How do I start a web hosting business in Rwanda?

Step by step

1. Pick your niche. Web designers, schools, churches, NGOs, cooperatives, small businesses in Kigali, Musanze or your own town: a clear audience is easier to win than “everyone”.
2. Register the business. Register with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and get a TIN from the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), so you can invoice companies and bid for work.
3. Get a reseller hosting plan. Reseller hosting gives you WHM to create cPanel accounts under your own brand, from RWF 35,000 a month.
4. Sell domains as well. Join our free domain reseller program: sign up, open a ticket to activate reseller pricing, and download our WHMCS registrar module from the client area. You can then sell .rw, .co.rw and global domains.
5. Set up billing. WHMCS automates orders, invoices, payments, renewals and suspensions.
6. Build your website with your plans, prices, terms and contact details.
7. Create your packages: for example Starter, Business and Pro, with clear limits on storage and email accounts.
8. Sell and support. Begin with people you know, offer free migration, and reply quickly. Good support is what keeps hosting clients for years.

What it costs to start

• A reseller plan (monthly or yearly).
• Domain balance for the domains you sell.
• A WHMCS licence for billing.
• Your own domain and website.

Pricing your plans

Price for value rather than just being the cheapest: include setup help, free SSL, email and support. Bundle a domain with yearly plans, and sell yearly to keep renewals steady. Many Rwandan clients prefer to pay by mobile money (MTN MoMo or Airtel Money) or bank transfer, so offer your customers the methods they already use.

Growing further

Once you have many clients, move up to master reseller hosting to sell reseller accounts too, or run your own VPS with a cPanel licence.