How to Move Your WordPress Site to a New Host in Tanzania

Moving a WordPress website to a new hosting provider can feel stressful, especially if you are worried about losing data, breaking the site or going offline. The good news is that moving your website to a better host in Tanzania is easier than most people think.

Whether you are switching because of slow speeds, poor support or downtime, or simply upgrading to faster NVMe hosting, this guide shows you how to migrate your WordPress website safely and with as little disruption as possible.

You will learn how to migrate your WordPress site step by step, even if you are a beginner. And if you would rather not do it yourself, Hostnali moves websites for new clients free of charge.

Quick Answer / TL;DR

Back up your WordPress website before you migrate.
Choose a reliable host with good WordPress support.
Transfer your website files and database.
Update your domain’s DNS settings.
Test the website before switching fully.
Hostnali WordPress hosting offers fast hosting and free migration for websites across Tanzania.

Why Move Your WordPress Site to a New Host?

Tanzanian website owners usually move because of:

Slow website speeds
Poor uptime
Weak customer support
Expensive renewals
Security problems
Limited resources
No WordPress optimisation

Moving to modern hosting with NVMe storage and better infrastructure can make a big difference to performance.

What You Need Before Migrating

Before you start, get these ready.

1. A Website Backup

Make a complete backup of:

Website files
Database
Email (if you need to move it)

This protects your website if anything goes wrong. Our guide on how to back up your WordPress website explains the options.

2. A New Hosting Account

Buy hosting from your chosen provider.

A good host should include:

WordPress support
cPanel access
Free SSL
Daily backups
Fast storage
Reliable uptime

Hostnali offers hosting plans optimised for WordPress, starting from TZS 47,960 a year.

3. Access to Your Domain

You need access to:

Your domain registrar account
DNS settings
Nameservers

You need these to point your domain at the new host. If you also want to move the domain itself, see how to transfer a domain to Hostnali.

Step-by-Step WordPress Migration Guide

Step 1: Back Up Your Website

The safest way to migrate WordPress is to start with a full backup.

You can back up your site with:

A WordPress plugin
cPanel backups
A manual file download

Popular backup plugins:

UpdraftPlus
All-in-One WP Migration
Duplicator

Your backup should include:

The wp-content folder
Themes
Plugins
Media files
The database

Step 2: Download Your Website Files

Download your files through:

File Manager in cPanel
FTP software such as FileZilla

Important folders and files:

public_html
wp-content
wp-config.php

Compress the files into a ZIP archive to make uploading easier.

Step 3: Export Your WordPress Database

WordPress keeps your content in a MySQL database.

To export it:

Open phpMyAdmin
Select your database
Click “Export”
Choose Quick Export
Download the SQL file

This file contains:

Posts
Pages
Settings
User accounts
Comments

Step 4: Upload the Files to Your New Host

Open File Manager
Go to public_html
Upload your website ZIP file
Extract the files

You can also upload by FTP.

Step 5: Create a New Database

In cPanel:

Open the MySQL Database Wizard
Create a database
Create a database user
Give the user full privileges

Write down:

The database name
The username
The password

You will need them shortly.

Step 6: Import Your Database

Open phpMyAdmin on the new hosting account:

Select your new database
Click Import
Upload the SQL file
Start the import

This restores your WordPress content.

Step 7: Update wp-config.php

Edit wp-config.php and update:

define('DB_NAME', 'new_database_name');
define('DB_USER', 'new_database_user');
define('DB_PASSWORD', 'new_password');
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');

This connects WordPress to the new database.

Step 8: Update Your Domain DNS

Point your domain at the new host using either:

Nameservers, or
A records

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to spread everywhere. Read more in our guide to DNS propagation.

During that time:

Some visitors may see the old website
Others may see the new one

This is normal.

Step 9: Test Your Website

Before switching fully:

Test every page
Check forms
Check images
Test menus
Confirm SSL works
Test email

Also check:

How the site looks on mobile
Website speed
The WordPress login

How to Migrate WordPress With a Plugin

Beginners often prefer migration plugins because they make the job simpler.

Popular migration plugins include:

All-in-One WP Migration
Duplicator
UpdraftPlus

They automate:

File transfer
Database migration
Restoring the website

This is usually the easiest method for small websites.

How to Migrate WordPress Without Downtime

Downtime is when visitors cannot reach your website during the move.

To keep it to a minimum:

Keep the Old Hosting Active

Do not cancel the old hosting straight away.

Keep it running for several days after the move.

Test Before Changing DNS

Preview the new site with a temporary URL or your computer’s hosts file before you update DNS.

Migrate When Traffic Is Low

Good times:

Late at night
Early in the morning
Weekends (depending on your audience)

Common Migration Problems

Broken Images

Usually because:

Files were not uploaded correctly
URLs were changed incorrectly

Database Connection Errors

Often caused by a wrong:

Database name
Password
Database user

SSL Errors

Reissue or reinstall the SSL certificate after the move if needed. On Hostnali hosting, free SSL is issued automatically once the domain points to the new server.

Slow Website After Migration

Check:

Caching (enable LiteSpeed Cache on LiteSpeed servers)
PHP version
Hosting resources
Plugin conflicts

Why Better Hosting Matters After Migration

Moving to faster hosting can improve:

SEO

Google favours fast, reliable websites.

User Experience

Visitors prefer pages that load quickly, especially on mobile data.

Online Sales

Slow websites lose sales and increase abandoned carts.

Website Security

Modern hosting improves:

Malware protection
Backups
Firewall security

Why Hostnali Is a Good Option for WordPress Hosting

Hostnali provides hosting optimised for WordPress and serves businesses across Tanzania.

Features include:

NVMe SSD hosting with LiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Cache
Free SSL certificates
cPanel access with Softaculous
WordPress staging and automatic updates
Free website migration
24/7 support by live chat and ticket
Card, bank transfer and mobile money payments

This makes it a good fit for:

Blogs
Business websites
Online stores
Agencies
School websites

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I migrate my WordPress site myself?

Yes. Many beginners migrate WordPress successfully with plugins or cPanel tools. You can also ask Hostnali to do it for free; see how to move my website to Hostnali.

Will my website go offline during migration?

Not necessarily. Careful DNS handling can keep downtime to a minimum or avoid it altogether.

How long does WordPress migration take?

A small website can take under an hour. Larger websites take longer, depending on file size and DNS propagation.

Will I lose SEO when I change hosts?

Normally not, as long as:

URLs stay the same
The website structure stays the same
Downtime is minimal

Should I use a migration plugin?

Yes, especially if you are a beginner.

What is the best hosting for WordPress in Tanzania?

Look for NVMe storage, LiteSpeed, free SSL, daily backups and responsive support. Hostnali offers all of these, with free migration and a 30-day money-back guarantee on hosting.

Final Thoughts

Moving your WordPress website to a new host in Tanzania does not have to be complicated. With proper backups, careful DNS changes and reliable hosting, you can move your website safely with little or no downtime.

If your current hosting is slow, unreliable or holding your website back, moving to faster infrastructure can greatly improve performance and user experience.

Looking for reliable WordPress hosting in Tanzania?

Explore Hostnali WordPress hosting plans and enjoy fast, secure, beginner-friendly hosting for your website.