Almost 2-decades ago, I hand-registered "Casino" and 9 other ultra-premium one-word domain names in the .SO extension.
In Apple's recent earning report, the company indicated that one of its next frontiers is Africa. Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, and several others have been recruiting top tech talent from Africa. With a population of more than 1.2 billion people, it is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. Africa has the most vibrant and tech-hungry consumers with more than 65% of the population under the age of 35. Take Nigeria for example which has the largest number of tech hubs in Africa. Nigeria's population is around 210 million, and that number is expected to reach 500 million by 2050. Thus, it will be a costly mistake for tech companies not to pay attention to Africa and its ccTLDs. I must admit that Africa's ccTLD registries have not done enough to market and promote its country code top-level domain (ccTLD for short).
“The race for the next domain hack for Space Technology, Smart Things, Smart Technology, Space Tourism, Saint Thomas, and many more.”
In the past few days, I have been busy acquiring short dictionary words. While most of Africa's ccTLD's registration fees are historically high, I was surprised to discover that Sao Tome and Principe ccTLD (.ST) is only $20 at a particular domain registrar. I understand that domain investors living in African countries where the exchange rate is out of control may still consider $20 a lot of money. However, if you live in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, etc., then $20 is a reasonable amount to pay for .ST, the ccTLD for Sao Tome and Principe.
Sao Tome and Principe is the second smallest African country and the least populous sovereign state. Sao Tome and Principe gain her independence from Portugal in 1975. She is considered one of the safest tourist destinations in Africa. Sao Tome and Principe ccTLD is .ST and was introduced in 1987. What makes .ST appealing is that it is an acronym for several tech-related terms. For example, "ST" is an abbreviation for Smart Tech, Space Tech, Software Test, etc.
Moreover, “ST” prefix is an abbreviation for “Saint” and is traditionally alphabetized as if the spelling is Saint in full. What makes “ST” so unique is that there are approximately 2,360 words that end with the letters “St”. ST is an acronym for more than 180 words that include Science and Technology, Supply Technology, Speech Therapy, Special Text, Sports Technology, Space Tourism, System Test, Satellite Transmission, Smart Technology, Software Test, Systems Technology, Standard Time, Smart Things, etc.
Like any other ccTLD that has been adopted by tech companies, who would have thought 20 years ago that .IO, .VC, .AI, or .CC will be a must-get domain extension? The .VC is the ccTLD for Saint Vincent, while .AI is the ccTLD for Anguilla, a British Caribbean Island. The .IO is the ccTLD for the Chagos Archipelago, assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory. But when it comes to venture capitalists, technologists, and domain investors, “IO” stands for input/output, “VC” stands for Venture Capital, and “AI” stands for Artificial Intelligence.
In my humble opinion, there are four major tech sectors that are likely to benefit from the adoption of .ST as the new domain extension of choice. They are SPACE TOURISM, SMART TECHNOLOGY, SPACE TECHNOLOGY, and SMART THINGS.
1. Space Technology
According to Wikipedia, "Space technology is a technology for use in outer space, in travel (astronautics), or other activities beyond Earth's atmosphere, for purposes such as spaceflight, space exploration, and Earth observation. Space technology includes space vehicles such as spacecraft, satellites, space stations, and orbital launch vehicles; deep-space communication; in-space propulsion; and a wide variety of other technologies.” A future startup that focuses on space tech might see the benefit of owning a single word with .ST because their business name may not be available in .com for acquisition.
2. Space Tourism
Britannica explains, “Since the flight of the world’s first space tourist, American businessman Dennis Tito, on April 28, 2001, space tourism has gained new prominence as more suborbital and orbital tourism opportunities have become available.” The .ST domain extension is the perfect domain extension that best represents this sector. If you are a new startup looking for the perfect domain extension besides .com, .ST might be the right fit for your business. The .ST is also an ideal domain extension for app developers that are looking for a less expensive domain for their startup.
3. Smart Technology
“Smart’ technology refers to the integration of computing and telecommunication technology into other technologies that did not previously have such capabilities. What makes a technology ‘smart’ is its ability to communicate and work with other networked technologies, and through this ability to allow automated or adaptive functionality as well as remote accessibility or operation from anywhere.” In the era of AI, .ST could be the best alternative to .com, .net or .AI. What better domain extension best describes SMART TECHNOLOGY beside .ST.
4. Smart Things
Samsung promotes that “Smart Things” allow you to monitor and control smart devices and appliances in your home or office from your smartphone. According to Samsung, “Whether you forgot to turn off the TV or want the lights to automatically turn on first thing in the morning, SmartThings has you covered.” The .ST is a great domain name extension for emerging tech companies that create apps that will allow you to manage devices on your phone from anywhere in the world as long as you have access to the internet.
5. Saint Thomas
St. Thomas is a municipality with a legislating municipal council under the governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to Britannica.com, “the chief industry is tourism, which gives the island one of the highest per capita incomes in the Caribbean.” I strongly believe that .ST will be a perfect adoption for this United States territory. After all, Puerto Rico has its own ccTLD, which is .PR.
6. Business Acceptance
The .ST domain is also commonly used to create domain names that spell words ending in "st", such as bur.st or ho.st. It is used for URL shortening like The Washington Post's wapo.st and PlayStation's play.st. Other companies that have adopted URL shortening domain names for their business include Augu.st that redirects to August.com.au, Hei.st redirects to Heist.com, Orthodonti.st redirects to orthostadshart.nl, Refore.st redirects to Terraformation.com, Steadfa.st redirects to SteadfastDesignFirm.com, Locu.st redirects to Purena.me, Strategi.st redirects to Intangibl.es, and Manife.st is its own website.
7. Domain Hacking
According to GoDaddy, a “domain hack” is a domain name that suggests a word, phrase, or brand by combining two or more adjacent parts of the domain. Traditionally, a domain hack is created by using Country-Code Top Level Domains, or ccTLDs, such as .ly, .et, .ng, .st, .me, .es, or .in. Here are some examples of domain hacks created by using .ST ccTLD extension: Botani.st, Breakfa.st, Broadca.st, Athei.st, Biologi.st, Cycli.st, Coexi.st, Consi.st, Defro.st, Entru.st, Economi.st, Foreca.st, Gue.st, Harve.st, Hone.st, Neurologi.st, Newsca.st, Northea.st, Southea.st, Nudi.st, Provo.st, Psychologi.st, Southwe.st, Sportsca.st, Stardu.st, Teleca.st, Zoologi.st, Technologi.st, Physici.st, Noveli.st, Gymna.st, Flori.st, Femini.st, Cataly.st, and Buddhi.st.
In conclusion, it is always advisable to do your own research before investing in anything. Therefore, I admonish you to do your own due diligence before investing in the .ST ccTLD. Remember, no ccTLD gained notoriety overnight; instead, it took time.
What is your view of the .ST domain extension, and do you think it is worth investing in?
.SO is the ccTLD for Somalia. Unfortunately, I dropped all of the names because of their renewal fee and zero inquiries from prospects. At the time, it did not cross my mind that any business would ever be interested in building an online presence on any ccTLD of Africa like .SO, .NG, .KY, .ET, etc. Fast forward to 2017, Namebio.com reported the sales of Chee.ky for $4,000. 5 years later, Claim.so sold for $5,386. In 2021, Shop.ng sold for $9,999. In 2023, Via.co.za sold for $11,500. Between 2020 and 2022, Namebio.com also reported the sales of several URL shortening names: B.et sold for $100,000, J.et sold for $60,000, Pock.et sold for $30,000, and V.et sold for $14,000. Please understand that all ccTLD are not created equal.In Apple's recent earning report, the company indicated that one of its next frontiers is Africa. Microsoft, Twitter, Facebook, and several others have been recruiting top tech talent from Africa. With a population of more than 1.2 billion people, it is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. Africa has the most vibrant and tech-hungry consumers with more than 65% of the population under the age of 35. Take Nigeria for example which has the largest number of tech hubs in Africa. Nigeria's population is around 210 million, and that number is expected to reach 500 million by 2050. Thus, it will be a costly mistake for tech companies not to pay attention to Africa and its ccTLDs. I must admit that Africa's ccTLD registries have not done enough to market and promote its country code top-level domain (ccTLD for short).
“The race for the next domain hack for Space Technology, Smart Things, Smart Technology, Space Tourism, Saint Thomas, and many more.”
In the past few days, I have been busy acquiring short dictionary words. While most of Africa's ccTLD's registration fees are historically high, I was surprised to discover that Sao Tome and Principe ccTLD (.ST) is only $20 at a particular domain registrar. I understand that domain investors living in African countries where the exchange rate is out of control may still consider $20 a lot of money. However, if you live in the United States, Canada, Australia, Europe, etc., then $20 is a reasonable amount to pay for .ST, the ccTLD for Sao Tome and Principe.
Sao Tome and Principe is the second smallest African country and the least populous sovereign state. Sao Tome and Principe gain her independence from Portugal in 1975. She is considered one of the safest tourist destinations in Africa. Sao Tome and Principe ccTLD is .ST and was introduced in 1987. What makes .ST appealing is that it is an acronym for several tech-related terms. For example, "ST" is an abbreviation for Smart Tech, Space Tech, Software Test, etc.
Moreover, “ST” prefix is an abbreviation for “Saint” and is traditionally alphabetized as if the spelling is Saint in full. What makes “ST” so unique is that there are approximately 2,360 words that end with the letters “St”. ST is an acronym for more than 180 words that include Science and Technology, Supply Technology, Speech Therapy, Special Text, Sports Technology, Space Tourism, System Test, Satellite Transmission, Smart Technology, Software Test, Systems Technology, Standard Time, Smart Things, etc.
Like any other ccTLD that has been adopted by tech companies, who would have thought 20 years ago that .IO, .VC, .AI, or .CC will be a must-get domain extension? The .VC is the ccTLD for Saint Vincent, while .AI is the ccTLD for Anguilla, a British Caribbean Island. The .IO is the ccTLD for the Chagos Archipelago, assigned to the British Indian Ocean Territory. But when it comes to venture capitalists, technologists, and domain investors, “IO” stands for input/output, “VC” stands for Venture Capital, and “AI” stands for Artificial Intelligence.
In my humble opinion, there are four major tech sectors that are likely to benefit from the adoption of .ST as the new domain extension of choice. They are SPACE TOURISM, SMART TECHNOLOGY, SPACE TECHNOLOGY, and SMART THINGS.
1. Space Technology
According to Wikipedia, "Space technology is a technology for use in outer space, in travel (astronautics), or other activities beyond Earth's atmosphere, for purposes such as spaceflight, space exploration, and Earth observation. Space technology includes space vehicles such as spacecraft, satellites, space stations, and orbital launch vehicles; deep-space communication; in-space propulsion; and a wide variety of other technologies.” A future startup that focuses on space tech might see the benefit of owning a single word with .ST because their business name may not be available in .com for acquisition.
2. Space Tourism
Britannica explains, “Since the flight of the world’s first space tourist, American businessman Dennis Tito, on April 28, 2001, space tourism has gained new prominence as more suborbital and orbital tourism opportunities have become available.” The .ST domain extension is the perfect domain extension that best represents this sector. If you are a new startup looking for the perfect domain extension besides .com, .ST might be the right fit for your business. The .ST is also an ideal domain extension for app developers that are looking for a less expensive domain for their startup.
3. Smart Technology
“Smart’ technology refers to the integration of computing and telecommunication technology into other technologies that did not previously have such capabilities. What makes a technology ‘smart’ is its ability to communicate and work with other networked technologies, and through this ability to allow automated or adaptive functionality as well as remote accessibility or operation from anywhere.” In the era of AI, .ST could be the best alternative to .com, .net or .AI. What better domain extension best describes SMART TECHNOLOGY beside .ST.
4. Smart Things
Samsung promotes that “Smart Things” allow you to monitor and control smart devices and appliances in your home or office from your smartphone. According to Samsung, “Whether you forgot to turn off the TV or want the lights to automatically turn on first thing in the morning, SmartThings has you covered.” The .ST is a great domain name extension for emerging tech companies that create apps that will allow you to manage devices on your phone from anywhere in the world as long as you have access to the internet.
5. Saint Thomas
St. Thomas is a municipality with a legislating municipal council under the governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to Britannica.com, “the chief industry is tourism, which gives the island one of the highest per capita incomes in the Caribbean.” I strongly believe that .ST will be a perfect adoption for this United States territory. After all, Puerto Rico has its own ccTLD, which is .PR.
6. Business Acceptance
The .ST domain is also commonly used to create domain names that spell words ending in "st", such as bur.st or ho.st. It is used for URL shortening like The Washington Post's wapo.st and PlayStation's play.st. Other companies that have adopted URL shortening domain names for their business include Augu.st that redirects to August.com.au, Hei.st redirects to Heist.com, Orthodonti.st redirects to orthostadshart.nl, Refore.st redirects to Terraformation.com, Steadfa.st redirects to SteadfastDesignFirm.com, Locu.st redirects to Purena.me, Strategi.st redirects to Intangibl.es, and Manife.st is its own website.
7. Domain Hacking
According to GoDaddy, a “domain hack” is a domain name that suggests a word, phrase, or brand by combining two or more adjacent parts of the domain. Traditionally, a domain hack is created by using Country-Code Top Level Domains, or ccTLDs, such as .ly, .et, .ng, .st, .me, .es, or .in. Here are some examples of domain hacks created by using .ST ccTLD extension: Botani.st, Breakfa.st, Broadca.st, Athei.st, Biologi.st, Cycli.st, Coexi.st, Consi.st, Defro.st, Entru.st, Economi.st, Foreca.st, Gue.st, Harve.st, Hone.st, Neurologi.st, Newsca.st, Northea.st, Southea.st, Nudi.st, Provo.st, Psychologi.st, Southwe.st, Sportsca.st, Stardu.st, Teleca.st, Zoologi.st, Technologi.st, Physici.st, Noveli.st, Gymna.st, Flori.st, Femini.st, Cataly.st, and Buddhi.st.
In conclusion, it is always advisable to do your own research before investing in anything. Therefore, I admonish you to do your own due diligence before investing in the .ST ccTLD. Remember, no ccTLD gained notoriety overnight; instead, it took time.
What is your view of the .ST domain extension, and do you think it is worth investing in?
