Updated 4 Feb 2025.
There are many advantages to starting your own blog in South Africa. You might just want to start a blog to share your experiences or knowledge.
Or you might want to make money from your blog. Either way, in this post we will explain how to start a blog in South Africa.
Some of the ways are free. Or you can pay a small fee to get better service from a blog hosting company.
1. Get a website hosting company
A web hosting company will allow you to build your blog on any platform of your choice. We recommend that you host with PriorityOne and use WordPress.
The biggest advantage of going with a website hosting company is that you will own the blog and have control over it. No platform can shut down your blog if they don’t like it.
This will cost you a mere R50 per month for the hosting and around R100 for the domain. This works out to about R600 per year for the hosting of your blog.
Go to PriorityOne and create an account.
After creating your account you will have to search for your domain. You can look for your own name and get a .co.za or you can use the name of your blog.
Search for your domain name and add it to your cart. You will have to add hosting if you want your blog to work.
Go to hosting and add the R50 per month package to your cart. This is more than enough for your blog to start out with and can be upgraded at any time.
Now you will need to check out and pay. Make sure you click on subscribe on the invoice so that the money automatically comes off every month and your blog keeps running.
Now you will need to install WordPress. Go to Services > My Services > and on the left click on Log Into CPanel.
Then, click on WordPress Management.
Then, click on Install.
Now you will need to choose the domain you want to install it on. Choose your basic domain with nothing behind it.
You can choose which extras you would like to install for free.
2. How to start a blog in South Africa
Now, you basically have a blog. You can design your home page any way you like it. Let us show you how to do it and which settings to change.
To log in to WordPress you need to go to [yourdomain]/wp-admin. Log in using the username and password you chose when you set it up. It will look like this:
Once you have logged in you will be on the backend of your blog in South Africa. Here you will be able to change your settings, post blogs, edit your pages and manage comments.
Let’s first look at a few settings that you will need to change to make your blog functional. Go to settings and then General.
Here you will be able to set your website name, and tagline, set your administrator email, set if people can register and what role they will play.
If you don’t know what the setting means, just leave it as it is. Under ‘Writing’ settings there is nothing that needs to be changed.
However, under ‘Reading’ you will need to change a few settings. We prefer to show as many posts as possible to make the blogs easier to find.
Is is better not to discourage search engines to index the page. This will make it easier to find for potential readers.
Here are the settings that we use under ‘Discussion’ on a blog in South Africa. It is what we have found most helpful.
The ‘Permalink’ settings are crucial. It is also important that these are set before you post any blogs and definitely don’t change it once your blog has been around for a while.
Now that you have edited all the settings, you can start writing a blog post.
3. Get to know your customer
If you want to know how to start a blog in South Africa you first need to know who you will be writing for. Think about your customer.
Who is your customer? Is it a person or a business? What kind of information is your potential customer searching for online?
Can you write something that will add value to your customer? Only once you know the answers to these questions can you start with blogging.
4. Writing a post on WordPress
Writing and publishing a blog post on WordPress is as easy as posting on Facebook or any other social media platform. This is a critical step in how to start a blog in South Africa.
Go to your WordPress dashboard like we explained in Step 2. Hover your indicator over posts and click on ‘add new’.
Once you add a new post you can start typing. Remember to add a title, headings, images and links to help your audience understand you blog better.
There you have it, that is how to start a blog in South Africa.
Some other tips that you need to keep in mind:
- Improve the speed of your WordPress website
- Don’t forget to do SEO
- Create great quality content
- Post consistently
- Share about your blog on Social Media
Comment below with a link to the blog you started so that our community can see it.
Frequently asked questions
How much do bloggers earn in South Africa?
Bloggers’ earnings in South Africa can vary widely depending on various factors such as niche, audience size, monetization methods, and the blogger’s level of commitment and consistency. Some bloggers in South Africa make a modest income, while others earn substantial amounts, even enough to make it their full-time profession. According to recent data, successful bloggers in South Africa can earn anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of rands per month through advertising, sponsored content, affiliate marketing, product sales, and other monetization strategies.
How much does it cost to start a blog in South Africa?
Starting a blog in South Africa doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, it’s quite affordable compared to many other business ventures. At its core, you’ll need a domain name and web hosting. Domain registration typically costs between R100 to R300 per year, while hosting can range from R50 to R500 per month, depending on the hosting provider and the hosting plan you choose. Additionally, you might want to invest in a professional-looking website theme or design, which can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a couple of thousand rands. Overall, you can start a basic blog in South Africa for as little as a few hundred rands to a couple of thousand rands.
Do bloggers get paid for clicks?
While some bloggers may earn revenue based on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising models, such as Google AdSense, where they earn a small commission each time a visitor clicks on an ad displayed on their blog, it’s not the primary source of income for most bloggers. Instead, bloggers often rely on a combination of revenue streams, including sponsored content, affiliate marketing, product sales, memberships, and more, to monetize their blogs effectively. While PPC advertising can contribute to a blogger’s income, it’s usually just one piece of the monetization puzzle.
Who is the richest blogger in Africa?
As of the latest available data, the title of the richest blogger in Africa is often attributed to Linda Ikeji, a Nigerian blogger and media entrepreneur. With her successful blog, Linda Ikeji’s Blog, she has built a media empire that includes not only her blog but also TV productions, an online radio station, and real estate investments. While there may be other successful and wealthy bloggers across the continent, Linda Ikeji’s success has garnered significant attention within the African blogging community.
Which type of blog is the best to make money?
The best type of blog to make money from largely depends on your interests, expertise, and target audience. That said, some niches tend to be more profitable than others. Popular niches that often have good monetization potential include:
- Personal finance: Providing tips, advice, and resources for managing money, investing, and achieving financial goals.
- Health and wellness: Sharing information on fitness, nutrition, mental health, and overall well-being.
- Technology: Covering the latest gadgets, software, apps, and tech trends.
- Lifestyle: Offering content on travel, fashion, home decor, and entertainment.
- Business and entrepreneurship: Providing insights, strategies, and success stories for aspiring and current entrepreneurs.
Ultimately, the key to making money with a blog is to choose a niche that you’re passionate about and that has a sizable audience interested in your content.
Is blogging still profitable in 2025?
Yes, blogging can still be profitable in 2025 and beyond. While the blogging landscape has evolved over the years with the rise of social media, video content, and other digital platforms, blogging remains a viable and lucrative way to generate income online. With the right strategies, content quality, and audience engagement, bloggers can continue to monetize their blogs through various revenue streams, adapt to changing trends, and capitalize on new opportunities in the digital space.
