dotAfrica, the proposed name for the African continent’s generic Top Level Domain (gTLD), is launching today, 11 hours, 23 minutes as of the time of this writing. According to dotAfrica foundation, the organization responsible to managing the domain, the initiative will elevate and enhance African digital presence;
“It is an opportunity to forge an identity that will elevate and enhance an African digital presence.
The dotAfrica gTLD will bring the continent together as an internet community under one umbrella allowing e-commerce, technology and infrastructure to flourish. A truly African initiative created for Africa, by Africans.”, the organization states on their Facebook page.
The initiative is being supported by the African Union Commission (AUC) and individual African governments and regional governmental agencies and organisations. The dotAfrica project also enjoys widespread support from the African community, including AfriNIC, AfTLD, ITU, UNECA and Nepad.
What you can do now
It’s simple. If you have a trademark or business name or any other right to a name, you should pre-validate your right in the Mark Validation System or TMCH before the domain mafias hijack your brand.
Having a dot Africa could help you uniquely position yourself or business on the continent as does having a country specific domain like .ug or .ke.
Source: dotafrica.org