Escrow and Transfer Walkthrough for .co.za Handovers

A .co.za handover does not move at the same pace as a .com push. The registry sits behind a registrar layer, EPP codes expire, and confirmation windows run on business days rather than minutes. Members who treat the transfer as a formality are the ones who lose a week waiting on a reply that never needed to be sent.

The order below is the one that has held up across the last dozen handovers posted in the escrow board. It assumes both parties are already agreed on the number and the name is not under any registry lock.

The sequence that works

1. Buyer funds escrow. Seller confirms the funds are visible before touching anything.
2. Seller unlocks the name at the current registrar and requests the EPP code. Note the issue date.
3. Buyer submits the transfer request at their registrar and forwards the confirmation email to the seller.
4. Seller approves the outgoing transfer when the registrar asks. This is the step people forget.
5. Wait out the confirmation window. Do not chase before it closes.
6. Buyer confirms the name is in their account and updates WHOIS. Escrow releases.

Where deals go quiet

Two points account for most stalls. The first is the gap between escrow funding and the seller unlocking the name. Buyers read silence here as hesitation and start asking about alternatives. The second is after the buyer submits the transfer request: the seller approves nothing, assumes the registrar handles it, and the window lapses. A short message at each of those two moments prevents both.

Paperwork worth preparing early

Have the registrar account details, the EPP code, and a signed transfer instruction ready before the buyer funds. If the name is held by a company, the resolution authorising the sale should exist before anyone asks for it. Buyers outside South Africa usually need a registrar that accepts international payment and a WHOIS contact they can actually receive mail at, so confirm that before the transfer starts rather than after.