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Switch to .bw

Are you in need of an Online presence.? The .bw country code Top Level Domain Welcomes You to the locally relevant domain name space. With the .bw, you can now secure a more easily remembered and shorter URL for your website or email ending in “.bw”. If your current provider is charging you too much for your online presence, .bw domains are a fantastic opportunity to purchase an affordable name. We are Safe, Secure and Identifiable for your potential customers in Botswana. Based right here in Botswana and trusted by over 8, 800 registrants, Re #pushabw #switchtobw

Become a Registrar

Purchase a BW Domain

WhoIS

Log into the Registry Portal

10,000+

Total Domains

70+

Total Registrars

Zones

ac.bw
org.bw
net.bw
co.bw
gov.bw
shop.bw
agric.bw
me.bw

Why Register a .bw Domain?

Identifiable

.bw domains are a brand identity Unique and locally relevant to Botswana. #pushabw

Affordable

Our Registry does not charge accredited Registrars maintenance fees – another fee not to worry about as you purchase your domain.

Timely

We pride ourselves in excellent customer service. Be sure to have your queries resolved in just 24hrs or less and get accredited as a Registrar within 7 working days of application. Customer satisfaction is our new marketing strategy!

Safe & Secure

Our secure DNS runs DNSSec to protect integrity of your domain online. Phishing a problem? Trust the Netcraft anti-phishing tool in appliance to detect & takedown such attacks on your domain.

Trusted

Trust in our numbers as they reflect over 8, 800 domains registered in and outside Botswana as of 2019. The .bw domains continue to grow daily. Be Part of this awesome community!

Fair

Our domains are well regulated with Policies that puts your best interests first and ensures compliance with international domain name best practices. Your brand on .bw is protected and all .bw domains are registered fairly on a first come first serve basis.

What's Our Deal

We are the right local domain extension that lets people know from a blink of an eye, who You are Online!

Who Are We?

The .bw ccTLD is Botswana’s National resource under the delegation of Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority – BOCRA. The supervision of the .bw top-level domain is handled exclusively by BOCRA and we are determined to serve the public and industrial interests through timely registrar accreditation and fair regulation in accordance with the CRA Act 2012. Among others, BOCRA’s role is to:

Act as a trustee for the .BW country-code-top-level-domain.
Become the .BW domain administrative contact as well as technical contact.
Administer the .BW ccTLD and its Second Level Domains.
Maintain and promote the operational stability and utility of the .BW ccTLD.
Ensure a cost-effective administration of the .BW ccTLD and its sub-domains.
Provide name service for all .BW and ensure that the database is secure and stable.

BOCRA follows the 3-R Model of the DNS Industry below:

Registry

Organization charged with the responsibility of managing and maintaining the database of all domain names and the infrastructure that support the registration of domain names. Log into Registry

Registrar

Entity accredited by BOCRA to implement domain registration activities on the registry. Upon a domain registration request from a Registrant, a Registrar reserves the domain. Apply to become a registrar

Registrant

Organization or individual registering the domain names. Purchase a Domain

Our Mandate

As the telecommunications regulator, BOCRA has full government support and mandate to manage, operate and regulate the .BW ccTLD in a manner that complies with International best practices and policies. BOCRA’s .BW reflects a multi-stakeholder governance and engagement that upholds and reinforces a stable presence on the internet. We play a pivotal role in the economy and society to sustain a trusted, secure and fair domain name space – Our .bw

.bw History

The .bw registry was first operated by the University of Botswana, who were listed as the sponsoring organization. The registry was later transferred to the management of Botswana Telecommunications Corporation -BTC, under the administration of Gary Northfield. In 2009, the government of Botswana mandated Botswana Telecommunications Authority – BTA to take over the operations and maintenance of the registry for neutrality.

The redelegation process was started in 2012 May and completed in 2013 was a success and the registry has remained under the supervision of BTA, now Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority - BOCRA. .BW domains continue to strive as a distinct identity of Botswana that supports and promote our local content on the internet.

.bw Domain Name Structure

The structure of a domain name within the .bw DNS has three levels. Each complete name must be unique and comprise all three levels, each separated by a period (.) i.e.name.domain.bw.

View Structure

Our Accredited Registrars

BOCRA supports a Registry/Registrar model for the .BW Domain name Registry. A Registrar is an individual, company or organization that registers domain names on behalf of the actual domain owner. If you want to become a registrar please see how to become a registrar.

View List

Application Process For Registrars

Qualifications & Requirements

1

All Applicants intending to get accredited as .bw Registrars should download the accreditation form.

2

Your Application for accreditation will not be complete if any of the following occurs:

a. information or documents required in the application form or process has not been supplied.

b. if on its face, the application contains misleading or inaccurate information.

c. if it is defective in any way, or

d. if it is not accompanied by the signed Registrar Agreement and Fees specified.

3

For any incomplete Application, BOCRA will inform the affected Applicant immediately and advise accordingly.

4

BOCRA will inform the Applicant by email that the processing will proceed for all complete
Applications. The accreditation process will take at most 7 working days.

5

By applying, the Applicant gives BOCRA the right to verify the accuracy and completeness of
the information the Applicant has provided in the Application. BOCRA also has the right to
satisfy itself that the applicant can function as a registrar in accordance with the Terms and
Conditions of the Registrar Agreement, and other .bw Policies. BOCRA will contact the
applicant directly if it requires clarification or additional information.

6

The applicant may withdraw an application at any time by giving notice to BOCRA by email.
Withdrawing an application will not prejudice the applicant’s ability to submit a new
application to BOCRA. If the applicant decides to re-apply, the applicant will need to re-
submit all documentation and fees.

Policies

Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA)

This document is an Agreement between BOCRA and any potential Registrar to be accredited for .bw.

WHOIS Policy

The WHOIS Policy outlines a service that will provide public access to the information in the .bw domain name register, by responding to a query relating to a specific domain name.

Domain Life Cycle Policy (DLP)

This document sets out policy on the period of registration, renewal, transfer, expiry and deletion of domain names in .bw zones. Existing domain names will be given one (1) year grace period to comply with all requirements as the policy changes.

Registration Agreement Policy (RAP)

This document binds the Registrant to ccTLD policies and the Complaint Resolution Service. This Agreement is entered into by and between the .bw domain name registrant and BOCRA.

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

This document sets out the actions prohibited to Users of the .bw Registry

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News

Feb 24, 2021

Public Notice - Availability Of New BW Domains

BOCRA, as the Registry of the (.bw) domains, would like to notify the public that following the stakeholder consultation in September 2020, new domains have been introduced into the .bw domain

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Jan 31, 2020

.BW Continues to Grow

Botswana continues to grow its online presence through .bw domains as it experienced a 76% growth registering 841 more domains in 2019 than the total 1102 registered domains in 2018. With corporate

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Nov 30, 2019

.Bw Actively Participating in International Events

BOCRA the .bw Registry has continuously participated actively in international events around the DNS such as the ITU, ICANN, AIS and IGF. This is in efforts to remain relevant and up to date with the

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Jul 31, 2019

NIC.BW Hosts 7 th African DNS Forum

On the 22-24 July 2019, BOCRA hosted the 7 th Africa DNS Forum at Avani Hotel under the theme: “Building Trust in the African DNS Industry for a Thriving Digital Economy”. The event attracted over 200

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Jun 30, 2019

.BW Appointed to AfTLD Board

NIC.BW’s Registry Operator Ms. Angela Matlapeng has been recently appointed as 1 of 3 Directors forming the Executive Committee of the Africa Top Level Domain organization - AfTLD. She is the youngest

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May 31, 2019

.BW Registry values DNS Integrity & Security

NIC.BW is one of the proactive registries in Africa that has implemented DNS Security. DNS is a critical foundation of any online business and DNS security solutions are built to protect users from

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Events

There are no upcoming events at the moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a registrant ?

A registrant is someone who *owns a domain name and registers it as belonging to them.

*subject to policy, a domain name is not permanently owned by anyone, it is assigned on first come first serve basis and may be allocated to another person if not renewed by the current owner. Execeptions are in trade mark cases like company names and popular brands where a registrant may have to show proof that the name is legally and rightfully theirs.

What is a registrar ?

A Registrar is a legal entity/organization that has been accredited by BOCRA to register domain names with the .bw registry, on behalf of the registrant.

What is a registry ?

A registry is a database of all domain names registered under a top level domain.A registry operator,also called a `Network Information Center is an entity that operates and administers the registry therefore BOCRA is the registry operator for the .bw ccTLD.

What is a domain name ?

A domain name is a unique address that is used on the Internet.It is what you see in the address bar after the “www” in a browser and it is what comes after the @ sign in an email address.Domain consists of two parts,the top level domain (TLD)and the second level domain i.e “test.bw “ the bw represents the TLD and the test represents the second level domain which is the actual name.There are country specific TOP LEVEL DOMAINS know as county code TOP LEVEL DOMAINS(ccTLDs) such as .bw for Botswana and .za for South Africa.We also have generic TOP LEVEL DOMAINS(gTLDs) like .com and .org.

Can I register any domain name ?

Yes as long as the name does not violate policy and does not infringe on any registered trade mark.

Do I have to pay for a domain name ?

Yes .bw domain names are registered at a fee which may vary from registrar to registrar.

Where do I register a domain name?

.BW domains can be registered with any accredited registrar. Please refer to the list of approved registrars at https://nic.net.bw/list-of-accredited-registrars

How do I become a registrar ?

Please refer to the registrars section for more information.

What do I need to register a domain name ?

In order to register a domain name a registrant must proved their registrar of choice with the following information.

Domain Name.
Name Server List. (Optional)
Registrant Name.
Registrant Contact Details.
Registrant Customer ID.
Administrative Contact Details.
Technical Contact Details. [ Optional ]
Billing Contact Details
Domain Life Period

The registrant Name must be name of the domain owner.

How to Register a .BW Domain

Registering a .BW name is an easy process; Simply choose a domain name and do a WHOIS search to find out its availability. BOCRA does not accept registration requests from individuals (registrants). Registrants will have to identify one of the accredited registrars and register with them.

PLEASE NOTE THAT PRICING MAY VARY FROM REGISTRAR TO REGISTRAR.

How to Renew a BW Domain

If you are a registrar, login and click on the domain name to be renewed, select the number of years to renew the domain name and click save.

How to Transfer a BW Domain

Registrants must kindly write to the registrars of their domain name(s) and request them to transfer the domain name(s) to their preferred registrar or ask their new registrar to request for the name which will be transferred to them by the losing registrar.

You can also follow https://whois.nic.net.bw/whois.jsp and click on "Key Retrieval" to get an authorization code which will be sent to you by mail. The code must be passed to the new registrar to initiate the transfer of the name.

Our Affiliations

registry@bocra.org.bw

info@bocra.org.bw

+267 395 7755

Plot 50671, Independence Avenue, Gaborone

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