To have the right domain name for an online business is a valuable asset, and many companies have paid millions of dollars to purchase their desired domain name.

According to a recent Business Insider article, the domain name which has attracted the highest price of all time is insurance.com, which sold for $35.6 million. It should be noted that there were assets attached to this sale.

Looking at domain name only sales, sex.com’s sale price of $13 million tops the list, followed by fund.com at $9.9 million, and porn.com at $9.5 million.

Other valued domain names include porno.com ($8,888,888), diamond.com ($7,500,000), z.com ($6,784,000), slots.com ($5,500,000), and toys.com ($5,100,000).

South African domain names

Business Insider’s most expensive domain name article is based on DNJournal findings, and we looked at information about South African domain names from this source.

MyBroadband also contacted some well-placed local sources to establish how much people paid for some high profile .co.za domains.

It should be noted that the domain name prices listed below are only for confirmed sales where the amount is known. It does not include private sales where the details have not been made public.

The list below provides an overview of some of the most expensive .co.za domain names ever sold. An exchange rate of 1USD = 12.46ZAR was used.

Property.co.za – R4.33 million

Property.co.za was sold by Gavin Durni to a group of South African Internet entrepreneurs for $350,000 (around R4.33 million). The domain name is now registered in the name of JAG Web Marketing, and the site is set to be re-launched.

Homeloans.co.za – R3.09 million

The South African domain name homeloans.co.za was sold for $250,000 (around R3.09 million). There is currently a placeholder website on the domain, which is registered in the name of JAG Web Marketing.

Insurance.co.za – R1.25 million

Insurance.co.za was sold for $100,000 (around R1.25 million). The domain name hosts an insurance comparison and quote website, and is registered in the name of Bold Horizons.

Jobs.co.za – R1 million

The Jobs.co.za portal was launched in 1997, purchased by BidorBuy for a rumoured amount of R1 million, placed under new management, and re-launched in August 2008. The jobs portal did not gain traction as expected, and was sold to PNet in 2012 for an undisclosed sum.

Finance.co.za – R871,000

Finance.co.za was sold by Durni Companies LLC for around $70,000 (around R871,000) in 2012. The domain is currently registered in the name of OPM Holdings, and is displaying a placeholder website which states that the domain is for sale.

Fly.co.za – R809,000

Fly.co.za was sold by Durni Companies LLC for $65,000 (around R809,000) in January 2010 at an auction in Las Vegas. The domain is currently registered in the name of UK-based Relentless Media, and is used as a website for discounted flights.

Porn.co.za – R561,000

The SA domain name porn.co.za was sold in November 2009 by RickLatona.com for $45,000 (around R561,000). The website is registered in the name of EuroDNS SA, and redirects to a mobile adult website.

AutoInsurance.co.za – R455,000

In August 2010 the local domain name autoinsurance.co.za was sold by Durni Companies LLC for $36,500 (R455,000). The domain name is now registered in the name of UK-based Relentless Media, and hosts a car insurance quotes website.

Furniture.co.za – R411,000

The domain name furniture.co.za was sold for $33,000 (around R441,000) in 2010 to the South African furniture company ThisSideUp.co.za. The domain is now owned by Beds Direct Trading, and is used to host the Beds Direct website.

HorseRacing.co.za – R250,000

Horseracing.co.za was sold on Sedo in December 2010 for $20,000 (R250,000). The website is registered in the name of Dotcom Internet, and is used to host a horse racing website.

Toys.co.za – R250,000

Durni Companies LLC sold the domain name toys.co.za for $20,000 (R250,000) in January 2010. The website is registered in the name of Philipp Kloeckner from Germany, and hosts a placeholder website which states that the domain is for sale.

BusinessInsurance.co.za – R237,000

BusinessInsurance.co.za was sold by Durni Companies LLC in May 2011 for $18,975 (R237,000) in a private transaction. The domain is registered in the name of JAG Web Marketing, and is used to host a business insurance quotes website.

Bridge.co.za – R218,000

Bridge.co.za was sold in a private transaction in October 2011 for $17,500 (around R218,000). The domain is owned by Onesys, and hosts the Bridge financial website – a platform for taking out short-term loans.

Blackjack.co.za – R218,000

RickLatona.com sold the domain name blackjack.co.za in July 2009 for $17,500 (R218,000). The domain currently belongs to Spelletjes Overzicht from the Netherlands, and is used to host an online Blackjack guide website.

Casinos.co.za – R218,000

RickLatona.com sold the domain name casinos.co.za in July 2009 for $17,500 (R218,000). The domain belongs to Spelletjes Overzicht from the Netherlands, and is used to host an online casino website.

Education.co.za – R187,000

Gavin Durni bought the domain name education.co.za for $15,000 (R187,000) in May 2011. The domain is registered in the name of Jan Badenhorst, and is used to host the College SA website.

Domains.co.za – R187,000

In April 2010 domains.co.za was purchased for $15,000 (R187,000). The domain is owned by Domains.co.za, and is used to host the company’s website where users can register domain names.

Life.co.za – R181,000

Gavin Durni purchased the domain name life.co.za in August 2010 for $14,536 (R181,000). The domain is registered in the name of JAG Web Marketing, and is used to host an insurance website.

Financing.co.za – R168,000

In February 2012 Durni Companies LLC sold the domain name financing.co.za for $13,500 (around R168,000). The website is registered in the name of TradeMark Unlimited, and hosts a placeholder website.

Cloud.co.za – R112,000

Cloud.co.za was sold to VPS Networks for $9,000 (R112,000). The domain is owned by VPS Networks, and is used to host the company’s website.

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