Google Offers Free Web Hosting to South African Small Businesses

Google announced on Thursday that it will launch a program in South Africa to help small businesses build a website. The program, Woza Online, will also provide free web hosting.
The program was launched in partnership with the South African’s government department of trade and industry, Vodacom and the Human Resources Development Council. Vodacom Business Services will provide hosting as part of the partnership.

The aim, much like other Google-backed programs, is to provide small businesses with tools to build an online presence. In November, Google partnered with HostGator to offer free hosting in India. The WHIR talked to HostGator chief marketing officer Taylor Hawes shortly after the program launched.

Businesses that participate in the program receive a free easy-to-build professional website, a free sub-domain name and hosting, an automatic listing on Google Places, access to training materials ad workshops, free online support via Google chat and email and a one year free top-level .co.za domain name for the first 10,000 applicants.

 Google launched similar programs in Kenya and Nigeria last year, bringing 20,000 businesses in the first two months, according to a report by Times Live.
With high rates of unemployment and poverty in South Africa, small businesses are seen as fundamental in the creation of jobs. According to a report by Washington Times, small businesses employ 65 percent of the 13.8 million employed South Africans.