It is increasingly becoming clear that many of the newTLD's
launched since 2013 are not viable as a business. While there are
some notable exceptions such as .xyz, most have struggled
to report positive numbers and are currently operating at a loss. A
staggering 70% of all these domains don't have any content
whatsoever, which helps to explain why renewal rates for these
domains also seem to be lower than the industry average.
However, I am confident that .africa will succeed.
Unlike others, it is an extension that caters to needs that are
real (looking at you, .george). It is a joint project by
the African Union Commission (AUC) and the South African registrar
(ZACR), two prestigious regional organizations that have interests
beyond short term profit, as well as the resources and know-how to
run the operation.
