By TINTSWALO BALOYI,JOHANNESBURG -SOME 981 .africa registrations have been registered during an impressive response by trademark owners during the Sunrise phase of the new Top Level Domain (gTLD).The registrations have been recorded during the 60 days from April 4.“The long journey to delegate the rights to administer .africa to the ZACR has clearly created a tremendous amount of pent-up demand for Africa’s new home on the web,” said Lucky Masilela, ZACR CEO.“All good things come to those who wait, Africans have certainly waited, and it’s been worth the wait.”The ZACR-administered gTLD enjoys the support of the African Union Commission (AUC) and an overwhelming majority of African governments. Masilela thanked ZACR’s accredited registrars for their steadfast commitment to .africa.
“Their support has been invaluable in providing trademark holders with the opportunity to secure relevant domain names that are associated with their marks.”The .africa Sunrise Period prioritised the securing of valuable brand names in the form of registered trademarks.During Sunrise, brand owners across Africa were encouraged to apply for.africa domain names matching their registered or validated intellectual property.
The .africa domain is now at the tail end of the second Landrush Phase, meaning .africa registrations are now open to everyone around the world,without any restriction.
The new .africa gTLD enables the acquisition of valuable online real-estate in a fast-growing and high-potential market.
It also enables individuals and organisations to showcase their brands while establishing a home for Africa-specific products and services.

-Guardian