ZIMBABWE’S ambition to become a competitive digital economy is under threat from a structural flaw that must be urgently addressed, the risk of placing the entire .zw domain name ecosystem under a single registrar.
As chairperson of the Zimbabwe Internet Service Providers’ Association (ZISPA), and as a long-time advocate for robust national digital infrastructure, I am compelled to raise this concern in the national interest.
The Domain Name System (DNS), the global addressing system that translates website names into numerical Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, forms the backbone of Zimbabwe’s online presence.
The .zw country code top-level domain is, therefore, not simply a technical resource; it is a strategic national asset that underpins commerce, communication, education, government services and national security.
While the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Potraz) has done commendable work in modernising the regulatory framework, the move towards a single registrar risks undermining years of progress.
Potraz’s own technical framework embraces the global 3R model, registry, registrar and registrant.
Keep Reading
- Redcliff uses land to pay off water debt
- Radical economic structural transformation critical
- Kudos to our young champions
- In Full: Nineteenth post-cabinet press briefing: July 05, 2022
Under this model, registrars exist to promote competition, innovation, efficiency and affordability.
The guidelines also mandate the deployment of modern technologies such as:
-Domain name system security extensions for protecting domain data;
-Extensible Provisioning Protocol for automated and secure domain transactions;
-Registration data access protocol for compliant and secure data access,
-geographically distributed DNS servers, and
-robust cyber security systems.
These measures assume multiple accredited registrars competing to deliver quality service.
A single registrar collapses this architecture and transforms the system into a monopoly, the very opposite of what the national policy envisions.
Threat to digital progress
When domain registration is concentrated in one entity, Zimbabwe faces several risks that include: Pricing abuse and slow innovation.
With no competition, a sole registrar can: Raise domain prices arbitrarily, delay domain activation, offer poor customer service, and stifle innovation in web hosting, cloud services and online identity solutions.
This directly harms small to medium enterprises (SMEs), students, startups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and content creators, the very groups expected to drive Zimbabwe’s digital growth.
A single point of national failure
The national DNS is critical infrastructure. If the only registrar is hit by: A cyber-attack (such as a distributed denial of service — DDoS attack), operational failure, financial problems, or internal mismanagement.
The entire .zw domain space is at risk. Government portals, banks, media organisations, online businesses and educational platforms could go offline simultaneously.
Weakening cyber-security
Potraz’s regulations require: 99,999% uptime, monthly data escrow submissions, disaster recovery and business continuity systems, DNSSEC protection, secure and modern payment systems, and 24/7 monitoring. These obligations demand distributed responsibility, not monopoly control.
Zim will fall behind regionally
Across Africa, competitive registrar markets have proven essential for expanding domain adoption: South Africa (.za) – over 60 registrars; Nigeria (.ng) – over 50 registrars; Kenya (.ke) – 11 registrars; Rwanda (.rw) – multi-registrar model; Zambia (.zm) – multi-registrar model; and Botswana (.bw) – multi-registrar model. A monopoly would place Zimbabwe decades behind its regional peers and limit its ability to compete in the continental digital economy.
Multiple registrars
Potraz’s evaluation framework expects registrars to: Promote SME domain adoption, integrate payments (EcoCash, OneMoney, TeleCash, ZimSwitch, PayPal), drive local hosting and digital identity services, provide cyber-security support, support youth participation in ICT, and conduct public digital-awareness campaigns.
A multi-registrar ecosystem: reduces costs, improves reliability, accelerates domain uptake, grows local digital businesses, and creates jobs.
Policy consistency must be upheld
The ccTLD licensing framework states clearly that the registry: “Shall not show undue preference to, or discriminate against any accredited or prospective resellers”.
A single registrar is not in Zimbabwe’s national interest. Zimbabwe is on the brink of a digital transformation. For e-commerce, e-government, fintech, online education and local innovation to flourish, our national domain ecosystem must be: Secure, competitive, resilient, affordable and inclusive. Allowing only one .zw domain registrar would undermine these foundations.
As chairperson of ZISPA, I firmly believe that Zimbabwe must adopt the globally proven, secure and innovation-driven approach. It must have multiple accredited registrars operating under a transparent, competitive and fair regulatory environment. This is the only path that protects our digital sovereignty, strengthens our cyber-security posture and accelerates our economic growth.
- Mutisi is the chairperson of the Zimbabwe Internet Service Providers’ Association.