Web Hosting South Africa

Web Hosting with us ensures a minimum 99% up-time of your website. You will also get personalised emails, ensuring a professional image to your email branding. Clients trust a branded email over a Gmail or Hotmail email address any day.

What Is Web Hosting?

Hosting is like the renting of web space for your website. You will get a domain name with your hosting account with no startup costs.

Our cheapest hosting package is R59 per month. This will enable you to create personal email addresses, unlimited, without a website.

When advertising your brand or company, it should really be done without a Gmail or Hotmail account, as it looks temporary and not professional at all. A branded email address gives your company a more established image and allows customers to recognise your business from the email address.

The higher you go in package, the higher in storage for email and websites you can store.

 Web Hosting Features

All our packages offer you unlimited subdomains, unlimited email accounts, although you will have a storage limit, and unlimited MySQL databases.

This gives you the flexibility to use your hosting account for email, websites and databases. You can also add subdomains when you need them.

All our accounts also come with an RCP Control Panel. This is an easy-to-use navigation system to create emails and upload websites, with a small amount of technical understanding.

You can also create free websites like WordPress, Joomla and WHMCS.

What You Get With Your Web Hosting

We also offer free SSL Certificates, File Manager, PHPMyAdmin, FTP accounts and webmail access on all our accounts.

The RCP Control Panel gives you access to the main tools you need to manage your hosting account. You can create email accounts, manage your files and upload your website.

Webmail access also means you can access your email through the internet, without having to be on your own computer.

 

Web Hosting FAQs

1. What is web hosting?

Web hosting is a service that stores your website's files on a server and makes them accessible over the internet. When someone visits your domain, the hosting service helps deliver your website to their browser.

2. How does web hosting work?

Your website consists of files, images, databases and other resources. A hosting server stores these resources and responds when visitors request your website. Your domain's DNS settings direct visitors to the appropriate server.

3. How much does web hosting cost in South Africa?

Web hosting prices depend on the package, storage, email facilities and other features included. Starcom offers hosting options at different price points. Check the current hosting packages to compare prices and features before choosing one.

 

4. What type of web hosting do I need?

The right package depends on your website's size, traffic, storage requirements and intended use. A small business website may need fewer resources than a busy online shop or a website with extensive media files. Start with your current needs and allow room for growth.

5. Can I host my business website with Starcom?

Yes, Starcom offers web hosting services for businesses and website owners. Review the available packages to find one that suits your website, email requirements and budget.

6. Do I need a domain name to get web hosting?

You will normally need a domain name to make your website accessible through a memorable web address. You can register a domain and hosting together, or connect an existing domain to your hosting account.

7. Can I buy a domain and hosting together?

Yes. Buying both services together can make it easier to manage your website setup. Check Starcom's available packages to see which domain and hosting options are offered together and whether the domain registration is included.

8. Can I host a website without a domain name?

You need a way for visitors to reach a published website. Some hosting services provide a temporary address for testing or setup, but a registered domain is generally the better choice for a professional business website.

9. What is the difference between web hosting and domain registration?

Domain registration secures your chosen web address. Web hosting stores the website files and serves them to visitors. They work together, but they are separate services and can sometimes be purchased from different providers.

10. Does web hosting include email?

Some hosting packages include email services, while others offer email separately. The number of mailboxes, storage limits and available features depend on the package. Check Starcom's current hosting specifications before ordering.

11. Can I create email addresses using my own domain?

Yes. With a suitable email service, you can create addresses such as sales@yourbusiness.co.za or info@yourbusiness.co.za. This gives your business a consistent email identity rather than relying only on a generic email address.

12. How much website storage do I need?

Your storage requirements depend on the size of your website, its images, downloadable files, databases and email data if email shares the hosting allowance. A basic business website may need relatively little space, while a large site can require much more. Check your current usage before selecting a package.

13. What happens if my website outgrows my hosting package?

If your website needs more storage or resources, you may need to upgrade to a larger package. Review your hosting usage and discuss the available upgrade options with your provider before your site reaches its limits.

14. Can I host more than one website on one hosting account?

That depends on the hosting package and its account limits. Some packages support multiple websites or domains, while others are intended for a single website. Check the package specifications before hosting additional sites.

15. What is a subdomain?

A subdomain is an additional address under your main domain. For example, shop.yourbusiness.co.za is a subdomain of yourbusiness.co.za. Businesses may use subdomains for online shops, support areas, staging sites or separate services.

16. Can I install WordPress on my hosting account?

WordPress can run on compatible web hosting that meets its technical requirements. Before choosing a package, check that it supports the required PHP version, database functionality and other software requirements. Confirm the installation options available through Starcom.

17. Can I host an online shop?

An online shop can be hosted on a suitable hosting package, provided it supports the e-commerce software and resources your store requires. Consider product numbers, traffic, payment integrations, security and backup arrangements when selecting a package.

18. What is an SSL certificate?

An SSL/TLS certificate enables an encrypted connection between a visitor's browser and your website. Websites using HTTPS help protect information exchanged with the site and give visitors a more secure browsing experience. Check whether an SSL certificate is included with your chosen hosting package.

19. Is an SSL certificate important for SEO?

HTTPS is a Google ranking signal, although it is only one of many factors used to determine search rankings. An SSL certificate also helps protect data and supports visitor confidence. It is an important part of running a professional website.

20. How can I improve my website's loading speed?

Start by compressing images, reducing unnecessary plugins and scripts, and using a well-built website theme. Your hosting resources also matter. If your website remains slow after basic improvements, check its performance and whether the hosting package meets its requirements.

21. Does web hosting affect Google rankings?

Hosting can affect aspects of website performance, including availability, server response times and reliability. However, buying hosting alone will not improve your Google rankings. Your content, technical SEO, website experience and relevant external links also play important roles.

22. What is website uptime?

Uptime refers to the time a website is available and working correctly. High uptime helps customers access your website when they need it. When comparing hosting providers, check their uptime commitments and what their terms say about service interruptions.

23. Will my website be available 24 hours a day?

Web hosting is designed to make your website available around the clock, but no service can guarantee that interruptions will never occur. Maintenance, technical problems and other events can affect availability. Choose a reliable hosting service and keep backups of your website.

24. Does web hosting include website backups?

Backup facilities vary between hosting packages. Some providers include automated backups, while others require you to arrange them separately. Confirm the backup frequency, retention period and restoration process, and keep an independent copy of important website data where possible.

25. How do I move my website to Starcom hosting?

Website migration generally involves copying your website files and databases, configuring the new hosting account, testing the website and updating DNS settings when you are ready. The exact process depends on your website software and current provider. Confirm the migration options available before making changes.

26. Will changing hosting providers affect my email?

It can, particularly if your email service uses the same hosting account or DNS settings as your website. Before moving a website, identify where your email is hosted and preserve the necessary MX records and other DNS settings. Plan the migration carefully to avoid email interruptions.

27. What is a hosting control panel?

A hosting control panel is an interface for managing parts of your hosting account. Depending on the platform and package, it may allow you to manage files, databases, email accounts, domains and other settings without having to work directly with server commands.

28. Can I use FTP to upload website files?

FTP and its more secure alternatives are methods of transferring files between your computer and a server. Your hosting account must support the relevant access method. Use the connection details supplied by your provider and choose a secure transfer option where available.

29. What should I do if my website goes offline?

First, check whether the problem affects only your connection or whether the website is unavailable from other networks too. Review any hosting notices, domain expiry information and recent DNS changes. If the problem continues, contact your hosting provider with the website address and details of the error.

30. How do I choose the right web hosting package from Starcom?

Compare the available packages based on storage, email facilities, website requirements, security features, backup options and cost. Think about how your business may grow over the next year or two. Visit Starcom's Web Hosting page to review the current packages and select one that suits your needs.

 

Get a VirtualNumber, pay for a full year upfront and we will give you the domain (co.za) and hosting for free for a year.