South Africa ICASA withdraws its OTT services and telecoms affordability inquiry notices, to be republished for comment

South Africa ICASA withdraws its OTT services and telecoms affordability inquiry notices, to be republished for comment

1 October 2026 — South Africa's communications regulator, ICASA, has pulled back two market inquiry notices that it had put into the Government Gazette. A media release dated 1 October 2026 says the Telecommunications Affordability Inquiry notice (Gazette No. 4130) and the Over-the-Top (OTT) Services Inquiry notice (Gazette No. 4129) were withdrawn. The authority gives its reason as the need to address administrative and procedural matters for better regulatory alignment.

Not yet independently verified. Both sources are ICASA's own. The two statements describe the affordability notice slightly differently (one says it was withdrawn and will be republished with a draft questionnaire, the other describes a new notice already published) and give no comment deadlines or republication date. Read in full before acting. We will update this when it can be confirmed, and remove this note.

What changed

The 1 October release says the affordability notice will be republished together with a draft questionnaire for public comment. The OTT notice will be republished later to give more context and clearer guidance for public participation. ICASA says people who already submitted comments will be able to resubmit or add to them once the new notices appear, and that it will announce republication through its usual channels.

A separate update dated 30 September 2026 on the same subject says ICASA still intends to run an inquiry into the affordability of telecommunications services in South Africa, and refers to a new notice setting out the purpose and process. It also says the earlier notices on the impact of OTT services on licensees and the regulatory framework were withdrawn. The two statements are not fully aligned on whether the affordability notice has already been reissued, and neither names a date for the OTT notice. Neither gives comment deadlines.

Who is affected

Licensed telecoms operators are the main audience. The OTT inquiry concerns how over-the-top services, such as messaging, calling and streaming apps that run over operators' networks, affect licensees and whether the regulatory framework should change. Software and communications vendors that offer OTT-style services to South African users, and enterprises that rely on them, have an interest in the outcome. Anyone who sent comments on the earlier notices is affected directly, because those submissions will need to be resubmitted or supplemented.

What to do

Companies that responded to the first round can keep their drafts ready and watch ICASA's news page and the Government Gazette for the republished notices. Those that did not respond can decide now whether to take part, since the republished OTT notice is expected to carry clearer guidance. Communications and product teams can note that no change to OTT regulation has been made and none is proposed in these statements.

Why it matters

An inquiry into OTT services is a step that could eventually inform licensing or regulatory treatment of app-based services in South Africa. Withdrawing the notice resets the clock, so deadlines that applied under the first notices no longer apply. The new dates, once published, will decide the window for input.

Sources

• ICASA, ICASA withdraws notices on OTT services and telecommunications affordability inquiries — 1 October 2026
• ICASA, ICASA publishes update on regulatory notices — 30 September 2026