All domain names must be renewed once per year. The renewal process includes a domain renewal fee which is determined by the type of domain that was registered (e.g.: .co.za or .com). If a domain name is not renewed by a specific date, then the domain will expire.
The expiry date is always the same date as the one on which the domain was registered. If, for example, you registered your domain on the 6th of June, then it will expire on the 6th of June the following year.
When a domain name expires, it is automatically suspended by the domain registry. The status of a domain will change several times once it expires: this includes the initial expiry / suspension; the redemption grace period and then the deletion phase.
When a domain expires all services linked to the domain, such e-mail; website hosting and DNS will cease to function. The domain can still be renewed within this period at the normal renewal fee.
The redemption grace period is an extension of the expiry window during which the domain may still be renewed. However, the domain registries do impose a penalty fee on domains that are renewed during this period. This, in addition to the renewal fee, must be paid before the redemption grace period ends in order to re-instate the domain. Redemption fees vary from one domain type to the next.
If a domain has not been renewed by the time that the redemption grace period has ended, then it will be queued for removal. Domains which enter this phase cannot be renewed. Once a domain has been deleted, it becomes available for registration again.
The expiry and redemption periods for commonly-registered domains can be viewed below:
| Domain Type |
Expiry / Suspension Period |
Redemption Grace Period |
| .za | 10 days | 20 days |
| .com | 16 days | 64 days |
| .net | 16 days | 64 days |
| .org | 16 days | 64 days |
| .mobi | 16 days | 64 days |
| .info | 16 days | 64 days |
| .biz | 16 days | 64 days |
Domain renewal invoices are sent out 3 months prior to the expiry date to allow enough time for our clients to renew their domains. Reminders are also sent out each month after the initial invoice.
Note: Once an expired domain has been renewed, a period of between 1 and 48 hours may be required before any associated services begin to function again.
