwandan brands and organisations.

Explore the Rwanda namespace

.ngccTLD

Nigeria · West Africa

NiRA's .ng zone: open .ng, .com.ng and .org.ng, plus closed zones for government and schools. Best for: Nigerian brands and services.

Explore the Nigeria namespace

.ugccTLD

Uganda · East Africa

The .ug zone with .co.ug, which is open to registrants without a local presence. Best for: Ugandan projects and organisations.

Explore the Uganda namespace

.zaccTLD

South Africa · Southern Africa

.co.za is unrestricted and one of the continent's most used business zones. Best for: South African companies and shops.

Explore the South Africa namespace

.mwccTLD

Malawi · Southern Africa

Malawi SDNP-accredited: .mw, .co.mw, .com.mw and institutional zones under one registrar. Best for: Malawian businesses and organisations.

Explore the Malawi namespace

.ghccTLD

Ghana · West Africa

The .gh zone, with .com.gh for commercial entities and closed zones for government and education. Best for: Ghanaian projects and services.

Explore the Ghana namespace

.comGeneric

Commercial and general use · Global

The most recognised extension worldwide, for almost any website.

Check .com

.orgGeneric

Organisations and communities · Global

Widely used by associations, charities and community projects.

Check .org

.netGeneric

Networks and digital services · Global

Traditionally used for infrastructure, ISPs and online services.

Check .net

.shopGeneric

Online retail · Global

Tells visitors straight away that they can buy here.

Check .shop

.techGeneric

Technology · Global

A clear signal for startups, developers and tech services.

Check .tech

.onlineGeneric

General online presence · Global

A flexible choice when the .com is taken.

Check .online

.africaLocation

Africa · Continent

A pan-African identity for organisations working across borders.

Check .africa

.capetownLocation

Cape Town · City · South Africa

For businesses rooted in Cape Town.

Check .capetown

.joburgLocation

Johannesburg · City · South Africa

For businesses rooted in Johannesburg.

Check .joburg

.londonLocation

London · City · United Kingdom

For African businesses with a London presence or diaspora audience.

Check .london

Choosing in three questions

Where are your customers?

Mostly in one country: start with its commercial zone, such as .co.tz or .co.za. Across several: add .com or .africa.

What kind of organisation are you?

Schools, universities, NGOs and government bodies each have their own zone. Using it tells visitors you're the real institution.

Who else might want your name?

If lookalikes could mislead your customers, register the key variants too. Brand protection

Domain zone questions

Is .co.tz a top-level domain?

No. .tz is the top-level domain for Tanzania, and .co.tz is a commercial zone inside it. The same pattern applies to .co.ke, .com.ng, .co.za and similar names.

Can a company outside Africa register an African ccTLD?

It depends on the zone. .co.za and .co.ug are open to foreign registrants, for example, while government and academic zones are closed to them. Check the country's namespace page before ordering.

Are location domains like .africa restricted?

.africa is open to registrants worldwide, subject to the registry's reserved-name list. City domains such as .capetown and .london follow their own registry policies.

Does a country domain help with search in that country?

Search engines treat country-code domains as a signal that a site targets that country, which can help local visibility. Content and links still matter more.

What documents do restricted zones ask for?

Typically proof of registration or accreditation, such as a company certificate, NGO registration or an institution's letter. We confirm the exact list for your zone before you pay.

Know your zone? Check the name.

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