The central registry for .CO.ZA requires that name servers be authoritative for your domain before they will accept name server changes.

This means:

• A DNS zone must already exist for your domain on the new name servers.
• The name servers must be properly configured to serve your domain and have diverse IP addresses.
• If the name servers do not respond authoritatively, the registry will refuse the update.

What should you do?

Contact your new hosting provider and ask them to create a DNS zone for your domain on their name servers. Once the name servers are authoritative, the registry will allow the change.

How to check if your name servers are authoritative:

Use the dig command in your terminal:

dig yourdomain.co.za @your-name-server

Example:

dig dynadot.co.za @ns1.mynameserver.com

What a problem response looks like:

; <<>> DiG 9.10.6 <<>> dynadot.co.za @ns1.dynadot.com

;; global options: +cmd

;; Got answer:

;; ->>HEADER<<- opcode: QUERY, status: REFUSED, id: 44062

;; flags: qr rd; QUERY: 1, ANSWER: 0, AUTHORITY: 0, ADDITIONAL: 1

;; WARNING: recursion requested but not available

;; OPT PSEUDOSECTION:

; EDNS: version: 0, flags:; udp: 1232

;; QUESTION SECTION:

;dynadot.co.za. IN A

;; Query time: 180 msec

;; SERVER: 162.159.27.147#53(162.159.27.147)

;; WHEN: Tue May 27 11:33:31 CST 2025

;; MSG SIZE rcvd: 42