Bluehost South Africa: Best Alternatives for Reliable Web Hosting

Looking for Bluehost alternatives in South Africa? 

You’re not alone. Many website owners in the country serving local audiences are looking to move away from global web hosting providers for better loading speeds.

Bluehost is a popular choice, but it’s not always the best fit for everyone. Some users find issues with speed, customer support, or pricing. 

That’s why exploring other options is smart.

The best Bluehost alternatives for South African users include Truehost, Domains.co.za, and AfriHost.

These providers offer faster speeds, better support, and more features tailored to the local market.

What is Bluehost?

Bluehost is a popular web hosting company. It helps people put their websites on the internet. You might have heard of it if you’ve looked into starting a website before.

Founded in 2003, Bluehost has grown a lot. It now hosts over 1.2 million websites in many countries. 

That’s a big number!

Bluehost offers different types of hosting:

• Shared Hosting
• VPS hosting
• Dedicated hosting
• WordPress hosting

You can pick the one that fits your needs best. Shared hosting is good for beginners. It’s cheap and easy to use.

Bluehost is known for being user-friendly. You don’t need to be a tech expert to use it. They have tools that make it easy to set up your site, including installing WordPress with just one click.

One big plus is that Bluehost works well with WordPress. WordPress is a popular way to make websites. If you want to use WordPress, Bluehost could be a good choice.

But Bluehost isn’t perfect. Some users say it can be slow sometimes. Others think the customer service could be better.

Why Bluehost South Africa Alternatives?

You’re looking for web hosting in South Africa, but Bluehost doesn’t have a specific presence here. 

This creates some challenges for local website owners.

South African businesses and individuals need hosting options that cater to their unique needs. Local servers can improve website speed for your visitors. This is key for keeping people on your site.

Many alternatives to Bluehost offer free .co.za domains, at least for the first year. This saves you money (about R80) and helps establish your local online identity. 

It’s a big plus for South African websites.

Easy domain registration for local TLDs is another important factor. You want a host that makes it simple to get and manage South African domain names.

Top-level domains in South Africa include:

• .za
• .co.za
• .web.za
• .net.za
• .web.za

There are also geographically specific domain extensions: .capetown, .joburg, and .durban.

Support is crucial when running a website. Look for hosts with easy-to-reach support teams. Bonus points if they have staff familiar with the South African market.

Local payment options can make your life easier. Some Bluehost alternatives offer streamlined ways to pay in Rand. 

This saves you from currency conversion headaches.

Here’s a quick comparison of key features to consider:

By choosing a host tailored to South Africa, you’ll set your website up for success. Look for options that tick these boxes to find the best fit for your needs.

1) Best Bluehost South African Alternative: Truehost South Africa

Looking for a top-notch Bluehost alternative in South Africa? 

Truehost South Africa is the best Bluehost alternative for most businesses in South Africa.

We offer a mix of reliability, performance, and value that’s hard to beat.

With a 99.9% uptime guarantee, you can count on your website being available to visitors almost all the time. 

This reliability is crucial for keeping your online presence strong.

Speed is another big plus. Truehost uses cutting-edge server tech to make sure your site loads fast. Quick loading times keep visitors happy and can even help your search engine rankings.

When it comes to hosting options, Truehost has you covered. We offer reliable and affordable SSDs:

• Shared Hosting
• VPS Hosting
• Windows Hosting
• WordPress Hosting
• Reseller Hosting, amongst others.

This variety lets you pick an option that fits your needs and budget perfectly.

Many of our Truehost plans come with unlimited features. You get:

• Unlimited bandwidth 
• Unlimited email accounts 
• Unlimited websites (Webhosting Business plan)

These perks make Truehost a great choice for businesses of all sizes.

Security is a top priority for us. We use account isolation to keep your site safe from issues that might affect other sites on the same server. Daily backups are also included, giving you peace of mind.

Need help? We offer 24/7 customer support. You can reach us via live chat, phone, or email. 

Our team is ready to assist with any questions or issues you have.

Truehost’s pricing is competitive, including extras like:

• Free SSL certificates 
• Free .co.za domain with an annual or longer web hosting subscription
• Free website migration, making it easy to switch from your current host.

Other Bluehost Alternatives in South Africa

South Africa offers many hosting options beyond Bluehost. These local providers understand the unique needs of South African websites and businesses.

2) HostAfrica

Founded in 2015 by Michael Osterloh, who previously worked with one of Germany’s largest virtual server providers, HOSTAFRICA has rapidly established itself in the South African hosting market and is expanding its reach across the African continent.

Their plans include:

• Shared Hosting 
• VPS hosting
• Dedicated servers

Since its inception, HostAfrica has acquired multiple hosting companies to bolster its service offerings and market presence, including Domain King in Nigeria, SaSa Host (Kenya), and several others across Africa

3) AfriHost

Afrihost is a prominent South African Internet Service Provider (ISP) and web hosting company. 

The company offers a wide range of internet-related services, including:

• Fiber, DSL, and mobile broadband internet connectivity
• Web hosting
• Domain Registration
• Email Hosting
• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services
• Cloud hosting solutions

Founded in 2000, Afrihost has become one of South Africa’s leading ISPs. It uses both local and international data centers.

The company offers shared hosting, dedicated and rack hosting, catering to a wide range of businesses and use cases

4) Domains.co.za

Domains.co.za is a prominent domain name registrar and hosting provider based in South Africa. 

As a division of DiaMatrix, the company has been operating since 2001, establishing itself as a leading provider of various online services.

The company offers a wide range of products and services, including:

• Domain name registration
• Web hosting
• VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting
• WordPress hosting
• Cloud server hosting
• Reseller hosting

Domains.co.za prides itself on making the process of getting online simple and straightforward for its customers. 

For those interested in becoming a domain registrar, Domains.co.za provides a White Labelled Multi Registrar EPP Control Panel specifically for managing .co.za domain names. 

This solution simplifies the process of becoming a registrar and maintaining that status.

5) Xneelo

Xneelo, formerly known as Hetzner, is a well-established South African host. They focus on reliability and performance.

Standout features:

Formerly known as Hetzner (Pty) Ltd, the company rebranded to Xneelo to distinguish itself from the German company Hetzner Online GmbH.

Xneelo offers a wide range of web hosting services, including:

• Web Hosting: They provide powerful and secure web hosting solutions with features such as daily backups, fast SSD storage, and a 99.9% network uptime guarantee.
• Dedicated Servers: Xneelo offers self-managed dedicated servers for those with server management experience, providing full root/administrator access and 24/7/365 control.
• Managed Servers: For those who prefer a more hands-off approach, Xneelo provides managed server solutions with 24/7 monitoring.
• Cloud Services: Xneelo Cloud is a versatile Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution offering scalable computing, storage, and network resources.

What to consider when choosing a Bluehost web hosting alternative in South Africa

Picking the right web hosting provider in South Africa can make a big difference to your website’s success. You’ll want to weigh several key factors to find the best fit for your needs.

a) Type of hosting: Cpanel, windows

When choosing a hosting provider, consider the control panel and operating system. 

Linux-based cPanel is popular for its user-friendly interface and wide range of features. It makes managing your website, email accounts, and databases easy.

Windows hosting is less common but necessary for certain technologies like ASP.NET. It’s typically more expensive than Linux-based options.

Most South African hosts offer cPanel. It’s a safe choice if you’re unsure what you need. Windows hosting is available from some providers if your site requires it.

b) Server location (for better loading speeds)

The physical location of your web host’s servers impacts your site’s speed for South African visitors.

 Servers in South Africa or nearby countries will generally provide faster loading times.

Look for hosts with data centers in Johannesburg, Cape Town, or other major South African cities. Some international providers have servers in Europe, which can also offer decent speeds.

Also, you can check if the host uses a Content Delivery Network (CDN). This can help speed up your site by storing copies of your content on servers worldwide.

c) Uptime guarantees

Uptime is crucial for keeping your website available to visitors. Most quality hosts offer uptime guarantees of 99.9% or higher.

Read the fine print of these guarantees. Some hosts offer compensation if they fail to meet their promised uptime. This can range from account credits to free months of service.

Remember that even 0.1% downtime equals about 9 hours per year. For business-critical sites, this can mean a significant financial loss. 

Thus always look for webhosts with the highest possible uptime guarantees.

d) Pricing in ZAR

Many South African hosting providers list their prices in ZAR (South African Rand). This makes it easier to compare costs and avoid currency conversion fees.

Be aware of introductory rates versus renewal prices. Some hosts including Bluehost offer big discounts for the first year but charge more on renewal.

If you are on a tight budget, you could look for hosts that offer monthly billing options. If you go this route you will end up spending often 50% plus more. Managing monthly billing for a web hosting service is also quite tiring.

While we do offer monthly billing, we recommend signing up for a longer plan, one year, or even longer especially if you are on a shared hosting. 

Our annual plan for shared web hosting for South Africans starts at just R400.

For dedicated hosting, it makes sense to pay monthly since it can get quite pricey. A monthly plan can also be a good option if you want to test the service before committing long-term.

e) Customer support availability

Good customer support is vital, especially if you’re new to web hosting. Look for providers offering 24/7 support through multiple channels like live chat, phone, and email.

Check if the host provides support in English and other South African languages. This can be helpful if you prefer communicating in Afrikaans, Zulu, or other local languages.

Read reviews to gauge the quality and responsiveness of the host’s support team. Fast, helpful support can save you time and frustration when issues arise.

f) Scalability options

Your hosting needs may change as your website grows. Choose a host that offers easy upgrades to handle increased traffic and resource demands.

Look for providers with a range of hosting plans. This might include shared hosting for beginners, VPS for growing sites, and dedicated servers for high-traffic websites.

Some hosts offer cloud hosting, which provides flexible resources that can scale up or down based on your needs.

g) Backup services

Regular backups are crucial for protecting your website data. Many hosts offer automatic backup services, but the frequency and retention period can vary.

Check if the host provides daily backups and how long they keep them. Some hosts charge extra for more frequent or longer-term backups.

Look for hosts that make it easy to create manual backups and restore your site if needed. 

This can be a lifesaver if something goes wrong with your website.

Transferring from another South African hosting service?

Moving your website to a new host can be easy. If you’re thinking about switching, you have options.

If you are in the process of changing your web hosting service from another South African or international web hosting company, then we’ve got some exciting news for you.

At Truehost we are offering a 50% discount when you migrate your web hosting services to our platform.

Here’s what to consider when transferring:

• Backup your website files and databases
• Download your email accounts
• Get your domain transfer code (EPP)
• Check the new host’s migration policy

Now, the only thing you need to worry about is EPP which is required for most domains for migration services to go through.

Afterwards, we can migrate your sites for free, saving you time, mishaps, and stress.

Before you switch, compare features like:

• Storage space
• Bandwidth
• Email accounts
• Security features
• Customer support

Make sure the new host can handle your site’s needs. Ask about uptime guarantees and server locations.

Remember to update your domain’s nameservers after the move. This points your site to the new host’s servers.

Transferring can improve your site’s speed and reliability. It might also save you money. Take time to research and choose the best option for your needs.