ZISPA and .zw domains
ZISPA is the registry that runs .zw domain names in Zimbabwe. It sets the rules for registering and keeping a .co.zw, .org.zw or .ac.zw domain.
NivaCity is an accredited domain registrar in Zimbabwe, so we register and manage .co.zw, .org.zw and .ac.zw domains directly with the registry.
Why your domain must be in the owner’s name
Section titled “Why your domain must be in the owner’s name”POTRAZ rules require every .zw domain to be registered in the name of its actual owner. If you are registering a domain for a business, it must be in that business’s name, not the name of the person or company setting it up.
This matters in practice too. The registered owner is the person or business that legally holds the domain. They approve transfers and release notes, and they are the one the registry recognises if there is ever a dispute over who the domain belongs to. If a web designer or agency registers a client’s domain in their own name, the client can lose control of it when that relationship ends.
If you are a web designer, developer or agency, see How to register a domain on behalf of your client.
What you need to register a .zw domain
Section titled “What you need to register a .zw domain”The registry checks every .zw registration by hand. Getting each field right first time means your domain is registered without delays or queries.
Domain owner
Section titled “Domain owner”The full name of the person who owns the domain, or the business name if the domain belongs to a business. It must be the real owner, not a web designer or agency registering on their behalf.
Organisation name
Section titled “Organisation name”The name of the business or organisation that owns the domain. If the domain is personal, enter the owner’s name here.
Physical address
Section titled “Physical address”A proper physical address where the owner can be found. Include the street number and street name, plus the suburb. If there is no street name, use the house or stand number and the suburb. For example:
- 123 First Street, Avenues
- 2356 Mufakose
If you are in a building with several tenants, include the unit or office number, the building name, the street (or corner) and the suburb. For example:
- No 3, Karigamombe Centre, Corner Julius Nyerere Way and Union Avenue, Avenues
Do not add the town or city to this line, as it has its own field below.
P.O. Box addresses are not accepted anywhere on a .zw registration.
Postal address
Section titled “Postal address”Enter the same physical address you gave above. P.O. Box addresses are not accepted here either.
Town or city
Section titled “Town or city”The town or city of the physical address.
Country
Section titled “Country”The country of the physical address.
Phone number
Section titled “Phone number”A phone number for the owner, including the country code.
Email address
Section titled “Email address”An email address that exists and that the owner checks. The registry sends important notices about the domain to this address. If the email address does not exist, the domain will not be registered, and an existing domain found with an invalid email address will be deleted.
Business description
Section titled “Business description”What the business actually does. The registry checks this on every registration. If it is vague, or only repeats the business name, the registry will query it and your registration will be held until a clearer description is given.
Describe the business clearly enough that someone reading it knows its line of business. Good examples:
- Hardware store
- Clothes shop
- Supermarket
- NGO focusing on youth education
- Civil engineering consultant
- Software development
- Wedding and event planner
- Furniture manufacturer
- Social welfare organisation
- Computer sales and repair
- Real estate agent
Avoid broad categories on their own. Say what kind:
| Instead of | Write something like |
|---|---|
| Consultancy or Consultant | Tax consultancy, IT consultant, Business consultant, Marketing consultancy, Mechanical engineering consultancy |
| Ecommerce | Online book store, Online fruit and vegetable sales, Online auctions |
| Manufacturing | Furniture manufacturers, Manufacturers of electrical equipment, Air conditioning equipment manufacturers, Agricultural chemical producers |
Do not enter the business name as the description. The registry needs to know what the business does, not what it is called.
If the registry queries your description, we will email you asking for a clearer one. Your registration goes ahead once that is answered.
To change any of these details on an existing domain, see How to update domain customer details.
Why .zw domains get suspended, and how to fix it
Section titled “Why .zw domains get suspended, and how to fix it”Nameserver errors
Section titled “Nameserver errors”You may receive an email with the subject “ZISPA automated warning: Continuing nameserver errors for domain” followed by your domain. This means your domain’s nameservers are invalid or not responding. The most common cause is that no hosting account has been set up for the domain yet.
To fix it, create a hosting account and point your domain’s nameservers to it. See How to change nameservers from the Clientzone.
If you do not need hosting, you can use our free DNS service instead. See The DNS platform.
Invalid email address
Section titled “Invalid email address”You may receive an email with the subject “WARNING: Bad email address for domain” followed by your domain. This means the email address on the domain does not exist. The registry requires a working email address so you receive important notices about your domain, and domains registered with an invalid email address are deleted.
To fix it, open a support ticket in your Clientzone with a working email address, and we will have the domain registered again.
The domain is not in the owner’s name
Section titled “The domain is not in the owner’s name”If the domain is registered in someone else’s name, such as a web designer’s, it can be suspended until the correct owner’s details are added. Update the owner’s details by following How to update domain customer details.
Incomplete or invalid address
Section titled “Incomplete or invalid address”Addresses without a street and suburb, or with a P.O. Box in any field, are not accepted. See Physical address for the correct format, then update the address by following How to update domain customer details.
Unpaid renewal
Section titled “Unpaid renewal”A domain that is not renewed is suspended. Log in to your Clientzone and pay the renewal invoice for the domain.
Domains used for phishing, malware or spam are suspended. Open a support ticket in your Clientzone so we can tell you what was found and what needs to be fixed before the domain can be restored.
The domain is not being used
Section titled “The domain is not being used”A .zw domain that is not used for 90 days or more can be removed by the registry. To keep your domain, point it at a hosting account or at our free DNS service.
Transferring a .zw domain
Section titled “Transferring a .zw domain”.zw domains do not use transfer codes. See How .zw domain transfers work.
Need help?
Section titled “Need help?”Open a support ticket in your Clientzone and we will help.