With less than 100 hours to go until the end of the .africa Sunrise Phase, the general public will soon be able to compete for valuable and premium .africa domain names when the .africa Landrush Phase begins on 5 June 2017.

Already, significant successes have been notched up during the current Sunrise Phase. Many of the continent’s biggest intellectual property owners across diverse industries have applied, either through the TMCH (Trade Mark Clearing House) or MVS (Mark Validation System), for .africa domain names matching their trademarks.

The imminent approach of the .africa Landrush Phase means that trademark owners only have until midnight on Friday, 02 June 2017 to secure their .africa domain names. Thereafter, ZA Central Registry NPC (ZACR), the administrator for the .africa gTLD, will not be able to guarantee the availability of .africa domain names matching intellectual property holders’ registered or validated brand names.
Lucky Masilela, CEO of ZACR says: “The dawning of the Landrush Phase means .africa registration will be open to everyone around the world, without any restriction.This is a key milestone for the African and global Internet Community”.

The .africa Landrush Phase means applicants that do not have prior rights to a domain name can apply to register a .africa domain that may be considered most valuable. These domains are not allocated on a first come first served basis and attract a higher registration fee. The four (4) Landrush periods will run consecutively for 5 days. Applications will be finalised at the end of each period, but contested domain name strings will proceed to auction per the published auction policy.

The benefits of a .africa domain name for brand owners include showcasing the brand and it’s commitment to the continent, establishing a home for Africa-specific products and services, and expanding the brand’s regional influence, acquiring valuable online real-estate in a fast-growing and high-potential market.