South Africa’s communications regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), has withdrawn its notice of intention to conduct a market inquiry into the impact of over-the-top (OTT) services on licensed operators and the country’s regulatory framework.
The withdrawal, published on 30 September 2026, removes the notice in its entirety. However, ICASA has indicated that the OTT inquiry itself has not been abandoned, stating that the notice will be republished at a later date with greater context and clearer guidance for public participation.
The original notice, published earlier in September, proposed examining how OTT services are affecting licensed operators and the existing regulatory framework. The inquiry brought renewed attention to the growing role of streaming, messaging and other internet-based services in a media environment traditionally governed through broadcasting and telecommunications licences.
At the centre of the issue is a question increasingly confronting regulators across Africa: how should platforms serving local audiences without holding traditional local broadcasting licences be treated within regulatory frameworks designed for licensed broadcasters and network operators?
Services such as Netflix and video-enabled messaging platforms compete for audiences and, increasingly, advertising and content consumption, while operating under different regulatory conditions from conventional broadcasters. The proposed inquiry was therefore expected to provide an opportunity for ICASA to examine whether and how the regulatory framework should respond to this changing competitive landscape.
ICASA said the withdrawal was intended to address administrative and procedural matters and achieve better regulatory alignment. The Authority also confirmed that stakeholders who had already submitted comments would have an opportunity to resubmit or further substantiate their views when the revised notices are published.
At the same time, ICASA withdrew its separate notice concerning the affordability of telecommunications services but has moved to continue that inquiry through a new notice published on 30 September. The revised process will examine telecommunications affordability and potential regulatory or market interventions.
For the OTT sector, the next step will therefore be the publication of a revised notice. Until then, the withdrawal pauses the formal inquiry process but leaves the broader regulatory question firmly on the industry agenda.
For broadcasters, network operators, streaming platforms and other media stakeholders, the forthcoming notice could provide important clarity on how ICASA intends to approach the rapidly changing relationship between traditional broadcasting, telecommunications and OTT services in South Africa.
