Email Settings GuideQuick answer: Mweb email runs on Mweb. Every protocol connects to imap.mweb.co.za. IMAP is on 993, POP3 on 995 and SMTP on 587, each secured with SSL. Your username is the full address and the mailbox password you set in your Mweb online account lets you in. Your exact values also sit under The Port 25 Rule in your Mweb online account. Two Sent folders in Outlook? Here is why.
What Changed Recently#
A host changes how you sign in more often than it changes the server names. Here is the current status for Mweb and what it means for your setup.
Worth knowing
Sending is always on 587. Mweb blocks outbound port 25 across its network, so a client set to 25 cannot send. Point the outgoing server at 587 with authentication.
Worth knowing
The password lives in your online account. Set or reset the Mweb mailbox password at mweb.co.za under My Products, then update it on every app and device.
Worth knowing
Mailboxes come in size tiers. Mweb mailboxes are offered at 10 GB, 25 GB and 50 GB. The size is picked in the Mweb online account.
Before You Begin#
Handle these two basics before anything else. Skip them and your email app will reject the connection even when every server value is correct.
1. Create the mailbox
Add the address under your mail settings in your Mweb online account and set its password. That password is the one your apps use.
Where: Mweb then your mail settings
2. Open the port 25 rule
Click sending on 587 next to the address, then the port 25 rule to read the server name and secure ports.
Where: The Port 25 Rule
About Mweb Mail#
Mweb is a South African internet provider founded in 1997, now part of Webafrica. Its mail runs on a Zimbra platform, so a mweb.co.za address reads in Outlook, Apple Mail or Thunderbird as well as in the Zimbra webmail. It also supports legacy iafrica.com and polka.co.za mailboxes.
Reading is on imap.mweb.co.za. Sending is on smtp.mweb.co.za. The value that trips people up is the port. Mweb blocks port 25 across its network, so the outgoing server has to be 587 with authentication on.
| Role | Server | Port |
|---|---|---|
| IMAP | imap.mweb.co.za | 993 SSL |
| POP3 | pop.mweb.co.za | 995 SSL |
| SMTP | smtp.mweb.co.za | 587 StartTLS |
Mweb Webmail Login#
You can always read your mail in a browser. The official sign in pages are:
Mweb Blocks Port 25, So Send on 587#
Mweb blocks outbound port 25 across its whole network to hold back spam. A mail client left on port 25 reads mail fine yet cannot send, so every Mweb setup sends on port 587 with authentication. If your mail sits in the outbox and never leaves, the port is the first thing to check.
| Outgoing port | What happens on Mweb |
|---|---|
| 25 | Blocked on the network, mail will not send |
| 587 | The port to use, with authentication on |
Mweb IMAP Settings#
IMAP is the incoming choice Mweb points most people to. Mail stays put on the server, so a laptop and a phone read one shared inbox. Pull the exact server name from the port 25 rule in your Mweb online account.
| IMAP Server | imap.mweb.co.za | |
| Port | 993 | |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address, including @mweb.co.za | |
| Password | Your mailbox password | |
| Authentication | Required |
Mweb POP3 Settings#
POP3 downloads mail to 1 device. Pick it only if you want a local copy on a single computer. Not sure? See the comparison below.
| POP3 Server | pop.mweb.co.za | |
| Port | 995 | |
| Encryption | SSL/TLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address | |
| Password | Your mailbox password |
Mweb SMTP Settings#
SMTP handles outgoing mail. If you can read mail but not send it, the problem is here.
| SMTP Server | smtp.mweb.co.za | |
| Port (SSL) | 587 | |
| Port (STARTTLS) | 587 | |
| Encryption | SSL or STARTTLS (required) | |
| Username | Your full email address | |
| Password | Same as incoming mail | |
| Authentication | Required. Switch on outgoing server authentication in the client. |
587 with SSL. Many home connections block port 25. Mweb also supports 587 and 26 if 587 is blocked. Confirm outgoing authentication is on.
Check Mweb IMAP Settings Online#
You don't need to download anything to check Mweb IMAP settings online. This page is the lookup: every value is verified, current and copyable straight from your browser. Not sure your address uses Mweb servers? Type it below and find out instantly.
Does my email address use these settings?
Runs in your browser only. Your address is never sent anywhere or stored.
Want to verify the account itself before configuring an app? Sign in at Mweb webmail, which confirms your address and password work, then confirm an Mweb password exists. If both pass, any email app connects with the tables above.
Look Up IMAP Settings for Any Email Domain#
This page covers Mweb. For every other address, work email on a company domain included, we run a free online lookup database: imapsettings.com.
imapsettings.com
Complete email settings database, by Univik
Enter any email address and get the incoming and outgoing server settings for that domain in 1 step:
Your address is used only to find the settings for that domain. Nothing is stored or shared.
Username and Password#
Both come from the mailbox itself. The username is the whole email address and the password is the one you chose when you built the address in your Mweb online account. A standard Mweb mailbox uses no Mweb password.
Username is the full address
Type you@mweb.co.za in full, with the part after the at sign. Mweb turns down a bare mailbox name.
Put that same address on both incoming and outgoing.
Password is the mailbox one
This is the webmail password you set under your mail settings in your Mweb online account, not your Mweb client area login. Reset it there if an app keeps refusing it.
The two factor prompt in the Mweb client area guards billing, not the mailbox connection.
Set Up Mweb in Email Clients#
The servers and ports are always the same. Only the menus differ. Jump to your app:
Outlook (Windows and Mac)
- In Outlook select Add Account, then turn on manual setup under Advanced options.
- Choose IMAP and set incoming to
imap.mweb.co.zaon 993 with SSL. - Set outgoing to the same server on 587 with SSL.
- Enter the full address and mailbox password when Outlook prompts you.
- Send a test message to yourself to prove both paths.
Apple Mail (macOS)
- In Mail select Add Account, then pick Other Mail Account.
- Give your name, Mweb address and password, then continue.
- Enter imap.mweb.co.za with SSL on incoming and outgoing.
- Keep the SSL ports so nothing sends in plain text.
- Save and wait for the mailbox to load.
iPhone and iPad
- In Settings open Mail, then tap Mail Accounts and Add Account.
- Tap Other then Add Mail Account and fill your details.
- Keep IMAP chosen and put imap.mweb.co.za in both server boxes.
- Leave the secure ports iOS fills, since Mweb expects SSL.
- Tap Save and let iOS run its check.
Android
- Open your mail app and tap Add account, then Other or IMAP.
- Put in your address and password. Switch to manual setup if it stalls.
- For incoming use imap.mweb.co.za on 993 over SSL.
- For outgoing use smtp.mweb.co.za on 587 over SSL.
- Save and swipe down to fetch your mail.
Thunderbird
- In Thunderbird pick Account Actions, then Add Mail Account.
- Type your name, Mweb address and password, then Continue.
- Wait for detection, then make sure IMAP with SSL is picked.
- If detection fails, type imap.mweb.co.za in yourself.
- Hit Done and the folders fill in on the first sync.
Mweb Webmail Settings#
Server settings connect your apps. The controls here shape how the mailbox acts on its own. They live in the Mweb Zimbra webmail, opened in any browser.
Signature
Add one in the webmail preferences. It rides on mail sent from webmail. A desktop app keeps a signature of its own.
Vacation Auto Reply
Set an autoresponder in your Mweb online account and give it start and end dates. The Mweb server delivers it, so it fires even when your machine is off.
Filters and Folders
Create filters from the Mweb Junkmail settings in your Mweb online account. A server side rule sorts a message ahead of any device fetching it. A rule set inside an app only works while that app is running.
Spam and Blocked Senders
Mweb runs SpamAssassin on incoming mail. Set the threshold and block unwanted senders in your Mweb online account. Flagged mail lands in the junk folder for a look.
POP3 vs IMAP#
| Feature | IMAP | POP3 |
|---|---|---|
| Where mail lives | On the Mweb server | Downloaded to 1 device |
| Multiple devices | ✅ Everything stays in sync | ❌ Each device sees different mail |
| Sent and deleted mail | ✅ Synced everywhere | ⚠️ Stays only on that device |
| Offline reading | ⚠️ Cached mail only | ✅ Full local copy |
| Server storage used | Yes, counts against your quota | Can be freed after download |
| Best for | Phone + computer, everyday use | Single PC, local archives |
Mweb Mail at a Glance#
Every value in one place. Copy the row you need. Remember that sending is on 587:
| IMAP | imap.mweb.co.za, 993, SSL |
| POP3 | pop.mweb.co.za, 995, SSL |
| SMTP | smtp.mweb.co.za, 587, StartTLS |
| Outgoing port 25 | Blocked on the Mweb network |
| Username | Your full mweb.co.za address |
| Password | Set in the Mweb online account |
| Mailbox size | 10 GB, 25 GB or 50 GB |
Troubleshooting Mweb Connections#
Find the exact error your email app shows, then apply the fix:
| Error you see | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Username or password rejected | Short username or wrong password | Use the full email address with the mailbox password from Mweb, not the client area login. |
| Cannot send on port 25 | ISP blocks the default SMTP port | Switch outgoing to 587 with SSL. Mweb also accepts 587 and 26 if 587 is blocked. |
| Mail sits in the outbox | Outgoing port set to 25 | Mweb blocks port 25 across its network. Set the outgoing server to smtp.mweb.co.za on 587 with authentication on. The mail then leaves the outbox. |
| Password keeps being rejected | Not the online account password | The mailbox password is the one set at mweb.co.za under My Products. Reset it there, then update it on every app and device that reads the mailbox. |
| Cannot connect to server | Wrong port or encryption | Set 993 with SSL incoming and 587 with SSL outgoing. A firewall on your own machine can block it as well. |
| Repeated password prompt | Short username or a typo | Clear the saved login, then put in the full address with the mailbox password. |
| Messages stuck in Outbox | SMTP authentication is off | Enable "outgoing server requires authentication" with the same login as incoming mail. |
| Two Sent folders in Outlook | Old and new platform names differ | The move renamed the sent folder from Sent to Sent Items, so a client shows both. Sent mail is safe. Check each folder, move the messages into one, then set the client to use it. |
| Imported folder has an underscore | A restricted character was swapped | Mweb Webmail replaces a character it cannot keep, such as a question mark, with an underscore on import. Rename the folder in webmail, avoiding the restricted characters. |
Reader Reported Fixes
Copy from the port 25 rule. When a manual setup will not connect, the the port 25 rule page in your Mweb online account prints the exact server name and ports for that mailbox. Pasting those in clears the guesswork behind most failed setups.
Test the login in webmail first. Sign in at webimap.mweb.co.za with the full address and mailbox password. If webmail works, the credentials are right and the issue sits in the app settings.
Why Outlook Shows Two Sent Folders#
After the Mweb mail platform moved to its current system, some people open Outlook and find two Sent folders. Nothing was lost. The old platform named the folder Sent and the new one names it Sent Items, so a client that knew both shows both, with older sent mail in one and newer sent mail in the other.
The tidy-up is to pick one folder to keep, move the messages from the other into it, then point the client's Sent setting at the folder you kept. The same naming gap can leave two Trash or Deleted Items folders. A separate quirk shows up on import: Mweb Webmail swaps a restricted character in a folder name for an underscore, so a folder called Problems? arrives as Problems_. You can rename it in webmail, as long as the new name avoids the restricted characters.
| What you see | Why |
|---|---|
| Two Sent folders | Old name Sent, new name Sent Items |
| Two Deleted folders | Old and new names for deleted items differ |
| Folder shows an underscore | A restricted character was swapped on import |
Moving Mail In or Out?#
Mweb mail speaks plain IMAP, so a mailbox moves in or out like any Mweb account. Each folder stays on the server until the move finishes.
Take a copy first. Back up the mailbox before a move. A note that arrives mid switch can sit on either side. A copy keeps you safe.
Carrying mail across? The Univik Email Migration Tool moves each folder over an IMAP link. Give it the Mweb server name and mailbox password on this side and the other account opposite.
Rather hand it off? Our Email Migration Services team runs the whole move and verifies each folder arrived.
Use These Settings in Univik Email Backup#
The same IMAP settings above let you download your complete Mweb mailbox to your computer. Univik Email Backup saves everything as PST, MBOX, EML or PDF files you keep forever, even if the account closes.
- Download Univik Email Backup and install it on Windows.
- Select Mweb from the source list. If it isn't listed by name, choose IMAP.
- Give the complete email address with your mailbox password. The login name is always the whole email address.
- When the backup tool wants server details, hand it imap.mweb.co.za on port 993 with SSL for Mweb. Take those values straight from the IMAP table above, with port
993over SSL. - Pick a saving format and folder, then start the backup. Large mailboxes download in the background.
Univik Tools That Use These Settings#
Many people land here while migrating or archiving a mailbox. All 3 tools use the same IMAP settings from this page:
Email Backup
Download your complete Mweb mailbox to PST, MBOX, EML or PDF before switching or closing the account.
Email Backup Tool →
Email Migration Tool
Copy every folder from Mweb straight into Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any other account. No manual export needed.
Email Migration Tool →
Email Converter Tool
Already have MBOX, EML or OST files from an old export? Convert them to PST, PDF or any format your new app opens.
Email Converter Tool →Prefer to hand the whole migration to experts?
If the hostnames and passwords feel like busywork, you can let the tool handle it. Univik's migration team handles the complete project: planning, transfer, verification and a report showing every folder made it. Since 2013, for single mailboxes up to full company moves.
Email Settings Glossary#
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol. Reads mail that stays on the server. Use imap.mweb.co.za on 993 with SSL, which keeps a phone and a laptop in step.
POP3
Post Office Protocol version 3. Downloads mail to one device. Use pop.mweb.co.za on 995 with SSL for a single machine you back up yourself.
SMTP
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Sends your outgoing mail. Use smtp.mweb.co.za on 587 with authentication. Port 25 is blocked on the Mweb network.
Port 25 Blocked
Mweb blocks outbound port 25 across its network to curb spam. A client left on 25 cannot send, so the outgoing port is always 587.
Port 587
The submission port for sending Mweb mail. Set the outgoing server to 587 with encryption and authentication on, using your Mweb login.
SSL and StartTLS
The encryption Mweb needs. Use SSL on 993 and 995 for reading. Use StartTLS on 587 for sending, so the connection stays private.
Full Email Address
Your username is the whole address, like you@mweb.co.za. Type it in full on the incoming and the outgoing server.
Mweb Online Account
Where you set the mailbox password and pick a mailbox size. Sign in at mweb.co.za, open My Products and the mailbox settings.
Zimbra Webmail
The browser view of Mweb Mail, run on Zimbra. Read mail there when a client is not to hand. It also manages Junkmail settings.
Mailbox Size
Mweb mailboxes come in tiers of 10 GB, 25 GB and 50 GB. Pick the size that suits you in the Mweb online account.
Junkmail and Quarantine
Mweb filtering that holds suspected spam. If a message does not arrive, ask the sender to check Spam and the Quarantine.
Mweb
A South African internet provider founded in 1997, now part of Webafrica. It also supports legacy iafrica.com and polka.co.za mailboxes.
Sent and Sent Items
The two names Mweb has used for the sent folder. The old platform called it Sent, the new one Sent Items, so a client can show both after the move.
System Folders
The built-in folders such as Sent, Drafts and Deleted Items. A platform move can leave a second copy of one when the old and new names differ.
Restricted Characters
Characters a folder name cannot keep, like a question mark. Mweb Webmail swaps them for an underscore on import, so Problems becomes Problems with an underscore.
How We Verify These Settings#
Univik builds email backup, migration and converter software since 2013. Our tools sign in to Mweb over IMAP and SMTP every day for thousands of users, so a changed server, port or login rule shows up in our connection logs before most guides notice it.
Every value on this page is confirmed with three checks: a live IMAP and SMTP connection from Univik Email Backup, a comparison against the Mweb guides and a sign in with a real mailbox using the full address. We re verify after any provider announcement and at least once a quarter.
Found something that no longer matches what Mweb shows you? Tell us and we will retest and update the page, with the change logged in what changed recently.
Help & Support
Frequently Asked Questions
Incoming is imap.mweb.co.za on 993 with SSL. POP is pop.mweb.co.za on 995. Outgoing is smtp.mweb.co.za on 587 with authentication. The username is your full mweb.co.za address.
Mweb blocks outbound port 25 across its network to curb spam. A client set to port 25 reads mail but cannot send. Set the outgoing server to smtp.mweb.co.za on 587 with authentication. The mail then leaves.
Yes. Port 25 is blocked on the Mweb network as an anti-spam measure. Sending is on port 587 with authentication and encryption. This is the most common reason Mweb mail sits in the outbox.
The mailbox password set in your Mweb online account. Sign in at mweb.co.za, open My Products and the mailbox settings to set or reset it. After a change, update it on every app and device.
IMAP is the better default. It keeps mail on the Mweb server so a phone and a laptop show the same inbox. POP downloads to one device, which suits a single machine you back up yourself.
Mweb mailboxes come in tiers of 10 GB, 25 GB and 50 GB. You pick or change the size in the Mweb online account, under the mailbox settings for that product.
Mweb Mail runs on Zimbra, so you read it in the Mweb Zimbra webmail. Sign in through mweb.co.za, where you can also manage Junkmail and Quarantine settings for the mailbox.
Yes. Mweb supports legacy iafrica.com and polka.co.za mailboxes alongside mweb.co.za. For those addresses, follow the Mweb setup and the same port 587 rule for sending.
Mweb filters suspected spam into Junkmail and Quarantine. If a sender says a message did not arrive, ask them to check their own Spam and Quarantine. Then review your Mweb Junkmail settings.
The Mweb platform move renamed the sent folder. The old system called it Sent and the new one calls it Sent Items, so a client that knows both shows both. Your sent mail is safe, only split across the two. Check each folder, move the messages into one, then set the client to use that folder for sent mail.
Other Email Provider Settings
Summary: Mweb Settings at a Glance
- IMAP: imap.mweb.co.za, port 993, SSL/TLS
- POP3: imap.mweb.co.za, port 995, SSL/TLS
- SMTP: smtp.mweb.co.za, port 587 or 587
- Username is always your full email address
- Mweb mailbox on the Mweb servers
- Pick IMAP for phone + computer sync
- Full address as the username
- Username is always the full email address