Ahh, the internet - what a wonderful online world with endless opportunities for small businesses to leverage!
If you’re looking to join in the fun and move your business online (or even start an online business from scratch), you’ve come to the right place because we’ve got tons of online business tips to get you going.
Let’s get started by first looking at what web hosting actually means and how to choose a cheap solution for your business needs.
RELATED: Kick off your online journey with the Hitchhiker's Guide to Making Money Online
What is Web Hosting?
Before we do our deep dive into hosting providers, let’s talk about web hosting and why you should get a provider to help you get started.
Basically, web hosting is done through servers that store and safeguard all the files that make up websites and allow them to be accessible via the internet.
Think of your web hosting provider as your landlord who offers you a home (in exchange for rent, of course).
Choosing a Web Hosting Company
The first step to kicking off your online empire is finding a web hosting company that works for your business. Before you settle on a provider, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is this going to cost me an arm and a leg or can I fit it into my budget?
- Is the guaranteed uptime they offer good enough?
- What safety measures do they have in place to secure my website’s information?
- Is this provider going to give me issues when I decide to scale my business again or do they offer scalable plans?
- If I run into problems with my website, is a customer service rep going to help me fix it quickly or am I going to be in for a long wait?
Eish, I know that was a mouthful, but fear not because we’re here to help! If you’re looking for a cheap hosting solution, this one’s for you!
We’ve compiled this list of the top 5 cheap hosting solutions in South Africa to help you get one step closer to getting your business online.
There are several international players like GoDaddy, WP-Engine and Amazon on Google Hosting, but local is lekker, so we thought we’d stick to our homegrown providers for this one!
5 Cheap Web Hosting Solutions
1. Xneelo
Besides the fact that Xneelo is one of the most popular and highly recommended hosting providers, we love them because they’re passionate about supporting creatives and entrepreneurs in their business ventures.
So many people rave about Xneelo - and now we understand why! They offer 24/7 support and they have a 99.9% uptime guarantee. They’ve designed four hosting plans that include email accounts, unlimited traffic and SSD storage space, ranging from R99 to R439 per month. To top it off, they also offer a free 30-day trial on the Managed WordPress Hosting plan.
2. Afrihost
Next up, we have Afrihost - home to multiple awards for phenomenal customer service. Afrihost is one of South Africa’s first homegrown hosting companies, and is considered to be the best for small businesses.
Competitive fees, instant package upgrades or downgrades and reliable infrastructure - Afrihost has it all! With Afrihost, there’s no need to worry about not having timely support when you run into trouble with your site because they have top-notch customer support service. They have five support channels, which includes a WhatsApp line.
Let’s talk rates. Afrihost is quite cheap compared to its counterparts and, surprisingly, they’re super accommodating and have a streamlined process for customers who wish to swap over to a different host provider. Their rates range from R41.94 to R451 depending on what plan you’re going for. And that’s not all - they also offer a double money guarantee to customers who aren’t completely satisfied. Double! If that isn’t confidence, I don’t know what is!
Downsides of Afrihost? The fact that none of its plans are able to support more than one domain might be a bother if you plan on expanding in the future. But other than that, Afrihost is definitely worthy of consideration!
3. Hostafrica
Based in the Mother City, Hostafrica has been making waves among South Africa’s top web hosting providers, for good reason too!
Hostafrica is incredibly beginner-friendly and all of its packages include everything you would need to hit the ground running. With four web hosting plans on offer ranging from R85 to R299 per month, Hostafrica’s rates are quite affordable considering just how many features are available in each plan.
The best part? They’re definitely not shy to throw in freebies. You can get your SSL certificates and .co.za domains for mahala with any one of these four plans. Let’s not forget the confidence - Hostafrica offers unsatisfied customers a 30-day money-back guarantee!
4. Mweb
This one’s for the bloggers! Mweb’s offerings are designed with the needs of small businesses and bloggers in mind. They have three affordable packages on offer, with prices ranging from R75 to R159 per month.
Let’s talk about features. All packages come equipped with an easy-to-use website builder tool and give you access to support 365 days a year. The packages are very similar, with the striking difference between them all being the varying number of mailboxes that are offered with each plan. Throw in unlimited disk space and monthly traffic and you’ve got yourself the perfect hosting solution.
5. Vox
Three packages, cheap rates, and a long list of features that make hosting and building your website a breeze - what more could a small business owner ask for? Based in Port Elizabeth, Vox is doing the things to give small businesses a simple, easy-to-use and affordable route to web hosting, administration and management.
Vox’s three web hosting packages are super affordable, especially considering just how many cool features each plan comes equipped with. Their package rates range from R37.96 to R173.59 per month, which is incredible when you look at how many freebies are thrown in there!
Vox’s web hosting packages offer you an easy-to-use control panel, fuss-free FTP access and free website vulnerability assessments. Vox is one of the leading internet service providers in South Africa, and their web hosting packages are linked to the same platform. Having this support means that you will probably never have to worry about slow speeds or unreliability if you choose Vox.
Are You Ready to Move Online?
There you have it - 5 of the best, cheap web hosting companies in South Africa to level up your small business.
The fact that you’re even considering moving your business online is a very good sign! No matter what web hosting option you choose, you are in for a treat because online businesses eliminate the physical limitations associated with brick-and-mortar operations and open you up to opportunities you would never have dreamed of.
Good luck peeps, we’re rooting for you!
