Last updated on January 4th, 2023 at 10:16 am
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Best web hosting in South Africa
Once you have picked and registered the best domain name, the next step in starting a website in South Africa is getting web hosting.
Here is the thing:
Everybody needs a home. And your website is a ‘person.’
Let me explain:
When you acquired and registered the domain name, you had a goal in mind. It could be that you wanted to start a personal blog, or better yet, wanted a website to represent your business.
As such, the website represented something dear to. For this reason, you need the best web hosting in South Africa.
In this article, I will walk you through everything you need to know to acquire affordable web hosting.
Let’s dive right in, shall we?
What is web hosting?
I know you feel like you already know what web hosting in South Africa is, but hear me out.
Web hosting is a service that allows website owners to post a website or a web page to the internet.
To do that, you will need computers called servers to store your files.
It’s that simple.
Since this is a service, who is the provider?
Well, that would be the web host or web hosting provider. They are the ones running and maintaining the hosting servers so you don’t have to.
How do web hosting servers work?
Good question.
When a user wants to access your website, they type into the browser your domain name or the website address, for example, www.truehost.africa.
What happens after it is so interesting.
Their browser will connect with the server where your website files are stored. And at an instant, their browser displays the content they asked for (if it is available, but if it isn’t, there will be an error like Error 404, Page not found or something of the sort). So cool, right?
Now, that is the reason why you had to first purchase and register a domain name. Because without one, you don’t have a website.
With this basic understanding of web hosting, here is a recap:
Think of web hosting as the home where your website actually lives. If that is the case, then the domain name is the address that actually leads people to this house. Note, you need to register the domain before you start using.
One more thing:
All the websites you see around the internet need web hosting.
Moving on:
The special computer (server) where your site files are stored, allocate the resources (RAM, disk space, and bandwidth) to you. This allocation of resources depends on the type of web hosting plan you purchased from a web hosting provider in South Africa. This is where the best web hosting in South Africa comes into play.
Types of web hosting plans
You see, to be in a position to choose the best hosting plan for your needs, you first have to know what is available as well as the difference between them. Hold onto your seat because we are doing this.
Type #1: Shared hosting
You can already tell from its names that you are sharing something, right? Well, that is correct. Shared hosting is a type of web hosting in South Africa where you will be sharing the server resources with other users.
Remember the RAM, bandwidth, and disk space? All the users within a server share them.
As such, it is the best web hosting package for those starting and not the large commercial websites, an eCommerce for example.
Why?
You see, since you are sharing resources, somebody will suffer.
For example:
If one of the users you are sharing the server with experience a spike in traffic, it will take up a huge chunk of the server resources (RAM, Bandwidth, and disk space). As a result, your website may experience some problems such as slow loading.
But there is one thing you should know:
It is the cheapest web hosting package. Simply because you are sharing the cost of running the hosting server.
This isn’t the whole thing, right?
Yes, if this sounds like something way below your needs, continue reading to find better ones.
Virtual Private Server (VPS)
You can say this is the ‘VIP lounge’ of shared hosting.
Let me explain.
When using a shared server, you don’t have privacy since you are sharing server resources. And your neighbor’s problems can easily find its way into your own website.
For example:
If the server is attacked, all the files in it are exposed.
VPS hosting plan solves all that.
Here, you are still sharing the server with others, but with own space in there. By this I mean, your website is allocated unique RAM, dedicated disk space, and unmatched bandwidth.
How is this possible?
Well, a server is subdivided with virtual ‘walls’ resulting in several virtual independent serves with own resources.
Who can use VPS hosting in South Africa?
This is the best hosting plan if you
- Expect huge website traffic
- Want to install custom software
- Wish to start hosting reseller business in South Africa
If you are the type of person who prefers absolute privacy or you own a business that demands a lot of web resources, then the next type of web hosting plan is perfect for you.
Dedicated hosting South Africa
This is the holy grail of web hosting.
With dedicated hosting, you own the entire server and unlike the shared hosting, you don’t share resources with anyone else.
As a result, you can make custom configurations to the server. For this reason, this is the perfect hosting plan if:
- You want to install custom software. For example a gaming company
- Your website is receiving a ton of traffic
- You are running a company that executes thousands of transactions daily, for example, an eCommerce business
- Want to build a virtual communication network to be used within the company, such as email communication servers
- Dreaming of starting a web hosting business in South Africa? This is the server you need to start a hosting reseller company in South Africa.
As you can see, this is the best web hosting in South Africa. But there is a catch.
You will have to dig deeper into your pockets. Why? It cost a little bit higher than both shared and VPS hosting. This is understandable because you are getting state-of-the-art server resources with guaranteed uptime, security, access to 24/07 customer support either through email, phone, or chat.
One more:
Cloud hosting in South Africa
Cloud hosting is the latest advancement in the web hosting industry. Here is how it works:
Instead of using a single server to host website files, cloud hosting brings together several servers located in different parts of the world. These servers make a network, and hence the word ‘cloud.’
The interconnected servers deliver scalable, affordable web hosting infrastructure. As a result, you get reliable bandwidth, can install unlimited domains, and even get an infinite amount of storage space.
This explains why many businesses are flocking to acquire a cloud hosting in South Africa today.
It is very effective for running businesses with resource-intensive applications or large files. Make no mistake, the costs of running a cloud server can be huge which explains its higher costs.
I know I have mentioned about reseller hosting and you may be wondering what it is.
Reseller hosting in South Africa
Reseller hosting is a type of web hosting where you can use your allocated resources (RAM, disk space, and bandwidth) to host a website on behalf of a third party.
You (the original owner) are the reseller in this case.
This type of hosting is perfect if you find that there are extra server resources that you don’t use and can benefit the third party. And in return, you get recurring income.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, we offer different reseller hosting plans for entrepreneurs.
To recap the types of web hosting in South Africa:
- If you are under budget and have a small scale website with little traffic, shared hosting is better
- But if you want to scale your online business and even install custom software, VPS hosting in South Africa is the best option. Additionally, if you want the dedicated server features at low cost, check out the Virtual Private Server plan now.
- For big organizations serving thousands of customers daily, running heavy software with huge computing power demand, dedicated and cloud web hosting in South Africa is for you.
- Reseller hosting is perfect for entrepreneurs looking to start a web hosting business in South Africa or just want to earn extra income by reselling extra resources available to him.
The best web hosting company in South Africa: Truehost
Truehost is one of the leading web hosting providers in South Africa. We offer cheap domain name registrations, SSL certificates, and free website builders, among others.
What’s in it for you?
Our web hosting packages come with:
- Free .CO.ZA domain name. So if you don’t have a domain name yet, go ahead and purchase a hosting plan and get a free domain name in South Africa (offer ended)
- SEO resources to supercharge your website to be found on search engines like Google
- Web security tools to protect your vital resource, your website, and its files
- Web designing resources that both experts and beginners can use
- Database management resources you can use to upload files to your website
Want more?
If you get a hosting package and you are disappointed with our services, there is a 30-day money-back.
What are you waiting for?
Get a web hosting package now and let us power your dream online business. Remember, you can reach out to our team of experts at any time through phone, email, or chat.
Good luck with your website.