What Happened to WhoGoHost? (GO54 → HostAfrica Acquisition)
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Quick Answer
WhoGoHost rebranded to GO54, then was acquired by HostAfrica in January 2025. Existing customers are being migrated to HostAfrica's infrastructure. New customers should sign up directly with HostAfrica or consider QServers as an independent alternative. This page explains the acquisition and your options.
| WhoGoHost (Pre-2023) | GO54 (2023–2024) | HostAfrica (Jan 2025+) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | WhoGoHost | GO54 | HostAfrica Nigeria |
| Ownership | Independent Nigerian | Independent Nigerian | HostAfrica (Cape Town) |
| Data Centre | Lagos (MainOne) | Lagos (MainOne) | Lagos + pan-African |
| Control Panel | cPanel | cPanel | DirectAdmin |
| Customers | 100,000+ domains | 40,000+ websites | 200,000+ combined |
What Happened to WhoGoHost
WhoGoHost was one of Nigeria's oldest and most recognised web hosting companies, founded in 2007. For over 15 years, it served as many Nigerians' first introduction to web hosting, managing over 100,000 domains from local Lagos infrastructure via a MainOne data centre partnership.
In 2023, WhoGoHost rebranded to GO54 — a name reflecting broader ambitions beyond just hosting. The rebrand was purely cosmetic; the team, infrastructure, and service remained the same.
The HostAfrica Acquisition
In January 2025, Cape Town-based HostAfrica acquired GO54. This was part of a larger consolidation strategy that also included Web4Africa (acquired July 2024), WebManager.NG (October 2024), and DomainKing (acquired in 2021).
HostAfrica is a pan-African hosting company founded in 2016 by European entrepreneurs, operating data centres in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. The combined entity now controls an estimated 30% of the Nigerian hosting market and over 200,000 customers.
What This Means for Existing Customers
If you're a current WhoGoHost or GO54 customer, here's what to expect:
- Your hosting still works. Existing plans continue to operate during the transition period.
- Infrastructure is upgrading. HostAfrica is migrating accounts to their infrastructure, which includes NVMe storage and KVM virtualisation.
- Control panel may change. HostAfrica uses DirectAdmin rather than cPanel. If your account is migrated, expect a different interface for managing your hosting.
- Pricing may change. HostAfrica's Nigerian shared hosting starts at ₦2,500/month (or ₦875/month promotional). Your renewal pricing may differ from historical GO54 rates.
- Some disruption is possible. Review platforms note that some customers experienced issues during the integration of earlier HostAfrica acquisitions. Monitor your site's uptime during any migration.
Should You Stay or Switch?
Stay with HostAfrica if:
- Your site is running fine and you don't want the hassle of migrating
- You value the upgraded infrastructure (NVMe, pan-African network)
- Local Nigerian data centre hosting is important to you
- You're comfortable with DirectAdmin (or willing to learn it)
Consider switching if:
- You specifically need cPanel and don't want to learn a new panel
- You want an independent Nigerian-owned host, not a South African acquisition
- You've experienced service issues during the transition
- You want to avoid the uncertainty of ongoing integration
Alternatives
If you're considering a move, these are the strongest alternatives:
- QServers — Nigeria's most reliable independent host with a 20-year track record, cPanel, and 99.99% uptime. US-based servers add latency but provide proven stability. From ₦18,500/year.
- Truehost Nigeria — Lagos data centre, budget pricing from ₦1,275/month, and 99.999% uptime SLA. Good value but mixed VPS reviews on platforms like TrustPilot.
See also: HostAfrica review | Best hosting in Nigeria
We earn commission from some links. Rankings are not affected — see our affiliate disclosure.
FAQ
Is WhoGoHost still operating?
Not as an independent company. WhoGoHost rebranded to GO54 in 2023, and GO54 was acquired by HostAfrica in January 2025. The WhoGoHost brand effectively no longer exists. Existing customers are being migrated to HostAfrica's platform.
Will my GO54 hosting plan still work?
Yes. Existing plans continue during the transition. However, when your plan comes up for renewal, expect HostAfrica pricing and potentially a different control panel (DirectAdmin instead of cPanel). Monitor any migration communications from HostAfrica carefully.
Should new customers sign up with GO54?
No. New customers should sign up directly with HostAfrica, which now operates the GO54 infrastructure. Alternatively, consider QServers if you want an independent Nigerian host with cPanel.
Who owns HostAfrica?
HostAfrica is a Cape Town-based company founded in 2016 by European entrepreneurs. It has acquired multiple Nigerian hosting brands including GO54 (WhoGoHost), Web4Africa, WebManager.NG, and DomainKing, making it the largest hosting operation serving Nigeria.
Can I migrate away from GO54/HostAfrica?
Yes. If your hosting currently uses cPanel, you can use cPanel's built-in backup tools to export your site files and databases. If your account has already been migrated to DirectAdmin, the process is slightly different but still straightforward. QServers uses cPanel and can assist with migrations.