The availability for registration of domain names within the recently-launched dotAfrica (.africa) geographic Top Level Domain (gTLD) is helping to enable a new, transparent Africa powered by information.

That is according to CEO of Registry Africa, Lucky Masilela, who says that the information society that .africa is helping to bring about on the Bright Continent can help Africans realise the African Union’s theme for Africa Day 2018: “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”.

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or the digital revolution, is one that is being powered by information and the World Wide Web provides seamless and rapid access to such.” says Mr Masilela. “However,” continues Mr. Masilela, “The Internet needs to be more affordable, organised and accessible. Initiatives like .africa, which have already resulted in just under 16 000 .africa domain names being registered, help take the power of information to the people.”

Africans are realising that the narrative of corruption and other unpleasant things that came to be associated with our continent for many decades do not have to accompany the African experience as we move further into the 21st century.

“When people have access to information from varied sources, they are less likely to tolerate the misinformation that is a hallmark of corrupt societies. Societies built on transparency and easy access to information are free societies not tainted by the stain of corruption. They’re the kind of societies .africa is helping to build on this continent,” says Mr Masilela.

Africa Day commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (now known as the African Union) on this day, 25 May 1963. The .africa gTLD is endorsed by the African Union Commission (AUC) and furthermore enjoys widespread support from such leading African organisations as AfriNIC, AfTLD, ATU, UNECA and Nepad.

Registry Africa is proud that it is an African centre of technical excellence with the skills to administer the .africa domain according to stringent global standards.

“We have invested a tremendous amount of energy into Africa’s new home on the web because we know that the .africa gTLD is helping to achieve a free, open and prosperous Africa. The .africa gTLD represents our hopes as Africans for a corruption-free continent,” concluded Mr Masilela.