Having Trouble with Email? Let's Fix It Together

Email issues can be frustrating, but most problems have simple solutions. This guide will help you troubleshoot email problems whether you're using HMailPlus (our modern email and workspace solution) or traditional email hosting through DirectAdmin or cPanel.

⚠️ Important: Identify Your Email Platform First

Before troubleshooting, you need to know which email platform you're using:

• HMailPlus: If you access your email at https://webmail.hmailplus.com/ or through the OX App Suite interface, you're using HMailPlus. Learn more about HMailPlus
• DirectAdmin/ cPanel Email: If your email is managed through DirectAdmin or cPanel control panel (part of your web hosting package), you're using traditional email hosting. Learn more about Web Hosting

Not sure which one you're using? Check your original service order or contact support.

Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Guide

• Go to a domain lookup site like ICANN WHOIS.
• Type your domain name (e.g., yourdomain.com) in the search box.
• Click "Lookup" to see if the domain is active or expired.

(In our example, we searched for hostafrica.com, but you should enter your own domain name instead.)

2. Check Your Hosting/Email Service Status

Log in to your HOSTAFRICA client area and ensure:

• Your hosting service is active (not suspended or expired)
• Your HMailPlus subscription is active (if applicable)
• All invoices are paid and up to date

This applies to DirectAdmin and cPanel users.

• From your HOSTAFRICA client dashboard, use the built-in IP Block Check Tool as guided here: Unban/unblock your IP
• This checks if your IP has been blocked by the server's firewall (often due to too many incorrect login attempts).
• If blocked, you can request unblocking directly through the same interface or email support with your current IP address (find it by visiting: What is my IP address)

For HMailPlus Users:

Verify your email client settings:

• Incoming Mail Server (IMAP): imap.hmailplus.com, Port 993 (SSL/TLS)
• Incoming Mail Server (POP3): imap.hmailplus.com, Port 995 (SSL/TLS)
• Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): smtp.hmailplus.com, Port 465 (SSL/TLS) or Port 587 (STARTTLS)
• Username: Your full email address
• Authentication: Password authentication required

For DirectAdmin/ cPanel Email Users:

Verify your email client settings:

• Incoming Mail Server (IMAP): mail.yourdomain.com; replace 'yourdomain.com' with your correct domain name Port 993 (SSL/TLS)
• Incoming Mail Server (POP3): mail.yourdomain.com; replace 'yourdomain.com' with your correct domain name Port 995 (SSL/TLS)
• Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): mail.yourdomain.com; replace 'yourdomain.com' with your correct domain name Port 465 (SSL/TLS) or Port 587 (STARTTLS)
• Username: Your full email address
• Authentication: Password authentication required

a) For HMailPlus Users:

Currently, delivery tracking is handled through our support team. If you're experiencing delivery issues:

• Note the time and date of the email attempt
• Record the sender and recipient email addresses
• Save any error messages you received
• Contact support with this information

• Log in to cPanel.

• Go to Email → Track Delivery.

• Use the search bar to enter the recipient's email address.

• Uncheck the box labelled “Show Successful” to view only failed attempts.

• Look at the ‘Results’ column to see any errors.

• Click the (i) icon next to a message for more details.

• Log in to DirectAdmin.

• Navigate to Email Manager → E-mail Tracking.

• You can search by time frame, email address, domain, and direction (inbound or outbound).

• View the results and click the (i) icon for detailed error messages.

⚠️ If you see any errors or strange messages, take a screenshot or copy the message, and send it to our support team.

• Go to Email → Email Deliverability.

• This tool checks if your DNS records for email (like MX, SPF, DKIM) are correct.

• If you see a warning that your nameservers (NS) are not under HostAfrica’s control, you’ll need to make DNS changes at the company managing your domain.

• If there are errors, you can click “Repair” if available.

For HMailPlus Users:

• Log in to https://webmail.hmailplus.com/
• Check your storage usage in the bottom left corner
• If your mailbox is full, delete old emails or empty your trash folder

For DirectAdmin Users:

• Log in to DirectAdmin
• Go to Email Manager → E-Mail Accounts
• Check the quota usage for each email account
• Increase quota limits if necessary or delete old emails

• Log in to cPanel
• Go to Email Accounts
• Navigate to:
• Email → Email Accounts
• Check Storage Usage for Each Email Account
• Locate the specific mailbox.
• Under the Storage Used column, review how much      space the account is consuming.
• Manage or Increase Quota

• Click Manage next to the email account.

• Increase the Allocated Storage Space if needed.

Sometimes, your local antivirus or firewall software (e.g., BitDefender, Norton, Kaspersky) may block mail ports or outgoing/incoming connections. 

If you recently updated or installed security software:

• Temporarily disable it and try sending/receiving mail again.




• Alternatively, add your mail app (e.g., Outlook or Thunderbird) to the software’s “allowed” list or exceptions.

If you received a bounce-back error message, please:

• Forward it to us as it often contains the exact cause of the issue (e.g., mailbox full, address doesn’t exist, blocked IP, etc.). 

• Take note of the error code (e.g., 550, 554, 451) as these indicate specific problems.




• If no message is available, just let us know and we’ll help you trace it.

If the issue persists, please raise a support ticket as guided here 'Open Ticket' and include the following:

1. The email address you're having trouble with.

2. Whether the issue is sending, receiving, or both.




3. A screenshot or copy of any error or bounce message.

4. A note on whether your IP was blocked (check via client area).

5. Confirmation that your domain and hosting are active.

6. Any steps you already tried from this guide.

If you are still unsure, just share what you have observed by opening a ticket directly from your client area, and we will take it from there.