South African Telecom Operators Face 4.4% Fee Hike from ICASA Starting April 2025
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South African telecom giants, including MTN, Vodacom, and Cell C, will see an increase in service costs from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) following a 4.4% fee hike announcement, effective April 1, 2025.
The adjustment, outlined by ICASA Chairman Mothibi Ramusi, will affect a broad range of services, including licensing, regulation, spectrum development, radio frequency management, type approvals for communications equipment, and fees tied to unreserved postal services.
ICASA stated in its notice, “Effective from 1 April 2025, all [licensing and application] fees will be increased by 4.4 per cent based on the average consumer price index.” The regulator justified the increase as a reflection of economic conditions, impacting the telecom and technology sectors uniformly.
Key Fee Changes
- Service Licence Amendments and Transfers: Costs for electronic communication network services, electronic communication services, and broadcasting services will rise from R78,650 to R82,111.
- Licence Renewals: Renewal fees for these three licence categories will increase from R7,865 to R8,211.
- Type Approvals:
- Approvals for telecoms and terminal equipment, radio equipment, and “simplified” or “badge engineering” kits will go from R6,251 to R6,526.
- “Untested variant,” “tested variant,” and provisional type approvals will rise from R3,125 to R3,262.
- Miscellaneous Procedures: Costs for various type approval-related processes will increase from R782 to R816.
The fee adjustments will apply across ICASA’s service portfolio, signaling higher operational costs for telecom operators as they navigate licensing, equipment approvals, and regulatory compliance in South Africa’s competitive market.
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