What you will need

Before you begin, have the following information ready:

  • Your full email address (e.g. you@yourdomain.co.za)
  • Your email password
  • Incoming mail server (IMAP): mail.yourdomain.co.za
  • Outgoing mail server (SMTP): mail.yourdomain.co.za

You can find these details in your DirectAdmin control panel under Email Accounts, or in your 0724 Hosting welcome email.

Step 1: Launch Evolution and start account setup

If this is your first time using Evolution, the setup assistant will launch automatically. If you already have accounts configured:

  1. Open Evolution
  2. Go to Edit → Accounts (or Edit → Preferences → Mail Accounts)
  3. Click Add to create a new account

Step 2: Enter your identity

The setup wizard will guide you through several screens:

  1. On the Identity screen:
    • Full Name: Your name (how it will appear to recipients)
    • Email Address: your full email address (you@yourdomain.co.za)
  2. Click Next

Step 3: Configure receiving email (IMAP)

On the Receiving Email screen:

  • Server Type: IMAP
  • Server: mail.yourdomain.co.za (replace with your actual domain)
  • Port: 993
  • Username: your full email address
  • Encryption method: TLS on a dedicated port (or SSL/TLS)
  • Authentication: Password

Click Next to continue.

Step 4: Configure receiving options

On the next screen, you can set how often Evolution checks for new mail:

  • Check for new messages every: 10 minutes (or your preference)
  • Leave other settings at default unless you have specific requirements

Click Next.

Step 5: Configure sending email (SMTP)

On the Sending Email screen:

  • Server Type: SMTP
  • Server: mail.yourdomain.co.za (same as incoming server)
  • Port: 465
  • Server requires authentication: Checked (enabled)
  • Encryption method: TLS on a dedicated port (or SSL/TLS)
  • Authentication type: PLAIN or LOGIN
  • Username: your full email address

Click Next.

Step 6: Set account name and finish

  1. Give your account a name (e.g. "Work Email" or your domain name)
  2. Click Next to review your settings
  3. Click Apply or Finish to complete the setup

Evolution will prompt you for your password when it first connects to the server. Enter your email password and choose whether to save it in the keyring.

Why use IMAP instead of POP3?

IMAP keeps your email synchronised across all your devices. When you read, delete, or move an email on one device, the change appears on all other devices. POP3 downloads email to a single computer and removes it from the server, which is problematic if you check email from multiple devices or locations.

Troubleshooting common issues

Cannot connect to server

If Evolution cannot connect to the mail server:

  • Double-check your email address and password are correct
  • Ensure the server address is mail.yourdomain.co.za, not mail.0724.co.za
  • Verify the ports are 993 for IMAP and 465 for SMTP
  • Confirm TLS/SSL is enabled for both incoming and outgoing servers
  • Check your firewall is not blocking ports 993 or 465

Authentication failed

If you see authentication errors:

  • Ensure you are using your full email address as the username, not just the part before @
  • Verify your password works by logging into webmail at mail.yourdomain.co.za
  • Contact 0724 Hosting support to confirm your account is active

Can receive but not send email

This indicates an SMTP configuration problem:

  • Verify "Server requires authentication" is checked
  • Ensure the SMTP port is 465 with TLS/SSL
  • Check that the SMTP username is your full email address
  • Some networks block port 465; try port 587 with STARTTLS if 465 does not work

Certificate warnings

If Evolution shows an SSL certificate warning, this may be because you are connecting to a shared hosting server. You can accept the certificate for mail servers provided by 0724 Hosting, or contact support to confirm the correct hostname.

Managing multiple email accounts

Evolution supports multiple email accounts. To add another account, go to Edit → Accounts and click Add. Repeat the setup process for each additional email address you want to configure.

Getting further help

If you are still experiencing issues after following this guide, contact 0724 Hosting support with details of the error message you are seeing. We can verify your account settings and assist with troubleshooting.