10 Best Web Hosting Services in South Africa in 2025
When setting up your website in South Africa, you need the best hosting providers to offer your end-users the best. We have compiled the top web hosts in South Africa, starting with the top five below:
Bluehost
Rocket.net
Afrihost
Hostinger
Axxess
Finding the right web host in South Africa for your website can be challenging. There is a wide range of hosting companies serving the country, and their plans and services might appear similar at first glance.
With the best web hosting service, you can provide your end users with fast loading and response times, security, and better experiences. Thus, you need to choose one that works for you carefully. To save you time, we have compiled the top web hosts in South Africa in 2023.
Take a closer look at our top web hosts for South African websites below.
Best Web Hosting Providers in South Africa
Here are our top 10 web hosting companies in South Africa.
1. Bluehost
Best Overall Web Host
- Bluehost offers consistent loading speeds in South Africa and globally.
- Onboarding and navigation are easy for all users.
- Offers the option of high-performance servers.
- Wide range of site monitoring and security features.
- Automatic daily backups with CodeGuard.
- 24/7 customer service responds quickly.
- No uptime guarantee.
Bluehost is a globally-renown web hosting company, and it's not surprising that it reached the top of my list. With impressive site speed, reliable uptime, and different free and unlimited resources, Bluehost is one of the best web hosts for South African websites. Plus, WordPress users are covered, as WordPress recommends the company.
Bluehost offers the best web hosting in South Africa, with a complete hosting package for small and large businesses. As a dinosaur in the field, Bluehost uses its decades of experience to provide users with industry-leading web hosting services: high-performance servers, security features, reliable uptime, and fantastic speed.
Bluehost is a fitting choice for beginners building a website for the first time, but it is suitable for experts and developers looking for advanced hosting features. With six data centers strategically positioned worldwide and a global speed of 153 milliseconds, your South African business can retain customers with blazing-fast speed.
Key Features
High-Performance Servers for Speed
Bluehost has six data centers in the United States, Europe, and Asia, making it among the fastest web hosting providers serving South Africa. You can enhance your website’s speed by opting for high-performance servers, which give you more computing resources, less downtime, and consistent loading speed.
Buffet of Security Features
Keeping customer information safe is important regardless of the site you are running. Bluehost makes this easier with the security features, starting with a basic firewall and enhanced protection from SiteLock. These include automatic malware removal, 6-hour response time, daily scans, and DDoS protection.
Freebies and Unlimited Resources
You can save money on your plans with the free domain name for the first year and free SSL. Bluehost adds unlimited websites, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited SSD storage, unlimited disk space, unlimited domains, and more to its hosting plans.
Pricing
Read more Bluehost pricing or Bluehost review
Bluehost offers extensive hosting plans, including shared hosting, dedicated server hosting, virtual private server hosting, WordPress hosting, and WooCommerce hosting. The shared hosting plans are the cheapest, starting at $2.75 monthly with discounts. But, keep in mind that all plans renew at the regular rate.
2. Rocket.net
Best for Managed WordPress Hosting
- Rocket.net is optimized for WordPress, offering speed in South Africa.
- Top-notch security and daily backups.
- Easy to use from the intuitive control panel.
- Reliable 24/7 customer service provided by experts.
- Website building on WordPress is easy.
- Enterprise CDN is offered to reach a global audience.
- No free domain.
- Limited to WordPress hosting.
If you want to launch a fast website on WordPress, Rocket.net is your ideal hosting service. This is one of the best hosting providers in South Africa because of its wide range of free offers, fully optimized WordPress websites, and user-friendly dashboards for users of all levels.
Rocket.net is a managed WordPress hosting company offering a reliable platform to build and run your South African website. With an intuitive control panel, extensive security, and top-notch WordPress optimization, Rocket.net is the premium hosting service you need to boost your site's performance among the South African audience.
Although Rocket.net is relatively new, as it was founded in 2020, the web hosting provider has quickly become one of the fastest. Websites hosting in South Africa and globally can enjoy an average load time of under 10 milliseconds, almost instantly.
Key Features
Full-Service WordPress Hosting
When looking for web hosting solutions in South Africa for your WordPress website, Rocket.net is the ideal choice. With optimized WordPress hosting, your website has better speed and performance. Users can get started with the 1-click WordPress installer and 1-click site staging and leverage the cloud edge network and global CDN for even better performance.
Heightened Security Features
WordPress sites are known for their security, and Rocket.net ensures you can provide this to your end-users. The security features include a built-in website firewall, DDoS attack protection, malware patching and protection, brute force, and regular backups.
Wide Range of Freebies
Rocket.net helps you cut costs with free SSL, CDN, and WAF. You can leverage the free Cloudflare Enterprise, free malware protection, and daily backups to keep your site up-to-date. If you were using another hosting provider, Rocket.net offers unlimited free migrations.
Pricing
Rocket.net has three hosting plans, including managed hosting, hosting for agencies, and enterprise hosting. The managed hosting plans start at $30 per month, but you get two months free when you pay annually. All hosting plans come with a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
3. Afrihost
Best Host for Small Businesses
- Afrihost offers an impressive 100% uptime guarantee.
- Fast loading times and performance in South Africa.
- A reliable customer support team is available 24/7.
- Offers a free domain on shared hosting plans.
- 60-day double money-back guarantee on all payment plans.
- Intuitive control panel for beginners and experts.
- SSL certificates are not offered.
- No WordPress hosting plans.
Afrihost is one of the best South African web hosting providers, especially when you're running a website for your small business. I found that if you're building a simple website targeting the South African audience, Afrihost will have the features and simplicity you want.
Afrihost is our list's next web hosting provider and a South African-based company. One of the top local hosting providers, Afrihost has won multiple awards for its excellent customer support team. At Afrihost, you can get different kinds of internet solutions aside from hosting.
When reaching your South African audience, you can expect consistent website performance with the 100% uptime offered by Afrihost. This is coupled with fast loading speeds and complete tech support. Although Afrihost is one of the top companies for hosting in South Africa, its services are not ideal for businesses expecting a large inflow of traffic.
Key Features
All-Inclusive Control Panel
You have complete control over your website when using Afrihost, as it offers cPanel 11. This web-based dashboard allows you to manage email, backup, website statistics, files, FTP, and more from a web interface. The ClientZone management portal is a plus, making information and settings easily accessible.
Award-Winning Customer Support
One of the highlights of Afrihost is its reliable customer service. Since it's a South African-based hosting company, users can enjoy localized support through email, telephone, and a support ticket system. There is live chat and WhatsApp support, with an extensive knowledge base.
Free and Unlimited Resources
Free domain registration offered by Afrihost can save money while running your small business. Their cheapest plans come with unlimited subdomains, unlimited web traffic, and automatic backups.
Pricing
Afrihost features diverse pricing plans, with the shared plans divided into two. These are the Windows and Linux shared hosting plans. There are different types of cloud hosting solutions and specialized hosting, which include dedicated server hosting, managed dedicated hosting, and reseller hosting. Plans come with a 60-day satisfaction guarantee, which offers you double your money if you're not satisfied.
4. Hostinger
Best for High Traffic Sites
- Hostinger offers blazing-fast speeds for sites in South Africa.
- Speed-enhancing features on some hosting plans.
- Intuitive and customized control panel.
- Offers a free domain with unlimited resources.
- Reliable service through live chat and tickets.
- Fitted with the Zyro site builder.
- No daily backup.
When looking for well-balanced hosting solutions for your South African website, Hostinger is always a good choice. I was impressed with their low prices, especially since they offer lightning-fast global speeds, loads of freebies and unlimited resources, and an international support team. The best part, it's highly scalable for small and large businesses.
Hostinger is among the best web hosting services globally and is the top web host for high-traffic sites in South Africa. The Lithuania-based hosting service is known to be one of the fastest growing in the industry, prompting them to constantly update their global reach and technology. This leaves South African websites with full support and fantastic speed.
Websites hosted on Hostinger benefit from the 99.9% uptime guarantee, keeping it running consistently except for a few minutes in a year. Aside from offering impressive response and loading times, Hostinger goes further with speed-enhancing features like a cache manager, PHP7 support, WordPress optimization, and more.
Key Features
Intuitive Custom Dashboard
Rather than the standard cPanel seen in many hosting services, Hostinger created the hPanel. The hPanel has a clean and intuitive dashboard that anyone can get the hang of, with minimalist icons and easy navigation. Even if you have no experience using a web host control panel, you can use the hPanel effectively.
Loads of Unlimited Features
When using Hostinger's Premium Plan, you get access to a buffet of unlimited features. These include unlimited websites, unlimited email, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited CronJobs. Plus, Hostinger offers a free SSL and various content management system options.
Responsive Customer Support
Communicating with Hostinger's customer service team is a breeze. You might not need them due to the easy-to-use hPanel, but if you do, you can use a ticket or the live chat option. Their agents are enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
Pricing
Read more Hostinger pricing or Hostinger review
Hostinger has different hosting plans based on your needs, from shared web hosting and cloud hosting to agency and WordPress hosting. There are various email and VPS hosting plans. Hostinger is so affordable you can get shared hosting for as low as $1.99 with the discount and renew for $3.99 monthly.
5. Axxess
Best for Linux Hosting
- Axxess offers top-notch Linux shared and hosting packages.
- Impressive speed in South Africa from MTN.
- Free domain and SSL certificate.
- Wide range of website security features.
- Gives you full control over your website.
- Flexible billing cycles are offered.
- No uptime guarantee.
- No automatic backups.
Axxess has been serving the South African market for over 20 years, so it's evident that they know their stuff. The top hosting service is known for its high-quality Linux shared and cloud hosting, with a wide range of free and unlimited resources. I especially like their flexible billing cycles and opportunities to cut costs.
If you need high-quality Linux hosting, Axxess offers the best web hosting in South Africa. Founded in 1997, the ISP and hosting service is based in Port Elizabeth and offers a wide range of internet solutions. Internet services include fiber, ADSL, mobile, voice calls, and more. Axxess is the largest ISP in South Africa.
As for the hosting services, Axxess provides services for Linux and Windows hosting, WordPress hosting, and email hosting. With this web hosting in South Africa, users can enjoy a wide range of unlimited resources and the basic features expected in a shared hosting plan. Axxess works with SitePad to provide a website builder to users.
Key Features
Unlimited Resources
Axxess offers hosting plans with free and unlimited features, from unlimited traffic to unlimited monthly bandwidth. You can register domain SA free on the Linux web hosting plan and a free SSL certificate.
Extensive Security Features
Keeping your website safe is easy when using Axxess, as the hosting provider comes with 24/7 monitoring and a basic firewall. Axxess offers the following features for security: auto SSL, anti-spam, malware detection, Mod_Security, UPS power, and more.
Easy Site Administration
Taking control of your website is important, and Axxess makes this easy with its different control panels. These include the email, website, and DNS control panels, CronJobs, web file manager, site stats, password protect folder, PHPMyAdmin, and backups.
Pricing
Axxess offers a wide range of web hosting solutions, from Linux and Windows to WordPress and email-only hosting. The Linux hosting services start from R49, while the Windows hosting is a bit more expensive, at R65. You can choose between Linux cloud and shared server hosting.
6. Xneelo
Best for Managed Server Hosting
Next on our list is Xneelo, one of the best web hosting companies in South Africa. If you're unfamiliar with how web hosting works or don't have time to manage your hosting, Xneelo offers managed servers. But there is the option of using the self-managed servers at this web host. While this South African web hosting provider has a limited range of plans, Xneelo remains a good choice for managed hosting.
Xneelo features data centers in South Africa and Germany, offering South African websites impressive loading and response times. Businesses can reach a global audience with a data center in Europe. All hosting plans come with unlimited and free features.
Key Features
Managed Servers for Businesses
Businesses can leverage the dedicated server plans on Xneelo to enhance their web hosting experience. Unlike shared hosting, you don't have to share traffic or processing power with other users. Xneelo takes care of the web server administration and leaves you with dedicated servers.
Custom Control Panel
Rather than using cPanel, Xneelo features a custom control panel called konsoleH. Don't let this discourage you, as the panel is user-friendly with different built-in tools. Xneelo built the control panel to support various web applications, including WordPress.
Powered by SSD Storage
The main feature of some of the best web hosting providers is SSD storage, which offers better performance than standard HDD storage. The storage system allows your website to enjoy better loading speed, consistent uptime, and top-notch performance.
Pros
- Xneelo features a data center in South Africa for impressive web page speed.
- 99.9% uptime guarantee with unlimited bandwidth.
- Free automatic daily backups and SSL certificates.
- SSD storage for better site performance.
- Easy setup and use with the customized control panel.
- Includes Managed WordPress hosting.
Cons
- Very slow customer service response time.
- Few hosting plans are available.
Xneelo features self-managed and managed web hosting and managed WordPress plans. The web hosting packages start at R99, while the highest plan costs R439 monthly. Standard is the most popular plan for R149 monthly, and all plans feature unlimited bandwidth.
7. Web4Africa
Best Budget Web Hosting
Businesses and individuals looking to save money can go for another one of the best web hosting South Africa services, Web4Africa. Named the best web hosting provider for those on a budget, Web4Africa has pricing plans as low as R40 per month, with unlimited bandwidth.
Users can expect top-notch web hosting services from Web4Africa, which was founded in 2002 specifically to serve African companies. Now, they serve over 120 countries, with four data centers in South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria. With the data centers nearby, users can expect impressive loading times.
Key Features
Free and Unlimited Features
Aside from having pretty affordable pricing plans, Web4Africa has different free and unlimited resources to give you more value for your money. The free features include domain registration, a basic web builder, SSL certificate, while the unlimited features include databases, email accounts, add-on domains, and bandwidth.
Robust Infrastructure
Users can expect high quality from Web4Africa. The web host is built on enterprise-grade hardware and subject to 24/7 monitoring for high-quality security. You can benefit from the fast loading times due to the South African data center and weekly backups to keep your site up to date.
Classic cPanel
Web4Africa uses the trusty cPanel, which is ideal for both beginners and expert developers. The cPanel is easy to use and comes with over 350 apps you can install with a single click.
Pros
- Web4Africa offers highly affordable hosting plans.
- South African data center for consistent speed and performance.
- Free domain and SSL certificate is offered on all plans.
- Unlimited resources are available for better use.
- Automatic backups occur daily, weekly, and monthly.
- Easy to use with hundreds of pre-installed apps.
Cons
- Customer response time is long.
- Unreliable website security.
Pricing
For cheap web hosting in South Africa, Web4Africa offers four monthly plans between R40 and R300. You can purchase VPS hosting services in South Africa and WordPress hosting plans. The hosting plans come with free and unlimited features from the cheapest option.
8. Vox
Best for Shared Web Hosting
Whether you're running a blog, online store, or business website, shared hosting plans are always a top choice. Vox is the best South African web hosting provider on the list for shared hosting services on Linux and Windows. The South African IT company provides a wide range of managed internet services and web hosting to local businesses.
Vox was founded in 1996 and is a good choice for businesses that want to start their operations in South Africa. Their web hosting services run on load-balanced servers and come with different tools that help you to build a website from scratch.
Key Features
Includes a Site Builder
One of the highlights of these shared web hosting plans is its Do It For Me site builder. Rather than hiring a developer to build a website, the in-built site builder allows you to do so with a few clicks and moving elements around.
Simple Control Panel
All your Windows and Linux hosting accounts are accessible from one control panel on Vox, making the platform much easy to use. Users can set up their website or blog with the different pre-installed apps in the controlled panel, configure domains, and manage sites.
Features for Peace of Mind
Vox comes with some features that offer its users peace of mind. One of these is the daily file and database backups that ensure your website is always up to date. Vox provides virus management and updates to protect your site from harmful third parties.
Pros
- Vox offers top-notch shared hosting plans with speed in South Africa.
- A free website builder is available on all plans.
- Offers vulnerability assessments and virus management for security.
- The Control panel is easy to use.
- Free SSL certificate and South African domain.
- 24/7 customer service.
Cons
- WordPress hosting is expensive.
- No money-back guarantee.
Pricing
Vox offers affordable shared hosting plans, from R34.99 to R179.99 per month. All payments are monthly with no long-term commitment, and you can choose between Linux and Windows hosting. All pricing plans come with free domain registration services, daily backups, user unlimited bandwidth, and more for one website each.
9. Hostafrica
Best for Cloud Hosting
Hostafrica is popularly known as one of the best cloud hosting providers in South Africa, with data centers in South Africa, the UK, Germany, and the US. The web hosting solution runs your website on cloud servers with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, a reliable support team, and 24/7 monitoring.
Whether you're new to web hosting or an experienced developer, Hostafrica offers the resources you need to boost your site's performance in South Africa. They focus on delivering world-class products in inclusive packages.
Key Features
RAIDZ2 SSD Storage
All Hostafrica servers run on a RAIDZ2 SSD storage and cutting-edge Intel processors. Coupled with the data centers located in South Africa, your website can enjoy consistent availability and fast loading speeds.
One-Click App Installer
Building your website is pretty easy with Hostafrica, which comes with a one-click installer for launching different scripts and apps on your website. These include WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, Magento, and more, without worrying about technical details.
Top-notch Customer Service
Hostafrica offers superior service through live chat, email, and tickets, the latter being 24/7. Phone support is available too. You can expect a speedy response when you contact the hosting service.
Pros
- Hostafrica offers impressive speed with RAIDZ2 storage and Intel processors.
- Allows you to register domain SA for free.
- 99.9% uptime guarantee.
- Customer service is reliable and responds quickly.
- Easily add apps and scripts to your website.
- Good value for your money.
Cons
- No 24/7 live chat or phone support.
- Renewal prices are higher.
Pricing
Aside from its top-notch cloud hosting, Hostafrica offers shared cPanel web hosting, LiteSpeed hosting, WooCommerce and WordPress, email-only hosting, Prestashop hosting, and Opencart Hosting. You can purchase the shared hosting on the cloud platform for as low as R85.
10. 1-Grid
Best for Website Building
Rounding up our list is this small-scale South African web hosting service. Despite being a small company, 1-Grid offers pretty impressive hosting solutions. Hosting plans for Linux and Windows, SSL, web design services, and security bundles exist.
Based in South Africa, 1-Grid was formerly known as WebAfrica and had an impressive experience of over 20 years in the industry. With this web hosting company, you can leverage unlimited resources for more value for your money, security features for your site and end-users, and add-ons.
Key Features
Free and Unlimited Resources
When you purchase the shared hosting plans on 1-Grid, you can benefit from unlimited email, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited MySQL databases, and free domain registration. 1-Grid comes with WordPress installed and a one-click software installer.
Top Security Features
The security for your site at 1-Grid is powered by Comodo cWatch, which offers a wide range of solutions. These include malware removal, an app firewall, and a content delivery network.
Website Builder is Included
The highlight of using 1-Grid is its site builder. The tool is purchased as an add-on but allows you to freely create a site with a couple of clicks. You can go for the professional web design service provided to you by an in-house team.
Pros
- 1–Grid features impressive website performance in South Africa.
- Fitted with a DIY website builder and a professional web design team.
- Loads of free and unlimited features.
- Offers a safety net in case of downtime.
- Fitted with firewalls and SSLs for your website.
- Uses SSD storage for lightning-fast speed.
Cons
- Customer service response is slow.
- SSL and website builder are not free.
Pricing
You can select monthly or yearly billing with 1-Grid and get a 10% discount on the latter. The hosting company offers web hosting plans between R79 and R249 per month, with a free domain and unlimited websites. 1-Grid offers .NET hosting and reseller hosting on Linux and Windows.
Top Web Hosts in South Africa FAQ
Bluehost is currently the best WordPress web hosting in South Africa. It is the first recommended host according to WordPress.org. Some of the features of the WordPress hosting include automatic WordPress installation, plugin and theme auto-updates, WordPress staging, and custom WP themes. The plans start at $2.99/mo.
Hostinger is the best shared web hosting in South Africa in 2023. It offers many unlimited features and freebies with a starting price of just under $2. Even though Hostinger does not have data centers in Africa, you can connect a free CDN to your site. You will not regret it in terms of speed and reliability (99.9% uptime).
SiteGround is currently unavailable in South Africa. This is because of tax requirements and local regulations. The company announced that it would stop providing its services to countries not in its primary market as of November 2020.
Bluehost is available in South Africa and offers impressive speed despite having no data centers in Africa. The web hosting services are provided for $9.99 per month.
Choosing the Best South African Web Hosting Service
If you're starting a South African-based business, selecting a reliable web hosting provider with impressive speed and local data centers is recommended. When choosing the best South African web hosting services, you need to consider their uptime, speed and server locations, bandwidth, and customer service.
You will have to choose between the different web hosting plans, from shared hosting and dedicated server hosting to WordPress hosting and cloud hosting. After comparing the plans, choose the one that works best for you.
We put together the top ten hosting services in South Africa, and our top options are:
Bluehost
Rocket.net
Afrihost
Hostinger
Axxess
Before you get started with a web host plan in South Africa, here are some resources offering helpful advice:
- Bluehost Pricing Plans
- Hostinger Pricing Plans
- How to Get a Free Domain Name
- Best Cheap Web Hosting
- Best Web Hosting Providers
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Martin Luenendonk
Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.
This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.