Business Email for African SMEs: Setup, Costs and Deliverability
Hosting mailboxes vs Microsoft 365, what each costs in shillings, and the three DNS records that keep your mail out of spam.
The short answer
The cheapest way to get business email is the mailboxes included with a hosting plan (from about KES 2,999 per year). For heavy collaboration, Microsoft 365 starts around KES 1,730 per user per month. Either way, set SPF, DKIM and DMARC records so your mail reaches inboxes.
Option 1: mailboxes included with hosting
Good for small teams that mainly send and receive email. Works with phone mail apps and webmail.
Option 2: Microsoft 365
Adds Outlook, Teams, OneDrive and shared calendars. Better for larger teams and offices already on Office.
Deliverability: the three records
Without these, Gmail and Outlook often mark your mail as spam.
- ✓SPF — lists the servers allowed to send for your domain
- ✓DKIM — signs each message so it can't be forged
- ✓DMARC — tells receivers what to do with mail that fails the checks
Frequently asked
Can I use Gmail with my own domain?
Only through Google Workspace, which is a separate paid service.
Will Nexio set it up?
Yes. Nexio helps create mailboxes, connect your domain and configure SPF, DKIM and DMARC.