Register the domain in your business’s own name, keep the login, and choose hosting for speed, backups and support rather than the lowest monthly price.
What .rw and .co.rw mean
.rw is Rwanda’s country domain. It is managed by RICTA, the Rwanda Internet Community and Technology Alliance. A business can register a name directly under .rw, like yourbusiness.rw, or under a second level such as .co.rw, which is meant for companies.
| Ending | Usually used by |
|---|---|
| .rw | Any business or brand that wants a short Rwandan address |
| .co.rw | Companies and commercial organisations |
| .org.rw | Non profit and non governmental organisations |
| .ac.rw | Academic institutions |
A .rw address tells visitors, and Google, that you serve Rwanda. If you also sell abroad, a .com can point to the same website.
Where to register it
.rw names are sold through registrars accredited by RICTA, and companies can also apply through the Irembo government portal, which asks for a valid TIN. Prices and conditions change, so check the current terms on RICTA’s site or Irembo before you pay.
- Search for the name and a close alternative before you decide.
- Register it in the name of the business, not a developer or an employee.
- Use an email address the business controls for the account.
- Turn on automatic renewal, or put the renewal date in a shared calendar.
Choosing web hosting
Hosting is the server that delivers your website. For a business site, the difference between plans shows up in speed, reliability and how quickly problems are solved.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Speed from Rwanda | Most of your visitors are on phones and mobile data. A server and network that answer quickly from Rwanda make every page faster. |
| Backups | Daily backups you can restore yourself, kept for at least a couple of weeks. |
| SSL certificate | HTTPS is expected by browsers and by Google. It should be included and renew automatically. |
| Decide whether business email lives with the hosting or with a separate service. | |
| Support | How you reach them, in what language and how fast they answer. |
| Access | You should hold the main account login, not only your developer. |
A cheap plan can be fine for a small brochure site. An online shop or a site that takes bookings needs more headroom, regular updates and monitoring.
Test it, then keep testing
Hosting is one part of speed. Images, code and plugins matter as much. Once your site is live, run it through a speed test on a phone and repeat after big changes.
At launch: write down who holds what
- Domain registrar, account owner and renewal date
- Hosting provider, plan and renewal date
- DNS settings and where they are managed
- Business email provider
- WordPress administrator accounts
- Where backups are kept and how to restore one
Keep this list somewhere the business controls. It turns a future emergency into a ten minute job.
Further reading
Official documentation behind the technical guidance in this article.