The domain name dotAfrica (.africa) has attracted over 8000 registrations, according to the ZA Central Registry (ZACR).

In early July ZACR, tasked with administering the new .africa domain, announced that dotAfrica was officially open to the general public for registration, on a first-come, first-served basis.

During the Sunrise Phase of the dotAfrica launch, registered trademark owners were allowed to apply for .africa domain names. The second launch phase or Landrush phase saw brand owners, businesses and the general public registering premium domains under the .africa gTLD.

By mid-June the domain was reported to have recorded 981 registrations.

The non-profit company says diverse organisations and private individuals have registered.

"Leading continental and international brands are snapping up .africa domain names because they recognise the importance of being associated with Africa's bright future online. With many positive stories coming out of Africa, brands understand that .africa domain names are valuable virtual real estate," says Lucky Masilela, CEO of the ZACR.

The organisation says 54 countries in Africa are now united under a single, continent-wide domain name, staying true to the Oliver Tambo and Abuja Declarations of the 1990s.

"These written resolutions stated that ICT will be central to Africa's future wellbeing and .africa is surely amongst the top African-led ICT initiatives of the last twenty years," states the ZACR.

"Initiatives like .africa help harness the power of new technologies to solve old problems. .africa is unique in that it gives Africans an important sense of pride to help motivate them to achieve the very best for their continent and themselves. ZACR appeals to all Africans to take ownership of .africa, because it truly belongs to us all," concludes Masilela.