African Union launches Africa’s own identity web address dotafrica

The African Union (AU) has launched Africa’s own identity web address dotafrica. The dotAfrica (.africa) is an Internet generic Top-Level Domain for the African and Pan African communities and users wherever they may reside. The dotafrica will serves as the continent domain for individuals and entities based in and out of Africa.

The dotafrica generic Top Level Domain will bring the continent together as an internet community under one umbrella, allowing e-commerce, technology and infrastructure to flourish. The project is a truly African initiative established by Africans for Africa and the World, according to a press release statement by the AUC media office.

“With the launch of the DotAfrica domain name, #Africa has reclaimed its digital identity,” Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

The domain name will help create an opportunity to forge a unique online identity, which will associate products, services and information with the continent, following the support and approval from African Union Commission, individual African governments, regional government agencies and organizations.

The outgoing AUC chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma during the launch of the DotAfrica domain name. Photo: Dlamini Zuma/Twitter

According to the AU the introduction of the dotAfrica TLD will create an attractive regional home for the Pan-African Internet community. As a sponsored registry operating from Africa, serving the specific needs of its communities, dotAfrica will echo ongoing operations, and the successes of other sister community TLDs such as dotEu (dotEuropa) and dotAsia. The TLDs have created new Internet identities for their users, and businesses which seek more regional presence without being confined within the limits of one country.

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During the launch at the AU headquarter in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, the outgoing AUC chairperson Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma hailed the creation of the domain name for Africa as an identity and a vehicle for socio cultural activities of Africa in the digital era that will allow the continent to contribute to the global digital economy.

“With the launch of the dotafrica, Africa got its digital identity. This will bring the continent together as an internet community. Now, the Africa has claimed its digital identity,” said Dr.  Dlamini Zuma.

Pan Africanism ideals

Pan-Africanism is an ideology and intellectual movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all people of African heritage. Based upon a common fate going back to the Atlantic slave trade, the movement extends beyond  Africans living on the continent, with a substantial support base among the African diaspora in the Caribbean and the United States.

It is based on the belief that unity is vital to economic, social, and political progress and aims to “unify and uplift” people of African descent.

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The Organization of African Unity (now the African Union) was established in 1963 to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its Member States and to promote global relations within the framework of the United Nations. The African Union Commission has its seat in Addis Ababa and the Pan-African Parliament has its seat in Johannesburg and Midrand.