The ZA Central Registry (ZACR) is preparing to launch four top-level domains (TLDs), localised to three major South African cities and Africa, in March next year, following the completion of a “pre-sunrise” process.

The ZACR planned to roll out the registrations for the domain names in phases until mid-2014.

The pre-sunrise phase will allow the ZACR, which administers the .co.za Web namespace, to ensure readiness for the unveiling of domain names ending in .joburg, .capetown, .durban and .africa, ZACR CEO and director Neil Dundas said on Monday.

Speaking at the IWeek conference, in Johannesburg, he noted that the ZACR also underwent a restructure over the past year, culminating in a name change from Uniforum, to prepare for the transition from a single second-level domain (SLD) registry to a multiple domain, full service, domain name registry provider for both .za SLDs and generic TLDs.

Between September 2013 and February 2014, government will be able to establish a reserve list, comprising geographic, economic and public interest, religious, cultural, linguistic and offensive names.

Dundas said the first, or “sunrise”, phase, which would end on June 1, would allow Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers- (Icann-) approved registrars to reserve specific domain names under priority rights protection, currently registered domain names and registered trademarks.

Currently, only 130 registrars were Icann-approved, leaving about 210 .co.za registrars without accreditation. Dundas pointed out that the ZACR would, by the end of 2013, establish a proxy registrar as a platform for nonaccredited registrars to participate.

The next, or “landrush”, phase, which would be undertaken in two subphases, focusing on generic and premium TLD name registrations, was expected to start on June 15 and end on July 15, when the “open phase” would start.

The open phase general TLD registrations would operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

SLDs, such as .org.za, .web.za and .net.za, were also expected to be integrated under the ZACR by year-end.

The customised city-specific domain names would allow the three cities to undergo city brand development. It would also provide local businesses with an international and local reach and would customise government’s, business’s and individuals’ branding to allow them to market themselves through domain names such as .tourism.durban.za or .business.capetown.za, said ZA Domain Name Authority GM Vika Mpisane.

DotAfrica steering committee member for government relations and policy Alice Munyua added that the .africa domain would enable the continent to develop a new online Internet identity for itself, leveraging its status as the fastest-growing region.