Starting a website in the South African market? You should look for a host that has servers optimized to cater to visitors from that area. Though, you probably don’t want to lose your shirt in the process. So, here’s a comparison of the cheapest web hosting in South Africa to help you make an informed decision.
Fortunately, there are tons of cheap high-quality web hosts to choose from. Better yet, with such varying services, you’re sure to find a plan that suits your exact needs, whether that’s speed, security, or scalability.
👉 In this post, we’ll discuss some key factors to consider when choosing a web host. Then, we’ll guide you through five of the cheapest web hosts in South Africa. Let’s get started!
What to look for in a web host
Many people think that all web hosting providers offer similar services. However, if you want to find the cheapest web hosting in South Africa that still offers a high-quality service, here are some factors to look out for:
- Uptime. 📊 You’ll want a web host that offers at least 99.99 percent uptime. Otherwise, your website may be unavailable for large periods of time, resulting in losing out on traffic and revenue.
- Speed. 🏎️ If you serve a global customer base or run a specialized site like an ecommerce store, look out for speed-based features. We are talking about CDNs, built-in caching, and high performance servers, especially optimized to cater to audiences from the geographical area that you’re interested in – South Africa.
- Security. 🔒️ To keep you and your visitors safe, it’s important to find a web host that provides security features like SSL certificates, backups, and firewalls.
- Extras. 🎁 If you own an existing website, you might find free migrations useful. Or, for new websites, look out for free domains or a website builder.
- Pricing. 💵 While it’s tempting to go with the cheapest web hosting in South Africa, make sure you read the terms and conditions. If a host offers an initial discount, how much will you pay once the offer ends?
- Support. 🖱️ It’s important to find a web host that provides 24/7 customer support. This way, when you have a problem, you know it will get resolved quickly.
All factors considered, you’ll be in a better place to find the cheapest web hosting in South Africa that suits your exact needs.
The cheapest web hosting in South Africa in 2023
Now that you know what to look for in a web host, let’s take a look at five of the cheapest web hosting options in South Africa.
1. Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the most reputable web hosting providers across the globe. It’s a great option if you’re on a budget – especially for beginners – since it provides tons of free features with its hosting plans including SSL certificates, domains, and automatic updates.
There are also plenty of hosting options to choose from like WordPress, WooCommerce, or VPS hosting. Meanwhile, you’re guaranteed 99.99 percent uptime and 24/7 customer support.
⚙️ Key features
💳 Price
The most basic Bluehost plans start at just $2.95 a month if you pay for a couple of years upfront. You can also choose to pay in different increments, but the pricing will differ.
2. HostGator
If you’re looking for the cheapest web hosting in South Africa, it’s worth considering HostGator. With simple scalable solutions, HostGator is a top choice for small business websites and blogs.
Better yet, all HostGator plans come with unlimited storage and unmetered bandwidth. Plus, it’s super easy to set up since you’ll get access to free WordPress installations and free site transfers.
⚙️ Key features
- Free SSL
- Free domains
- 99.99 percent uptime
- Free site transfers
- Unmetered bandwidth – HostGator doesn’t measure your usage as long as it’s within their “normal” estimation
- 24/7 support
- Unmetered storage and databases
💳 Price
Shared hosting starts at just $2.75 a month, but if you want a WordPress hosting package, it will cost $5.95.
3. Afrihost
While it isn’t the cheapest web hosting in South Africa, Afrihost is still an excellent option for your website. In fact, it’s ideal for beginners since you’ll get access to an intuitive website builder and top-of-the-range customer support.
However, while Afrihost provides most of the features you need for your website, it doesn’t offer many extras. This makes it less suitable for large or complex websites like ecommerce stores.
⚙️ Key features
- Award-winning customer service
- Free domain
- Free setup
- Website builder
- Host unlimited domains on your plan (with all but shared hosting)
- Upgrade or downgrade packages easily
💳 Price
You can get started with a shared hosting plan from R59 (~$3.10) a month.
4. A2 Hosting
One of the best parts about A2 hosting is that it offers a wide range of solutions. So, you’re bound to find an option that meets your website needs. Besides VPS, shared, and dedicated hosting, you’ll also find WordPress hosting, reseller hosting, and ecommerce hosting.
Additionally, it’s a great choice for those that prefer different platforms like Drupal, Joomla, or OpenCart. And, you can even get WooCommerce pre-installed if you’re looking to list and sell products online.
⚙️ Key features
- Unlimited SSD and bandwidth
- Free automated backups
- WordPress and WooCommerce installs
- Free website migration
- 99.99 percent uptime
- 24/7 support
- Turbo LiteSpeed web servers
- Free SSL
- Unlimited email accounts and subdomains
💳 Price
Shared hosting plans begin at $2.99, or you can secure WordPress hosting for $11.99 a month. It’s important to note that in order to access the cheapest prices, you’ll need to sign up for a three-year contract.
5. Axxess
Axxess offers some of the cheapest web hosting in South Africa with super flexible plans. It’s great if you’re looking for a simple web host, but you’ll also find other services that can be tailored to suit your exact website requirements.
Better yet, all new customers can get free web hosting for six months and a 50 percent discount for the following six months. Axxess also offers flexible billing cycles, free domains, free SSL, and more, making it an excellent option for those on a tight budget.
⚙️ Key features
- Free domains
- Free SSL
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Flexible billing
- Free web hosting for six months
- Firewall and anti-spam protection
- 24/7 monitoring
- LiteSpeed web server
- Backups (but no liability for data loss)
💳 Price
The monthly cost of WordPress hosting (after the free and discounted months) is R99 (~$5.25). However, you can find plans for as little as R49 (~$2.59).
Conclusion 🧐
If you’re on a strict budget, web hosting is an easy cost to cut down. Fortunately, web hosting is a competitive industry. Therefore, there are tons of high-quality options with useful features and low rates.
👉 To recap, here are five of the cheapest web hosting providers in South Africa:
- Bluehost: The best all-round host with tons of features.
- HostGator: The most scalable solution with unlimited storage.
- Afrihost: An excellent option for beginners with the best customer service.
- A2 Hosting: A great choice for ecommerce stores.
- Axxess: The most flexible hosting provider with six months free.
Do you have any questions about finding the cheapest web hosting in South Africa? Let us know in the comments below!